Cory:  The race for the Big 12 crown will be partly decided this week when Texas Tech visits Utah. Texas Tech looks to be back to their old, pass-happy ways as quarterback Behren Morton is averaging 307 passing yards a game with 11 touchdowns and just one interception. Utah features a pretty good quarterback of their own in Devon Dampier. Dampier hasn’t piled up the stats like Morton has, but he’s been very efficient. Neither team has played a difficult schedule thus far so it’s hard to tell just how good either team is. Utah is always tough to play at a home so I will give them the edge this week.   Utah 31, Texas Tech 28

Dave:  Utah 21  Texas Tech 20 

Gregg:  With all the conference re-alignment that has taken place over the past few years, it still takes me a while to adjust to thinking of this as a Big 12 game, but we will see this more and more in years to come.  But to date, the Red Raiders have only played one game in the state of Utah, losing to BYI in 2023.  The Utes had some solid seasons since 2019 but fell way off last year going 5-7 after Cam Rising went down to injury.  For the second straight year, they are again picked to win the Big 12 and so far, have lived up to expectations.  But Texas Tech has had a surprising start and have actually moved into the top 25. The question will be if they can keep pace with one the top scoring teams in the country.  I do think it will be a great game to watch but in the end, the Utes rule.   Utah 42  Texas Tech 34    

Jason:  17^th ranked Texas Tech heads to Salt Lake City to face 16^th ranked Utah in a huge early Big 12 matchup.  The Red Raiders bring a strong defensive front that will test the Ute O line. Utah’s offense is ground and pound led by RB Deion Dampier where the Utes will control the clock with long sustained drives, converting on third down, where they have converted 73% thus far on the young season and try to keep the ball away from the quick strike Tech offense led by QB Behren Morton. While the Raiders have quick strike potential, they have struggled to sustain drives and convert in third down situations. If Utah can control the ball with their big, talented OL and overcome what will be some explosive plays from the Red Raiders, Utah will come away with a big home win. The game is likely to go back and forth for much of the contest and in the end, a late Tech turnover will ultimately cost them as the Utes get the dub in front of the home faithful.   Utah 31  Texas Tech 28

Joe-S-U:  Utah

John:  Utah 

Josh: Texas Tech has quietly built momentum behind QB Behren Morton, who shredded Oregon State for 464 yards last week. The Red Raiders are efficient through the air, and their defense has created turnovers at key moments. Utah, however, is 3–0 and thrives at home with Devon Dampier’s dual-threat ability. The Utes are physical in the trenches and stingy defensively, especially in the red zone. This one has the makings of a classic clash in styles: Texas Tech will want to spread Utah out and turn this into a track meet, while Utah will try to grind the game down with tempo and defense. Playing in Salt Lake City gives Utah an edge, but Texas Tech’s passing attack may be too explosive to bottle up completely. Texas Tech 31, Utah 27

Steven:  Texas Tech is in the top 25 in scoring, while Utah is inside the top 10.  The teams sit within 2 spots within the top 15 defensively.  Tech is throwing it around a bit but have yet to face a defense in the top 100. Utah QB Devin Dampier has 300 fewer passing yards than his TTU counterpart but has yet to throw an interception. I like the Utes to tighten the defense and win a close one at home.   Utes 34-28.

Trout:  I see this game being very close. I think both teams are good. Maybe not deep playoff run good, but I can see either one of these teams being the rep from the Big 12 in the CFP. I will give the edge to Utah, but I do believe the Red Raiders make it a game. I think both teams will match each other blow for blow, right until the end of the game. The Utes just have the fortune of being the last ones to score. Utah wins a close one and remains unbeaten.  (Utah, 33-31)

Final Score:  Texas Tech 34   Utah 10 

Cory:  Jackson Arnold was a big-time recruit at quarterback, spent one season at Oklahoma as the starter where he was not that great, then transferred to Auburn. Well, it didn’t take long for him to return to Norman with Auburn visiting Oklahoma this week. Arnold has had a good start to the season, but if you’ve watched him you would know that he’s been much better at running the ball than throwing it. I was very impressed with how Oklahoma’s defense played against Michigan two weeks ago, and this week they have the advantage of having seen Arnold in practice last season. I’m not confident in Arnold being able to win a game with his arm.   Oklahoma 28, Auburn 21

