A rundown on how to watch Week 3 of College Football… and what to expect
College football Saturdays always present a wonderful problem: there are simply too many games and not enough screens.
That is the idea that inspired the Saturday Morning Watch Guide. Each Saturday morning, this will serve as a roadmap for navigating the day from the opening kickoffs through the final games out west. Rather than simply listing the schedule, the goal is to answer the question every college football fan eventually asks:
“What should I actually be watching?“
I’ll move chronologically through each major television window—Noon, Afternoon, Primetime and Late Night—breaking down the games worth your attention. Some deserve your undivided focus. Some deserve a spot on the second or third screen. Others are worth keeping an eye on until the score gives you a reason to reach for the remote.
That distinction is where my Watchability Scoring System shown below comes in:
Watchability isn’t always synonymous with rankings or team quality. A matchup between two ranked teams isn’t automatically Appointment TV, and a game involving teams outside the national championship picture can still be tremendous television. Rivalries, stylistic matchups, quarterback play, upset potential, stakes and pure entertainment value all matter. The purpose is to evaluate the viewing experience and help college football fans everywhere plan their Saturdays accordingly.
Week 3 gives me a particularly good slate for introducing this guide. There are games worth monitoring from the moment the noon window begins, a consequential ACC matchup between SMU and Louisville anchoring the afternoon, and several intriguing options scattered throughout the evening.
But make sure the living room or man cave TV is available when primetime arrives.
Because in Oxford, Mississippi, LSU and Ole Miss are about to play the first game in the history of the Saturday Morning Watch Guide to receive the designation of Appointment Television.
And considering who’s walking back into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium wearing purple and gold, this one was never going to be just another game.
The Noon Window
I wouldn’t consider this collection of games anything to write home about… but college football is college football. There’s plenty of interesting matchups and wild storylines taking place at this time slot to keep the average fan more than entertained. The headliner here has to be Arizona State and Kansas.. mainly because the game is taking place in Wembley Stadium in London, England. How will the arduous travel for an early-season conference game affect these two teams in the long run? Who knows. What I do know is that I’m going to watch.
Arizona State vs. Kansas
This is one of the more difficult noon games to project because Wembley Stadium introduces a level of unpredictability that the numbers can’t fully capture. Both teams are 1–1, but Arizona State has been the more explosive offense, averaging 7.8 yards per play and 525 yards per game, compared with Kansas at 6.1 and 434. Kansas QB Isaiah Marshall clearly showed his limitations as a passer last Friday night against Missouri, while Arizona State’s 48-20 loss at the hands of Texas A&M was closer than the final score indicated. The Sun Devils certainly have an exploitable weakness in the secondary, but I don’t think Kansas has the downfield passing attack to fully exploit it.
The wild card is London: ASU is traveling more than 5,000 miles, Kansas more than 4,500, and both are dealing with an unusual routine, body-clock adjustment and neutral-field environment. That makes me reluctant to expect a particularly clean game. In the end, I expect the Sun Devils to win a competitive, unconventional contest.
Projected Final: Arizona State 26, Kansas 18
North Carolina at Clemson
There is something almost bizarre about Bill Belichick and Dabo Swinney meeting in Death Valley.. a six-time Super Bowl champion opposite a two-time national champion.. while both programs find themselves in such peculiar places. Clemson enters 1–1 after getting railroaded 51–10 by LSU and then laboring through a 22–7 win over Georgia Southern, while UNC is 2–0 and has allowed just 6.5 points per game. Clemson’s offensive numbers are particularly ugly: just 2.92 yards per rush, 5.3 yards per pass attempt and only 3-of-27 on third downs through two games. That plays directly into what I expect Saturday.. a physical, low-scoring, super ugly game where neither offense consistently finds a rhythm. North Carolina’s defense should keep Belichick’s team hanging around deep into the second half, and Clemson’s offensive issues make it difficult to trust the Tigers to pull away. But considering the game is at home, I think Clemson’s defense eventually creates enough opportunities for the offense to manufacture a late scoring drive or two and survive a game that feels uncomfortable for most of the afternoon.
Watchability: 2.5/4
Where to Watch: 12:00 PM ET on ESPN
Projected Final: Clemson 21, North Carolina 13
Georgia at Arkansas
This feels like a matchup Arkansas can only keep interesting for so long before Georgia’s talent advantage takes over. The Bulldogs have outscored their first two opponents 133–23, are averaging 576.5 yards and 66.5 points per game, and Gunner Stockton has been nearly flawless, completing 28 of 32 passes for 436 yards and eight touchdowns while leading 11 touchdown drives in 11 opportunities. Arkansas, meanwhile, is coming off a 43–10 loss at Utah and enters SEC play averaging only 20.5 points per game. The Hogs seem to have the worst quarterback play in the SEC.. and I’m not sure that it’s particularly close. Fayetteville and Georgia’s first road game could create some early resistance, but I don’t see Arkansas possessing nearly enough to make this a four quarter game.
Watchability: 2/4
Where to Watch: 12:00 PM ET on ABC
Projected Final: Georgia 52, Arkansas 14
Kent State at Ohio State
As a proud Kent State alum, I encourage anyone and everyone to avoid watching this game. However, if you’re an Ohio State fan and you want to see the team get some solid practice reps in after a painful loss.. I understand.
Watchability: 1/4
Where to Watch: 12:00 PM ET on FOX
Projected Final: Ohio State 63, Kent State 0
Buffalo at Penn State
Much like the Ohio State game, I’m including this game for the Penn State contingent who wants to watch their new QB Rocco Becht and the entire Nittany Lion offense get another much needed game of reps under their belts. Things got off to a shaky start in The Linc last week against Temple. Hopefully for Matt Campbell and company a home date with the Bulls is just what the doctor ordered.
Watchability: 1/4
Where to Watch: 12:00 PM ET on BTN
Projected Final: Penn State 38, Buffalo 6
North Carolina State at Vanderbilt
This feels like a tight, relatively low-scoring game where Vanderbilt’s defense and home-field advantage eventually make the difference. The biggest storyline is five-star freshman Jared Curtis making his first collegiate start after taking over against Delaware and accounting for three touchdowns. Vanderbilt also enters the weekend ranked second nationally with 5.5 sacks per game, which could make life difficult for NC State. The stakes are significant for the Wolfpack: they’re already 1–1 after a 34–8 loss to Virginia in Week 0, and with Louisville and the bulk of ACC play still ahead, falling to 1–2 would substantially narrow their margin for error in terms of bowl eligibility. I expect Curtis to have some freshman moments in his first start, but Vanderbilt should protect him enough to grind this out late.
Watchability: 2.5/4
Where to Watch: 12:45 PM on SECN
Projected Final: Vanderbilt 23, NC State 17
The Afternoon Window
This day really starts to heat up with the 3:30 matchups. The storylines are juicy and the QB matchups are pretty intriguing all around. Without further ado.. let’s get to the games.
