No. 3 Texas @ Baylor
Saturday, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. CT, ABC
The Longhorns travel to Waco for their last Big 12 opener in the team’s highest AP Poll ranking since being No. 2 in 2009. The Bears will be heading into their fourth home game with only one victory last week against Long Island after losing to Texas State and No. 11 Utah. Texas’ 112-game history with Baylor is the third largest in the program, behind Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The Bears’ quarterback Blake Shapen is set to miss out on the matchup due to a knee injury picked up in the loss against Texas State and Sawyer Robertson will take over the battle against Texas’ Quinn Ewers. Baylor might have the home advantage but Steve Sarkisian’s team proved they can thrive under the opponent’s lights in Tuscaloosa.
No. 15 Ole Miss @ No. 13 Alabama
Saturday, Sept. 23, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS
After years of dominance, Alabama sees itself in a vulnerable position. The Crimson Tide lost to Texas 34-24 and struggled to beat unranked South Florida in Tampa. Ole Miss travels to Tuscaloosa undefeated, where it has previously beat the host twice. Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced Jalen Milroe as starting quarterback against the Rebels, and his former assistant Lane Kiffin should start junior quarterback Jason Dart just like he has in the past three games. Though Alabama is still the projected favorite, its recent performances show that anything can happen in this SEC opener.
Arkansas @ No. 12 LSU
Saturday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m. CT, ESPN
Arkansas will head to Baton Rouge seven points away from being undefeated after a close loss to BYU, while LSU has won its last two games, recovering from a first week loss to No. 4 Florida State. The starting Razorbacks offense is likely to have veterans like quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheem Sanders, while quarterback Jayden Daniels, who scored two touchdowns against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, is expected to start for the Tigers.
No. 6 Ohio State @ No. 9 Notre Dame
Saturday, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. CT, NBC Sports
For the only top 10 clash of the weekend, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish regained three starters, as linebacker JD Bertrand, safety DJ Brown and tight end Mitchell Evans return from injury. Notre Dame will head into the game with a 4–0 record, attempting to put itself as a legitimate national championship contender with a win over the eight-time national champions. The Buckeyes also head into the matchup undefeated and boast the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports. Notre Dame’s quarterback Sam Hartman has had a stellar season so far, and Ohio State’s Kyle McCord has shown a connection to former high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. The Irish will be playing in front of their home crowd in Notre Dame Stadium, where they have been 3–1 against top 10 teams in the last ten years.
