Weekend Rewind: Texas takes down the number one, and two more favorites fall
Week 3 finally delivered results that move the playoff board. Here is what changed and the watch plan for a loaded Saturday.
Published Monday, September 14, 2026 by the Fan Field Guide staff
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Week 3 was the first weekend of the season with real consequences. Texas beat top-ranked Ohio State by a point in Austin, Oklahoma State ended Oregon's run, and Michigan answered its early-season questions by beating Oklahoma at home.
Short version: what happened, what it changes, and what to actually turn on this Saturday. No scoreboard grid, no picks.
The results that mattered
Texas 24, Ohio State 23
The number one team in the country lost on the road by a single point. It is the most valuable win any team has on its resume right now, and it hands the Big Ten race back to the rest of the conference.
Oklahoma State 39, Oregon 31
An unranked Big 12 host put up 39 on a top-ten team a week after getting upset itself. Oregon's margin for error in November just shrank considerably.
Michigan 17, Oklahoma 10
A defensive win over a ranked opponent at home. After the one-point escape the week before, this is the result that keeps Michigan in the conversation.
Iowa 16, Iowa State 13
The rivalry game went the way rivalry games go: three points, low scoring and decided late. Iowa stays unbeaten in the trophy series.
Alabama 45, Kentucky 17
The SEC road test that usually tightens up never did. Alabama handled it, and Tennessee did the same at Georgia Tech.
What it means for the playoff picture
The top of the Big Ten reopened
Ohio State's loss is not fatal in a twelve-team field, but it removes the cushion. Indiana, Penn State and Michigan all have a cleaner path to the conference title game than they did on Friday.
Texas now owns the best win in the sport
Beating the preseason number one at home is the kind of result that survives a later loss. The Longhorns control their own playoff case from here.
The Big 12 is a scramble
Oklahoma State beat Oregon a week after losing to Tulsa, Texas Tech won at Oregon State and BYU handled Arizona. No one in the league has separated.
The SEC's first elimination game is here
LSU at Ole Miss on Saturday night puts two top-ten teams in the same building. The loser spends October chasing.
Next week's watch plan
Times are Eastern and listings can move. Confirm on the sports calendar before you build the day around a kickoff.
- Saturday Noon ET
Georgia at Arkansas
ABCGeorgia's SEC road opener in the early window. The Hogs have played favorites tight in Fayetteville before.
- Saturday 3:30 ET
Florida State at Alabama
ABCThe best non-conference matchup of the afternoon and a measuring stick for both programs.
- Saturday 3:30 ET
Kentucky at Texas A&M
ESPNA&M has looked like the SEC's most complete team so far. First chance to see that against a conference opponent.
- Saturday 7:30 ET
LSU at Ole Miss
ABCTwo top-ten SEC teams, night window, in Oxford. The game of the weekend.
- Saturday 7:30 ET
Michigan State at Notre Dame
NBCNotre Dame's best home date of the early season, opposite the main event.
- Saturday 7:30 ET
BYU at Colorado State
CBSAn unbeaten Big 12 contender on the road in a spot that has burned better teams.
- Sunday 1:00 ET
NFL Week 2 early slate
CBS and FOXA full early window with divisional matchups across both networks. This is the RedZone hour.
- Thursday 8:15 ET
Thursday Night Football
Prime VideoPrime Video carries the Thursday package for most of the season. Included with an Amazon Prime membership.
How to actually get these games
Nearly all of Saturday sits on ABC, ESPN, FOX, CBS and NBC, plus the conference networks for the undercard. A live-TV streaming service like Fubo carries all of them in one place, which is the simplest way to cover the full plan.
Prime Video holds Thursday Night Football, so that is the add-on if Thursday nights are part of your routine. Confirm the listing each week.
An antenna gets you ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC over the air for free, which covers the biggest windows. It will not get you ESPN, BTN or the SEC Network.
Quick hits
- Houston hung 77 on Southern, the highest total of the weekend.
- Notre Dame shut out Rice 52-0 and Indiana shut out Howard 55-0 on the same afternoon.
- Utah handled Arkansas 43-10 in a Sunday-night makeup window worth a rewatch.
- The NFL and college schedules now overlap every week, so Saturday-to-Monday planning matters from here on.
New rewind every Monday. See past editions.