No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma – 2:30 pm on ESPN
Two undefeated teams will meet in Norman as Oklahoma and Auburn open conference play at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
This matchup brings extra interest with junior Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold returning to face his former team. Once labelled as the future leader of the Sooners, Arnold was benched midseason last year before transferring. Now he faces a defense called by Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, the same one he once practiced against daily in Norman.
Oklahoma comes in already having defeated a ranked Power Four team in Michigan behind standout redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer. Mateer has quickly helped to revitalize the Sooner offense, throwing for 944 yards while adding 161 rushing yards. Mateer has thrown his team into the playoff conversation, though he’ll need to lean on his receivers to create a more dynamic offense.
Auburn comes in ranked fifth in the nation in sacks and will look to pressure Mateer, who has thrown three interceptions this season. Arnold has yet to throw a pick and also adds a rushing threat. With both quarterbacks posting similar completion percentages, the game likely depends on turnovers and who controls the line of scrimmage.
Florida at No. 4 Miami – 6:30 pm on ABC
ESPN College GameDay heads to Hard Rock Stadium for an in-state rivalry between two programs on very different trajectories.
Florida head coach Billy Napier enters week four in the hot seat after an upset loss to South Florida, followed by a defeat to No. 3 LSU. The Gators now have the opportunity to flip the script against a top-five team.
Gators sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway has not lived up to preseason expectations, coming off a performance where he threw five interceptions against one of the best defenses in the nation. Lagway faces the tall task of turning things around in one week against a Miami defense that will pressure him. Florida can not fully trust Lagway’s arm, but leaning on the run game means going against a solid run defense.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck, a sixth-year redshirt senior and transfer from Georgia, has looked more explosive this season, throwing for 812 yards. Beck has experience facing top-caliber defenses during his time with Georgia, which will help him as he faces one of the best defenses in the country. Florida has allowed just two offensive touchdowns all year, making this Miami’s toughest test to date.
For the Hurricanes, the job is to take care of business at home, but for Florida, it’s about proving Napier and Lagway can steady the program under pressure.
No. 23 Missouri vs South Carolina – 6:00 pm on ESPN
Once considered a playoff contender, South Carolina is coming off a 24-point loss against Vanderbilt. There is mounting uncertainty surrounding redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who left last week’s game in the second quarter with a head injury. Sellers practiced Wednesday and has not been ruled out.
The stakes are high for the Gamecocks, a loss would drop South Carolina to 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play and given its offense is ranked No. 15 or worse in scoring, rushing, passing and average yards per play, it would be a tough sell to the playoff committee.
Missouri has rolled to a 3-0 start behind graduate quarterback Beau Pribula. This will be the first time the Tigers’ offense faces a top-tier SEC defense and potential weaknesses remain in their offensive line and kicking game.
