2021 College Football Week 3 Recap
Although no huge surprises happened in College Football Week 3, it’s obvious some teams aren’t nearly as formidable as we thought. Not only that, but one Power 5 Conference, outside of a few teams, is downright pathetic. Also, a classic Big 8 matchup happened between Oklahoma and Nebraska and it didn’t disappoint. Check out what happened in College Football Week 3.
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College Football Week 3 Recap
Penn State is movin' on up in the Week 4 AP Poll ?
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 19, 2021
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Oregon
4. Oklahoma
5. Iowa
6. Penn State
7. Texas A&M
8. Cincinnati
9. Clemson
10. Ohio State
READ MORE: 2021 College Football Week 4 Preview, Odds and Picks
A horrible week for the Pac-12
#13 UCLA lost straight up to the Fresno State Bulldogs 40-37 as a -11 home favorite. The Bruins’ magical season, some considered them a top ten team after they beat LSU, went up in flames.
The Bruins couldn’t stop a decent offense, which means UCLA could end up losing 3 to 4 more games.
It turns out Chip Kelly has yet to create a serious Pac 12 team like the ones he had while at Oregon. But Chip can at least feel good about the fact that the rest of the Pac 12, outside of his former team and maybe the Stanford Cardinal and USC Trojans, is just as bad. #23 BYU trounced #21 ASU 27-17. The Sun Devils were -3.5 favorites. ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 265 yards and 2 interceptions.
At least BYU is ranked. Colorado played against Minnesota at home and didn’t score a point in a 30-0 loss. Unranked San Diego State, a +8 underdog, beat Utah 33-30 in overtime. Every where we looked on Saturday laid Pac 12 college football squad carcasses. But although there was plenty of dead Pac 12 team seasons lying about, none was as decayed and rotting as the Arizona Wildcats’.
U of A entered their game versus FCS inter-state rival Northern Arizona a -26.5 chalk. This was supposed to be Arizona’s one victory of the season. Nope. The Lumberjacks beat the Wildcats 21-19. It was one of the most embarrassing loses for a Pac 12 team in history. It may be the worst loss in Arizona history and the Wildcats have had some awful teams.
At least Oregon is ranked fourth in the nation. Unfortunately for the Ducks, they’ve got to be perfect during conference play. An upset “L” to any of the losers in the Pac will could send their season into a freefall.
Big Ten impresses with huge wins
While the Pac 12 stunk it up, the Big Ten played great. Like we wrote above, Minnesota dusted Colorado.
#25 Michigan took apart an okay Northern Illinois squad 63-10. Unranked Michigan State upset #24 Miami on the road 38-17 and #10 Penn State covered versus #22 Auburn 28-20 as a -4.5 home favorite.
Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa and Ohio State should make for an interesting Big Ten race. The Buckeyes aren’t a lock to win their division. All four of their rivals, the Hawkeyes, Wolverines, Spartans and Nittany Lions, boast strong rushing attacks and talented defenses.
It’s too early to proclaim the Big Ten the best conference in football. Right now, though, they’re no worse than the second best conference, that’s for sure.
Oklahoma outlasts Nebraska
Another Big Ten team failed to pull off the upset. But the Nebraska Cornhuskers played about as well as they could versus #3 Oklahoma.
The Huskers lost 23-16. The Sooners entered the game a -22.5 chalk. Nebraska and Oklahoma played in one of the greatest games in history, a 1971 classic that Nebraska won 35-31.
Oklahoma versus Nebraska used to be one of the biggest rivals in college football when both teams played in the Big 8 and then the Big 12. With the victory, the Sooners remained undefeated. The Cornhuskers fell to 2-2. The Big Ten is so deep this season, though, that Nebraska can still salvage the season.
Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are left on the schedule. If the Huskers win 4-of-6, not a great possibility, but a possibility, they’ll find themselves in a decent bowl.
Alabama beats Florida in a classic
The Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to The Swamp to face the Florida Gators. After the first quarter, it looked like Bama was on their way to another blowout victory. But although the Tide ran out to a 21-3 lead after the first 15 minutes, the Gators stormed back. Florida outscored Bama 26-10 the rest of the way, falling by just 2 points in a crazy close 31-29 game.
After the slim margin of victory, many said they worried for Alabama the rest of the season. There’s some truth to that. The defense struggled to stop Florida quarterback Emory Jones and the run-option. Jones isn’t a great quarterback. So it’s telling that Alabama couldn’t contain him.
More alarmingly, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien got outcoached by Florida HC Dan Mullen. Like always. the Tide has a lot of talent. But O’Brien kept calling plays after the initial barrage of points in the first quarter that showed he may not be as creative of a coach as Nick Saban though.
Alabama doesn’t have a cakewalk schedule. Ole Miss on Oct. 2 is a telling game. Lane Kiffin coached Bama’s offense and the Rebels are solid on defense. Don’t be surprised if the Tide struggles with Mississippi, Texas A&M, and LSU. Then, if Alabama is lucky enough to make it to the SEC Championship, don’t be surprised if they fall to Georgia.
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