On paper, Week 3 of the college football season looked pretty bleak.
The end result was far from the most exciting weekend we’ll see this season, but it still featured more thrilling matchups than we anticipated. Several top teams struggled early with Georgia, Texas, Florida State and Alabama all battling to put away opponents they were heavily favored against.
Only one major upset ultimately played out as No. 9 Tennessee fell in Gainesville against Florida for the 10th-straight time, sending the Volunteers spiraling down the polls and likely out of contention in the SEC East.
It seems like a chaotic season could be in the works as we still have significant questions about a number of teams. Many of those questions are likely to be answered in what is an absolutely loaded Week 4 slate.
In the meantime, here are the winners and losers from Week 3 in college football.
Winner: Florida's Billy Napier gets his signature win
It looked like Florida could be heading for another rough season under second-year coach Billy Napier after a road loss against Utah to open the season, but the Gators looked like a much-improved team against Tennessee.
The defense, in particular, was absolutely dominant in this game. It put a lot of pressure on quarterback Joe Milton and limited big plays from the Volunteers’ high-octane offense which, in fairness, looks to have lost a step from last season but remains potentially explosive.
Unlike in the loss to Utah, Florida was able to run the ball very well in this game with Trevor Etienne, and while Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz is limited as a passer, he’s not being asked to do too much in this system and is running it efficiently.
That may change when Florida faces opponents like Georgia and LSU, against whom establishing the run won’t be so easy, and considering this team a threat in the East in Year 2 is probably overzealous.
Still, this was a huge win for Napier, who didn’t manage to beat a rival in Year 1 in Gainesville. And it’s a sign that things are still trending in the right direction on the field.
Loser: Tennessee fails to get over the hump once again
I don’t know if it’s the humid September central Florida air or the sea of fans singing along to Tom Petty or simple psychology, but Tennessee just can’t seem to win in Gainesville. It’s bordering on comical at this point.
Ending that streak would have been quite a way for the Vols to remind the college football world that they’re still here after losing starting quarterback Hendon Hooker and much of his supporting cast that made last year’s offense so prolific. Instead, we’re left wondering if that 11-win Orange Bowl campaign was a flash in the pan.
The offense didn’t look great in wins during the first two weeks, but it’s now clear that the regression was no mirage. Milton wasn’t bad in this game, and he hit a couple of deep shots that kept his team in the contest. But he’s not as creative or mobile as Hooker was, and he’s still plagued by the same accuracy issues that have dogged him throughout his career. It limits the effectiveness of the quick passing game that was so tough for opponents to defend last year.
The defensive performance was disappointing, too, as a front many thought to be improved struggled against a Florida offensive line that was dominated by a Pac-12 team two weeks ago. The Gators barely even had to pass the ball in the second half after jumping to a 26-7 halftime lead.
A season that began with hopes of knocking Georgia off the pedestal has snapped back to reality as the Volunteers are now searching for their first win in Gainesville since 2003, and with the rivalry series not guaranteed to continue in 2025 and beyond, it’s unclear when they’ll get their next shot to end the streak.
Winner: Washington keeps rolling
The Huskies faced their toughest test of the season to this point with a road game against a Big Ten team (albeit, one that isn’t very good and is dealing with significant off-field distractions), and they passed with flying colors.
It was an absolute rout in East Lansing as Washington cruised to a 41-7 win over Michigan State, and Michael Penix Jr. had an absolutely electric performance once again. He completed 27 of 35 passes for 473 yards and four touchdowns, putting him at 12 total on the season through three games.
Two receivers topped 100 yards, led by Rome Odunze with 180, and another finished with 96 yards.
Penix could be in a two-man Heisman race with Caleb Williams, and it’s hard to see him slowing down barring injury as he helms an offense that has led the FBS in passing yards since the start of last season.
I thought Washington was the best team in the Pac-12 coming into the year, and I’m not sure why the Huskies aren’t getting more attention, because they’ve done nothing but look the part through three weeks.
