Arkansas at No. 16 Mississippi State, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network Alternate
After a statement win in Death Valley against the defending national champions, the No. 16 Mississippi State hosts the Arkansas Razorbacks for head coach Mike Leach’s first home game. Senior quarterback K.J. Costello became the first SEC quarterback to throw for over 600 yards, breaking a 1993 record. The Stanford graduate transfer’s former career high in passing yards was 381 yards. Immediately following last week's game, Leach touted that the Bulldogs only played LSU because the Chiefs, Green Bay and New England already had games scheduled. Will the Bulldogs live up to Leach’s expectations, or will the Razorbacks take the upset?
No. 13 Texas A&M at No. 2 Alabama, Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS
After senior quarterback Kellen Mond spent the majority of the offseason proclaiming that No. 13 Texas A&M could have an LSU-type year, the Aggies will face their first challenge of the season in Tuscaloosa against No. 2 Alabama. The Aggies haven’t won against the Tide since former quarterback Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Trophy campaign in 2012. Much like the Aggies, head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are looking to get back on top of the SEC West after falling to LSU last season. After losing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the NFL Draft, the Tide found their rhythm last weekend in their 38-19 romp of Missouri. Will the Aggies finally be able to inscribe a year on the national championship trophy they gave head coach Jimbo Fisher when they hired him in 2018, or will Bama regain their top spot in the SEC?
Virginia at No. 1 Clemson, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. CT, ACC Network
The No. 1 Clemson Tigers are back in action against the Virginia Cavaliers after last week’s bye. The last time the Cavaliers and the Tigers met was in the 2019 ACC Championship, where Clemson took the title. Clemson junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence is currently the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. The Cavaliers have had a rocky start to their season. After postponing its game with Virginia Tech and canceling its matchup with Virginia Military Institute, the Cavaliers are behind the rest of the ACC. However, they were able to get a decisive win against Duke last weekend.
South Florida at No. 15 Cincinnati, Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+
After holding off Army’s triple-option offense last weekend, the No. 15 Cincinnati Bearcats host the South Florida Bulls on Saturday. Cincinnati enters the game on a two-game winning streak while the Bulls are coming off of a 52-0 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 19. The Bulls previously postponed their game last weekend against Florida Atlantic after a COVID-19 outbreak in their program. The Bearcats are looking to stay undefeated and keep alive their dark horse College Football Playoff hopes.
TCU at No. 9 Texas, Oct. 3, 11:00 a.m. CT, FOX
After a whirlwind game against Texas Tech last weekend, the Longhorns are back in Austin for a showdown against TCU. Texas is looking for redemption this season, as the Horned Frogs upset the Longhorns in Fort Worth last year. While the Longhorns are riding a two-game winning streak, the Horned Frogs are coming off a loss to Iowa State after their first game against SMU was postponed. The Horned Frogs have won six of the eight games against Texas since joining the Big 12 in 2012.