Dave:  Oklahoma 32  Auburn 24

Gregg:  With all the conference re-alignment that has taken place over the past few years, it still takes me a while to adjust to thinking of this as an SEC game, but we will see this more and more in years to come. Oklahoma is playing very well this season and have one of the best looking QBs of the 2025 season.  They already have a signature win over Michigan and now they face one of the (many) SEC darlings.  Auburn has not had ‘it’ since they bought a quarterback 14 years ago.  Now that everyone pays players, they have been a .500 program.  Oklahoma is going to win this one, maybe even win big.  Auburn will drop out of the top 25 with the loss, but don’t worry SEC faithful, two more SEC teams will replace them.  Oklahoma 31  Auburn 17 

Jason:  The SEC opener for both Auburn and Oklahoma as the 22^nd ranked Tigers invade Norman to challenge the 11^th ranked Sooners. Auburn is 3-0, led by transfer QB Jackson Arnold, a former Sooner. For Oklahoma, new OU starter John Mateer has been exceptional and put his name firmly in the Heisman race in the early going. For Auburn, the offense has been leaning on a solid run game, averaging 6 ypc and Arnold who hasn’t thrown for big yards but has hit on 78% of his passes and has yet to throw a pick, adding nearly 150 on the ground. For Oklahoma, Mateer has been sensational, throwing for nearly 675 yards in his first two games. His completion % could be higher, sitting at 72%, the explosiveness in the pass game has been on display and the Tigers had Baylor hit on several big plays so they have shown some vulnerability on the back side of the D. The Sooner run game has been almost non-existent so it will have to be better against a strong Auburn front 7. This game will go back and forth and Mateer, who has the ability to hurt teams with his legs, will do so again, hitting on a couple big plays on the run leading the home Sooners to a big SEC win.   Oklahoma 34  Auburn 27

Joe-S-U:  Oklahoma

John:  Oklahoma 

Josh: Auburn’s rushing attack behind Jeremiah Cobb has provided balance early in the season, and they’re riding high at 3–0. Oklahoma, meanwhile, is coming off an emphatic 42–3 win over Temple where QB John Mateer looked comfortable. The Sooners’ defensive front has been a difference-maker, holding opponents under 20 points in every game so far. Auburn has the tools to keep it close if Cobb and the ground game can dictate tempo. But Oklahoma at home, with a deeper roster and more proven weapons, feels like too much. The Sooners’ defense will force Auburn into third-and-longs, and Mateer’s efficiency will do the rest. Oklahoma 34, Auburn 20

Steven:  “Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.” Well, in college football, it’s not every year, it’s every week. With the Arch Manning hype train flaming out, the pundits have scurried around like rats trying to find a new, slightly less spoiled, piece of cheese. This week’s contestant is Oklahoma QB John Mateer. A ton of yards, 7 TDs and 5 interceptions doesn’t exactly scream QB 1 to me, but if you look at the tape, he is dynamic outside of the pocket and has scored at least 1 rushing TD in each of Oklahoma’s first 3 games. My hyperbole addled brain really makes me think of Brett Favre. At this point, though, Mateer is living a bit off style points. I do think there’s a lot to be said for Mateer’s leadership qualities, though. I didn’t have a lot of faith in Auburn coming out of the gates, but they beat a decent Baylor team before feasting on a couple of lesser opponents. Unlike Oklahoma, Auburn has a much more balanced offense. They will need to use it to control the clock because their pass defense is not good. Conversely, The Sooners can hang their oversized hats on their defense which is currently second in the country against the pass and 4th overall. Of course, those are stats built upon 2 cupcakes (sorry Temple and Illinois State) and a Michigan squad that have yet to get Bryce Underwood going. Good opposition or not, defense wins the day. Sooners will do enough to keep Mateer in the Heisman conversation.   Oklahoma 24-10.

