College Football Week 3: The Good, The Bad, and The Absolutely Ugly

Look, I’ve been covering college football for long enough to know that Week 3 is supposed to be the appetizer before the main course of conference play. You know, cupcake games, stat padding, coaches giving their third-stringers some reps. Instead, Week 3 decided to throw us a haymaker that left half the college football top 25 seeing stars and wondering what truck hit them.

We had upsets that would make your grandmother’s bridge club gasp, quarterback performances that ranged from Heisman-worthy to “maybe you should consider intramural flag football,” and coaching decisions that had me questioning if some of these guys actually watch football or just play it on their PlayStation.

So grab your favorite beverage (you might need it after reading about some of these performances) and let’s dive into the beautiful chaos that was Week 3 of college football.

The Heroes Who Made Us Believe Again

Georgia Tech Shows Clemson What Real Football Looks Like

Remember when Georgia Tech was relevant? Pepperidge Farm remembers, and apparently so do the Yellow Jackets. In what can only be described as a masterclass in “how to ruin Dabo Swinney’s week,” Georgia Tech walked into their matchup with 12th-ranked Clemson and proceeded to remind everyone why they’ve been quietly dangerous for over a century.

 Haynes King played like a man possessed, and Kicker Aidan Birr nailed a field goal at the final horn that was so perfect, it probably made the football gods weep with joy. This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement that the Yellow Jackets are buzzing again (pun absolutely intended).

The best part? This completely derailed Clemson’s dreams of going 16-0 in the playoff era. Remember when Dabo boldly proclaimed that goal before the season? Yeah, about that.

Texas A&M Breaks the Curse in South Bend

Texas A&M had lost 13 straight road games against AP Top 10 opponents. Thirteen! That’s not a streak; that’s a generational trauma passed down from senior class to senior class. But something magical happened under the shadow of Touchdown Jesus – the Aggies finally remembered how to win a big game away from College Station.

 The 41-40 victory over Notre Dame wasn’t just an upset; it was an exorcism. Everything that could go wrong for A&M seemed to go wrong – until it didn’t. A game-winning touchdown got called back, they faced fourth-and-12 thanks to false start penalties, and their game plan involved throwing to a walk-on tight end. Yet somehow, some way, they pulled it off. You could practically feel the weight lifting off the shoulders of every Aggie fan who’s endured years of “almost” and “what if.” This is what hope feels like, folks.

Georgia Survives Rocky Top Madness

Let’s be real: Georgia’s defense looked about as effective as a screen door on a submarine against Tennessee. Giving up 496 yards, including 371 through the air to a quarterback making his first SEC start, isn’t exactly what Kirby Smart drew up on the whiteboard.

But here’s the thing about championship teams – they find ways to win even when they’re not at their best. Gunner Stockton showed the poise of a seasoned veteran, throwing for 304 yards and keeping the Bulldogs on track when things got dicey. The 44-41 overtime victory in Neyland Stadium wasn’t pretty, but it was the kind of character-building win that separates contenders from pretenders.

The Train Wrecks That Made Us Cover Our Eyes

Clemson’s Fall from Grace Continues

Swinney’s postgame press conferences are becoming must-watch television, but not for the reasons he’d prefer. The Tigers’ 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech marked their first defeat to the Yellow Jackets since 2014, and it exposed every crack in what was once college football’s most dominant program.

 Here’s a stat that’ll make you wince: Clemson is just two plays – a 58-yard touchdown against Pitt and a 57-yard field goal against SMU – away from being 1-7 in their last eight games against Power Four opponents. That’s not a slump; that’s free fall.

 The Tigers haven’t beaten a power-conference team by double digits in 11 months. When you’re Clemson, that’s not rebuilding – that’s regression.

South Carolina’s Reality Check Hurts

The 11th-ranked Gamecocks entered Week 3 riding high, representing the highest preseason ranking in program history outside the Steve Spurrier era. Then Vanderbilt happened. The Commodores didn’t just beat South Carolina; they dominated them 45-26 in a performance that left everyone questioning whether the early-season hype was justified.

