College Football Week 3 Picks: The Best Saturday Bets

Danny FlynnJun 7, 2018

It’s been an up-and-down first two weeks as far as the picks have been concerned, but now that we’ve gotten a chance to work out all the kinks, hopefully, it should be smooth sailing from here on out.

Conference play is just around the corner and that means the weekends are about to start heating up.

Tomorrow, we’ll get to see a few notable non-conference matchups, with the biggest one being Oklahoma at Florida State, and there are also a ton of ranked teams heading on the road this week, so the polls could be in store for a shakeup.

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No. 3 LSU and No. 4 Boise State have already survived, but you have to expect that at least a few ranked teams will ultimately fall this weekend.

Who will it be?

Texas?

Auburn?

Michigan State?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

Until then, here’s a look at the best bets out of the Week 3 action.

Diamond Picks

Pittsburgh (+3)

Pittsburgh RB Ray Graham might be this year’s version of Jordan Todman and there aren’t many backs in college who I would rather ride with right now than Graham.

I could see Graham, continuing his opening-season rampage against an Iowa team that's in a shaky spot.

The Hawkeyes are coming off a tough loss to in-state rival Iowa State and the team still looks like it has some notable holes that have yet to be properly filled.

I like the direction this Pittsburgh team is heading in under first-year coach Todd Graham, and I have trust in QB Tino Sunseri and the rest of the Panthers offense to get the job done on the road tomorrow.

If the Pittsburgh defensive front seven, led by star pass-rusher Brandon Lindsey, can keep consistent pressure on QB James Vandenberg, the Hawkeyes offense will struggle to move the ball effectively.

I'll take the underdog Panthers to make a big statement for the Big East conference tomorrow.

Oklahoma (-3)

Don’t just disregard the hype; Oklahoma is loaded with top-notch talent this year.

Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles are one of the nation’s most explosive passing combinations but they’re far from the only two difference-makers that Oklahoma is going to hit the Seminoles with on Saturday night.

I like this Florida State defense, though, especially DE Brandon Jenkins and CB Xavier Rhodes.

Jenkins can neutralize Jones to a degree and Rhodes can keep Oklahoma’s receivers contained.

The real key is Manuel.

If Manuel plays up to the potential that we witnessed in Florida State's last two bowl games, the Sooners should be worried.

Still, this Oklahoma team just has so much talent and they can really hit you from all different directions on offense.

If Florida State wants to win this one, the Seminoles are going to have to be opportunistic and make sure they cash in on turnovers and miscues. I expect this one to be a lot closer than last year’s 47-17 drubbing but I still have to give the edge to Oklahoma.

Yes, I know they’ve been spotty on the road, and shaky in big spots, but with Jones and Broyles leading the way, this team just has too many weapons for Florida State to handle.

Miami (-2)

I’m still not sure if I want to hop on board with Al Golden's decision to start Jacory Harris.

Harris was terrible against Ohio State last year, throwing four interceptions, and I’m not sure what would lead you to believe he’s gotten considerably better since then.

A close call against Toledo last week woke the Buckeyes up and they’ll be ready for this one.

Miami has the athletes to compete, but Harris has to prove he can handle this kind of spotlight.

To me, the key player in this game is Miami RB Lamar Miller.

Miller is one of the most dangerous runners in the country and when he gets into a groove, he can be mighty hard to slow down.

With DE Nathan Williams out for the game, I don’t know if I trust Ohio State’s defensive front seven.

Miami should be able to run the ball consistently, and as long as Harris doesn’t make any game-changing mistakes, the Hurricanes should do enough on offense to get the job done.

After a tumultuous offseason and then a disappointing loss to start the season, Miami coach Al Golden could use a victory, and getting a win over a Top 20-ranked opponent always helps to restore some faith in a program.

Five-Star Picks