It’s Week 3 of the college football season, and we’ve already seen major surprises in the first two weeks. In Week 1, then-No. 16 Michigan nearly fell to unranked Western Michigan, needing a last-play Hail Mary to survive. Last week, then-No.6 Oregon, one of the favorites to win the national championship, suffered a shocking upset to unranked Oklahoma State. With this win, Oklahoma State became the first team to snap a 10-game losing streak by beating a top-10 opponent.
Now, with conference play starting for some ranked teams and others facing dangerous opponents, Week 3 presents another opportunity for an upset. So, without further ado, let’s look at the three ranked teams that should be on upset alert this week.
Three Ranked Teams on Upset Alert in Week 3
1. No. 13 Texas Tech Raiders
This week only presents three ranked matchups, with No. 13 Texas Tech facing No. 22 Houston at home on Friday, September 18. Heading into this game, Texas Tech is a 7.5-point favorite against Houston, according to DraftKings. Despite being the favorite, the Red Raiders should be on upset alert against a strong Houston team.
Texas Tech hasn’t been overly impressive in its first two wins of the season. In its season opener against Abilene Christian, the Red Raiders struggled to blow out an FCS opponent, scoring 33 points in a 33-10 win. Against Oregon State, they were pushed to the brink as Oregon State led 24-21 with 13 minutes left before the Red Raiders pulled out a 35-24 win.
After an offseason shaped by the drama of quarterback Brandon Sorsby, Will Hammond hasn’t quite stepped up in his absence, throwing for only 487 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception through two games. Texas Tech’s running game has been the catalyst for the offense, averaging 164 yards per game and scoring five of the team’s eight touchdowns in the first two games. Now it faces a Houston defense that has been stout against the run, allowing just 20 rushing yards through its first two games.
Texas Tech may also be without tight end Terrance Carter Jr. and linebacker Trey White due to injury, and cornerback Amier Boyd is expected to miss time. These absences could play a major role in the game’s outcome.
As for Houston, they have been impressive in their first two wins, especially on offense. The Cougars have averaged 562 yards and 55 points per game, led by quarterback Conner Weigman and wide receiver Amare Thomas. Weigman has thrown for 425 passing yards and four touchdowns, and Thomas has caught 11 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns, showing the unit’s firepower.
With Houston coming in with strong momentum and Texas Tech struggling to find consistency offensively, the Cougars have a legitimate chance to pull off an upset on the road.
2. No. 25 Virginia
After coming up short of an AP Preseason Poll ranking, Virginia has been flying under the radar this season. It had an impressive season-opening win over NC State and then blew out Norfolk State last week. However, they should be on upset alert against their neighboring rival, West Virginia, even though they’re 10.5-point favorites on DraftKings.
After a nervy season-opening win over Coastal Carolina, West Virginia rebounded with a dominant win, blowing out UT Martin 52-7. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has been very effective with his dual-threat ability through two games, throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns while throwing only five incompletions and zero interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing with 199 yards and has scored three rushing touchdowns. Despite Virginia’s defense having only allowed 11 points, Hawkins Jr.’s dual-threat ability will be a major test for the unit.
Just like Hawkins Jr., Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula has shown his dual-threat ability. He’s thrown five touchdowns with only four incompletions and rushed for 102 yards. However, he’ll face a Mountaineers defense that has allowed just 5.1 yards per scramble vs. Power 4 opponents since the start of last season, which is seventh among Power 4 defenses.
Even though both teams haven’t met in 41 years, anything can happen in a game between neighboring colleges. Both teams are coming into this game in good form, and it will come down to which defense can limit the quarterback’s dual-threat ability. However, West Virginia has the edge in containing a quarterback like Pribula, giving the Mountaineers a real shot at an upset in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
3. No. 11 BYU
BYU has worked its way up the AP Poll after two games, starting at No. 14 in the preseason and now sitting at No. 11. The Cougars opened the season with a dominant win over Utah Tech before following it up with a victory over a good Arizona team. However, BYU now heads on the road for the first time this season to face a Colorado State team showing signs of a resurgence after finishing 2-10 last season, putting the Cougars on upset alert.
BYU is a huge favorite heading into this game, at 17.5 points against Colorado State, according to DraftKings. However, the Cougars have been less successful away from home than at home, with three of their last four losses over the past two years coming on the road. They also showed offensively last week that they don’t have another difference-maker outside of quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who contributed to all four touchdowns against Arizona.
As for Colorado State, it has been impressive this season after last season’s disappointment. The biggest reason for the Rams’ resurgence has been their quarterback, Hauss Hejny, who has thrown for 539 yards and nine touchdowns, along with 124 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. While their opponents have been inferior to BYU’s, Colorado State has done a great job blowing out Wyoming and Southern Utah at home. Now, they will have home-field advantage again against BYU, which could be a crucial factor in the game’s outcome.
BYU has the more talented team and deserves to be the favorite. However, Colorado State has the home-field advantage, and its offense has been playing at a high level through the first two games. With the Rams playing their third consecutive home game and the Cougars playing their first, Colorado State has a good chance of not only making this a more competitive game than the spread suggests but also pulling off the upset.
Main Image: Kallie Hansel-Tennes-Imagn Images