 Losing LaNorris Sellers to injury in the second quarter certainly didn’t help, but the writing was on the wall even before that. Vanderbilt was simply the better team in every phase of the game. With seven games against AP Top 25 opponents still on the schedule, the Gamecocks’ playoff dreams aren’t just dimmed – they’re on life support.

Virginia Tech Hits Rock Bottom

Brent Pry’s tenure at Virginia Tech has officially entered crisis mode. A 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion dropped the Hokies to 0-3 for the first time since 1987 – Frank Beamer’s first year, when the program was considering shutting down football entirely.

The Monarchs rushed for 250 yards and four touchdowns against what’s supposed to be a defensive-minded coach. That’s not just embarrassing; that’s grounds for serious soul-searching in Blacksburg. With a 16-24 record since 2022, Pry has presided over the worst stretch of any legacy ACC team during that span.

The Quarterbacks Who Stole the Show

Alabama’s Ty Simpson Finds His Groove

After a forgettable debut against Florida State, Ty Simpson has transformed from scapegoat to savior in Tuscaloosa. His near-perfect performance against Wisconsin (24 of 29 for 382 yards and four touchdowns) showed the kind of precision and poise that championship quarterbacks possess.

Simpson’s quick release and ability to spread the ball around to six different receivers have Alabama looking dangerous again. The Tide still has work to do to climb back into the playoff picture, but Simpson is starting to look like the answer to their quarterback question.

Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar Announces His Arrival

Making your first SEC start at Georgia is like jumping into the deep end of the pool while it’s on fire. Joey Aguilar not only survived; he thrived, throwing for 371 yards in a performance that had Vol Nation dreaming of what might have been.

Sure, Tennessee lost 44-41 in overtime, but Aguilar showed the kind of arm talent and composure that could make the Volunteers dangerous down the stretch. Sometimes, the best thing about a loss is discovering you have a player who can win you games.

The Coaching Decisions That Made Us Question Everything

Kansas State’s Offensive Apocalypse

Avery Johnson’s performance against Arizona was so bad that it deserves its own chapter in “How Not to Play Quarterback.” Completing 13 of 29 passes for 88 yards while averaging 3.0 yards per attempt isn’t just struggling – it’s historically awful.

Chris Klieman’s Wildcats managed fewer than 200 total yards against Arizona, becoming the first offense to achieve that dubious distinction against the Wildcats since 2021. With a 1-3 start, marking the program’s worst beginning in college football since 1989 – the first year of the Bill Snyder era – Kansas State is in uncharted territory.

The Feel-Good Stories That Restored Our Faith

Delaware’s Historic Moment

Sometimes the best stories come from the most unexpected places. Delaware, in their first year transitioning to FBS, shocked UConn 44-41 in double overtime to record their first-ever FBS victory. Running back Jo Silver rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Nick Minicucci scored four touchdowns in a performance that had Blue Hens fans believing in miracles.

Coach Ryan Carty, who lost the starting quarterback job at Delaware to future NFL star Joe Flacco, has now delivered his alma mater a moment that’ll be remembered forever. Sometimes the circle completes itself in the most beautiful ways.

What This All Means Moving Forward

Week 3 reminded us why college football is the greatest sport on earth. Just when you think you have it figured out, a team like Georgia Tech reminds Clemson that respect is earned, not given. Texas A&M shows us that curses are meant to be broken. And programs like Delaware prove that dreams still come true in college football.

As we head into the meat of conference play, the landscape has shifted dramatically. Georgia looks vulnerable but resilient, Clemson appears lost, and teams like Alabama are finding their identity just in time for the games that matter most.

The beauty of college football lies not in its predictability, but in its complete lack thereof. Week 3 was a perfect reminder that on any given Saturday, anything can happen – and usually does.