Tulane at No. 13 Ole Miss: 31-14 — Ole Miss wins (Ethan Tavel)
After a nail-biter in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium last week, Ole Miss will take on Tulane this weekend. Both teams are currently undefeated, and Ole Miss is ranked No. 13 in the country.
This game will be another test for quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, the newly-appointed starter following Austin Simmons’ injury. The Ferris State transfer made a name for himself last week after completing 21 passes for 353 yards and one touchdown. Chambliss also ran for 62 yards on 15 carries and had a pair of rushing touchdowns.
After starting off the season cold on offense, the Ole Miss Rebels are getting hot and will hope to remain so against Tulane. Still, the Green Wave is not a pushover. Tulane is undefeated for a reason. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff has not thrown a single interception this season.
He is also a threat on the ground. Last week against Duke, he rushed for over 100 yards and four touchdowns, putting him at six rushing touchdowns on the season.
Tulane received 33 AP votes this past week to be ranked in the Top 25. Ole Miss plays LSU on Sept. 27, but the Rebels cannot afford to overlook the Green Wave. Still, with home field advantage, Ole Miss should win big.
No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma: 42-31 — Oklahoma wins (Wilson Engeriser)
Auburn and Oklahoma look to kick off their SEC conference schedule with a win. Both teams are undefeated. Oklahoma enters the game ranked as No. 11 in the country, while Auburn is ranked No. 22.
This is a revenge game for Auburn starting quarterback Jackson Arnold. Arnold started his career at Oklahoma before transferring to Auburn this year. In Norman, Okla., Arnold struggled and was benched multiple times, leading to confidence issues.
To start this year, Arnold has played much better. He has led a solid Auburn offense to score over 30 points in all three games. In total, Arnold has thrown for 500 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions, also adding 200 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Oklahoma, though, has one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in John Mateer. Mateer has thrown for almost 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. However, he is turnover-prone. He has thrown an interception in every game this season.
Auburn linebacker Keyron Crawford is a defensive player to watch out for. Crawford leads the Tigers with 16 tackles, three sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. Though he only played one season of high school football, Crawford is a natural athlete with elite instincts.
Auburn has improved since last season, and the Tigers will likely finish their season above .500 for the first time since 2020. However, the Sooners are too talented for the Tigers to spoil their season. This game should be a fun, offensive affair that could come down to who possesses the ball last, but the Sooners should prevail in the end.
No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana: 31-27 — Illinois wins (Isaac Scheer)
This week’s matchup between the No. 9 Fighting Illini and No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers is shaping up to be a close game in Bloomington, Ind. Both teams head into the weekend undefeated, and both are looking for a crucial win necessary to climb the Big 10 rankings.
Indiana handled their recent opponents thanks in large part to quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who joined the Hoosiers after transferring from UC Berkeley. Mendoza boasted a completion percentage of 95% last week in the Hoosiers’ 73-0 win over Indiana State. Mendoza is assisted by top receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Charlie Becker, but he has no trouble spreading the ball around.
However, Illinois blitzes at the highest rate in the Power Four, so Mendoza may lack the time necessary to set up to throw accurately. Indiana may need to lean on the run game this week.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer is a veteran with lots of experience, but his offensive line is a glaring weakness. When the pocket collapses — which it often does — Altmyer struggles. The Illini have given up the most sacks in the Big 10.
Fortunately for Illinois, Indiana does not pressure opposing quarterbacks well, which should allow Altmyer more time to focus on ball placement.
Notably, Indiana has not faced any tough opponents this season, so Illinois comes into the game looking to catch the Hoosiers off guard.
With exceptional defense on both sides, the run game will play a crucial role in this matchup. Expect Coach Bielema and his Fighting Illini to return to Champaign, Ill., with the win.
South Carolina at No. 23 Missouri: 31-17 — Missouri wins (Jimmy Petruzzi)
The No. 23 Missouri Tigers host the now-unranked South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday night. The Tigers are coming off a dominant 52-10 win over Louisiana, while the Gamecocks are looking to return to the win column after a brutal loss at home to Vanderbilt, 31-7.
A big make or-break for the Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers’s injury status. Sellers suffered a head injury late in the second quarter of last week’s game, and he is reportedly questionable to play in this matchup.
Before his injury, the Gamecocks were ahead 14-7; after, South Carolina went scoreless for the rest of the game. A South Carolina without Sellers seems to be extremely limited.
Through three weeks, Tiger running back Ahmad Hardy has been one of the best backs in college football. This season, he has rushed for an SEC-high 462 yards, 250 of which came last week against Louisiana. He also added three rushing touchdowns to put his season total at five.
The Tiger pass protection, though, is holding back the Tigers from being a truly great team. The offensive line has allowed eight sacks through the first three games.
South Carolina needs this win badly. A 2-2 start for the Gamecocks this early in the season does not bode well, especially considering the four gauntlet opponents — Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU and Clemson — the Gamecocks will face later this season.
Still, with home field advantage, a defense that has forced three turnovers and contained opposing offenses to only 4.12 yards per play and 200.1 yards per game, the Tigers should be in a good position. If Sellers does not play, this is Missouri’s game to lose.
No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah: 31-28 — Texas Tech wins (Will Wright)
Texas Tech and Utah do not cross paths often, and Saturday night in Salt Lake City feels like a collision of two programs built in very different ways.
For Texas Tech, the gameplan is to spread the field, light up the scoreboard and lean on the arm of junior quarterback Behren Morton. Utah is more focused on controlling the trenches, playing physical defense and giving sophomore quarterback Devon Dampier time and breathing room to manage the game with precision.
Both teams enter the matchup undefeated. Utah is ranked No. 16, Texas Tech No. 17, making this Big 12 opener one of the weekend’s most intriguing toss-ups.
Morton has been elite through three games, throwing for 923 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception. His chemistry with his receivers has made the Red Raiders offense nearly unstoppable — Texas Tech leads the nation in scoring at nearly 58 points per game. The offensive line has given Morton enough time to stretch defenses vertically.
Utah’s defense, though, is far from ordinary. The Utes thrive on disruption up front. Defensive linemen Junior Tafuna and Jonah Elliss make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. So far, the Utes have been among the best in the country at getting off the field on third down.
Offensively, Utah is steady rather than spectacular. Dampier has yet to throw an interception this season, completing over 70 percent of his passes. The Utes convert third downs at an eye-popping 73 percent, a sign of just how efficient their drives have been. If they can maintain that rate against the Texas Tech defense, the Utes will be in position to grind out long, punishing possessions.
Texas Tech wants a shootout. Utah wants a slugfest. If Morton gets rolling early and forces Utah to chase points, the Red Raiders have the weapons to put this game away. But if Utah’s front seven controls the tempo and Dampier continues to take care of the football, the Utes can keep Morton on the sideline long enough to wear Texas Tech down. Texas Tech wins this one by a field goal.
