College Football Week 3 ACC, SEC Conference Openers Set for Critical Matchups

As college football conference play intensifies in Week 3, several key matchups are drawing attention with expert predictions highlighting potential upsets and critical tests. Georgia Tech is favored by analyst Josh Pate to upset Clemson, citing Georgia Tech's stronger team identity and Clemson's offensive struggles early in the season. Meanwhile, Tennessee faces a tough challenge against Georgia, with Pate emphasizing Tennessee's need to match Georgia's physicality and improve their passing game to support their traditional run-heavy offense. In the SEC, LSU is set to host Florida in a primetime game where the SP+ computer model projects a closer contest than betting lines suggest, predicting a narrow LSU victory by less than a field goal margin. Ole Miss is also favored by SP+ to beat Arkansas by over 10 points, with Lane Kiffin noting the challenge posed by Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green's dynamic play. Lastly, Michigan State's upcoming game against FCS-ranked Youngstown State is expected to be less lopsided than typical FBS-FCS matchups, with SP+ forecasting a three-touchdown win for Michigan State, highlighting Youngstown State's strong FCS ranking.