Trout:  The Sooners should win this game. I don’t think Auburn is that good of a team. Granted, Oklahoma is still trying to prove themselves as well, but they seem to have a really good quarterback and are playing exponentially better than they did last season. I see the game being close for a little while, but as it goes on, Oklahoma will pull away and win by a couple scores. The Sooners get the victory and tally their first conference win of the season.   (Oklahoma, 35-24)

Final Score:  Oklahoma 24   Auburn 17 

Cory:  Indiana opened this week as slight home favorite, but I would not be surprised to see the line move in Illinois’ favor as we get closer to Saturday. Indiana is coming off a dominant win over FCS Indiana State, and the Hoosiers have continued to get better every week. That said, Illinois went to Duke two weeks ago and stomped the Blue Devils. Luke Altmeyer is completing over 70 percent of his passes and doesn’t have a turnover yet. While I do like Illinois to win in a close one, I am wary of their run game. Bret Bielema’s teams usually are very strong at running the football and so far that’s not been a strength for Illinois.    Illinois 28, Indiana 27

Dave:  Illinois 21  Indiana 14

Gregg:  Neither one of these teams have played into the picture of the Big Ten title for a while, so it was a surprise to see the Hoosiers in the mix last year.  I don’t know if they are for real or not, but keep in mind, in the last two seasons their only losses have been against the two teams that played for the National Championship last year, Notre Dame and Ohio State. And both of those games were on the road.  And I am still not convinced that Bret has the Illini playing at that level.  Indiana has won four of the last five meetings and I think they get another this week.   Indiana 24  Illinois 21

Jason:  Playoff implications in Bloomington as the 19^th ranked Hoosiers host the 9^th ranked Illini. The winner won’t be guaranteed a College Football Playoff spot, but a loss will make the margin razor thin the rest of the way. Illinois has lived up to their preseason hype so far and a win here, leaves only Ohio State as the remaining opponent on the schedule they will be an underdog. Indiana’s schedule is a lot tougher, but they will certainly be in a much better spot with a win. Illini QB Luke Altmyer has been ultra efficient and with the defense playing at a high level, the offense hasn’t had to do much except manage the game and avoid turnovers, which they have yet to do on the young season. If the Illini has a weakness offensive it’s been in pass pro where the Hoosier D leads the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 11 per game. Cal transfer QB Fernando Mendoza has been elite early, throwing for over 700 yards and 9 TD’s with no picks, although the opponents have been the likes of Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State. It will be a great atmosphere, but the Illini just have more talent and although Indiana will hang in there for 3 quarters or so, eventually that talent will win out and Illinois leaves with a big win.   Illinois 34 Indiana 24 

Joe-S-U:  Illinois

John:  Illinois 

Josh: This is suddenly one of the biggest games in the Big Ten after both programs started 3–0. Illinois’ defense has looked dominant, pitching a shutout against Western Michigan. QB Darian Mensah continues to develop, and WR Hank Beatty is emerging as a reliable target. Indiana, meanwhile, is riding high after a 73–0 demolition of Indiana State and has shown balance on both sides of the ball with QB Fernando Mendoza distributing effectively. Two teams on the rise, but Illinois’ defensive line is the best unit on the field. Indiana’s offense will struggle to stay in rhythm against that front, while Mensah does enough to put Illinois on the board. Expect a physical, low-scoring Big Ten slugfest. Illinois 24, Indiana 17

Steven:  Bert against Cignetti. HMMM, who’s your favorite best B1G villain? At this point, Bert has almost become a folk hero by coming back to the Big Ten and resurrecting a once proud program, so his villain status may be waning. Cignetti, on the other hand, is still a bit of a newbie to the conference and has ingratiated himself to the league with the style and grace of an incontinent chihuahua. That being said, his teams are tough and deserve much more respect than they have gotten. Reviewing the matchup from a stats perspective is insane. QBs Luke Altmyer and Fernando Mendoza are off by 1 yard and 1 touchdown from each other (708 & 9 to 709 & 8). The teams leading rushers are within 5 yards of each other (222 vs. 217), and the leading receivers are off statistically by 1 yard (298 to 299). That’s nuts. So, the offenses are a wash. How do the defenses look? Indiana is 9th, and Illinois is 29th, but that span only covers about a 23 yard per game deficit for the Illini. As for scoring defense, Illinois is 5th and Indiana 6th. I’m stumped. The sharps have Indiana about a touchdown favorite. The game is in Bloomington, so realistically, I’d take that and halve it. Looking at strength of schedule, I like the Illini. They have already played and beaten Duke on the road, while the Hoosiers have yet to play a road game. Gonna go against the grain and go with one of my dad’s alma maters.   Illinois 31-30. 

