Ohio State’s loss at Texas already put a dent in the Buckeyes’ playoff path, but Week 3 across the country could shake up the race even more. The Buckeyes can still steady themselves by winning out, just like they did in 2014, and that would put them in line for a top seed in the College Football Playoff.
But another loss or two would make the road to December and January a lot messier. Ohio State can’t fix that this weekend, though several other games can change the picture in a hurry.
The most important Big 12 matchup may be (22) Houston at (13) Texas Tech. For Houston, this is a chance to show it belongs in the league’s upper tier.
A win in Lubbock would make the Cougars look like a serious threat and leave them in position to be a lock for the Big 12 championship game. They’d be favored the rest of the way.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, has already looked shaky against Abilene Christian and Oregon State. If the Red Raiders resemble last year’s team more than the one that opened this season, they could roll through the regular season again.
Ohio State, ranked No. 6, gets a much softer landing with Kent State coming to town. The Buckeyes should have little trouble and will use the game to work through some frustration after the Texas loss. It also gives them a chance to get younger players on the field before Big Ten play begins next week.
Another SEC game with playoff ripple effects is Kentucky at (9) Texas A&M. Kentucky’s second-half collapse against Alabama at home took some of the shine off its start, but this is still a meaningful test.
It’s the SEC opener for Texas A&M, and the Aggies need to stay sharp. Kentucky showed against Alabama that it can catch a team off guard if that team isn’t ready, and Texas A&M has LSU waiting next week.
That makes this feel like a trap game the Aggies can’t afford to sleepwalk through.
(10) Alabama gets Florida State in a rematch of last season’s opener, when the Seminoles stunned the Crimson Tide in Tallahassee. Alabama should be fired up for this one after what happened a year ago.
Florida State, meanwhile, has already fired its athletic director and appears headed toward a coaching change at season’s end. Alabama looked plenty talented last week in Lexington, and if the Crimson Tide have any trouble here, questions will follow quickly about where these teams stand right now.
The ACC spotlight falls on (16) SMU against (23) Louisville in what could be the biggest conference game of the season. Miami seems headed for an unbeaten run through ACC play, which makes the race for the other championship-game spot even more important.
SMU and Louisville are the next highest-ranked teams in the league, but the Mustangs may need this one more. They still have Virginia and Cal ahead, two more ACC hopefuls, and a late-November trip to Notre Dame that matters for a possible at-large bid.
Louisville has a little more breathing room, with only the final regular-season game at Kentucky looking like a likely stumbling block, and that one does not affect the ACC race. A win would put the Cardinals in strong position to reach Charlotte and keep the playoff door open.
If Miami is indeed a lock, then the battle for the other spot should be fierce, since the conference champion gets a playoff berth.
Then comes one of the season’s biggest games: (7) LSU at (8) Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin’s first trip back to Oxford since leaving for LSU just 10 months ago adds a layer of heat that already makes this one one of the most anticipated matchups in college football.
The emotions are still fresh, and Ole Miss fans have not forgotten that Kiffin left right before the Rebels’ College Football Playoff run last year. That only intensified after Ole Miss beat Georgia in the CFP and came close to reaching the National Championship Game by nearly beating Miami.
Beyond the emotion, the stakes are huge for both teams. LSU still has four top-15 opponents left after this, while Ole Miss has games remaining against the top two teams in the country.
The loser will likely need to stack up major wins to get into the top 12. It matters especially for LSU, which has Texas A&M next week and could be staring at a brutal November if it drops the next two.
Ole Miss, on the other hand, would be in good shape if it wins Saturday night, since it would be favored in seven of its final nine games and would be on track for another CFP trip if it runs the table.
New Mexico also has a chance to make noise when it faces (24) Oklahoma. The Lobos emerged as one of the Mountain West’s better teams last season, and with realignment thinning out the conference, they enter this year as favorites to win it and as playoff contenders.
If Oklahoma had beaten Michigan last week, this game would carry even more weight. Still, a competitive showing would help New Mexico’s resume, especially if Oklahoma starts to look more like the team many expected once SEC play arrives.
That would give the Lobos an edge over other playoff hopefuls.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshmen Frustration Just Put A New Problem In Public
Ohio States loss to Texas did more than dent the Buckeyes early-season momentum. It also spilled a little of the programs internal frustration into public view, as three freshmen used social media to air dissatisfaction with their roles and limited opportunities, a jarring development for a team that is still trying to settle itself after an important defeat.
Jerquaden Guilford, Brock Boyd and Bey were among the players whose posts drew attention, with language that pointed to a desire for more involvement. For a staff already sorting through a disappointing result, it adds a fresh layer of concern about buy-in and roster harmony, even if there has been no official response yet. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Just Added New Controversy To Texas' Win Over Ohio State
Texas win over No. 1 Ohio State already had enough postgame baggage after Steve Sarkisian abruptly cut off ESPN reporter Holly Rowe during a brief on-field exchange. The moment itself was awkward enough, but it quickly became a bigger talking point once a fake AI-generated video of Sarkisian slapping Rowe started making the rounds online, giving the upset a strange and unnecessary afterlife beyond the scoreboard.
Arch Manning then poured fuel on the reaction when he weighed in on the clip during a Monday exchange, describing it as hilarious. The comment drew immediate criticism on social media, with some users calling for apologies and public statements from both Manning and Sarkisian, turning a celebratory Texas moment into another reminder of how fast a viral postgame clip can shift the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Needs More Than A Win Against Kent State
Ohio State gets a chance to reset at home this week against Kent State, with the Buckeyes coming off the Week 2 loss to Texas and looking for a cleaner showing on both sides of the ball. The matchup will be carried on FOX and streaming platforms, and on paper it gives Ohio State a comfortable spot to get back on track while working through some of the issues that showed up last time out.
The bigger value here may be less about the result and more about what the Buckeyes can take from it, especially on offense. A lopsided win would be welcome, but Ohio State needs a performance that helps settle the unit, builds confidence after the setback and gives the coaches a better feel for where this team is headed as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]