There’s nothing more awkward than two exes finding each other after a messy breakup. But wow, is it fun to watch if you’re an outside observer? It’s a solid week of college football with a dramatic meeting between Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, a critical early-season matchup in the ACC and plenty of conference openers around the country. But the game everyone is talking about is No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss, as Kiffin, the Tigers and the Rebels take center stage in Week 3. It’s a top-10 showdown in Oxford on Saturday night. The Tigers are slight road favorites, and of course, there’s an additional intriguing storyline to follow: Will LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt play? The LSU starter was listed as doubtful in the initial player availability report released Wednesday night, but he participated in part of Thursday morning’s practice. Is Lane being Lane or is Leavitt’s prognosis dire? Friday night offers a fascinating matchup between No. 22 Houston and No. 13 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders haven’t been as impressive to start the season, having rolled past Oregon State on the road last week. The Cougars are viewed as a dark horse in the Big 12. In the ACC, No. 16 SMU and No. 23 Louisville meet in a game that could very well decide which team lands in the ACC Championship Game later this season. Florida State returns to its non-conference schedule with a trip to No. 10 Alabama for a rematch of last year’s shocking upset. Head coach Mike Norvell was fired Monday, but the president appears unwilling to say the coach is in trouble despite a dismal record since an undefeated regular season in 2023. All 25 teams in the AP Top 25 are in action this week. Who is on upset alert? Stay with CBS Sports for live coverage and updates throughout the weekend. All times East No. 16 SMU vs. No. 23 Louisville 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2, fuboTV (try it free) — This is the place against the wall where Louisville’s coach needs to live up to the “Big Game Brohm” nickname that followed him since his days at Purdue. All three seasons have included at least one signature victory, defeating Notre Dame at home in 2023, upsetting Clemson in Death Valley in 2024 and defeating then-No. 2 Miami last season. The way the schedule was altered this year, Louisville has all of its big games in September. After losing to Ole Miss, the focus should be on getting this big ACC win. Add in two straight losses to SMU and two years of being out of the ACC title game, and this is the ultimate must-win in Week 3. Pick: Louisville -1.5 No. 12 USC vs. Rutgers 3:30 pm on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: USC boasts one of the most potent offenses in America and faces a testing opportunity on the road against a Big Ten opponent. Rutgers won’t have many answers for the Trojans, and it’s a chance for the USC defense to make another statement after shutting out Fresno State two weeks ago. Pick: USC -23.5 – Shehan Jeyarajah No. 10 Alabama vs. Florida State Noon on ABC, fuboTV (try it for free): Florida State played a quality SMU team in Week 1, but don’t be fooled. FSU won the turnover battle 4-1 and still couldn’t win the game. Even if Alabama tries as hard as SMU did, the Crimson Tide showed last week at Kentucky that they can overcome turnovers and still pull away to beat a quality opponent. This Bama defense looks strong and the running game has improved from last year. That takes pressure off of young starting quarterback Keelon Russell, who should be able to adjust and lead the Tide to a convincing revenge victory after last year’s loss to FSU. Pick: Alabama -19.5 – David Cobb No. 11 BYU vs. Colorado State 7:30 pm on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: The Cougars looked great in last week’s win over Arizona, in which they covered the 8.5-point spread. There’s certainly a world in which BYU overwhelms Colorado State with its size and physicality, but I’m buying what the Rams are doing on offense for two weeks. Hejny seems very comfortable behind center and Colorado State is running the ball efficiently. There won’t be an upset in Fort Collins, but the Rams can keep him within the number while the Cougars exhale by reaching an early open date. Pick – Colorado State +17.5 – Austin Nivison LSU vs. Prediction Ole Miss, Picks 7:30 pm on ABC, fuboTV (try it free): Louisville exposed some holes in the Ole Miss secondary during the Rebels’ 41-38 win in Week 1. If ever there was a coach capable of exploiting those holes, it’s Lane Kiffin. He’s an offensive mastermind who knows the defensive buttons Ole Miss coach Pete Golding likes to push. LSU’s defense hasn’t been tested yet, but if the Tigers can hold their own on that side of the ball, expect Kiffin’s plays to be the difference in a close game. Pick: LSU -2.5 – David Cobb No. 2 Georgia vs. Arkansas Noon on ABC, fuboTV (try it for free): The gap is big and Georgia has Oklahoma next week, so Kirby Smart can relieve the Razorbacks if he gets a big lead. Arkansas can’t run the ball (ranked 120th nationally), has one of the worst scoring offenses in the country and the defense was a disaster last week in a 43-10 loss at Utah. If Arkansas thought Utah was tough in the trenches, the Hogs are in trouble against Georgia’s offensive and defensive fronts. Choose: Georgia SU – Brandon Marcello SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 3 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that has a 33-21 streak of top-rated CFB moneyline picks since the 2024 season.
