College football preview: Week 3

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Saturday, September 16, 2017
College football preview: Week 3
Who is going home with the Bayou Bucket and the Iron Skillet? And can Baylor get their first win?

Texas vs No. 4 USC- 7 p.m.

The Longhorns are the obvious underdogs against the No. 4 ranked Trojans. This is the schools' first meeting since Texas claimed the national title in the iconic 2006 Rose Bowl. Tom Herman's new team bounced back after their loss to Maryland during the season, but many say with their quarterback and questions on defense, this upset would need a miracle.

Fun Fact: Texas' coach, Tom Herman, grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and USC's coach, Clay Helton, grew up in the suburbs of Houston and even played for Herman's old team, University of Houston.

University of Houston vs Rice - 7 p.m. on ESPN 3

The competition for the Bayou Bucket is on! The Cougars lead the series over the Owls 29-11 and it seems like that trend will continue. Both teams faced off against the PAC-12 in recent weeks with varying results. UH struggled against Arizona, but came out on top 19-16. Rice was crushed by No. 19 Stanford 62-7.

Baylor vs Duke - 11:30 a.m.

We're only on the third week and it's already been a rough season for Baylor. Baylor is coming off two shocking losses at home to teams that had never beaten a Power Five school. The Bear's defense will need to step up dramatically against a Blue Devil's defense that ranks 18th in total offense. This will be the first road game of the Rhule era against a much better team than they lost to at home.

No. 20 TCU vs SMU- 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU

There are multiple Texas rivalries playing this weekend. Who will win the Iron Skillet? This will be the 97th meeting in a series that dates to 1915. In recent history, the Frogs have dominated their series against the Mustangs, winning the previous five meetings and nine of the last 10. TCU is heavily favored in this one, as well.

Texas A&M vs Louisiana-Lafayette - 11 a.m.

Despite having only played two games, Texas A&M has seen quite a few ups and downs already this season. The Aggies had a 34-point lead at UCLA before falling 45-44. Texas A&M had an early 14-point lead against Nicholls State. The game became tied 14-14 in the fourth quarter before the Aggies eventually won, 24-14. Texas A&M are the heavy favorites for this game.

No. 3 Clemson vs No. 14 Louisville- 7p.m. on ABC13

These ACC powerhouses are sure to make for a competitive game. It's early in the season, but this game will give the inside track to the ACC Championship Game and the playoffs. The Tigers handed the Cardinals their first loss of the season when they met last year, with Clemson going on to win the national title and Lamar Jackson going on to win the Heisman.

The Tigers' are favored in this match-up, but their offense didn't exactly dazzle in last week's victory over Auburn. Lamar Jackson put on a show against North Carolina last week, accounting for 525 yards and six TDs.

The other powerhouse of the Atlantic Division, Florida State, lost their quarterback in the season opener against Alabama and haven't played since due to Hurricane Irma. That makes the race to the ACC title more crucial between these two schools.

No. 24 Florida vs No. 23 Tennessee- 2:30 p.m.

This SEC showdown will be a tone setter for the SEC East race. The Gators are looking to reset their season after a disappointing season opener against Michigan and having to cancel last week's game due to Hurricane Irma. More uncertainty comes as Florida coach Jim McElwain said that there are no updates on the nine Gators who were suspended at the start of the season due to misuse of scholarship money. It's hard to predict a game when you don't know whose playing.

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