Week 3 college football preview: LSU–Ole Miss and four more games to watch

Houston and Texas Tech open Big 12 play Friday. Saturday brings Lane Kiffin back to Oxford, Florida State to Tuscaloosa and two more tests for unbeaten teams.

Texas Tech has held seven straight opponents under 100 rushing yards. Houston is averaging 308 on the ground through two games. They meet Friday night in Lubbock in the first of five matchups to watch this weekend.

Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford with LSU on Saturday. Florida State's running game travels to Alabama after the Tide's defense took over the second half at Kentucky. Kevin Jennings and Lincoln Kienholz meet in a ranked ACC matchup at Louisville. Notre Dame has barely been challenged, and Michigan State gets the next attempt.

Houston at Texas Tech: can the Cougars stay ahead of the chains?

Friday, September 18 · 8 p.m. ET · FOX

Houston has scored 110 points in two games, but the more useful figure is 308 rushing yards per game. The Cougars outrushed Oregon State 228–26 in a 33–20 win, then ran for 388 yards against Southern. Texas Tech has allowed 65 rushing yards per game and carries a seven-game streak of holding opponents below 100. The samples are early and the opposition uneven; Friday tells us far more about both units.

Houston cannot treat its run game merely as a way to shorten the night. It needs second-and-manageable downs for Conner Weigman, particularly in a stadium where Texas Tech has won nine straight. If the Red Raiders force Houston into long passing downs, their defense can attack the quarterback without worrying as much about the Cougars' rushing volume. If Houston keeps moving the chains on the ground, Texas Tech's offense may have fewer possessions than it wants.

The other side deserves attention after Tech's 35–24 win at Oregon State. The Red Raiders trailed 24–21 in the fourth quarter before Will Hammond found Coy Eakin for the go-ahead touchdown. J'Koby Williams ran for 116 yards. Tech beat Houston 35–11 last season; Hammond now leads the defending Big 12 champion into its conference opener.

LSU at Ole Miss: Kiffin returns with a different roster

Saturday, September 19 · 7:30 p.m. ET · ABC

Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford is an easy headline. The harder question is whether Ole Miss can make his LSU offense play on the Rebels' terms. LSU has rushed for 456 yards and eight touchdowns through two games, while quarterback Sam Leavitt has thrown for 574 yards and accounted for nine total touchdowns. Ole Miss has already lived through one offensive exchange: it beat Louisville 41–38 in Nashville, with Trinidad Chambliss directing the Rebels' attack.

LSU's early defensive numbers are equally sharp: 24 points allowed, 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss across its first two games. But Ole Miss presents a different set of problems from Clemson and Louisiana Tech. Deuce Alexander has 13 catches for 235 yards, giving Chambliss a productive target when LSU brings pressure. Ole Miss does not have to win every snap against LSU's front. It does have to prevent negative plays from putting the offense behind schedule.

On the other side, Pete Golding has to decide how much he can commit to slowing the run without exposing the coverage behind it. Holding down LSU's rushing gains would leave more of the work to Leavitt. LSU linebacker TJ Dottery, a former Rebel, returns alongside Kiffin.

Ole Miss won last year's meeting 24–19. Both teams enter unbeaten, with Kiffin and Leavitt leading LSU into this year's meeting.

The free LSU–Ole Miss Premium report has Saturday Index's projected score and unit comparisons.

free LSU–Ole Miss Premium report

Florida State at Alabama: 199 rushing yards, one difficult road test

Saturday, September 19 · 3:30 p.m. ET · ABC

Florida State lost 27–24 to SMU on a field goal with 21 seconds left. The Seminoles still ran for 199 yards, including 116 from Ousmane Kromah. Their chance in Tuscaloosa starts there: Kromah and quarterback Ashton Daniels have to make Alabama defend the width and interior of the run game without handing the Tide short fields.

Alabama's 45–17 win at Kentucky is a warning against reading only the final. The Tide trailed 17–13 at halftime after three turnovers. Its defense then held Kentucky to 62 second-half yards, forced a fumble that set up the go-ahead touchdown and helped create another short-field score after a stopped fake punt. Devan Thompkins and Caleb Woodson each had two sacks. Alabama scored 32 unanswered points after the break, but the defense changed the field before the score became comfortable.

That is the problem for Florida State. The Seminoles showed against SMU that they can run and answer an explosive play. They also allowed a 71-yard drive for the winning field goal. Against Alabama, a good rushing quarter will not be enough if two stalled possessions and one giveaway leave the Tide working on a short field. For Alabama, the test is whether Keelon Russell's offense can be steadier from the opening series instead of asking the defense to rescue a turnover-heavy half.

Subscribers can see the projected score and unit comparisons in the Florida State–Alabama Premium report.

Florida State–Alabama Premium report

SMU at Louisville: Jennings gets a defense with a score to settle

Saturday, September 19 · 3:30 p.m. ET · ESPN2

SMU's 27–24 win at Florida State came down to a late drive. Five days later, Kevin Jennings threw for 337 yards and five touchdowns in one half against UC Davis. Louisville's 59–13 win over Villanova was emphatic, but its earlier 41–38 loss to Ole Miss is the more revealing preparation for another quarterback who can accelerate a game.

Lincoln Kienholz gives Jeff Brohm an answer of his own. Louisville produced 635 yards against Villanova, including 375 through the air, and Kienholz supplied both a touchdown run and a 69-yard scoring pass to Jaleel Skinner in the first quarter. SMU has won all four previous meetings with Louisville, including a 38–6 game last season. That history will matter less than Louisville's ability to keep Jennings from turning routine completions into quick scoring drives. SMU, meanwhile, has to show that its defense can handle another mobile, aggressive quarterback on the road.

The SMU–Louisville Premium report has the projected score and matchup comparisons for subscribers.

SMU–Louisville Premium report

Michigan State at Notre Dame: can the Spartans keep Carr off the field?

Saturday, September 19 · 7:30 p.m. ET · NBC/Peacock

Notre Dame opened 41–13 against Wisconsin and followed with a 52–0 win over Rice. CJ Carr is 35-for-49 for 492 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. The Irish have allowed one sack in two games. Michigan State is 2–0 under Pat Fitzgerald after beating Toledo and Eastern Michigan. Saturday is the Spartans' first ranked test.

The Irish have allowed only 6.5 points and 65.5 rushing yards per game. Michigan State's offense has to earn third downs it can actually convert; falling into predictable passes gives Notre Dame too many chances to dictate the drive. For Michigan State to stay close, its defense needs to disrupt Carr without allowing easy completions behind the pass rush.

Subscribers can explore the projected score and unit comparisons in the Michigan State–Notre Dame Premium report.

Michigan State–Notre Dame Premium report

Read the full game previews

Houston at Texas Tech: Can the Cougars run through the Red Raiders?

LSU at Ole Miss: Kiffin returns, but the trenches decide it

Florida State at Alabama: Can Kromah keep the Seminoles in it?

SMU at Louisville: Jennings meets the Cardinals' explosive offense

Michigan State at Notre Dame: Can the Spartans finish drives?