Week 3 rooting guides

Boston College hosts Maine on Saturday, with defensive consistency and linebacker availability the central watch points.

Wagner gives Cal a favorable matchup before Clemson visits six days later. Watch whether Mohammed and the offense can sustain touchdown drives.

Reynolds gets his first start as Clemson looks for better protection and touchdown drives against North Carolina.

Duke hosts Stanford with an opportunity to expand its passing attack and turn an encouraging road win into an ACC victory.

Florida State visits Alabama as a heavy underdog, with sustained drives and points from extra possessions the things to watch.

Against Mercer, watch how Tech protects Mendoza, keeps the backfield involved and supports its run defense before the trip to Stanford.

Miami is favored at Wake Forest. Fitzgerald and Dunnigan face new coverage demands, while Saturday offers a plausible ACC favor from Louisville and three long-shot upsets to pull for.

UNC visits Clemson with a clear upset route, hurry the quarterback, protect the ball and turn scoring chances into touchdowns.

Syracuse visits Thursday, then Pitt fans have a near-even Louisville game and a long-shot Wake Forest upset to follow.

SMU visits Louisville with a major ACC opportunity, while Wake Forest offers the week's biggest potential assist.

Thursday at Pitt calls for selective downfield throws, steadier finishing and enough defensive stops to give Syracuse a late chance.

Army is idle before its September 25 trip to Temple, with a home conference loss to South Florida already on the record.

Charlotte visits App State on Saturday with a 21% chance to win. Watch whether its receiving options can turn sustained possessions into touchdowns.

ECU visits Old Dominion with better rushing production, but Griffis and the offense still need to turn third downs into sustained possessions.

After losing 38-30 at Florida Atlantic, Navy has an idle week before another conference road game at UAB.

USF can sharpen its protection against Delaware State, while Texas State offers the biggest outside boost to the Bulls' conference outlook.

Temple visits Toledo as a substantial underdog, looking for defensive pressure and enough passing support to keep an upset within reach.

Tulane heads to Kansas State with a 21% chance to win and a clear reason to watch every third down. Kickoff is Saturday at 11 a.m. Central on ESPN2.

East Texas A&M visits Saturday before trips and short rest complicate Tulsa's schedule. Watch third downs, quarterback duties and the kicking split.

UAB has a 41% chance to win at Louisiana before returning home for Friday's conference game against Navy.

Northern Illinois visits Saturday night, giving Arizona a chance to pair sharp play design with dependable communication and rushing execution.

ASU gets a winnable Big 12 game at Wembley, where Boley must avoid costly throws against Kansas's tighter coverage.

Baylor hosts Louisiana Tech on Saturday with a 74% chance to win and specific reasons to watch both lines.

BYU heads to Colorado State with an 82% win chance. Earlier defensive stops and a Houston upset would make this a productive week.

Cincinnati faces Miami at TQL Stadium, with French's passing and the defense's response to McComb central to keeping the Victory Bell.

Colorado visits Northwestern on Saturday with a 22% chance to win. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. Mountain on FOX.

Houston visits Texas Tech on Friday, with its new offensive pieces facing a defense that keeps shutting down the run.

Kansas faces Arizona State with a 44% chance to win and a chance to put an early victory in the Big 12 standings.

Tulane visits Saturday with Kansas State favored, while a Houston upset Friday would give the Wildcats meaningful help in the Big 12 race.

Against Murray State, watch for sustained scoring drives, secure possessions and pressure that keeps the quarterback contained.

Houston brings a productive running game to Lubbock, but Texas Tech also needs to tighten its pass defense as Big 12 play begins.

UCF needs manageable play calls, productive runs and defensive stops to support its next quarterback against Georgia State.

Utah hosts Utah State as a heavy favorite, while Houston offers the week's biggest outside boost to the Utes' playoff chances.

Southern Illinois visits Saturday as Illinois works to sustain its protection, improve its rushing and settle an injury-hit guard rotation.

Against Western Kentucky, watch Indiana finish defensive possessions, secure punts and give Josh Hoover room to sharpen his reads.

Virginia Tech visits Saturday night. Maryland's path runs through timely throws, sound protection and enough rushing help to avoid long-yardage trouble.

Underwood gave Michigan a winning option on the ground. Against UTEP, the next step is dependable passing without penalties wrecking possessions.

Michigan State visits Notre Dame as a heavy underdog, with the running game and quarterback roles central to its upset bid.

Against Akron, watch for productive runs without costly flags, a defense ready for Broughton's mobility and secure punt returns.

Nebraska hosts North Dakota on Saturday before visiting Michigan State, with pass protection and punt-return execution worth watching closely.

Colorado visits Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Central on FOX, with Northwestern favored and field position worth watching closely.

Kent State visits after the loss at Texas. Watch for defensive stops and sustained offense, then follow four helpful results elsewhere.

Portland State gives Oregon a chance to sharpen defensive assignments and protection, with a small playoff assist available from Florida State.

Purdue visits UCLA on Saturday night, with defensive execution and touchdown finishing central to its chance of a conference win.

Delaware hosts Coastal Carolina with productive rushing lanes to preserve and pass protection to improve after Vanderbilt.

