Week 3 gave us one of the biggest payback games in college football history.
After Lane Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss last season, the Rebels got their payback in a 32-24 home victory against LSU.
This meeting made history with the only time a coach who left a program faced that team the following season in a top 10 matchup. The environment was hostile with tailgating starting at 5:30 a.m. for fans.
A major upset occurred when No. 9 Texas A&M fell to unranked Kentucky at home. A 21-point performance from the Wildcats in the third quarter extended their lead enough to hold on late.
The loss sent the Aggies plummeting 14 spots in the AP poll.
Alabama escaped an early scare against FSU after trailing 21-6 early in the game. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell sparked a comeback for the Crimson Tide with a 20-point swing in the second half after a weather delay sent the teams into the locker room.
The Tide finished the game accumulating nearly 600 yards of offense in the 50-36 triumph.
No. 23 Louisville pulled away late for the dagger handing No. 16 SMU their first loss of the season. The Cardinals replaced the Mustangs in the No. 16 spot, sending the ponies to No. 22.
One of the biggest talking points of Week 3 came in a matchup between two unranked opponents in NC State and Vanderbilt.
The Wolfpack ended up on the wrong side of history becoming the second team in the last 20 seasons of college football to lose a game with the lead and the ball with 10 seconds remaining. Previous teams were 1,046-1, with the one loss coming between Michigan and Michigan State back in 2015 with the infamous “trouble with the snap” play.
This happened after NC State’s quarterback CJ Bailey was strip-sacked in their endzone and recovered by the Commodores. This resulted in a Vanderbilt victory 35-31.
Now, shifting the focus to Week 4, it highlights an array of top 25 matchups displayed across multiple leagues with large conference championships on the line.
No.1 Texas travels to No. 14 Tennessee for both teams’ first SEC matchup of the season. Arch Manning has looked like the best quarterback in the nation after the team’s comeback against Ohio State in Week 2.
Staying with the SEC, No. 4 Ole Miss continues their tough schedule visiting No. 21 Florida in the swamp. The Gators are coming off a narrow five-point victory over Auburn, but the Rebels are one of the hottest teams in the country after they conquered LSU.
Texas A&M is set to take on LSU after both fell in Week 3, hoping to rebound in one of the toughest conferences. The SEC championship may already be out of the picture for these teams, but college playoffs are still on the line.
No. 19 Missouri and No. 24 Mississippi State also add to the SEC slate trying to gain wins against conference opponents.
The Big Ten also highlights top 25 matchups as No. 17 Iowa takes on No. 18 Michigan for both teams’ first conference test. Michigan has improved since their Week 1 scare and Iowa was all gas and no breaks last week against Northern Iowa with a 55-0 win.
No. 20 Oregon travels to No. 12 Southern California with USC claiming their first Big Ten victory against Rutgers in a game many thought would not be so close. In the end, the Trojans secured a 42-35 victory.
Week 3 already answered questions about programs going against their toughest opponent yet, but now only have a week before another tough matchup.
It is still early in the season, but the margin for error is already slim with certain teams chasing the rise to the top.
Week 4 is up next, and the display of matchups keeps getting better.