College Football Picks, Week 3: 3 Teams That Will Finally Gain Some Respect

There are a few teams that are getting little love at the moment, and it's down right maddening. Week 3 is their opportunity to correct this pitiful error.

The great thing about college football is the infusion of subjectivity. With no playoff system, and powerhouses failing to play one another on a consistent basis, we are left to argue and over-analyze. Both of which are good things. 

This weekend, three teams that have been derided as pretenders will step up to claim some much-due respect on the national stage. 

Once Sunday rolls around, we won't be ables to criticize their placement, as they will have earned their spots in the top 25. 

1. Michigan State

  It is worrisome that the Spartans come into the Notre Dame game as underdogs. Bodog has the Spartans as 4.5-point dogs to a team that just can't seem to win the bog game yet. 

Michigan State deserves a lot better than fans betting at a furious pace for a team's past prestige over the reality of the situation. 

What matters is Michigan State is a better squad, and Notre Dame is pressing. There is no way that the Fighting Irish can afford to sink to 0-3, and that will weigh heavily on their minds. Kirk Cousins is comfortable against Notre Dame, throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns last season against them.

Prediction: Michigan State 27, Notre Dame 24 

2. Auburn

 We keep waiting for the game that Auburn will lose. Granted, this team is a ghost of last year's squad, but a loss is not foretold against Clemson.

I have more confidence in Michael Dyer and the Auburn rushing attack than I do in Clemson's ability to stop it. This will be a close game, but one the Auburn Tigers take as a victory.

Prediction: Auburn 24, Clemson 17 

3. South Florida

The Bulls are suffering the same plight smaller programs like Boise State and TCU used to. There is no love for teams that play lesser opponents on a weekly basis. 

You have to weigh their defeat of Notre Dame heavily considering Notre Dame still gets more run as a top-tier team than the Bulls do. This team is no joke, and behind an emerging B.J. Daniels could very well run the table, setting up a showdown with West Virginia at the end of the season.

Prediction: South Florida 34, Florida A&M 9