Josh Pate Names Three Underrated College Football Programs Heading Into Week 3

Two of the three didn't receive a single vote in the Week 3 poll, even though all three are 2-0 with Power Four wins.

Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) and the Bulldogs are one of the college football programs highlighted by analyst Josh Pate as being underrated heading into Week 3. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

College football analyst Josh Pate spent part of his show arguing that Associated Press voters are ignoring three 2-0 teams, and he pointed at Mississippi State, Duke and Auburn as the clearest examples.

None of the three cracked the Week 3 poll and barely made a dent in the "others receiving votes" category. Mississippi State picked up 17 votes, while Duke and Auburn got none.

"Mississippi State's not ranked. I repeat, Mississippi State is not ranked. Why? Drugs. How else do you explain it?" Pate said.

Mississippi State's 38-13 win at Minnesota

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) throws a pass against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby is 2-0 in his third season in Starkville. The Bulldogs opened with a 62-13 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 5, then went to Minneapolis and beat Minnesota 38-13 on Sept. 12 in the first meeting between the two schools.

Quarterback Kamario Taylor threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 86 more. Running back Fluff Bothwell added 113 rushing yards and two scores, and receiver Anthony Evans III finished with 121 yards.

Pate compared the Bulldogs to Oregon, which lost at Oklahoma State and still holds the No. 21 spot.

"If I kept everything the same yesterday, but I took Oregon uniforms and put them on Mississippi State, where would Mississippi State be ranked? How high in the top five would that team have vaulted?" Pate said. "They bodybagged Minnesota in their own building yesterday."

Why did Duke get zero votes?

Duke Blue Devils quarterback Walker Eget (2) passes the ball during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke won the Atlantic Coast Conference title last season and is 2-0 again under coach Manny Diaz. The Blue Devils beat Tulane 17-3 behind 227 rushing yards from Nate Sheppard, then went to Champaign and beat Illinois 31-27. The Fighting Illini had won 19 straight games when leading at halftime before Saturday.

Quarterback Walker Eget, a transfer from San Jose State, threw for the go-ahead points as Illinois managed just three points after the break.

"You want to know another complete and utter screw job that's happening here? Duke. No one else is going to stand up for them. I will," Pate said.

"Duke, all they've done so far is beat Tulane, one of the best Group of Six teams in the country, and then they went into Illinois yesterday and won," Pate said. "Duke 2-0 with a very similar task on their hands and nowhere to be found."

Auburn's 2-0 start under Alex Golesh

Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) and head coach Alex Golesh talk during warm-ups before the game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Auburn coach Alex Golesh won his debut 17-16 over Baylor in Atlanta, when safety Eric Winters stopped a two-point try inches short with nine seconds left. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway, who started at Florida the previous two seasons, threw for 333 yards in the loss. The Tigers then beat Southern Miss 43-8 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

"I'm not asking for them to be top 10, but Auburn's 2-0," Pate said. "Auburn, unlike some of you, scheduled a Power Four opponent in Week 1. They scheduled last year's No. 1 preseason SEC quarterback, DJ Lagway. And they beat him in Week 1."

He also pointed to the teams that did land votes while the Tigers got none. "Pitt. James Madison. Virginia Tech, North Dakota State, all these teams have votes. Auburn has no votes," Pate said.

Florida visits the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Gators are also 2-0 and collected 83 votes, second among unranked teams behind Washington.