Best Week 3 College Football Games to Watch This Weekend: Odds & TV Schedule

• LSU at Ole Miss headlines Saturday’s Week 3 college football TV schedule in primetime on ABC
• Tight spreads and conference stakes shaped my list of must-watch NCAAF games this weekend
• Keep reading for kickoff times, TV channels and the latest Week 3 odds for all five games

Conference play takes over my Week 3 viewing list, and all five games kick off Saturday, Sept. 19. Three are SEC matchups and two come out of the ACC, starting with a noon ET kickoff and wrapping up with a 7:30 pm ET showdown in Oxford.

I’ve ranked the best Week 3 college football games to watch based on storylines and close spreads, with LSU at Ole Miss taking the top spot. Here’s the TV schedule, followed by the odds and what makes each matchup worth watching.

Best College Football Week 3 Games to Watch

Odds from BetMGM as of Sept. 15 and subject to change. New users can claim the BetMGM promo code or compare the best college football betting apps before Saturday.

1. LSU at Ole Miss

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:30 pm ET
TV Network: ABC
Odds: LSU -2.5 | Total: 58.5

This is the game I’d clear my schedule for. Lane Kiffin brings LSU to Oxford at 7:30 pm ET on ABC to face Ole Miss, the program he coached for six seasons.

LSU is 2-0 and put up 644 yards of offense in that 51-10 win over Clemson. Ole Miss is unbeaten too after holding off Louisville 41-38, with Trinidad Chambliss throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Deuce Alexander added 159 receiving yards and two scores.

LSU is a 2.5-point road favorite with a 58.5 total. That’s a short number between two unbeaten SEC teams, and it points to a game that could be decided late. Of all the Week 3 games, this is the one I won’t flip away from.

2. SMU at Louisville

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 19, 3:30 pm ET
TV Network: ESPN2
Odds: Louisville -2 | Total: 59.5

Flip to ESPN2 at 3:30 pm ET if you want quarterback play. SMU’s Kevin Jennings threw for 337 yards and five touchdowns against UC Davis, and he did all of it in the first half of a 56-10 win.

Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz countered with 332 passing yards, two touchdown throws and two rushing scores against Villanova. The Cardinals are 1-1 after losing 41-38 to Ole Miss on a field goal as time expired. SMU is 2-0 and already owns a 27-24 ACC road win over Florida State.

The Mustangs have also won both meetings in this series, including a 38-6 rout last season. Louisville is only a 2-point home favorite, and the 59.5 total is the highest of the five. Put together, the numbers point to a close, high-scoring afternoon.

3. Florida at Auburn

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:00 pm ET
TV Network: ESPN
Odds: Florida -2.5 | Total: 53.5

Florida and Auburn are both 2-0 under first-year head coaches, and neither has played an SEC game yet. That changes at 7 pm ET on ESPN. Jon Sumrall’s Gators have scored 118 points through two games, including a 66-21 win over Florida Atlantic.

The best storyline sits on the Auburn sideline. Alex Golesh brought quarterback Byrum Brown with him from USF, and the Bulls upset Florida 18-16 in 2025 with Brown throwing for 263 yards and running for 66 more.

Brown has 485 passing yards, 115 rushing yards and three interceptions through two games at Auburn. Florida is a 2.5-point road favorite with a 53.5 total, so this one looks close on paper. How the Gators handle a quarterback who already beat them is what I’ll be watching.

4. North Carolina at Clemson

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 19, Noon ET
TV Network: ESPN
Odds: Clemson -4 | Total: 44.5

My Saturday viewing starts at noon ET on ESPN, and it’s a gut check for Clemson in its ACC opener. The Tigers are 1-1 after getting run over 51-10 at LSU, then grinding past Georgia Southern 22-7 last week.

That win wasn’t pretty, with Nolan Hauser booting five field goals. The defense did its part by forcing eight three-and-outs. North Carolina brings a tougher test at 2-0 after a 35-3 win over East Tennessee State, as Demon June ran for three touchdowns and Billy Edwards Jr. threw two more.

Clemson is a 4-point home favorite, and the 44.5 total is the lowest of my five. Those numbers point to a tight, low-scoring game. I’m tuning in to see if the Tigers can finish drives against a better opponent.

5. Mississippi State at South Carolina

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 19, 4:15 pm ET
TV Network: SEC Network
Odds: South Carolina -3.5 | Total: 58.5

This is the one I’d hate to see people skip. Mississippi State and South Carolina are both 2-0 heading into SEC play, and the game lands at 4:15 pm ET on SEC Network.

The Bulldogs own the better win so far after going on the road and beating Minnesota 38-13. South Carolina has crushed Kent State and Towson by a combined 102-9. Saturday is its first shot at an SEC opponent.

Keep your eyes on Vicari Swain every time the Bulldogs punt. He took two punts back for touchdowns against Towson and set a school record along the way. South Carolina is a 3.5-point home favorite with a 58.5 total, making a special-teams score especially valuable in a matchup priced this closely.