Week 3 of college football is just around the corner. And the schedule has some exciting games in store. One of them is a Big 12 game that isn’t really a Big 12 game at all. The Kansas State Wildcats host the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona Wildcats (#20) @ Kansas State Wildcats (#14)
Friday night’s matchup between Arizona and Kansas State is a crucial matchup between two of the four Big 12 teams currently ranked in the top 20. This game could provide a major clue as to who the top contenders are in the open Big 12 Conference. Ironically, however, this game will not affect the conference standings because it is part of the non-conference schedule. The agreement for this game dates back to 2016, when Arizona was still part of the Pac-12.
Kansas State’s offense relies heavily on a dynamic running game led by quarterback Avery Johnson and running backs DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards. They use a lot of gap schemes, which presents a big challenge for Arizona’s defense, which hasn’t always been successful against this style of play. Linebackers Jacob Manu and Taye Brown will have to play a key role in stopping Kansas State’s running game in this game.
Tetairoa McMillan is considered one of the best wide receivers in college football and had a stellar performance in Week 1 with 304 yards and four touchdowns. However, when he was double-covered by Northern Arizona last week, he was limited to just two catches and 11 yards. Kansas State could employ a similar strategy, requiring other players like tight end Keyan Burnett or wide receiver Jeremiah Patterson to take on a larger role.
Alabama Crimson Tide (#4) @ Wisconsin Badgers
For the second year in a row, Alabama’s game against USF was a tight one until just before the end. The Crimson Tide led by just five points when they scored three consecutive touchdowns in the final six minutes to escape with a 42-16 victory. Alabama had entered the game as a 33.5-point favorite. Last year, Alabama defeated South Florida 17-3, and the game was a close affair until the final minute before they scored a touchdown just before the end. Many began to criticize the Crimson Tide’s offense for their underwhelming performance in the loss to Texas the week before. However, Nick Saban and quarterback Jalen Milroe responded with 10 straight wins, including winning the SEC Championship against Georgia to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. Kalen DeBoer will look to stabilize the team in a similar way as they now prepare for a tough road game in Madison, Wisconsin.
Boston College Eagles (#24) @ Missouri Tigers (#6)
The visit of the Boston College Eagles is the first real test of the season for the Missouri Tigers. The Tigers have looked excellent in their first two games with a total score of 89:00. This makes Missouri the first FBS team since 2019 to achieve two shutouts at the start of the season. No wonder they are currently ranked sixth. Nevertheless, the successes came against the FCS team Murray State and last year’s 3-9 team Buffalo. The Eagles, for their part, are also traveling with a 2-0 record and are hoping for their third win of the season.
LSU Tigers (#16) @ South Carolina Gamecocks
LSU travels to South Carolina, where the Gamecocks will host ESPN’s College Gameday for the first time in a decade. The Gamecocks are currently 2-0 and are coming off a dominant 31-6 road win over Kentucky despite entering the game as 9.5-point underdogs. The Tigers, meanwhile, have not had an ideal start to the 2024 season. LSU began the year with a 20-27 loss to No. 23 USC despite leading with six minutes left. Then in week two, LSU struggled to win the game against Nicholls despite the Tigers entering the game as 46.5-point favorites. LSU held a narrow two-point lead in the third quarter before three unanswered touchdowns led to a 44-21 victory.
Tulane Green Wave @ Oklahoma Sooners (#15)
Oklahoma can’t afford to look as shaky as it did last week against Tulane, which just lost to Kansas State by a touchdown. Although Oklahoma entered the game against Houston as a 27.5-point favorite, it beat Houston by just four points last Saturday. It was a game in which the Sooners were only two points ahead on defense with less than two minutes left in the game before scoring a safety to seal the win. The week before, UNLV dominated Houston by a final score of 27-7.
About the author
Dirk Kaiser
Dirk Kaiser has been active in the field of American football for over 20 years at various levels. In addition to the NFL, he also covers the ELF and GFL for TOUCHDOWN24.