Trout:  I think the game will be close, but I have the Illini winning. I think the Hoosier can still be a good team, but I don’t see them reaching the highs they did last year. While Illinois seems to have all the factors to make them a potential playoff team. I think this game goes back and forth for a while. Each team taking the lead at different points in the game. However, Illinois gets the go ahead score late and Indiana is unable to answer in time. Illinois wins and keeps their Big Ten championship and playoff hopes alive.   (Illinois, 27-24)

Final Score:  Indiana 63   Illinois 10 

Cory:  While there are some great matchups this week, the one that I think carries the most intrigue is Michigan at Nebraska. We saw Michigan go to Norman two weeks ago and struggle offensively as true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood had a day to forget. He completed just nine of 24 passes in that one, and was notably rattled in the second half. He’s got another tough road trip this week against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have not played anybody of note yet with their best win coming against Cincinnati in the opener. Dylan Raiola looks like he’s taken the next step as he’s completing 76.7 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns. The big question in this game is: Will the Michigan offense show up? Underwood was terrific against Central Michigan last week, but they actually let him run the ball. That added dynamic could help put them over the edge in a tight one this week.   Michigan 24, Nebraska 21

Dave:  Michigan 28  Nebraska 14

Gregg:  These are the teams that inspired the invention of the BCS with their co-championship in 1997.  Michigan has returned to the winners circle since then but the Huskers have not really done much since they joined the Big 10.  This will not be a popular pick but I am going with the Wolverines.  I anticipate that Underwood will finally start to live up to some of his hype.  But like with the second week of the season, it will be worth missing this pick to see UM go down.   Michigan 28  Nebraska 21

Jason:  This 3-0 Nebraska start hasn’t necessarily been super impressive, barely getting by Cincinnati, and beating Akron and Houston Christian. The offense can be explosive behind QB Dylan Railoa and while the run game has been ok, Railoa is the engine that makes the Husker offense go. The Wolverines are led by true freshman QB Bryce Underwood, who has looked fabulous in wins over New Mexico and Central Michigan, but sandwiched between, he was humbled by, while a very good Oklahoma team, he was exposed a bit by a team with a pulse. The Michigan coaching staff hasn’t exactly allowed him the opportunity to fling the ball around and part of that is the lack of superior talent at wideout. With Sherrone Moore back at home serving the second game of his suspension, the Michigan coaches likely won’t look to take many chances again in this one. Raiola will hit on a few big plays and while Michigan will keep it close, the Huskers will get a couple big plays late and come away with a huge home win.   Nebraska 30 Michigan 21 

Joe-S-U:  Nebraska

John:  Nebraska 

Josh: Michigan bounced back after a Week 2 loss to Oklahoma, rolling Central Michigan 63–3. True freshman QB Bryce Underwood has flashed poise and playmaking ability. Nebraska is rebuilding but has shown some promise with Dylan Raiola under center, though their defense was lit up by Akron earlier this year. This feels like another “get right” spot for Michigan. Nebraska is still too young and inconsistent to hang with the Wolverines for four quarters. Underwood should continue his progression, and Michigan’s run game will wear down the Huskers’ defense in the second half.   Michigan 38, Nebraska 14

Steven:  Dylan Raiola or Bryce Underwood? Pick your poison. Truthfully, Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola has looked good this year. He has yet to throw a pick and he’s facing a Michigan squad that is in a bit of a transition phase. Coach Moore is sitting this one out (club fed, anyone?) as part of the sweetheart deal Michigan made with the NCAA to keep the program from paying any meaningful penalty for the Connor Stallions sign-stealing scandal. If there is a God, Nebraska will score about 60. It probably won’t be such an offensive juggernaut, but the Wolverine offense better help out the defense or else this could be a bit of a beat down. Underwood is about a season away from being a reliable QB in the league, so just like most freshmen, he’ll just have to take his lumps and try to get better. Nebraska’s top 10 defense shucks Underwood and the cheatin’ Wolverines.   Huskers 41-21.

