What To Watch For In Week 3 Of The 2022 College Football Season

There are just two games between ranked opponents this weekend, both of which involve a team desperate for a win.

A whopping six ranked teams lost to non-conference opponents last Saturday, the third-most in a single day in AP poll history, and Week 3 of the college football season figures to have more upsets in store

After all, there are just two matchups between ranked opponents, while several others hit the road, where they’ll be met by hostile environments or teams looking to turn their early season fortunes around.

With that said, here’s what to watch for in Week 3 of the 2022 college football season: 

No. 6 Oklahoma at Nebraska - 12 p.m. on ABC

In the first game of the post-Scott Frost era, Nebraska welcomes a familiar foe to Lincoln in former Big Eight and Big XII rival Oklahoma. The Sooners won last year’s meeting in Norman, 23-16, but haven’t played the Cornhuskers on the road since a 10-3 loss in 2009.

Oklahoma is off to a 2-0 start under first-year head coach Brent Venables, but has sputtered on offense at times. If that continues on Saturday, Nebraska interim coach Mickey Joseph could make an early case for the permanent position on Saturday – especially if he can win a close game, something Frost could not.

No. 22 Penn State at Auburn - 3:30 p.m. on CBS

Penn State hits the road for the second time in three weeks to open the season, as it grinded out a 35-31 win at Purdue in Week 1. That experience will help as the Nittany Lions travel to SEC country for the first time since a 24-3 loss at Alabama in 2010.

Auburn should able to feed off the crowd the same way that Penn State did in last year’s 28-20 win in Happy Valley, but needs to play better offensively than it did in a 24-16 victory over San Jose State last Saturday in order to pull the upset. If that happens, it would be a signature win for much-maligned head coach Bryan Harsin.

No. 12 BYU at No. 23 Oregon - 3:30 p.m. on FOX

BYU is riding high following a double-overtime win over defending Big XII champion Baylor. But the Cougars don’t have time to rest on their laurels thanks to an Independent schedule that has them traveling to Oregon, which is widely regarded as one of the toughest places to play in all of college football.

This marks a second chance for the Ducks, meanwhile, who were embarrassed in the season opener by defending national champion Georgia before blowing out overmatched Eastern Washington in Week 2. We’ll find out exactly where Oregon stands as a program in this game, which could extend the Ducks’ winning streak against non-conference opponents at home to 30.

No. 11 Michigan State at Washington - 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Despite winning a New Year’s Six bowl, Michigan State had clear deficiencies with its pass defense last season, and that will be tested again when the Spartans travel across the country to take on Washington, which is off to a 2-0 start under new head coach Kaleb DeBoer.

The Huskies are led by Indiana transfer quarterback Michael Penix, who has thrown for 682 yards and six touchdown passes so far this season. He’s played two games against Michigan State in his career, too, going 1-1 in those contests, so his familiarity with the Spartans could help Washington pull an upset on Saturday night.

No. 13 Miami (Fla.) at No. 24 Texas A&M - 9 p.m. on ESPN

Miami’s first road game under new head coach Mario Cristobal looks a lot less daunting after Texas A&M was upset at home by Appalachian State last weekend. Still, this game serves as a measuring stick for the Hurricanes, who coasted past Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss to open the season.

On the other side, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher has decided to make a change at quarterback, switching from Haynes King to LSU transfer Max Johnson. There’s clearly sense of urgency for a program that expected to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff but now finds itself looking to avoid a 1-2 start.

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