Week 3 Highlights and Key Performances

After three thrilling weeks of the 2025 NCAAF season, the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture is starting to take shape. Some teams have solidified their status as contenders, while others have stumbled early in the season. Here’s a breakdown of the key performances and what they mean for the CFP race.

LSU Tigers: A Strong Start in the SEC

The LSU Tigers secured a crucial victory over their rivals, the Florida Gators. With wins against Clemson and Florida, LSU has started their SEC campaign on a high note. However, they face a challenging road ahead with three conference games against ranked opponents.

Georgia Bulldogs: Dominance in the SEC

The Georgia Bulldogs kicked off their SEC schedule with an impressive win over the Tennessee Volunteers. In a high-scoring game that featured 998 total yards and 85 points, Georgia proved why they are a perennial CFP contender.

Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M: A High-Scoring Affair

In one of the most exciting matchups of Week 3, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish faced off against the Texas A&M Aggies. Despite Notre Dame’s strong performance last season, they fell short against the Aggies, who were led by standout performances from receiver Mario Craver and running back Le'Veon Moss.

Expert Predictions for the College Football Playoff

Here are the top 12 CFP picks from our panel of experts:

• Andrea Adelson: 1. Ohio State 2. Miami 3. LSU 4. Georgia 5. Penn State 6. Florida State 7. Texas A&M 8. Oregon 9. Oklahoma 10. Illinois 11. Iowa State 12. Tulane
• Kyle Bonagura: 1. Ohio State 2. Oregon 3. Georgia 4. Penn State 5. LSU 6. Miami 7. Florida State 8. Illinois 9. Texas 10. Oklahoma 11. Utah 12. South Florida
• Bill Connelly: 1. Oregon 2. Ohio State 3. Miami 4. Texas A&M 5. Georgia 6. Penn State 7. LSU 8. Ole Miss 9. Florida State 10. Texas Tech 11. Tulane 12. Georgia Tech
• David Hale: 1. Ohio State 2. Miami 3. LSU 4. Oregon 5. Georgia 6. Texas A&M 7. Penn State 8. Oklahoma 9. Florida State 10. Texas 11. Utah 12. Tulane
• Eli Lederman: 1. Ohio State 2. Miami 3. Oregon 4. LSU 5. Penn State 6. Georgia 7. Texas A&M 8. Texas 9. Utah 10. Florida State 11. Iowa State 12. South Florida
• Max Olson: 1. Ohio State 2. Oregon 3. LSU 4. Miami 5. Georgia 6. Penn State 7. Texas A&M 8. Florida State 9. Texas 10. Texas Tech 11. Utah 12. South Florida
• Adam Rittenberg: 1. Ohio State 2. LSU 3. Miami 4. Georgia 5. Oregon 6. Penn State 7. Florida State 8. Texas A&M 9. Illinois 10. Oklahoma 11. Iowa State 12. Tulane
• Mark Schlabach: 1. Ohio State 2. LSU 3. Miami 4. Georgia 5. Oregon 6. Penn State 7. Florida State 8. Oklahoma 9. Texas A&M 10. Illinois 11. Utah 12. Tulane
• Jake Trotter: 1. Ohio State 2. Miami 3. Georgia 4. Penn State 5. LSU 6. Oregon 7. Florida State 8. Texas A&M 9. Oklahoma 10. Illinois 11. Utah 12. South Florida
• Paolo Uggetti: 1. Ohio State 2. Oregon 3. Miami 4. LSU 5. Georgia 6. Penn State 7. Texas A&M 8. Texas 9. Utah 10. Florida State 11. Georgia Tech 12. Tulane
• Dave Wilson: 1. Ohio State 2. Oregon 3. Miami 4. LSU 5. Georgia 6. Penn State 7. Texas A&M 8. Florida State 9. Texas Tech 10. Texas 11. Utah 12. Tulane

What’s Next?

As the season progresses, the race for the College Football Playoff will only intensify. Stay tuned for weekly updates and expert analysis as we track the top teams and their journey to the CFP.