Trout:  The Wolverines will win this game, but it will be close. I think the Cornhuskers are improved, but they aren’t there yet. They had a lot of games in the past few years that they would hang in, but then fall flat at the end. I can see a few more of those games happening this year. On the other side, Michigan is better than I thought. Their quarterback is very talented and he has a bright future ahead of him, if he can stop himself from fighting with teammates. But he’s still raw. He’ done will against the small schools, but he was terrible against real competition in Oklahoma. That’s why I think it’ll be close. Michigan is more talented, but not head and shoulders above the Cornhuskers. So they will eek out the victory, but Nebraska will keep up for a while. I see the game being very sloppy and relatively low scoring game. Michigan survives and remains unbeaten.   (Michigan, 23-17)

Final Score:  Michigan 30   Nebraska 27 

Cory:  Is Michigan State back? The Spartans are 3-0 under second-year quarterback Jonathan Smith, the same guy that turned around a winless Oregon State program. Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles completed just 59 percent of his passes last season, but he’s over 71 percent this season. Chiles will need to be at his best when the Spartans visit USC this week. Not many have noticed but the Trojans are also 3-0, and ranked, and have taken care of business so far in their games. If this game was anywhere else I would probably pick Michigan State, but going across the country is a difficult trip for any team.  USC 35, Michigan State 28

Dave:  USC 32  Michigan State 14 

Gregg:  With all the conference re-alignment that has taken place over the past few years, it still takes me a while to adjust to thinking of this as a Big 10 game, but we will see this more and more in years to come.  Normally this is limited to a rare siting in the Rose Bowl.  I think the Trojans are a bit under the radar this year.  I still think they are a middle of the pack team for the conference, but they have enough to beat the Spartans.  USC  27  Michigan State 24   

Jason:  Michigan State and USC are both 3-0, yet few are talking about them. Part of it is schedule, as the Trojans have wins over Missouri State, Georgia Southern, and Purdue, and could be 4-0 after this, after starting last year 4-5. Michigan State didn’t get one vote in either of the polls, but it has a chance to be 4-0 for just the third time since 2010. The Spartans have had moments of explosion, and while they walked over Youngstown State a week ago, they found a way to knock off a solid Boston College team in double OT the week prior. QB Aidan Chiles threw four touchdown passes against Boston College and ran for a score and has shown not only a solid arm, but the ability to hurt defenses with his legs as well. On the other side, USC QB Jayden Maiava has yet to turn it over and has been explosive. With a Spartan defense that has been vulnerable to the pass, that could pose problems. Defensively, the Trojans make up for some deficiencies in the back by their ability to bring pressure, ranking second in the nation in both sacks and tackles for loss. With the Spartans potentially missing a few key players including their starting RB, it has the recipe of being a long day for the faithful in Green and White that make the trip to the west coast. USC gets going by half, and pulls away in the third to coast to a win.  USC 41 Michigan State 21

Joe-S-U:  USC

John:  USC 

Josh: Michigan State is 3-0 after surviving Youngstown State, but defensive lapses remain a concern. USC is undefeated and just handled Purdue 33–17 with QB Ryan Browne tossing over 300 yards. The Trojans’ offense remains their calling card, with Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane stretching defenses. USC’s offense will test Michigan State’s secondary early and often. Unless the Spartans can generate a consistent pass rush, Browne will have a big night. Michigan State’s offense should find some success on the ground, but they’ll be chasing the game late.   USC 35, Michigan State 21

Steven:  BC took Sparty to 2 overtimes 2 weeks ago. The Spartan defense is middle of the pack. They are travelling out to USC, which is never the easiest of trips for Midwest teams. Lastly, USC’s offense is much better than Michigan State’s, and while the Trojan defense isn’t too far above the Spartans, it is stout enough they should be able to keep QB Aiden Chiles contained. The men of Troy stay unbeaten.   USC 27-21.

Trout:  I think the Trojans win by a few scores. Sparty is still undefeated, but their victories have left much to be desired. Sparty may eventually get back to what they were under Dantonio, but I don’t think they are there yet in the Johnathan Smith era. I don’t know how good USC is either. But they seem to have a bit more firepower offensively. I don’t see it being a complete blowout. USC only beat a bad Purdue team by 16 last week. But  what I could see is the Trojans getting up a few scores and coasting to the end of the game. Sparty may make things tighter in the fourth, but USC won’t be in any real danger of losing.   (USC, 35-17)

Final Score:  USC 45   Michigan State 31