7 Must-Watch College Football Games On The Schedule In Week 3

College football season is in full swing, and fans have plenty of options to choose from in Week 3 when you consider there are a grand total of 63 games on the schedule between Thursday and Saturday night.

It’s obviously impossible to watch every single one of them, but if you’re looking to narrow down your choices to the most intriguing options, you’ve come to the right place.

Week 3 of the 2024 college football season features a number of rivalry games, a couple of matchups between ranked squads, and a few teams who are essentially facing must-win scenarios less than a month into the current campaign.

I can’t promise all of them will live up to the hype, but these ones show plenty of promise on paper.

#20 Arizona vs. #16 Kansas State

There are only two games featuring two ranked teams on the slate in Week 3, and the first one is a Friday night matchup that will feature some Wildcat-on-Wildcat crime.

Both teams started the season in the Top 25 and have stayed there after getting off to a 2-0 start, but their contest in Manhattan marks the first time either team will really be put to the test.

Kansas State heads into the game as the favorite as Arizona deals with some uncertainty thanks to its situation at running back, but it should be a pretty tightly contested primetime showdown.

#6 Missouri vs. #24 Boston College

Our second game between two Top 25 teams wasn’t one most people had circled on their calendar heading into the season, but it’s turned into one of the most interesting ones on the schedule in Week 3.

Boston College looked very impressive in their upset of Florida State, and they’ll have the chance to prove they’re the Real Deal in what is currently shaping up to be their toughest game of the year.

They’ll be facing a big challenge in the form of a Missouri team that boasts a very formidable passing offense, and Eliah Drinkwitz has made it clear he’s hoping to get some revenge after the Eagles beat the Tigers in Chestnut Hill in 2021.

#18 Notre Dame vs. Purdue

Purdue hasn’t beaten Notre Dame since 2007, and the Fighting Irish currently boast an eight-game winning streak against the Boilermakers (although it’s technically six if you subtract two vacated victories from the early 2010s).

Oddsmakers expect that run to continue when you consider Notre Dame is a 9.5-point favorite, but it’s hard not to be skeptical when you consider they’re coming off a shocking loss to Northern Illinois that likely dashed their College Football Playoff hopes.

Plenty of college football fans don’t think the Fighting Irish even deserve to be in the Top 25 after that upset, and this game will be a major litmus test on that front.

Washington State vs. Washington—3:30 PM on Saturday

Two words: Apple Cup.

These two in-state rivals faced off for the first time all the way back in 1900, and the Huskies firmly have the advantage in the series with 76-33-6 all-time record against their longtime foes.

Washington comes into the contest as the winner of nine of the last ten showdowns, but they’re only favored by 4.5-points a year after a squad that punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff eked out a three-point win over a Cougars team that finished at 5-7.

West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh

Two words (again): Backyard Brawl.

The rivalry between West Virginia and Pittsburgh kicked off in 1895, and the two teams have consistently treated us to some incredibly dramatic tilts in a series where the Panthers have the all-time edge with a 62-41-3 record.

There aren’t many games that promise to be closer than this one, as the Mountaineers are favored by just a single point. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi isn’t taking any chances, as he decided to hold all of the team’s practices inside in the week leading up to the game due to the potential threat of WVU spies.

Colorado vs. Colorado State

Every game Deion Sanders and Colorado play is a must-watch at this point, and their showdown with Colorado State is certainly no exception.

There’s plenty of bad blood between the two teams thanks to what transpired in the thrilling double-overtime contest where Colorado emerged on top last season, but there are plenty of questions surrounding the Buffaloes after their loss to Nebraska in Week 2.

The Rams have a ton of incentive to pull off the upset as 7-point underdogs, and you can expect a fierce battle when things kick off on Saturday night.

Memphis vs. Florida State

I know it’s a bit of a stretch to label this game a “must-watch,” but I still feel like it fits that particular bill if you’re a College Football Sicko.

Florida State has had a couple of weeks to try to get its act together after an 0-2 start, but a team that was expected to dominate the ACC and make the College Football Playoff is still only a 7-point favorite over its AAC opponent.

Part of me feels like a Seminoles team with a huge chip on its shoulder will end up winning this one in a blowout, but you’ll have the chance to inject a massive dose of schadenfreude straight into your veins if you watch them record their third consecutive loss.