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Predictions for top 10 college games of Week 3
This weekend's slate of games includes a number of important early season SEC showdowns, plus an intriguing matchup in South Bend, Ind., between Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.
CFB 24/7 experts Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks, Charles Davis, Chase Goodbread, Daniel Jeremiah, Chad Reuter and Lance Zierlein have provided their predictions for each game.
Season records entering Week 3:
Goodbread: 17-3
Brandt: 16-4
Jeremiah: 16-4
Brooks: 15-5
Zierlein: 14-6
Reuter: 13-7
Davis: 12-8

Details: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
What's at stake? Jim McElwain's first conference game at UF comes against a Kentucky team fully capable of beating a visiting Gators team with a big question mark at quarterback. It's equally big for UK coach Mark Stoops, who can validate his program's improvement.
Matchup to watch: Florida LB Antonio Morrison vs. Kentucky RB Boom Williams.
Game picks:
Brandt: Kentucky, 28-27
Brooks: Florida, 28-27
Davis: Kentucky, 33-30
Goodbread: Kentucky, 21-13
Jeremiah: Kentucky, 21-20
Reuter: Florida, 28-24
Zierlein: Kentucky, 23-21

Details: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX
What's at stake? A home loss to a Pac-12 program that went 5-7 last year would illustrate just how far Texas football has fallen, if it hadn't already been illustrated so well by others. Cal QB Jared Goff, an elite-level underclassman, needs only good protection to make this upset happen.
Matchup to watch: Cal QB Jared Goff vs. Texas DB Duke Thomas.
Game picks:
Brandt: California, 30-27
Brooks: Texas, 31-30
Davis: Texas, 48-42
Goodbread: California, 38-31
Jeremiah: Texas, 35-31
Reuter: California, 31-28
Zierlein: California, 31-24

Details: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
What's at stake? The ACC Atlantic Division looks like a two-team race between FSU and Clemson, but Louisville can take a lot of sting out of an 0-2 start to the season with a win over Clemson and a 1-0 start in ACC play.
Matchup to watch: Clemson RB Wayne Gallman vs. Louisville LB James Burgess.
Game picks:
Brandt: Clemson, 30-27
Brooks: Clemson, 44-41
Davis: Clemson, 24-17
Goodbread: Clemson, 40-30
Jeremiah: Clemson, 45-28
Reuter: Clemson, 35-31
Zierlein: Clemson, 28-21

Details: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
What's at stake? Just when you think Steve Spurrier is finished, he wins games like these. There isn't any reason to think the Gamecocks can win in Athens after an uninspiring 1-1 start to the season, but the SEC East race is nothing if not unpredictable.
Matchup to watch: South Carolina OL Brandon Shell vs. Georgia LB Leonard Floyd.
Game picks:
Brandt: Georgia, 35-20
Brooks: Georgia, 17-14
Davis: Georgia, 30-20
Goodbread: Georgia, 41-14
Jeremiah: Georgia, 31-21
Reuter: Georgia, 34-21
Zierlein: Georgia, 37-16

Details: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2
What's at stake? This is the kind of game Al Golden has to win if he is to get off the "hot seat" at UM, even though it's a non-conference game. It's also a traditional "helmet" game, one that will resonate more, win or lose, than a lot of Miami's ACC games. Golden's honeymoon is over; Mike Riley's is only beginning.
Matchup to watch: Nebraska WR Jordan Westerkamp vs. Miami DB Deon Bush.
Game picks:
Brandt: Miami (Fla.), 30-23
Brooks: Miami (Fla.), 23-20
Davis: Nebraska, 35-27
Goodbread: Nebraska, 28-16
Jeremiah: Miami (Fla.), 24-21
Reuter: Miami (Fla.), 28-24
Zierlein: Miami (Fla.), 28-24

Details: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1
What's at stake? The way BYU has started 2-0 -- with game-winning touchdown passes of 42 and 35 yards in the final minute of both games -- UCLA is dealing with a charmed foe here. The 19th-ranked Cougars could make a major jump in the polls with a road win over the No. 10-rated Bruins.
Matchup to watch: BYU OL Tejan Koroma vs. UCLA LB Myles Jack.
Game picks:
Brandt: UCLA, 31-20
Brooks: UCLA, 30-28
Davis: UCLA, 45-38
Goodbread: UCLA, 35-17
Jeremiah: BYU, 24-23
Reuter: UCLA, 35-28
Zierlein: UCLA, 35-16

Details: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
What's at stake? Stanford's offense must maintain the momentum it found against UCF last week, and that won't be easy against a USC defense that's allowed six and nine points over two games. The Trojans can't afford to lose a cross-divisional game if they hope to stay in the race for the ultra-competitive Pac-12 South.
Matchup to watch: Stanford TE Austin Hooper vs. USC LB Su'a Cravens.
Game picks:
Brandt: USC, 31-17
Brooks: USC, 41-35
Davis: USC, 40-28
Goodbread: USC, 24-13
Jeremiah: USC, 28-17
Reuter: USC, 31-27
Zierlein: USC, 31-17

Details: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
What's at stake? The always-tough race in the SEC West will take some shape here as LSU looks to improve to 2-0 in divisional play, while Auburn is playing its conference opener. If AU QB Jeremy Johnson struggles for the third week in a row against a supremely talented LSU secondary, calls for a change could follow.
Matchup to watch: Auburn WR Duke Williams vs. LSU CB Tre'Davious White.
Game picks:
Brandt: LSU, 31-21
Brooks: LSU, 25-21
Davis: LSU, 21-17
Goodbread: LSU, 27-13
Jeremiah: LSU, 31-21
Reuter: LSU, 24-17
Zierlein: LSU, 30-24

Details: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC
What's at stake? The Yellow Jackets' triple-option offense is operating with machine-like precision, and Notre Dame's defense needs to contain it to keep pressure off of first-time starting QB DeShone Kizer.
Matchup to watch: Georgia Tech QB Justin Thomas vs. Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith.
Game picks:
Brandt: Notre Dame, 30-27
Brooks: Georgia Tech, 20-17
Davis: Georgia Tech, 28-27
Goodbread: Georgia Tech, 35-24
Jeremiah: Georgia Tech, 28-24
Reuter: Georgia Tech, 27-24
Zierlein: Georgia Tech, 28-27

Details: Saturday, 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
What's at stake? Ole Miss has never beaten the Crimson Tide twice in a row, a feat it can achieve with a win here. Meanwhile, Alabama will be protecting a 17-game home win streak dating back to when Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel scored a 2012 road upset.
Matchup to watch: Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell vs. Alabama CB Cyrus Jones.
Game picks:
Brandt: Alabama, 30-16
Brooks: Alabama, 28-24
Davis: Alabama, 34-24
Goodbread: Alabama, 31-24
Jeremiah: Alabama, 21-17
Reuter: Alabama, 28-21
Zierlein: Alabama, 27-20