College football is back. While not all teams are back, a lot of teams are preparing for week 3. Here are five things to watch for in college football week 3.
1. Houston vs. Baylor
Houston had their game against Memphis cancelled for COVID reasons this week. They were able to react quickly and add Baylor to the schedule. The Cougars haven’t played a game yet this season and are projected to finish in the middle of the AAC. They went 4-8 last season, so they will be looking to improve.
Baylor went 11-3 last season and made it to the Big 12 Championship. They have a new coach in Dave Aranda, who will want to get his tenure with the Bears off on the right foot. Charlie Brewer is back to play quarterback and will have to take a step forward for Baylor to compete this year. How prepared will either team be for this week’s game with such short notice of it happening?
2. Is Tylan Wallace Recovered?
Last season, Oklahoma State took a huge blow when wide receiver Tylan Wallace tore his ACL. He played in nine games and could’ve declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, but decided to return to school for his senior season. Now he is a part of a talented 2021 wide receiver class and an Oklahoma State team that will be looking to win the Big 12 and make it to the College Football Playoff.
After posting 146 catches for 2,512 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career, Wallace has been prepping for the season-opener against Tulsa. Tulsa shouldn’t provide a huge challenge for Oklahoma State, but Wallace needs to prove he is back and healthy. He is currently listed as probable for the game.
3. Can Ian Book Rebound?
Ian Book seems like he has been at Notre Dame forever. The senior has helped the Fighting Irish make the College Football Playoff and won them a lot of football games. He looked really sloppy against Duke in the team’s opening game. Book finished the game going 19/31 for 263 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Notre Dame has ACC title and College Football Playoff hopes this season, but they are going to need Book to play better. He missed some open receivers and threw the interception. Book has a great offensive line in front of him, but has several new receivers to break in. The bottom line is that Book has to be sharp this season for Notre Dame to reach some of their goals. He’ll have a chance to get things back on track this weekend as the Fighting Irish take on South Florida.
4. Can UCF Knock off a Power 5 Team?
A few seasons ago, the Golden Knights were vying for a CFP spot and just simply didn’t have a good enough schedule to get the invite. Beating Power 5 teams is a must for a team that is from the Group of 5 conferences and trying to compete. UCF may not have the same team they had a few years ago, but they are still one of the top teams in the AAC while being led by a good quarterback in Dillon Gabriel.
This weekend UCF will take on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets weren’t projected to be a great team this season, but they are coming off of an upset win over Florida State. Georgia Tech was led by quarterback Jeff Sims who showed the ability to run and throw with over 300 total yards of offense and a touchdown. If UCF wants to make a statement and win the game, they’ll have to slow down Sims.
5. Can Louisville Contain D’Eriq King?
One of the biggest games of the weekend features Miami and Louisville. Both teams are 1-0 and will be looking to improve this season to compete for a spot in the ACC Championship Game. Miami will be led by record-setting dual-threat quarterback D’Eriq King. He will be the key to the Hurricanes chances against Louisville and for their hopes of doing something special this season.
Louisville will be looking to contain King in order to win the game. The Cardinals did a solid job of slowing down former Maryland quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome when they played Western Kentucky, as he finished with just over 200 total yards and one touchdown. King will be a much tougher test, so Louisville will need to be at their best this weekend.
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