Expert staff picks Notre Dame vs. Michigan State and top Week 3 games

Notre Dame football will face its second Big Ten opponent of the 2026, as it will welcome in the Michigan State Spartans.

The Irish and visitors both are 2-0, but it’s not one of the biggest games in college football during Week 3. There are a few contests that feature two top-25 teams, and there could be some upsets along the way as well.

The staff here of Tim Healey, Sunny Verma, Kevin Smith and Michael Chen predict if Notre Dame beats Michigan State along with the top games of the week.

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at No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders

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Game info: Fri., Sept 18 at 7 p.m. on FOX

Healey – I don’t know much about either team, haven’t had a chance to see either play yet this season. So I will trust the rankings and go with Texas Tech at home.

Verma – Houston is solid, but the Red Raiders have bought a pretty good roster. They hold home court.

Smith – I feel like Texas Tech is the superior team in this matchup, so I’ll go with them.

Chen – One of the biggest offseason stories involved TT, but they’ve put that behind them. Houston will put up a fight, but won’t be able to pull off the road upset.

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Game info: Sat., Sept. 19 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Healey – SMU has been mostly flying under the radar these past few years, but Louisville is frisky and at home. Still, I think SMU gets it done.

Verma – Give me head coach Brohm at home. Possibly no one does more with less.

Smith – I think this matchup will be a close one, but Louisville will come out on top.

Chen – From a Notre Dame standpoint, we want to see SMU get the win. They are the higher ranked team, but the Cardinals have a renewed energy. However, that all ends on Saturday as Louisville can’t keep the momentum.
at No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels

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Game info: Sat., Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. on ABC

Healey – Ole Miss hosts an interesting LSU team in a possible playoff preview. I think the Rebels pull out a close one.

Verma – If there is any sort of karma in this world, it would be an Ole Miss victory by a touchdown but as proven with Michigan‘s outright victory over Oklahoma last week, there is not. I think LSU looks like a legitimate National Championship contender and Lane wins this “homecoming” game.

Smith – Oh man, I’ve been looking forward to this showdown. With Lane Kiffin abruptly leaving Ole Miss for the LSU job last season, you just know the Rebels fans will be hounding him all game long (and they already have off the field). I like LSU as a team, however, I can’t help but think Ole Miss is the better team here. I’m also a big fan of Pete Golding, so I’ll go with the Rebels in this one.

Chen – The drama in this one is pretty big, with LSU trying its best to bend rules that are very vague for this season. It’s made them one of the “bad guys” this fall, but they’re a talented team. This one could come down to the quarterbacks, and I like Trinidad Chambliss more than I like Sam Leavitt, even if he is on the availability report.

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Michigan State always scares me a little bit against Notre Dame – but I might still be scarred from the fake field goal against Charlie Weis. In theory, a top-five Notre Dame time should handle a rebuilding Spartans program at home. I have a feeling that this could play out like the Wisconsin game did — somewhat close early before Notre Dame pulls away in the second half. Figure something like 14-10 at halftime before the Irish defense clamps down and the offense takes off.

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There will be a time when Michigan State will return to be an annoyance on the side of Notre Dame fans but it is still too early in the Pat Fitzgerald tenure. Two programs at different competitive levels.

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We all know there are times the Spartans have been a thorn in the Fighting Irish‘s side since their first meeting in the late 19th century. I have no doubt that the game will be close in the first half, but Notre Dame has what it takes to run away with it in the second half. Being the No. 3 in the country, the Irish can’t afford to let a game like this slip through the cracks.

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This game won’t be an easy one for Notre Dame, even if they’re viewed as fairly large favorites in this one. The Spartans have been solid so far, and I believe they are better than Wisconsin. Pat Fitzgerald brings an intriguing aspect to this one, but as the end of the day, Notre Dame’s talent shows, and stays undefeated.

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