Five College Football Games You Should Watch: Week Three

This piece is a continuation of our weekly series, Five Games You Should Watch. The premise is simple: if you’re an Oregon State Beavers fan, it’s already a safe bet that you’ll watch Saturday’s football game at Texas Tech (12:30 PM on Fox), but here are five more games for you to consider.

#6 Georgia at #15 Tennessee - 12:30 PM (PST) on ABC

A top 25 matchup is always compelling, and this game has the added bonus of being an SEC rivalry. The Dawgs have won eight straight in the matchup dating back to a 41-0 shellacking of the Vols in 2017. Two weeks removed from a narrow loss to Florida, that Georgia beatdown signaled the beginning of the end for Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, who was fired after a winless 0-8 conference record.

In the years since, the Volunteers have slowly but surely built their football program into a title contender, reaching the opening round of the College Football Playoff last season. This year we might finally see them snap their losing streak to Georgia, and vault back into the playoff conversation, all in the same weekend.

#18 South Florida at #5 Miami - 1:30 PM (PST) on The CW

After a season-opening smackdown of Boise State, and an upset win over blue chip Florida, the South Florida Bulls have become America’s darlings. A win against Miami, currently fifth in the polls and fresh off a statement of their own, would lift them into the stratosphere.

One additional item for consideration Saturday is the shaky track record of Hurricanes’ head coach Mario Cristobal. While his teams are admired for their physical brand of football, they’re also known for head-scratching upsets.

Cristobal’s 2019 Rose Bowl champion Oregon Ducks missed out on greater heights after vomiting turnovers in an upset loss to Arizona State. In 2021, Cristobal led the Ducks to a program-defining victory at The Horseshoe in Columbus, only to squander their playoff path with an overtime loss at eventual 3-9 Stanford three weeks later. It’s been more of the same at Miami, who missed out on the playoff last season after dropping a must-win game against Syracuse late last November.

#16 Texas A&M at #8 Notre Dame - 4:30 PM on NBC

On the subject of blue chip programs with a propensity for head-scratching upsets, here come the Irish! The Fighting Irish can write off their season-opening defeat at Miami as a mulligan, but the rest of their schedule is must-win, including this difficult matchup with Mike Elko’s Aggies.

Texas A&M are a week removed from a comfortable win over future Pac-12 members Utah State, and they’ll trot out spiffy new uniforms Saturday. If this game is as close as last year’s battle between these schools, it’ll be a game to remember.

Minnesota at California - 7:30 PM on ESPN

Neither of these schools are ranked, but Cal true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is must-see TV. In the season opener against Oregon State, he threw three touchdown passes, completed an NFL-level 66% of his pass attempts, and earned ACC Player of the Week honors. It’s not like the Beavers played a soft prevent defense either; Trent Bray’s scheme emphasized an aggressive press man coverage. They made JKS earn every completion, and he did so.

Frankly, Sagapolutele is playing at a level far beyond the expectations of a typical college freshman. He is a special player, and this season’s Cal team could be special with him leading the way.

Texas State at Arizona State - 7:30 PM on TNT and TruTV

In last week’s Five Games, Arizona State made the cut. Then they got slashed in the final seconds by Cowbell Nation Mississippi State.

This week, the Sun Devils are back on the list, but it’s less about them and more about their opponent: Texas State. The future Pac-12 members are an early contender for the highest ranked G5 bid into the College Football Playoff, thanks to a high octane offense and a 2-0 start.

Regardless of who wins, look for the scoreboard to light up all game long in Tempe.

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