Week 3 doesn’t waste any time getting loud. Miami opens the weekend under the lights at Wake Forest in a ranked ACC matchup on Friday night, and ESPN has the call with Mike Monaco and Jordan Rodgers. The Hurricanes bring the momentum into primetime, while Wake Forest gets the chance to make an early conference statement at home.
Friday’s slate doesn’t stop there. Houston-Texas Tech and Portland State-Oregon also land on the board, with BTN handling the late-night window as Oregon keeps climbing inside the top 25.
Saturday starts fast and stays crowded. A dozen early kickoffs hit across the major networks, with Georgia at Arkansas on ABC, Ohio State hosting Kent State on FOX, and Clemson welcoming North Carolina on ESPN and Disney+. Coastal Carolina-Delaware leads off the day on CBSSN, while Oregon, Penn State, Minnesota, Georgia Tech and Wisconsin all take center stage in regional windows.
There’s plenty of variety packed into the morning, too. Arizona State and Kansas meet in London, Mercer goes to Georgia Tech on ACCN, and North Texas travels to Texas State on USA. By noon, just about every conference has a spot in the rotation.
The 3:30 window is even heavier. Florida State heads to Alabama on ABC, USC faces Rutgers on CBS, and Utah hosts Utah State on FOX. Kentucky-Texas A&M, SMU-Louisville, Michigan-UTEP and Washington State-Duquesne deepen the afternoon card.
Stanford-Duke is on CW, while Northern Iowa-Iowa and Louisiana Tech-Baylor add more layers to the schedule. Indiana hosts Western Kentucky on Peacock/NBCSN, and Liberty tries to keep rolling against Ball State.
The evening slate is packed from top to bottom. Florida-Auburn leads the early primetime action on ESPN, and LSU-Ole Miss gives ABC a top-10 matchup. Notre Dame hosts Michigan State on NBC, BYU visits Colorado State on CBS, and Colorado takes on Northwestern on FOX.
ESPN+ also has a huge cluster of regional games beginning at 7 p.m., with UCF, Oklahoma State, Memphis, Rice and South Florida hosting Delaware State among the teams in that group.
Late night keeps the pace going with James Madison-San Diego State, Boise State-South Dakota, and a run of West Coast kickoffs that includes NDSU-Sacramento State, Northern Illinois-Arizona, Fresno State-San José State, Purdue-UCLA and Montana-Oregon State.
From Miami’s Friday-night opener to the West Coast finish, Week 3 is built for fans who want the full board. The top-25 games are there, the regional matchups are there, and every window has something worth watching.
In Other News...
Ex-Miami Receivers Arrest Puts The Program In A Brutal Spotlight
A former Miami wide receiver is back in the news for all the wrong reasons, and the case has already thrown a harsh spotlight on a program that has spent years trying to move forward from off-field distractions. Mark Pope was arrested in Miami-Dade County on felony charges that include armed robbery with a firearm and aggravated battery, a startling development for a player once part of the Hurricanes receiver room.
Police say the incident began during a dispute at a local park, where Pope allegedly pistol-whipped a woman and took her cellphone by force. He was booked into a correctional facility and held without bond, and a court order would require a GPS ankle monitor if he is ever released, leaving the legal process to unfold while Miami is left watching another former player face a serious and troubling situation. [Read more 🡒]
Former Miami Playmaker Is At Center Of A Disturbing Arrest Case
A former Miami Hurricanes playmaker is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Mark Pope was arrested in Miami-Dade County on felony charges that include armed robbery with a firearm and aggravated battery, turning what began as a dispute with an acquaintance into a serious legal case that has quickly drawn attention around the programs fan base.
Police allege Pope pulled a handgun, pistol-whipped the woman and took her cell phone before being booked into a correctional facility. He is being held without bond, and if he is released, a court order requires him to wear a GPS ankle monitor, leaving the next steps in the case to play out in court. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Offense Looks Ready But One Wake Forest Test Still Matters
No. 5 Miami heads to Wake Forest on Friday night with some early momentum and a chance to keep its unbeaten start intact in ACC play. The Hurricanes have handled Stanford and Florida A&M to open 2-0, and the matchup brings an interesting early-season contrast because Wake Forest is also unbeaten after wins over Akron and Purdue.
The offense has looked capable enough to travel, but this is still the sort of road test that can reveal more than a couple of lopsided September results. Predictions around the game lean toward Miami, with attention on key player performances and how the Hurricanes handle a defense that should be more demanding than the first two opponents. [Read more 🡒]