Loser: Trouble may be brewing in Tuscaloosa
Coming off a disappointing home loss to Texas, Alabama had the opportunity to get right against South Florida. Crimson Tide teams of old would have beaten the Bulls into another dimension, but that’s not what happened on Saturday.
This game was knotted up at three late into the game before Alabama ultimately seized control with a late touchdown. Another score in garbage time made the final 17-3 line somewhat respectable, but the way this game played out wasn’t in the slightest.
Nick Saban made the surprising decision to bench quarterback Jalen Milroe, and it became clear why Milroe won the job in the first place. Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner, who started, struggled tremendously. He was spelled by Ty Simpson, a former five-star who had only seen sporadic action.
Simpson ultimately sparked the Tide to a win, but neither quarterback was particularly encouraging. Milroe, who didn’t play Saturday, was named the starter once again by Saban on Monday.
If it wasn’t already after the loss to the Longhorns, it’s abundantly clear now: This Alabama team has a lot of problems. Its defense is its strength, but even that group just doesn’t quite look like the Bama defenses we’re accustomed to. Offensively, I’m not sure the problems can be fixed during the course of this season.
Alabama kicks off SEC play at home against Ole Miss next week, a game it is favored to win. If I’m being honest, I’m really not sure why.
Winner: Neal Brown, who may have saved his job at West Virginia
It’s pretty apparent that the Pittsburgh team West Virginia beat on Saturday is no good, but that really shouldn’t matter for Neal Brown or the Mountaineers.
Brown, who entered the season on perhaps the hottest seat in the Power Five, may have cooled things off quite a bit with a win over his team’s top rival in the Panthers in the Backyard Brawl. West Virginia navigated an injury to quarterback Garrett Greene, holding on to win a low-scoring 17-6 game.
It’s a long road ahead for the Mountaineers entering conference play, but with Brown’s buyout still set pretty high and some institutional issues that have nothing to do with football, a coaching search may be something the school is looking to avoid.
If that’s the case, beating Pitt may have bought Brown a lot of good will.
Loser: Colorado State's collapse
It’s rare that a Mountain West team gets spotlighted here. It’s even rarer that one appears in the “loser” section after losing a game in double overtime as a more than 20-point underdog.
But did you stay up to watch that entire game? I did, and I can’t think of any other way to spin it.
Colorado State should have won against Colorado, and the way it didn’t makes it hard to take any moral victories from the loss. It was a game that — as no one made more clear than Deion Sanders — was personal after Colorado State coach Jay Norvell made some pretty silly comments last week.
With that in mind, Norvell’s unwillingness to go for the jugular was maddening to watch in real time. The Rams could have walked this game off in the first overtime period after scoring a touchdown. Instead of making the aggressive — yet, likely, mathematically correct — decision to go for two, Norvell opted to extend the game.
A game that, if I need to remind you, should have never gone to overtime and only did because Colorado State allowed a 98-yard game-tying touchdown drive at the end of regulation that was even longer if you factor in several Colorado procedural penalties.
In overtime, the defense also chose to remove the pressure that had caused problems all night, allowing Shedeur Sanders to operate in a clean pocket and put the game away.
Colorado State entered this one with a better game plan for slowing down the Buffaloes than either of their Power Five opponents managed to, and it allowed the Rams to lead by 11 in the fourth quarter. I should be writing about that right now.
Instead, Norvell walks away with egg on his face despite his team outperforming what anyone expected of it.
Quick Hitters - Winners
LSU: The Tigers played about as perfect as a team can in Saturday’s 41-14 road win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs may be pretty bad, but with many top teams looking sluggish, LSU was at the top of its game.
Penn State: It’s becoming pretty clear this isn’t the same Illinois defense that nearly led to a surprise Big Ten West title last season, but still, Penn State looked good on both sides of the ball while dominating in Champaign.
