[INTRODUCTION]
Week 3 had less ranked matchups than the first two weeks, but it still had some really good games. The week also helped us start to clearly understand just where teams stand this season. FSU is in a living nightmare, Tennessee can score at the drop of a hat, and the defending champs are not the same team as last year.
To find out where your team stands in this week’s Top 5 Rankings scroll down and take a look.
Scroll to the bottom to see how Rivalry Sports did on their picks for the Week 2 games and to see a summary of this week’s picks!
Win/Loss Records of the picks for Week 2 :
| Picker | Rivalry Sports – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker |
| Win – Loss Record Week 2 | 14 – 0 | 12 – 2 |
| Overall Won/Loss Record on Picks this Season | 46 – 6 | 45 – 7 |
Guest Picker Won/Loss Records
| Guest Picker | Week | Won/Loss Record on Picks | Winning Percentage |
| Stephanie Kirby | 1 | 16 – 3 | 84.2% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 2 | 17 – 2 | 89.5% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 3 | 12 – 2 | 85.7% |
RIVALRY SPORTS LOCK PICK OF THE WEEK
| Week | Rivalry Sports Game Score Pick | Actual Result |
| 1 | #5 Alabama over Western Kentucky 45 – 13 | #5 Alabama over Western Kentucky – 63 – 0 |
| 2 | #6 Ole Miss over MTSU 48 – 10 | #6 Ole Miss over MTSU 52 – 3 |
| 3 | #17 Michigan over Arkansas State 38 – 10 | #17 Michigan over Arkansas State 28 – 18 |
| 4 | #8 Miami over South Florida 41 – 10 |
Check out last week’s Top 5 Rankings
Weekly Rivalry Sports Top 5 for each Power Conference
SEC TOP FIVE
The weather is cooling down and the season is heating up as most teams start conference play this week! There are lots of strong teams in the SEC and this week we will start to see some separation.
1. Georgia (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 2
The Dawgs really struggled against a desperate Kentucky team this week, but were able to squeak out a 13 – 12 win over the Wildcats. Georgia is known for having one lackluster game each year in September and will look to get back on track on their bye week in preparation for their huge game against Alabama on September 28th!
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 1
Week 3 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye
2. Ole Miss (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 5
Ole Miss played their toughest opponent to date in Week 3 when they took on Wake Forest and won by the score of 40 – 6. The Rebs take on Georgia Southern in Week 4 and their biggest challenge will be staying focused on not overlooking their opponent in another game they should win big.
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 2
Week 3 Opponent: vs Georgia Southern at 7:45 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. Texas (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 1
The Longhorns star QB Quinn Ewers exited their blowout win over UTSA in Week 3 and everyone hopes the abdominal injury is minor. In the meantime they have the best backup QB in the nation in Arch Manning who came in and passed for four TDs and ran for another!
Texas plays another tune up game against ULM this week.
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 3
Week 3 Opponent: vs University of Louisiana-Monroe at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. Tennessee (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 6
Tennessee put a historic whupping on Kent State in winning 71 – 0 in Week 3. The Volunteers are an offensive powerhouse, but everyone seems to be overlooking the D. This defense has played great this year and will be challenged this week on the road against a tough Oklahoma team.
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 4
Week 3 Opponent: @ Oklahoma at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Alabama (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 4
The Tide turned things around after a rough game against USF in Week 2. In Week 3 they went on the road and beat Wisconsin by the score of 42 – 10! Kalen DeBoer seems to be keeping the Tide rolling going into their bye week.
The true test could be the game of the year when Alabama comes out of the bye week and takes on Georgia!
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 5
Week 3 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye
Dropped from SEC Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
Big Ten TOP FIVE
Three of the Top 5 teams in the B1G had a bye in Week 3 and the other two teams both won. However, the wins were very different. Oregon finally showed up this year and looked great, while Michigan once again looked sloppy and left a lot of doubt…
1. Ohio State (2 – 0) AP Ranking – # 3
Coming off their bye week, the Buckeyes will look to reestablish their place at the top of the B1G rankings.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 1
Week 3 Opponent: vs Marshall at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye
2. Oregon (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 9
The Ducks finally looked like they were expected to in Week 3 when they dominated their rival Oregon State by the score of 49 – 14.
