Weekend Watch Guide: An Oklahoma State Fan’s Guide to Week 3 of the 2026 College Football Season

The first two weeks of the college football season have been chaotic as always.

What will Week 3 bring? Who knows? But here’s a look around the country at some one the best games going into the weekend.

Big 12 Schedule

No. 22 Houston (2-0) at No. 13 Texas Tech (2-0) — 7 p.m. Friday on FOX
Tulane (1-1) at Kansas State (2-0) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2
Bowling Green (0-2) at Iowa State (1-1) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPNU
Arizona State (1-1) vs. Kansas (1-1) — 11 a.m. Saturday on FS1
Utah State (0-2) at No. 17 Utah (2-0) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX
Miami (OH) (1-1) at Cincinnati (2-0) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Louisiana Tech (1-1) at Baylor (1-1) — 3 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU
Murray State (1-2) at Oklahoma State (1-1) — 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Georgia State (2-0) at UCF (1-1) — 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
No. 11 BYU (2-0) at Colorado State (2-0) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS
West Virginia (2-0) vs. No. 25 Virginia (2-0) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ACC Network
Colorado (2-0) at Northwestern (1-0) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX
Arkansas State (1-1) at TCU (1-1) — 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU
Northern Illinois (0-2) at Arizona (1-1) — 9:30 p.m. Saturday on TNT

Houston-Tech: The fuss in the offseason was that this game was being played on a Friday night, which some viewed as sacrilegious to disrupt Texas high school football. But, man, this is an important one in the Big 12.

These teams already have a common opponent in Oregon State. Houston hosted the Beavers and won 33-20 before Tech went to Corvallis and won 35-24.

The Red Raiders haven’t looked as dominant as some might’ve expected to start the year, but Tech beat Houston 35-11 in Houston last season.

The Cougars finished 10-3 last season with six of those wins coming in one-score games. There’s two ways to look at that. One: water finds its level and Houston doesn’t win as many one-score games in 2026. Two: if Friday’s game is close, Houston is more comfortable in those spots.

Arizona State-Kansas: Which team can bounce back from a tough loss the fastest and do so across the Atlantic ocean?

This game is happening in London (for some reason) after Arizona State fell to Texas A&M and Kansas fell to Missouri last week. The Sun Devils are a 5.5-point favorite, but I’m not sure anyone has mastered the overseas game yet. This one could get weird.

BYU-Colorado State: The Cougars are hitting the road to play a Group of 6 team this week. Nothing can go wrong there, right, Oklahoma State?

OSU transfer quarterback Hauss Hejny has balled out in his first two games with the Rams, leading them to a 35-13 win against Wyoming before beating Southern Utah 58-24 last week. The Cougars can’t afford to sleep walk into this one.

West Virginia-Virginia: This game will be played Charlotte, and it acts as a big one for OSU fans (given the Cowboys go to Morgantown next week) and the conference as a whole.

The Mountaineers are going to try to run the ball, that’s for sure. Running back Cam Cook and quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. are each in the Top 50 nationally in rushing yards.

If the Mountaineers can scrap out a win against a ranked ACC team, it’d go a long way in proving Big 12 > ACC.

Colorado-Northwestern: The Buffs are 3.5-point underdogs going into Big Ten territory.

Deion Sanders’ group has already carried the Big 12’s water against the ACC in that win against Georgia Tech. Can Colorado play spoiler to the Wildcats, as well?

Other Games to Watch

North Carolina (2-0) at Clemson (1-1) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN
Kentucky (1-1) at No. 9 Texas A&M (2-0) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
No. 16 SMU (2-0) at No. 23 Louisville (1-1) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
Mississippi State (2-0) at South Carolina (2-0) — 3:15 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network
Florida (2-0) at Auburn (2-0) — 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
No. 7 LSU (2-0) at No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC
Virginia Tech (2-0) at Maryland (2-0) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on FS1
Montana (3-0) at Oregon State (0-2) — 10 p.m. Saturday on USA Network

UNC-Clemson: I think both of these teams probably stink (relatively, of course), but given the circuses that surround each program, an abundance of storylines will follow regardless of the result.

SMU-Louisville: Neither of these teams play Miami during the regular season, meaning the winner of this game is in pole position to meet the Hurricanes in the ACC title game. Still a lot of football to come after this game, but for it being Week 3, this one is quite important.

Mississippi State-South Carolina: There are some big games this weekend. This one has a shot at being the best, pinning Bulldog QB Kamario Taylor against Gamecock QB LaNorris Sellers.

Florida-Auburn: Both of these teams were searching for a coach last season, and at one point, it looked as if Jon Sumrall might be Auburn bound before landing at Florida. Now he has to go to Auburn in a battle of two programs trying to lay the foundation for their new era.

LSU-Ole Miss: The Lane Kiffin Bowl needs little introduction at this point. This was probably the most-talked about game of the offseason, and now it’s here. Kiffin goes to Oxford after chaotically leaving the Rebels before their playoff run last season.