College Football Week 3: "Panic Levels" Rise for Florida, Clemson, Notre Dame Amid Playoff Pressure

College Football Week 3: Panic Levels Rising for Florida, Clemson, and Notre Dame

Week 3 of the college football season brings high-stakes matchups and increased pressure for several prominent programs. Florida, Clemson, and Notre Dame face critical games as fan bases grow increasingly anxious. This week offers a mix of rivalry clashes and crucial tests for teams hoping to maintain their playoff aspirations.

Hot Seat Panic: Florida and Virginia Tech

The Florida Gators find themselves in a precarious position after a stunning loss to USF. Head coach Billy Napier is under immense pressure as the Gators face a daunting upcoming schedule, including games against LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, and Texas. The loss to USF exposed vulnerabilities in both the offense and defense, placing Napier firmly back on the hot seat.

Similarly, Virginia Tech and head coach Brent Pry are feeling the heat after disappointing performances against South Carolina and Vanderbilt. The Hokies were outscored 48-3 in the second halves of those games, raising concerns about the team's ability to compete. While Virginia Tech has a chance to rebound against Old Dominion and Wofford, an early loss to ODU could intensify the pressure on Pry.

LSU narrowly avoided trouble against Louisiana Tech, struggling on offense with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier making questionable decisions. Their upcoming game against Florida will be a crucial test for both programs, with an upset potentially in the cards.

Time to Look Good Panic: Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina, and Arizona State

Preseason top 15 teams Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina, and Arizona State haven't consistently lived up to expectations. If they don’t improve significantly in Week 3, their seasons could become more challenging.

Georgia, despite being undefeated, has shown flaws in its offense, lacking explosiveness. They face a tough road game against Tennessee, where a dominant performance is needed to restore confidence. Quarterback Joey Aguilar has been a bright spot for the Vols, but he will face his toughest test against the Bulldogs' defense.

Clemson’s offense, led by quarterback Cade Klubnik, has been surprisingly inefficient. With a banged-up offensive line and struggling run game, Klubnik's performance has declined significantly. The Tigers face a critical game against a 2-0 Georgia Tech team, where a loss would severely damage their playoff aspirations.

South Carolina has relied heavily on special teams and defensive touchdowns, as their offense has struggled. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is taking too many sacks, and the Gamecocks face a potentially humbling stretch. Their game against Vanderbilt is crucial to maintain their playoff hopes.

Arizona State must improve its passing game and pass defense. They face an explosive Texas State team, and a loss would further derail their season.

CFP Hopefuls Panic: Notre Dame, Kansas State, and Alabama

Notre Dame, Kansas State, and Alabama face critical games after early-season stumbles. These games carry significant weight for their College Football Playoff hopes.

Notre Dame, at 0-1, needs a win against Texas A&M to avoid a potentially disastrous 0-2 start. The Irish offense, led by quarterback CJ Carr, needs to become more aggressive and test the Aggies' defense. The Irish need to get Jeremiyah Love going in the run game. Even a 10-2 record might not be enough for a playoff spot if they lose this game.

Kansas State, at 1-2, is running out of room for error. They face a strong Arizona team, and a loss would put them in danger of missing a bowl game. Their run game has struggled without injured star Dylan Edwards, and their defense has allowed too many big plays.

Alabama, despite being a three-touchdown favorite, has been inconsistent. After a loss to Florida State, they bounced back with a dominant win over Louisiana-Monroe. Their game against Wisconsin will be a test to prove that their performance against ULM was closer to what we should expect. Wisconsin's defense will challenge the Tide's offense.

Rivalries: Pitt-West Virginia and Ole Miss-Arkansas

The Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia and the matchup between Ole Miss and Arkansas promise intense rivalry action. West Virginia is coming off a loss to Ohio and lost running back Jahiem White for the season due to injury, but the atmosphere in Morgantown will still be electric. Pitt has looked strong to start the season.

Ole Miss faces Arkansas in a game that has historically produced high-scoring affairs. Arkansas's offense has looked strong, led by quarterback Taylen Green, but they face a tougher test against the Rebels. Ole Miss is projected as favorites in all but one of their remaining games.

Facing an Upstart: Miami vs. USF

Miami faces an in-state test against a surging South Florida team. USF has already secured two ranked wins and is looking to continue its Cinderella run. The Bulls are preventing big plays and making their own, leading to their early success. Miami, however, has a potent offense led by quarterback Carson Beck and running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown.

Week 3 Chaos Superfecta

ESPN is attempting to will chaos into existence by highlighting games with big point spreads and seeing if there are upsets. After going 2-2 in week 2, the target games are: No. 5 Miami (vs. USF), No. 17 Ole Miss (vs. Arkansas), No. 19 Alabama (vs. Wisconsin) and No. 24 Auburn (vs. South Alabama). SP+ projects only a 48% chance that all of these favorites will win.

Week 3 Playlist: Other Games to Watch

• Colorado at Houston (Friday): Houston's strong defense will test Colorado's quarterback situation.
• No. 4 Oregon at Northwestern: Oregon's explosive offense should overwhelm Northwestern.
• No. 13 Oklahoma at Temple: Temple has overachieved early, but Oklahoma should be too strong.
• Memphis at Troy: Memphis's strong SP+ ranking faces a tough test against Troy's run game.
• Louisiana at No. 25 Missouri: Missouri looks to avoid sweating before their big game against South Carolina.
• USC at Purdue: Purdue's offense faces a brutal stretch against top-ranked teams, starting with USC.
• Oregon State at No. 21 Texas Tech: Oregon State looks to rebound from a loss against a dominant Texas Tech team.
• No. 14 Iowa State at Arkansas State: Iowa State looks to get their run game going against a weak Arkansas State defense.
• FAU at FIU: The Shula Bowl sees FAU's high-tempo offense against an overachieving FIU team.
• Ohio at No. 1 Ohio State: Ohio's overachieving team faces a massive test against the top-ranked Buckeyes.
• No. 20 Utah at Wyoming: Utah faces a tough road environment in Laramie against a physical Wyoming team.
• Duke at Tulane: The Darian Mensah Bowl sees Duke's transfer quarterback face his old team.
• Minnesota at Cal: Minnesota's strong defense faces Cal's promising freshman quarterback.

Smaller School Showcase

Here's a look at some key matchups in the lower levels of college football:

• Division III: No. 2 Mount Union at No. 15 Grove City: A ranked D-III matchup with Mount Union facing a tough Grove City defense.
• Division III: No. 16 Wisconsin-Oshkosh at No. 1 North Central: UW-Oshkosh faces a daunting task against D-III's top program.
• FCS: No. 17 North Dakota at No. 7 Montana: North Dakota looks to build on their near-upset of Kansas State against a strong Montana team.