During their bye week this week Oregon will look to continue to fine tune their team.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 2
Week 3 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye
3. USC (2 – 0) AP Ranking – # 11
USC comes off their bye week ready to take on Michigan. We will see how much the extra week helped the Trojans prepare for their big game against B1G power Michigan.
USC already has one good win this year against LSU and if they can take down the Wolverines their resume will be looking as good as anyone.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 3
Week 3 Opponent: @ Michigan at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
4. Penn State (2 – 0) AP Ranking – # 10
The Nittany Lions are coming off their bye week in a position to get ready for their B1G schedule by taking on Kent State this weekend. This should not be much of a test, but we will see how focused the team is.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 4
Week 3 Opponent: vs Kent State at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5.Michigan (2 – 1) AP Ranking – # 18
Michigan established the run against Arkansas State, but committed three turnovers and overall looked sloppy in an underwhelming 28 – 18 win. The Wolverines changed QB’s toward the end of the game, but neither QB looked like a real difference maker.
The true test to see just where the Wolverines are this year will be this week when USC comes to Ann Arbor.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 5
Week 3 Opponent: vs USC at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from Big 10 Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
BIG-12 TOP FIVE
The Big 12 feels like this could be a year where multiple teams are competing for the crown up until the end of the season. With that being said there are some big games this week that will help to start separating the pretenders from the contenders.
1. Utah (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 12
In week 3 the Utes took on their rival Utah State without Utah’s star QB Cam Rising who was out with a hand injury. Freshman Isaac Wilson filled in at QB and did a good job with the Utes winning 38 – 21.
Utah gets a much tougher matchup this week when they take on Oklahoma State on the road. QB Cam Rising is expected to return for this game and he will be needed at full strength if the Utes expect to get this win on the road!
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 1
Week 3 Opponent: @ Oklahoma State at 4:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. Oklahoma State (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 14
The Cowboys took down Tulsa by the score of 45 – 10 in Week 3. They have a much bigger challenge this week when Utah comes to town to take on Oklahoma State.
7th year QB Alan Bowman has been playing really well, but in order for the Cowboys to reach their full potential they will have to get star RB Ollie Gordon II on track.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 2
Week 3 Opponent: vs Utah at 4:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
3. Kansas State (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 13
The Wildcats took a huge step forward last week when they demolished Arizona 31 – 7 who was ranked #20 at the time. This week Kansas State goes on the road to take on BYU.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 3
Week 3 Opponent: @ BYU at 10:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. UCF (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # Unranked
UCF had a huge win in Week 3 when they came back and beat TCU on the road by the score of 35 – 34.
The Knights can enjoy their bye week and work on getting better as they come back after their bye with a big game against Colorado.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 5
Week 3 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye
5. Arizona (2 – 1) AP Ranking – # Unranked
Arizona’s bye week comes at the right time. After starting the season with 2 wins, the Wildcats got blown out by Kansas State in Week 3.
Arizona will look to use the bye week to get back on track as their schedule stays tough after the bye when they take on Utah.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 4
Week 3 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye
Dropped from BIG-12 Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
ACC TOP FIVE
The ACC has Miami in the driver’s seat for the conference crown, but their are lots of good teams nipping at their heels.
1. Miami (3 – 0) AP Ranking – # 8
The Hurricanes look like they are for real! They have three blowout wins to start the season and they look to continue their dominance this week against South Florida.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 1
Week 3 Opponent: @ South Florida at 7:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. Clemson (1 – 1) AP Ranking – # 21
Clemson is looking to show that they will be a team that gets better throughout the season and is a contender by season’s end. After coming off of their bye week they will be taking on a tough NC State team this week.
