Windows are open. A chill is in the air. Is that a tree starting to change colors? All of this means that it’s the perfect time for a historic weekend of college football. On this week’s glorious Saturday, there will be seven different kickoffs across America between AP-ranked teams. There have only been four regular-season Saturdays EVER in CFB history with this many ranked versus ranked matchups. 

However, I must first share my thoughts on the AP rankings.

When the AP rankings come out each week, I always have some thoughts. Here were my main takeaways from this week: 

1. Why is Alabama still ranked? Seriously? If any other team lost by ten and then barely scraped by a G5 team that’s 3-21 over their past two seasons, they would not be ranked. End of story. But this is Alabama, so they come in the polls at a nice 13 this week. ‘Bama’s offensive line couldn’t protect a Barbie, and the quarterback situation is a mess. 
2. When will Washington be rewarded? Washington is doing exactly what they are supposed to do: blowout the cupcakes they are playing. Sure, this sounds easy, but just ask Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, and even Florida State. It’s not always that simple. Washington, however, has left no doubt in any game. The Huskies have outscored their first three opponents 140-36. Michael Penix is a legit Heisman candidate. Reward Washington for actually winning big by ranking them ahead of a handful of teams who haven’t looked nearly as good as the Huskies thus far. 
3. This might be the homer take in me, but why not rank Mizzou? The Tigers took down ranked KansasState and won the other games they were supposed to win. Luther Burden is a rising star in the slot. The defense is not a unit to mess around with. Why not slip the Tigers in the end of the rankings, especially ahead of Florida and Tennessee, who each have a loss? 
4. I genuinely just want to know the reasoning behind ranking Tennessee above Florida. Both teams are 2-1. Florida just beat Tennessee. It’s been three weeks of football: head to-head results MATTER.  

With that off my chest, let’s preview some games.

(6) Ohio State at (9) Notre Dame

Despite being located less than five hours apart, these two storied programs have only met seven previous times (including last year’s meeting in Columbus). The last time Notre Dame beat Ohio State was  t in 1936. The Fighting Irish notoriously struggle when playing AP top-10 teams as one themselves (they are 4-19 since 2022), but this year, they finally have a truly elite  quarterback. Sam Hartman has already thrown for 1,061 yards, 13 touchdowns and has a 71.1% completion percentage . While Hartman has deservedly gotten a lot of the attention in South Bend, running back Audric Estime has flown under the radar. Estime is currently leading the country with 520 rushing yards.

In Columbus, Ryan Day finally named Kyle McCord the official starting quarterback. It will be McCord’s first start in a rowdy road environment (sorry Indiana), and I have to believe it will have an impact on how he plays. He will have Marvin Harrison Jr. to target, who has had back-to-back big weeks after a slow start at IU.

The real battle of this game is not going to be the quarterbacks and pass catchers, but rather in the trenches. Notre Dame has one of the best offensive lines in the country. Ohio State has one of the best defenses. Who will prevail?

It is very possible to go into South Bend and win (looking at Cincinnati  2021), and I am sure there will be red all throughout the crowd. However, I think Notre Dame has looked a step ahead of Ohio State so far this season in large part thanks to the veteran presence under center. Ultimately, I think Notre Dame’s experience gets them the close win.

(16) Oklahoma at Cincinnati

Cincinnati’s win at Pitt is looking much less impressive after Pitt lost to West Virginia and the Bearcats lost to in-state rival Miami (OH) at home. Emory Jones, Corey Kiner and the Bearcats looked good to start the season, but came out very flat  against Miami. Oklahoma, meanwhile, has rolled to three wins, with quarterback Dillion Gabriel not having to play in the second half of any of those wins. Nippert should be rocking for this matchup, but I don’t believe the Bearcats’ introduction to the Big 12 will go so well. The spread is set at 14.5 towards the Sooners, and I believe they will cover.

(4) Florida State at Clemson

Boston College caught FSU looking ahead last week, but the Seminoles were able to escape with a win. The connection between QB Jordan Travis and WR Keon Coleman that was electric against LSU took a turn, as Coleman was only targeted three times and failed to record a reception. If the connection is restored, I see Florida State boat-racing Clemson’s defense.

