Week 3 College Football: Bold Predictions and Surprise Picks

College football's Week 3 is shaping up to be an exciting mix of upsets and dominant performances. Last week, underdog teams from smaller conferences pulled off some big wins, but this week, favorites might have a better chance. Let's dive into some specific predictions. Duke's quarterback, Darian Mensah, is having a great season. He's the second-best passer in the country. He'll be playing against his old team, Tulane. Expect him to throw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, leading Duke to a road win. Another player to watch is Cam Cook, a running back for Jacksonville State. He's been impressive recently, gaining 270 yards on 46 carries. This week, he'll face Georgia Southern, which has a weak rush defense. Cook could rush for over 200 yards and score twice, helping his team win on the road. Clemson's offense has struggled without their top receiver, Antonio Williams. But sophomore Bryant Wesco has been stepping up. He could have a breakout game against Georgia Tech, catching eight passes for over 180 yards and two touchdowns. Now, let's look at some big games. Pittsburgh is favored to win against West Virginia. Despite some recent setbacks, Pittsburgh's quarterback Eli Holstein has been playing well. He'll lead his team to a 10-point victory. No. 6 Georgia is favored to beat No. 15 Tennessee. Georgia has been dominant in this series, winning eight straight games. Running back Nate Frazier will have a big game, rushing for over 100 yards and scoring twice. Georgia will win by a touchdown. No. 18 South Florida is favored to beat No. 5 Miami. South Florida has been impressive, upsetting two ranked teams already. But Miami's quarterback Carson Beck has been solid, and their size on both lines will make the difference. Miami will win by 14 points. No. 16 Texas A&M is favored to beat No. 8 Notre Dame. Notre Dame has been on a roll, and their running game will be the key to victory. They'll control the clock and outscore Texas A&M by eight points. Florida is favored to beat No. 3 LSU. Florida has talent, but they've been undisciplined, committing too many penalties. LSU's quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will lead his team to a four-point win. One upset to watch is Minnesota at Cal. Cal's quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has been impressive, but Minnesota's running backs Darius Taylor and Grant Washington will be the difference. Taylor will rush for over 100 yards and score a touchdown. Cal will pull off a late stop to secure the win. Finally, let's look at some reader predictions. Ian predicts that four of five underdog teams will pull off upsets. Adam B. thinks Ohio will beat West Virginia. Josh V. believes Kentucky will limit Ole Miss's passing yards. Brian M. jokes about Nick Saban's rental home policy. Some predictions didn't pan out. Sean Shannon thought Oklahoma would upset Oregon, and Larry V. was wrong about Florida's big win. Mark L. hoped for upsets in three games, and Adam W. predicted Oklahoma's struggles. Last week, some predictions were spot on. Illinois picked off Darian Mensah and covered the spread. Iowa State beat Iowa again, and Missouri covered the spread against Kansas. Oklahoma also covered the spread at home. But there were some misses. Florida's quarterback DJ Lagway didn't have the game predicted, and Florida lost to South Florida. Arizona State almost pulled off a win against Mississippi State, but came up short. Week 3 promises more excitement, with underdogs looking to pull off upsets and favorites aiming to dominate.