You can't deny it—college football this season is unlike anything we have ever seen.
Much of that is due to the influence of Coach Prime, but in general, the energy this season is as high as it has ever been.
With all this said, let's review what we learned this past week.
What Did We Learn in Week 3?
After the comments made by Colorado State coach Jay Norvell prior to this game, many would have assumed that Coach Prime's team was going to run over them. Instead, we were treated to one of the most the most epic games you will ever watch. The Rams took the lead early over the Buffaloes, but the Shedeur Sanders, minus his favorite target, Travis Hunter, found a way to tie the game and send it into overtime. After two overtimes, Coach Prime's Buffaloes were able to overcome the Rams' dirty tactics (16 penalties for 176 yards) to stay undefeated. It's official: Colorado has become the center of the college football world, and it is being led by Coach Prime.
Notre Dame is college football's only 4-0 team. It is not the fact that they are winning games; it is the manner in which they are beating opponents. This squad is the real deal.
It's official: Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has returned to his 2021 self. As a matter of fact, he looks better than that, as Bethune-Cookman found out the hard way. With Van Dyke playing at such a high level, the Hurricanes are destined for a spot in this year's ACC title game.
Oklahoma is low-key, the most dangerous team in college football. When quarterback Dillon Gabriel is performing at a high level, the rest of the team follows suit. In their first two games, the Sooners averaged over 50 points per game. After dropping 66 points on Tulsa, that average will soon increase again. They are one heck of a team.
When Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense are firing on all cylinders, they are nearly impossible to beat. He and receiver Malik Nabers absolutely demoralized Mississippi State. It kind of makes you wonder how they lost to Florida State the way they did.
Speaking of Florida State, they were lucky to escape Boston College with a win. Truth be told, the Eagles were the better team even though they trailed the entire game. The Seminoles weaknesses were exposed in such a way that they may not be as good as once advertised.
Don't look now, but Taulia Tagovailoa and his Maryland Terrapins are 3-0 and looking like a dangerous team. Can they beat the likes of Michigan or Ohio State? That remains to be seen. For now, this team is well balanced and should be taken very seriously.
Tennessee should be ashamed of itself. Not just because of the fact that they lost to Florida but because of the brawl they instigated at the end of the contest. Simply put, the Volunteers are not the team we thought they were.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader is a star, and he is taking Syracuse to higher heights this season. The Orangemen are a team to watch in the ACC.
One team that should be getting more attention is Missouri. After their dramatic win over Kansas State, they are 3-0 and only getting better; oh, and they have one heck of a kicker in Harrison Mevis. Expect them to be in the Top 25 after this week.
There may be no more efficient offense in college football than Washington's. When Michael Penix Jr. and his band of receivers get going, they can score points at will. To make a long story short, their contest against Michigan State was over by the end of the fourth quarter.
Ohio State has truly found their offensive groove back, as they showed in their win over Western Kentucky. Marvin Harrison Jr. registered his second straight game with 100+ receiving yards, while the defense registered their first touchdown of the season. Everything that could go right went right for the Buckeyes on this day.
When it comes to Alabama, we learned this week that a team without a quarterback simply cannot win games. After starting Tyler Buchner, Nick Saban learned quickly that he was not the right one and replaced him mid-game with Ty Simpson. Thankfully for Saban, Dallas Turner, and the rest of the Crimson Tide, defensively kept Southern Florida at bay. The biggest takeaway from this game is that this year's team has a serious quarterback problem that needs to be rectified quickly.
Penn State continued its winning ways by beating Illinois. The biggest concern for the Nittany Lions right now, the status of their star quarterback, Drew Allar, who injured his right arm during the game. Without him, this team may not be as formidable as we once thought.
For at least a quarter, South Carolina looked like it could hang with Georgia. Eventually, the Bulldogs woke up and put away the Gamecocks in the second half. It is becoming abundantly clear that they don't have enough to be contenders in the SEC.
Top Performers For Week 3
Offense -
K Harrison Mevis - Missouri
QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi - Colorado State
QB Dillon Gabriel - Oklahoma
QB Shedeur Sanders - Colorado
RB Trevor Etienne - Florida
QB Jayden Daniels - LSU
QB Kaidon Salter - Liberty
WR Malik Nabers - LSU
QB Tyler Van Dyke - Miami
QB Garrett Shrader - Syracuse
QB Brady Cook - Missouri
RB Audric Estime - Notre Dame
WR Tory Horton - Colorado State
WE Louis Brown IV - Colorado State
QB Sam Hartman - Notre Dame
QB Cameron Ward - Washington State
QB Michael Penix Jr. - Washington
QB Drake Maye - North Carolina
WR Rome Odunze - Washington
QB Taulia Tagovailoa - Maryland
RB Alex Tecza - Navy
WR Xavier Restrepo - Miami
RB Blake Watson - Navy
RB Jonathon Brooks - Texas
WR Luther Burden - Missouri
Defense -
LB Dallas Turner - Alabama
DB Shilo Sanders - Colorado
DL Tyleik Williams - Ohio State
DL Mohamed Kamara - Colorado State
DL T.J. Sanders - South Carolina
DL Kameron Butler - Virginia
DB Tarheeb Still - Maryland
LB Daniel Green - Kansas State
LB Juwan Mitchell - Colorado
LB Marlowe Wax - Syracuse
LB Nick Jackson - Iowa
DB Jerrin Thompson - Texas
LB Trevin Wallace - Kentucky
LB Deontae Lawson - Alabama
EDGE Andrew Chatfield - Oregon State
LB Harold Perkins Jr. - LSU
DL Thomas Gore - Miami
DL Josh Ellison - Navy
DB Kamari Lassiter - Georgia
LB Alec Mock - Air Force
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson - Georgia
LB Jack Kiser - Notre Dame
DL Jared Verse - Florida State
LB Nathaniel Watson - Mississippi State
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