Clemson has gotten its act together since the Duke loss. It appears it took some time for the offense to adjust to new OC Garret Riley, but Cade Klubnik is taking steps forward, along with RB Will Shipley. I am predicting a very close game in Death Valley, with Florida State barely emerging victorious for the second week in a row.

(19) Colorado at (10) Oregon

Love him or hate him, Deion Sanders has taken the college football world by storm. Colorado needed a 98-yard drive and two-point conversion by Sheduer Sanders to force overtime, but they survived Colorado State and moved to 3-0. Few predicted the Buffs would be at this point so early, and no matter how they fare against the Ducks, Deion has proved there is more than one way to build a program.

Oregon is clearly the superior team, but Colorado has taught us not to count them out. I would take the Ducks to win, but Colorado to cover the spread (+21). This could be a very fun matchup between two highly-rated NFL quarterback prospects in Sanders and Bo Nix.

(14) Oregon State at (21) Washington State

Might as well give the Pac-12 Championship to whoever wins this game, as the rest of the teams will be gone next season. In all seriousness, it’s pretty cool to see these two usual bottom-feeders ranked, especially since the rest of the league left them out to dry. In the previous 97 meetings, never before have they met as ranked opponents.

Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei appears to have made some progress since transferring from Clemson, but did throw two picks last week. He has a powerful offensive line in front of him and has only been sacked once this season. The Beavers currently have the No. 1 defense in the Pac-12in terms of yards allowed. 

Washington State is no team to overlook. QB Cameron Ward  has a cannon arm  and controls games with tempo and style. The Cougars also have a very solid defense.

I think Washington State will win. My reasoning behind this: the Cougars have already been tested against a good Wisconsin team, and I don’t trust Uiagalelei enough to not make the mistakes we saw him make in big games at Clemson.

(15) Ole Miss at (13) Alabama:

Get your popcorn out, the drama is real in this showdown. Nick Saban was once invincible against former coaches, but in the last two years, he has been taken down by Kirby Smart, JimboFischer, and now Steve Sarkisian. We all know Lane Kiffin is dying to be next. Kiffin has spent all week trolling Saban (cue the clever Taylor Swift reference).

Alabama is at its most unstable point since I became a fan of the sport. It’s almost a fact that Ole Miss has the best two quarterbacks in this game. The QB situation has been a mess for the Tide, and even with Jalen Milroe back as the starter for this week, there is not much confidence in him.

Yet, as much as ‘Bama is down, I have a sense that Ole Miss will have to do every single thing right in order to win this game. Saban’s not losing to Kiffin without pulling every single stop imaginable. I think Ole Miss is too confident going into this game, and Alabama wins a close one at home to slightly silence some of the doubt.

(24) Iowa at (7) Penn State

I’m not a fortune teller, but I can pretty much see where this game is headed. Iowa will force this to be a slower, methodical game. It will be close throughout  the first half, and eventually, Drew Allar and the Penn State offense will create  some explosive plays and break away. Iowa’s offense will fall behind on the Brian Ferentz drive to 325.

Mizzou at Memphis

I have a scary suspicion that this has the making of a letdown game for Missouri. The Tigers are coming off of the biggest win in Eliah Drinkwitz’s tenure and have plenty of confidence. Memphis, however, is not a team to be overlooked. Memphis is 3-0 and is  anchored by a defense that did not allow a touchdown until its third game. Quarterback Seth Henigan enters his third season as the starter, and while he’s mainly a game manager, he also has the ability to use his legs effectively.

The big question out of Missouri camp is whether quarterback Brady Cook will be good to play. Cook hyperextended his knee in last week’s game and has not practiced since. Thankfully, an MRI showed no ligament damage. Missouri used a pass-heavy approach  in last week’s win, and for most of the game, it worked exceptionally well. Whether it was throws up the middle or to the outside, they were working. It was so nice to finally see more receivers get involved and the offense opening up.

Considering Cook played with a torn labrum much of last season, I would have to believe he will play in this game unless the injury turns out to be worse than what we know. Memphis’ secondary should give the Missouri offense some issues, but ultimately, I see the Tigers pulling out a close win in St. Louis to stay undefeated.