Welcome to The Top 25, a weekly rundown of the best of college football.
Each week, The Baltimore Sun will break down the top games, players and teams to watch, from the Power Five to the Group of Five. Here’s what to know for Week 3:
5 games to watch
— No. 6 Oklahoma at Nebraska (Saturday, noon, Fox): The Cornhuskers’ first game after firing coach Scott Frost comes against its longtime rival, and a top-10 opponent at that. Interim Mickey Joseph has a tough task in front of him, but a spirited showing against the Sooners would go a long way toward building his case to get the full-time job. For Oklahoma, it’s the first chance to prove itself against a Power Five opponent under coach Brent Venables.
— No. 11 Michigan State at Washington (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ABC): After losing Kenneth Walker to the NFL draft, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see the Spartans’ running game take a step back. So far, sophomore Jalen Berger and fifth-year senior Jarek Broussard have picked up the slack. Washington will be the first test for Michigan State to prove it’s still a Big Ten title contender.
— No. 12 BYU at No. 25 Oregon (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., Fox): After a thrilling upset of No. 9 Baylor in overtime, it’s time to consider BYU as a possible College Football Playoff contender. If the Cougars can get past Oregon, only No. 10 Arkansas remains as a significant obstacle standing in the way of an undefeated season.
— No. 22 Penn State at Auburn (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., CBS): The Nittany Lions flashed their youth and depth in a dominant win over Ohio, with true freshman Nick Singleton rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns and 17 receivers recording a catch. Auburn is struggling to get its offense into gear as it juggles quarterbacks T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford, but the Tigers still have star running back Tank Bigsby and a talented defense that can make things difficult for quarterback Sean Clifford and Penn State’s offensive line.
— No. 13 Miami at No. 24 Texas A&M (Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN): Appalachian State’s upset win over Texas A&M last week moved “College GameDay” from College Station to Boone, North Carolina, taking some of the shine off this blue-blood matchup. There’s still plenty to be excited about, namely how Miami offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and quarterback Tyler Van Dyke attack Texas A&M’s defense. The Aggies need to figure out a way to spark an offense that has plunged to 47th nationally in efficiency, according to ESPN’s SP+ rankings.
5 players to watch
— Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa (vs. SMU): The Alabama transfer and younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua has picked up where he left off last season, completing 78.5% of his passes and accounting for five touchdowns in two games. He should put up big numbers in what’s expected to be a shootout against the Mustangs.
— South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler (vs. No. 1 Georgia): The former Oklahoma starter is still one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country, but he’s struggled to put it all together. If Rattler can take advantage of his elite arm and put pressure on Georgia’s secondary, the Gamecocks have a fighting chance.
— Texas Tech QB Donovan Smith (vs. No. 16 NC State): The sophomore bounced back from three interceptions to throw the game-winning touchdown pass in a double-overtime win over then-No. 25 Houston. The Red Raiders have a chance to pull off another upset if Smith can keep pushing the ball downfield and limit his mistakes.
— Purdue WR Charlie Jones (at Syracuse): It’s funny what a receiver can do when they leave Iowa. In two games, Jones already has as many catches (21) as he recorded all of last season with the Hawkeyes. He’s developed quick chemistry with quarterback Aidan O’Connell, ranking fourth in the country in receiving yards (286).
— Appalachian State OLB Jalen McLeod (vs. Troy): In the upset win over Texas A&M, the Washington, D.C., native had two sacks and two forced fumbles, earning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors. Through two games, he has the fifth-highest pass-rushing grade of any edge defender in the country according to Pro Football Focus.
5 teams exceeding expectations
— Syracuse: So much for coach Dino Babers being on the hot seat. Led by quarterback Garrett Shrader and running back Sean Tucker, the Orange dominated former Big East rivals Louisville and UConn to open the season 2-0 for the first time since 2018. A long stretch of home games could put them in position to challenge Clemson for the ACC title.
— Kansas: Led by star quarterback Jalon Daniels and an overtime pick six, the Jayhawks beat West Virginia to start 2-0 for the first time since 2011. Coach Lance Leipold could be in play for some premier jobs this fall (hello, Nebraska), but for now, his work with Kansas is something to admire.
— Marshall: Former Nick Saban assistant Charles Huff has worked wonders with the Thundering Herd, who pulled off their second win over a top-10 team in program history against then-No. 8 Notre Dame. By aggressively hitting the transfer portal, Huff has assembled a roster that can rival many in the Power Five.
— Washington State: The Cougars’ decision to make interim Jake Dickert the full-time coach looks prescient, as Wazzu knocked off then-No. 19 Wisconsin on the road. Winning with defense has never been a program staple, but the Cougars held the Badgers to 4.0 yards per carry and kept star running back Braelon Allen under 100 yards for just the second time in his last 11 games.
— Duke: When Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko became coach at Duke, it was expected to be a long-term rebuild. The early signs have been extremely promising, however, with the Blue Devils shutting out Temple in Week 1 before beating Northwestern. Duke hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2018, but it has a chance to pick up that elusive sixth win.
5 biggest disappointments so far
— Nebraska: It’s not shocking to see Frost get fired considering his 5-22 record in one-score games, but it was a bit surprising to see Nebraska make the move before his $15 million buyout was cut in half Oct. 1. The Huskers no longer have the same recruiting and player development advantages they enjoyed during their heyday in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but it’s still a premier program that can become a consistent winner.
— Notre Dame: Marcus Freeman is the first Notre Dame coach to start his tenure 0-3, but that record deserves some context. The first game was a Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State after Brian Kelly left for LSU, and this year’s opener came against then-No. 2 Ohio State. The loss to Marshall, however, exposed an ineffective offense and lack of playmakers that won’t be easily fixed this season.
— Texas A&M: The Aggies recruit better than almost any program in the country under coach Jimbo Fisher, but they still come up short every year. Losing to Alabama, LSU and other SEC powers is one thing, but falling at home to Appalachian State is another when Fisher is making $9 million annually.
— Iowa: If you want to call out nepotism in coaching, look no further than what’s happening at Iowa. Led by offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the son of coach Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes have scored 17 points and gained 316 total yards in two games. They’re on pace to finish with less than 2,000 total yards, depths not seen since the start of the millennium. Iowa has always had a conservative offense under Ferentz, but it’s never been this bad.
— Central Florida: It’s just one game, but last Friday’s home loss to Louisville was a missed opportunity for coach Gus Malzahn. With a favorable schedule, the Knights had a chance to go undefeated and guarantee themselves a New Year’s Six bowl bid. They’re still talented enough to win out, but scoring just 14 points against a mediocre Louisville team isn’t encouraging.
5 coaches Nebraska should actually hire
— Chris Klieman, Kansas State coach: He led an FCS dynasty in North Dakota State and is on his way to making Kansas State a real pain in the neck to deal with in the Big 12.
— Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina coach: He’s helped build a fun-to-watch Group of Five power and has an engaging personality. Nebraska could use the shot in the arm he could provide.
— Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin defensive coordinator: If the Huskers want a more consistent, tough defense, the former Badgers star and NFL safety is the guy to call.
— Josh Gattis, Miami offensive coordinator: Gattis is an ace recruiter and has spent time working under Nick Saban, James Franklin and Jim Harbaugh. He’s a talented play-caller and should know how to build a program.
— Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma offensive coordinator: Lebby helped build high-flying offenses at UCF and Mississippi, and is doing the same at Oklahoma. Doesn’t that sound fun, Nebraska fans?
