We haven't yet reached "Separation Saturday" across the Power Four just yet, but Week 3 in college football does provide a couple appetizers within the SEC and ACC pitting nationally ranked teams that will spark the early playoff conversation. Expect a raucous environment at Ole Miss when the eighth-ranked Rebels entertain No. 7 LSU and Lane Kiffin as a home underdog this weekend. A matchup dripping with hype the entire offseason is finally here, and both teams have managed to enter without a blemish after opening the campaign with marquee wins over nonconference threats.
Remember Kiffin's return to Tennessee in 2021 and the rude welcoming he received from Vols fans? He'll need to keep his head on a swivel Saturday given the disdain those at Ole Miss have for their former coach. The other top-25 matchup in Week 3 pits 16th-ranked SMU at No. 23 Louisville with the Cardinals installed as a narrow favorite.
The Mustangs have won both previous meetings since entering the ACC two years ago despite Jeff Brohm's progress at Louisville. This has the makings of a good old-fashioned shootout between two offenses who have encountered little resistance thus far. Week 3 lines are out across the AP Top 25 are out, so let's take a look at what oddsmakers are thinking as we look ahead.
No. 7 LSU (-3.5) at No. 8 Ole Miss: Kiffin's highly anticipated return to Ole Miss has arrived in the form of college football's only top-10 matchup in Week 3. Two rosters armed with a litany of elite transfers go to war in Oxford with the winner pushing closer to the top 5 in the SEC. The Tigers are a narrow road favorite following wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech while the unbeaten Rebels' aim to rectify early issues in the secondary under Pete Golding.
No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville (-2.5): The winner of this one in the ACC determines the co-leader alongside Miami at the top of the league and offers a clear path toward College Football Playoff contention early this season. Both starting quarterbacks — Kevin Jennings and Lincoln Kienholz — have sparked for their respective offenses and this is the only nationally-ranked opponent left on the slate for the Cardinals. Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M (-16.5): Coming off a decisive 24-point fourth quarter in last week's home win over Arizona State, the Aggies look to open the SEC portion of their schedule.
This is only the second meeting between the two programs since Texas A&M joined the league in 2012. Texas A&M scored two defensive touchdowns last time out while Kentucky turned the ball over three consecutive times during a 45-17 loss to Alabama. Takeaways are the key factor to watch in this one.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