Last Week ACC Ranking: #2
Week 3 Opponent: vs NC State at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. Louisville (2 – 0) AP Ranking – # 19
The Cardinals have started the season strong with two blowout wins before their bye week in Week 3. However their competition has not been very strong to this point, but that changes this week when they take on Georgia Tech.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 3
Week 3 Opponent: vs Georgia Tech at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. Boston College (2 – 1) AP Ranking – # 24
So how did Boston College move up in the ACC rankings after a loss? Well, NC State lost their starting QB and even though BC lost, it was on the road against a top 10 team in Missouri.
Boston College looks to get back on track when they take on Michigan State this week.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 5
Week 3 Opponent: vs Michigan State at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/21/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Syracuse (2 – 0) AP Ranking – # 24
The Orange look to come out of their bye week on fire and get a win against Stanford. If new QB Kyle McCord can continue to play at a high level then Syracuse could continue to climb up the ACC ladder.
Last Week ACC Ranking: Unranked
Week 3 Opponent: vs Stanford at 7:30 PM EDT Friday 9/20/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from ACC Top 5 Rankings:
NC State (2 – 1) AP Ranking – # Unranked
The Wolfpack will be starting a Freshman QB in place of injured starter Grayson McCall. I think that won’t work well against a tough Clemson team.
NOTABLE Week 3 GAMES
Take a look at some of the highest ranked or most intriguing games of the week listed below.
- #24 Illinois @ #22 Nebraska – Two surprise Top 25 teams from the B1G meet for the right to stay in the Top 25!
- #11 USC @ #18 Michigan – These two legendary programs meet for the first time as B1G competitors!
- #12 Utah @ #14 Oklahoma State – Two of the top Big 12 teams battle in an early season game for the lead in the conference.
- #6 Tennessee @ #15 Oklahoma – The top ranked game of the week! SEC veteran Tennessee looks to go on the road and teach SEC newcomer Oklahoma a thing or two.
Rivalry Sports Lock Pick of the Week – #8 Miami over South Florida 41 – 10
Rivalry Sports Underdog Pick of the Week – #18 Michigan over #11 USC
Check back in for updated Top 5 Rankings next week!
Week 4 Game Picks
| Game (Home Team listed 2nd) | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Stephanie Kirby |
| Georgia Southern @ #5 Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| UL-Monroe @ #1 Texas | Texas | Texas |
| #6 Tennessee @ #15 Oklahoma | Tennessee | Tennessee |
| Marshall @ #3 Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| #11 USC @ #18 Michigan | Michigan | USC |
| Kent State @ #10 Penn State | Penn State | Penn State |
| #12 Utah @ #14 Oklahoma State | Utah | Utah |
| #13 Kansas State @ BYU | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| #8 Miami @ South Florida | Miami | Miami |
| NC State @ #21 Clemson | Clemson | Clemson |
| Georgia Tech @ #19 Louisville | Louisville | Louisville |
| Michigan State @ Boston College | Boston College | Boston College |
| Stanford @ Syracuse | Syracuse | Syracuse |
| Total |
WEEK 2 PICKS REVIEWED
| Week 1 Pick Results by Conference | Record |
| SEC | 5 – 0 |
| B1G (Big Ten) | 2 – 0 |
| Big – 12 | 4 – 0 |
| ACC | 3 – 0 |
| Total | 14 – 0 |
Week 3 GAME PICK RESULTS
| Game (Home Team listed 2nd) | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Stephanie Kirby | Winner |
| #1 Georgia @ Kentucky | Georgia | Georgia | Georgia |
| #5 Ole Miss @ Wake Forest | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| UTSA @ #2 Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas |
| Kent State @ #7 Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennessee |
| #4 Alabama @ Wisconsin | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama |
| #9 Oregon @ Oregon State | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon |
| Arkansas State @ #17 Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan |
| #12 Utah @ Utah State | Utah | Utah | Utah |
| #13 Oklahoma State @ Tulsa | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State |
| #20 Arizona @ #14 Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| UCF @ TCU | UCF | UCF | UCF |
| Ball State @ #10 Miami | Miami | Miami | Miami |
| Louisiana Tech @ NC State | NC State | Louisiana Tech | NC State |
| #24 Boston College @ #9 Missouri | Missouri | Boston College | Missouri |
| Total | 14 | 12 | 14 |
