College Football Week 3: Texas-sized battle in Lubbock, SMU faces ranked road test
DALLAS - The third week of the 2026 college football season offers a ranked matchup in West Texas to kick things off on Friday night. Then, the ACC's lone Texas program heads to Kentucky for a ranked matchup of its own.
Note: all times listed are in central time, and all games take place on Saturday unless specified otherwise.
Power 4 Texas schools
No. 1 Texas Longhorns (2-0) vs. UTSA (2-0) (7 p.m. in Austin, TX)
After a thrilling comeback victory against Ohio State last weekend, the Texas Longhorns are the No. 1 team in the country.
It's the first time since Week 1 of 2025 that Texas has climbed to the top of the AP Poll. That Texas team lost to Ohio State in its first game before getting their revenge this year.
In-state UTSA is the Longhorns' first opponent since that comeback win. The Roadrunners have beaten fellow in-state schools UT Rio Grande and Texas State so far in 2026.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 14: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before the game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
No. 9 Texas A&M (2-0) vs. Kentucky (1-1) (2:30 p.m. in College Station, TX)
After dispatching the Arizona State Sun Devils last week, Texas A&M will play their first conference game of the season in Week 3.
The Kentucky Wildcats are coming to College Station for only the second time since Texas A&M joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012. Their previous trip was in 2018, which resulted in a 20-14 Texas A&M win.
Kentucky had high hopes of competing with Alabama last week, and even led at halftime, before floundering to a 28-point loss.
COLLEGE STATION, TX - SEPTEMBER 12: Texas A&M Aggies DE T. J Searcy (18) gets ready for a play during game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Texas A&M Aggies on September 12, 2026 at Kyle Field in College Station, TX. (Phot
No. 23 Houston (2-0) at No. 13 Texas Tech (2-0) (Friday) (7 p.m. in Lubbock, TX)
It's not quite like the TV show, but the Friday night lights will be bright in West Texas.
Texas Tech, fresh off a road win over Oregon State, faces a ranked Houston team in an early test for two teams expected to contend for the Big 12 title.
Houston has also beaten Oregon State this season. The Coogs sneakily won 10 games in 2025, but one of their three losses was to a Red Raiders team that won the conference.
Texas Tech hasn't lost a home game since 2024, so it'll take a strong Houston effort to break that streak.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 04: Cameron Dickey #8 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs with the ball during the second half of the game against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium on October 04, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Im
No. 16 SMU (2-0) at No. 23 Louisville (1-1) (2:30 p.m. in Louisville, KY)
The Mustangs face a stiff test in Week 3, making their second ACC road trip of the young season to Louisville.
The Cardinals lost to a ranked Ole Miss team in Week 1 by a field goal. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz has put up huge numbers in two games for Louisville.
SMU boasts their own star quarterback, with Kevin Jennings having already thrown for 767 yards in two games.
SMU has beaten Louisville twice since joining the ACC in 2024.
DALLAS, TX - November 22: SMU Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (#7) runs up field during the college football game between the SMU Mustangs and the Louisville Cardinals on November 22, 2025, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX. (Photo by Matth
Baylor (1-1) vs. Louisiana Tech (1-1) (3 p.m. in Waco, TX)
TCU (1-1) vs. Arkansas State (1-1) (7 p.m. in Fort Worth, TX)
The Bluebonnet Battle Rivals both face Group of 6 schools in Week 3.
Baylor will face a Louisiana Tech team that put up 80 points in Week 1, but could miss their starting quarterback in this game.
TCU looks to close out its non-conference slate on a positive note against Arkansas State.
WACO, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 12: Nate Bennett #12 of the Baylor Bears Throws a touchdown during the game against the Prairie View A&M Panthers on September 12, 2026 at the McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Noah Hale/Baylor Athletics)
Group of 6 Texas schools
North Texas (1-1) at Texas State (1-1) (11 a.m. in San Marcos, TX)
An in-state Group of 6 game takes place to start Saturday.
UNT blew out CFP hopeful UNLV last week, while Texas State lost a close game to UTSA.
BLOOMINGTON, IN - SEPTEMBER 05: North Texas Mean Green wide receiver Justin Stevenson (13) makes a catch against the Indiana Hoosiers on September 5, 2026, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Gett
UTEP (1-1) at No. 19 Michigan (1-1) (2:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor, MI)
UTEP lost to Oklahoma to begin the season. Now, they take on the team that beat Oklahoma last week.
The Miners lost by 51 to the Sooners, then put up 51 points in a win over Texas Southern last week.
Sam Houston State (0-2) vs. Nicholls (2-1) (6 p.m. in Hunstville, TX)
The Bearkats have lost two close games to start 2026, dropping one-score games to Troy and Tulsa.
They look to break their four-game losing streak against Nicholls, an FCS program from Louisiana.
Rice (1-1) vs. Western Michigan (1-1) (6 p.m. in Houston, TX)
Both Rice and Western Michigan have lost to a blue blood program in 2026, but the losses couldn't have looked more different.
Rice was blown out by Notre Dame last week. In Week 1, Western Michigan thought they had beat Michigan, only to lose after a single second was controversially added to the game clock.
The Source: Information in this story comes from ESPN, FBSchedules.com, sports-reference.com/cfb, and winsipedia.com.