The Georgia Southern rematch puts Jacksonville State's kickoff coverage, late possessions and support for Caden Creel under scrutiny.

The Owls face long odds at Tennessee, where simpler quarterback assignments and better blocking could give Rickie Collins needed support.

Liberty is heavily favored against Ball State, with three outside results offering smaller boosts to its playoff chances.

After a two-point loss at Marshall, Middle Tennessee needs backfield help and better drive finishes when Nevada visits Saturday.

The Bears host Marshall as narrow underdogs, with a 45% chance to win and a quiet outside scoreboard in Week 3.

Sam Houston hosts Nicholls on Saturday at 6 p.m. Central, with a strong chance to win before consecutive road trips.

WKU needs sustained possessions and safer field position at Indiana, with the quarterback assignment still unsettled after Georgia.

Akron visits Minnesota on Saturday with a 3% chance to win and no outside result important enough to chase this week.

Ball State visits Liberty as a heavy underdog, with defensive containment and protection for its passing game central to an upset bid.

Watch the backfield workload, Scoby's involvement and the Falcons' ability to force stops in Saturday's trip to Iowa State.

CMU hosts Wyoming with a 54% chance to win. Quarterback decisions, passing execution and routine scoring chances deserve the attention.

Eastern gets another Big Ten road chance, with run defense, protection and a growing two-back contribution shaping its upset bid.

Massachusetts hosts Stonehill on Saturday with an 85% win chance and a conference road game coming next.

Miami visits Cincinnati on Saturday with a 13% win chance. A Kent State upset at Ohio State would be unwelcome.

Toledo is favored against Temple. Sustained drives and finished possessions would make the win more encouraging, with a Rice upset offering a smaller bonus.

The Broncos are favored at Rice, with downfield passing, productive carries and earlier defensive stops worth watching Saturday.

The Falcons have a Week 3 bye after losing 38-32 to North Dakota State. There is no outside game to chase.

New Mexico visits No. 24 Oklahoma with a 16% win chance and a clear reason to watch completions as closely as touchdowns.

The Bison visit Sacramento State as favorites, with punt protection and late defensive stops worth watching Saturday night.

The Spartans have a 37% chance to beat Fresno State at home Saturday, with the running game offering a reason to lean into the matchup.

Miles and Colson give UTEP a route to an upset at Michigan, provided the Miners protect the possessions their defense creates.

South Dakota visits as a heavy underdog, while Boise State looks for steadier coverage and a helpful San Diego State upset.

The Rams host BYU on Saturday with an 18% chance to win. Containing the Cougars means forcing punts without relying on takeaways.

Mandal's supporting cast can give Fresno State another way to keep the Valley Trophy against a broader Spartan attack.

James Madison visits Saturday night, with SDSU seeking better passing rhythm and a punt operation that makes the Dukes earn their yards.

The Aggies visit Utah on Saturday with a narrow upset path built on sustained possessions, rushing support and protecting field position.

The Florida State rematch puts Alabama's rushing support, quarterback decisions and defensive discipline in focus.

Georgia visits Saturday with Arkansas needing better rushing support, protection and coverage answers after a 43-10 loss at Utah.

After beating Campbell 52-3, Florida visits Auburn looking to challenge receivers and execute on the edge from the opening possession.

LSU visits Ole Miss with a major early SEC opportunity, while Arkansas, Tennessee and Auburn offer smaller ways to help.

Mississippi State visits South Carolina as an underdog, with an SEC road win at stake and no outside game worth chasing.

Troy visits Saturday as Missouri looks to preserve its offensive balance and correct the field-goal protection failures exposed at Kansas.

New Mexico visits Saturday as Oklahoma looks for sustained passing, more help from its backs and fewer opportunities handed to the opponent.

Ole Miss hosts LSU as a 68% favorite, with a major SEC opportunity at home and three long-shot upsets worth following elsewhere.

Kentucky visits Saturday, while an Arkansas upset offers the biggest outside boost to the Aggies' SEC title-game chances.

Vanderbilt hosts NC State as a clear favorite, with steadier offensive possessions the next step before trips to Auburn and Georgia.

After a 27-24 win at East Carolina, App State hosts Charlotte on Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+.

Alti's long-range kick and Washington's punt return give Coastal reasons to watch special teams closely as an underdog at Delaware.

The Eagles visit Jacksonville State on Saturday as road underdogs, with a 30% chance to win and a quiet outside slate.

Brown and the Panthers head to UCF with a chance to turn sustained possessions into a road upset. Protection and shared production matter most.

James Madison visits San Diego State with a chance to strengthen its playoff position, while four outside games offer help.

Marshall visits Missouri State as a slight favorite, with quarterback execution and protection of scoring chances at the center of the rematch.

ECU visits Saturday with ODU seeking earlier stops, safer possessions and its first win in the series. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

The Jaguars are favored at home against Ohio. Watch for sound run defense and another productive night from Davenport and Jenkins.

UConn visits Saturday with Southern Miss facing a winnable game and specific work to do in protection, possession security and quarterback containment.

Carlisle and Roland gave ULM a running game at UAB. Against Southeastern, the passing game must help sustain drives and finish with a lead.

UConn visits Southern Miss as a slight favorite, with productive handoffs and shorter defensive possessions central to a road rebound.