North Carolina: Minnesota just clearly did not have the offensive firepower to compete in this game, and Drake Maye’s two interceptions are a bit concerning. Still, the Tar Heels dominated a Big Ten team on Saturday. Good stuff.
Rutgers: OK, Scarlet Knights. You have my attention. Rutgers is 3-0 with wins over (admittedly bad) Power Five teams in Northwestern and Virginia Tech. Can they give Michigan a scare in Jim Harbaugh’s first game back from self-imposed suspension next weekend?
Ohio State: The Buckeyes may be getting things together. Starter Kyle McCord is starting to settle in with star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and this defense looks legit after holding a dangerous Western Kentucky offense to just 10 points.
Miami (Ohio): MACtion, represent. The Red Hawks got a huge win over Cincinnati to reclaim the Victory Bell for the first time since 2005. Miami lost 16 straight games in this series, which has been dominated by the Bearcats since the days of Ben Roethlisberger.
James Madison: The NCAA sucks, so the Dukes still aren’t bowl eligible. But James Madison knocked off Troy on Saturday in a look at what should have been the Sun Belt Championship last season. The Trojans have clearly taken a step back since winning the league last year, but this is still a statement win for JMU.
Fresno State: After shutting out a Pac-12 team in Arizona State 29-0, the Bulldogs now have a pair of Power Five wins on their resume. Fresno’s 12-game win streak is the second-longest in the country behind Georgia, and this may be the best team in the Group of Five this year.
Missouri: Eli Drinkwitz’s kicker saved him from the loser section above. Despite the Tigers taking a mind-boggling delay of game out of a timeout to push a game-winning field goal back five yards, Harrison Mevis drilled the 61-yarder with room to spare. Never mention “college kickers” again.
"Keep your clothes on tonight, young man!"- Booger McFarland on Mizzou kicker Harrison Mevis pic.twitter.com/QTDLSpOhnB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 16, 2023
Quick Hitters - Losers
Mississippi State: Zach Arnett was in a tough spot when taking his job, and I understand the desire to move away from the air raid. But whatever this offense is, it isn’t working.
Georgia: Yeah, yeah. The Bulldogs won. But when you win 20 games in a row, I’ll take what I can get. South Carolina moved the ball in the first half, and Georgia had to battle out of a 14-3 halftime deficit. It’s still early, but the ‘Dawgs do seem to have regressed, at least somewhat.
Vanderbilt: So much for that leap under Clark Lea this season. The Commodores have now dropped back-to-back games, this one in pretty ugly fashion in a road shootout against a UNLV team led by first-year coach Barry Odom.
Cincinnati: The Luke Fickell seems to have washed out of this program very quickly. Losing to a MAC team doesn’t bode well entering Big 12 play, and last week’s win over Pittsburgh looks even less impressive now than it already did.
Oklahoma State: What are we doing here? The Pokes lost at home to South Alabama 33-7 on Saturday as they continue the head-scratching three-man quarterback committee, one member of which is Mike Gundy’s son. The Jaguars are a good Group of Five team, but there’s simply no excuse for losing this way at home.
Pittsburgh: It’s a shame that Pat Narduzzi doesn’t seem to have any interest in replicating the formula that led to his best season in the Steel City. This offense is downright terrible, and if you can only muster six points against West Virginia, good luck against upper-half ACC opponents.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks didn’t have star running back Raheim Sanders in a 38-31 loss to BYU, but that doesn’t justify falling at home to a Cougars team that hadn’t looked particularly threatening leading up to the game. Sam Pittman needs a good year with this veteran team, and taking a pre-SEC loss is a rough start.
Iowa State: Losing to Ohio is not a good look for Matt Campbell, even though the Bobcats have one of the top G5 quarterbacks in Kurtis Rourke. To be fair, the Cyclones “missed” a field goal that could have sent this game to overtime. You tell me if he missed this kick…
This field goal was ruled no good in the Iowa State-Ohio game
The Cyclones lost the game 10-7
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 16, 2023
