Our Week 2 effort was a strong one, but it would have been nice to see Ohio State hold on at the end of its game with Texas and not cost us a mark there. For Week 3, LSU-Ole Miss is the obvious pick for game of the week, but Alabama-Florida State will be interesting, and the Mississippi State-South Carolina game may ultimately have significant bowl implications.
Week 2 Record: 13-2 (86.7%)
2026 Season Record: 29-2 (93.6%)
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GEORGIA at ARKANSAS
No one expected Arkansas to be very good in 2026, but even Razorback fans have to be shocked at the ease with which Utah dispatched the Hogs last week. New head coach Ryan Silverfield has a lot of work to do in the coming weeks, and this isn’t the way he’d probably like to attack it. Georgia comes into this game looking like the closest thing to a juggernaut the SEC has to offer, and it doesn’t really matter that it’s a home game for the Razorbacks. If Utah can win over Arkansas by a score of 43-10, what can Georgia do?
Georgia 45
Arkansas 7
FLORIDA STATE at ALABAMA
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FLORIDA at AUBURN
We liked Auburn in the preseason in this one, but the early offensive output of Florida plus some unexpected struggles from Auburn on defense and under center have us rethinking our early pick. This will be the first SEC intraconference game for either head coach, so the whole thing could come off looking like an awkward high school dance attended mostly by eighth-graders. Look for Auburn to make use of the home-field advantage in this one; we think Florida may be improving at a quicker pace than expected, but will it be by enough and fast enough to get ahead of a full crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium?
Auburn 23
Florida 20
KENTUCKY at TEXAS A&M
This game could be somewhat competitive if Kentucky can keep QB Kenny Minchey better-protected in the pocket this week, rather than whatever the Wildcats called their Alabama effort to be. The way the Wildcats folded in the second half against the Crimson Tide is worrisome, but breaking it down, there seems to be a bigger issue with the UK offensive line than previously thought, and the receiver corps isn’t doing Minchey any favors. Texas A&M has some of its own issues to fix, but the Aggies get the home slot in this one to fix them.
Texas A&M 31
Kentucky 13
LOUISIANA STATE at MISSISSIPPI
There’s already an air of gamesmanship on the part of LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, who insists he might have to play this game without the services of starting QB Sam Leavitt. If anyone gives that notion serious credence, we’re worried about your ability not to get suckered into a bridge purchase while visiting New York City. We’re not sure we believe in Ole Miss’ defense yet, and Kiffin may out-think himself trying to invent new ways to score on an embarrass his former school. We’ll know a lot about the general directions both programs are headed in after this game.
LSU 38
Ole Miss 27
MISSISSIPPI STATE at SOUTH CAROLINA
Thanks in large part to MSU QB Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State is starting to look like a team that will have a chance just about any time the ball is snapped, regardless of opponent. No one was surprised by the Bulldogs’ dismantling of Louisiana-Monroe in the opener, but it’s fair to say most people didn’t have a 25-point road win over Minnesota on their bingo card. Now the Bulldogs get to travel to Columbia, S.C., to face a Gamecock team with a defense that may be even better than advertised. The question for South Carolina is can its offense keep up the scoring pace if this turns into a track meet.
South Carolina 30
Mississippi St. 27
TROY at MISSOURI
Troy is 2-0 but neither win has been by an impressive margin despite both opponents being outclassed on paper. Missouri is coming off an impressive road win over Kansas, and this doesn’t look like one of those Troy teams that used to scare FBS schools unexpectedly. This has more the look of a barely-decent home opponent scheduled to appear before the weekly onslaught of conference schools.
Missouri 47
Troy 17
NEW MEXICO at OKLAHOMA
This game could be surprisingly competitive. Oklahoma had a chance to assert itself against Michigan, but it let the troubled Wolverines direct the pace of the game and eventually dropped it to them by a score of 17-10. New Mexico, meanwhile, has outscored its first two opponents 108-14, but the better of those two was only Central Michigan. Moreover, the Lobos lack a balanced attack, leaning heavily on the run. Unlike in its first two contests, the Lobos won’t be able to lean unchecked into its own defensive prowess. Oklahoma will almost certainly put up more yardage and points than New Mexico has seen yet this year. But this one still bears watching, and if it’s close in any way, the boo birds may re-emerge in Norman.
Oklahoma 34
New Mexico 14
KENNESAW STATE at TENNESSEE
Kennesaw State’s emergence from dregs of FBS to a 10-win bowl team in 2025 is a great story, to be sure. But it matters little this week, when the Owls head to Knoxville to play a game they cannot win. Tennessee needs a game like this to fix a run defense that has a few screws loose. Kennesaw State managed just 17 points last week against Georgia State, which isn’t going to get the job done.
Tennessee 44
Kennesaw State 10
TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO at TEXAS
The Longhorns’ tour of also-ran in-state schools continues. UTSA is about on par with Texas State, which the Longhorns defeated 59-7 in the opener. This game feels like it will assume a similar temperature.
Texas 45
UTSA 7
NORTH CAROLINA STATE at VANDERBILT
This one could be one of the more interesting games on the sheet, but not for the right reasons. NC State is coming off a 73-0 whipping of Richmond, but the Wolfpack were similarly trounced themselves by Virginia in the opener. Vanderbilt has won twice in unimpressive fashion over Austin Peay and Delaware, and now may be on the verge of taking the covers off freshman quarterback Jared Curtis. Blaze Berlowitz has started the first two games, but Curtis had to come off the bench to engineer the win over Delaware. We just don’t get the warm fuzzies about Vanderbilt, on offense or on defense, after watching the Commodores’ first two efforts. NC State has been erratic, but has also at least shown potential for explosiveness.
NC State 31
Vanderbilt 27
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