Our college football Week 3 picks: Louisville vs. Indiana, Akron at Kentucky and more
Kentucky's three FBS college football teams are all undefeated, and our Courier Journal sports crew owes them a round of applause as they've helped us rack up wins in our weekly predictions column.
Could this week be the one where that changes, though? One of our reporters hopes not — Courier Journal sports reporter Jason Frakes is the only one of us brave enough to pick Western Kentucky in an upset win at Ohio State.
Here's a quick breakdown of our picks this week. Once again, predictions are based on winners and losers on the field, not point spreads, and weekly rankings are based on the USA TODAY Sports AFCA football coaches poll.
Louisville vs. Indiana
How to watch: Noon Saturday, Big Ten Network
The picks: Seven for Louisville
Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals are 2-0, and Indiana faced some real questions coming into the season. The Hoosiers looked good in a 41-7 win last week over Indiana State, and quarterback Tayven Jackson has potential, but we want to see more to believe it.
Kentucky vs. Akron
How to watch: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU
The picks: Seven for Kentucky
The Wildcats weren't exactly dominant in last week's victory over what should have been an overmatched Eastern Kentucky squad. Still, they found a way to win, and the Zips didn't come into the season with high expectations among MAC coaches. We're guessing UK makes it to 3-0.
Western Kentucky at No. 4 Ohio State
How to watch: 4 p.m. Saturday, FOX
The picks: Six for Ohio State, one for WKU (Frakes)
Let's hear it for Frakes, who's picking standout quarterback Austin Reed and the Hilltoppers to march into Columbus and knock off Ohio State. Maybe he's on to something — the Buckeyes haven't been dominant in their two wins, and WKU has shown it can score in the Tyson Helton era. But picking WKU in a 28-point upset is a bit too bold for the rest of us.
Western Carolina at Eastern Kentucky
How to watch: 6 p.m. Saturday, ESPN+
The picks: Five for EKU, two for Western Carolina (Frakes, Alexis Cubit)
It's been a long week for the Eastern Kentucky football program after the death of iconic former coach Roy Kidd. Five of us like the Colonels to pick up a win Saturday at the Richmond stadium named in his honor.
Syracuse at Purdue
How to watch: 7:30 p.m., NBC
The picks: Four for Syracuse, three for Purdue (Frakes, C.L. Brown, Ryan Black)
Syracuse is 2-0 and has given up just seven points this season, but the competition hasn't been too stiff. Still, Purdue has shown plenty of room for improvement as well, with a loss to Fresno State followed by a narrow victory over a middling Virginia Tech team. Our crew is split on this Saturday night showdown.
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The standings
1 (tie) - C.L. Brown, 10-0 (5-0 last week)
1 (tie) - Natalie Pierre, 10-0 (5-0 last week)
3 - Ryan Black, 9-1 (4-1 last week)
4 (tie) - Lucas Aulbach, 8-2 (4-1 last week)
4 (tie) - Jason Frakes, 8-2 (4-1 last week)
6 (tie) - Alexis Cubit, 7-3 (4-1 last week)
6 (tie) - Brooks Holton, 7-3 (3-2 last week)
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: College football Week 3 predictions: Louisville vs. Indiana and more
