Five college football favorites who could lose in Week 3

Deion Sanders’ program is on upset watch once again.

Florida State finally caught a reprieve. After suffering the highest-profile upsets of Week 0 and Week 1, the Seminoles got a bye and saw Notre Dame suffer what will probably be the biggest upset of the season, to Northern Illinois. The Fighting Irish are now the national punching bag. Florida State can escape to the shadows and try to get on track against a small-conference opponent.

Here are favorites who could lose outright in Week 3:

Florida State (-6.5) vs. Memphis

Memphis is one of the nation’s best Group of Six teams. Quarterback Seth Henigan and receiver Roc Taylor lead a potent offense. The Tigers’ defense, spearheaded by a dynamic set of linebackers, looks improved.

This will be a real test of Florida State’s leadership and chemistry. If the transfer-heavy Seminoles are looking out for themselves rather than rallying together after a rough start, Memphis will win. The Tigers are talented and experienced and shouldn’t be taken lightly. They know this could be a marquee win that pushes them into the College Football Playoff.

Henigan isn’t the run threat Georgia Tech’s Haynes King and Boston College’s Thomas Castellanos are, but that doesn’t mean the Seminoles aren’t still vulnerable.

Washington (-4.5) vs. Washington State

What better way for Washington State to avenge getting left behind in the Pac-12’s breakup than to beat its Apple Cup rival? The game’s rescheduled timing – moved up from the season’s final week to accommodate Washington’s Big Ten schedule – might even help the Cougars.

Washington hasn’t shown much in wins over overmatched Weber State and Eastern Michigan, and Washington State is battle-tested.

In the team’s two wins, Cougars quarterback John Mateer passed for 352 yards and five touchdowns against Portland State and then ran for 197 yards against Texas Tech. Washington State would prefer to lean into a pass-first identity, but there’s something to be said about finding ways to take advantage of whatever the defense is ceding.

Washington certainly has the talent to win, but after so much turnover from last year’s national runner-up, there’s little telling how the transfer-reloaded Huskies will jell amid adversity. We’ve already seen the Cougars’ mettle, and they should be particularly fired up Saturday.

Colorado (-7) at Colorado State

Even when Colorado was riding high early last season, Colorado State pushed the Buffaloes to double overtime.

They certainly aren’t riding high right now 

Colorado squeaked past North Dakota State and got routed by Nebraska, a loss followed by several controversies. Coach Deion Sanders’ program feels like it’s on the verge of fraying. 

Colorado can play through some of the noise. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders said he left the field early last week for concussion testing, and Deion denied ordering the band not to play the fight song after scores so Shedeur’s song could play instead, but Shedeur pointing fingers at his offensive line can’t as easily be explained away. That is the type of public statement that can divide a locker room.

Colorado has revealed weaknesses that a team emphasizing the matchup – like the in-state rival – can exploit. The Buffaloes are one-dimensional offensively with no run game established, their offensive line lacks cohesion, and their already porous defense is banged up.

Indiana (-3.5) at UCLA

New coach Curt Cignetti has injected life into Indiana. The Hoosiers beat FIU 31-7 and scored 77 on Western Illinois. 

But does blowing out FIU and Western Illinois mean the Hoosiers can go to Pasadena and win? They haven’t won a road game since 2022.

UCLA’s offense looked anemic in a 16-13 Week 1 win over Hawaii. But the Bruins are at least a bona fide Big Ten-caliber opponent and present a new travel challenge for Indiana. Plus, UCLA had a bye week for coach DeShaun Foster and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to address shortcomings.

This line shows too much trust in the pace of the Hoosiers’ progress.

Maryland (-3) at Virginia

Two words: Anthony Colandrea.

The electric Virginia quarterback just led a comeback win over Wake Forest, showcasing his ability to rise to the occasion as his team needs. That sounds like Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles, another dual-threat quarterback who just torched Maryland.

Could be deja vu for the Terrapins.