By Conor Oliver

The college football season is in full swing with some great matchups promised this week. While plenty of games promise showdowns with postseason implications, the one game you should not miss this weekend is when the No. 12 ranked Michigan State Spartans play the No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This rivalry game promises to entertain, as two long storied opponents leave it all on the field.

After losing to the Texas Longhorns in week one, Notre Dame bounced back with a win against Nevada in week two. However, Nevada is not nearly the same caliber as opponents like Michigan State and Texas. With a shaky performance in week one, the Irish have plenty to prove in addition to winning a rivalry game. They may be able to silence their critics and salvage their season with a gutsy win this weekend.

For the Spartans, this weekend’s matchup promises to be their first real test. In week one, they easily dispatched Furman and are now looking to add more impressive victories to their resume. With significant roster turnover from last year, it is essential that this team gets off to a confident start and builds momentum early on in the season. After losing in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs last year, Michigan State looks to return to the top, and to get there, they need to beat Notre Dame this weekend. Notre Dame and Michigan State have played each other since 1896. Over a century of conflict stands behind this weekend’s rivalry game, making it a must see.

By Henry Marshall

Michigan faces off against Penn State in week four of the college football season, and this is sure to be an entertaining matchup. Since Jim Harbaugh took over last season, the revamped Michigan squad has looked better than ever. Off to a 2-0 start in the Big 10, the Wolverines are firing on all cylinders. In fact, after a 63-3 win over Hawaii, and 51-14 win over UCF, Michigan has 114 points in two games, the most for the program since 1912. Sitting below Michigan at 1-1 in the Big 10 are the Nittany Lions of Penn State. Though off to a rocky start, there is hope under center in Penn State’s red-shirt sophomore Trace McSorley. Despite losing to Pitt 42-39, McSorley put on a show in the second half and nearly led Penn State to a comeback.

Among question marks with the offensive line and pass rush, McSorley is second in the conference with 541 passing yards, and has completed 60 percent of his passes. After his first three starts on the big stage, McSorley will have all the jitters out when he plays in front of the Michigan crowd in Ann Arbor on September 24. The matchup between Penn State and Michigan will be a game won on offense. Considering both teams have generated over 30 points each in their first two games, Michigan will have the edge and will expose Penn State’s offensive line with the pass rush, leaving McSorley no time to throw the football.

By Jake Rosenstein

College football has been in the headlines for several upsets as well as great plays by athletes who are no older than you or me. Central Michigan upset Oklahoma State last week on a hail-mary pass and Arkansas upset TCU in Fort Worth last week, proving that anything can happen in NCAA football.

There are several good matchups this week as well. While in these early weeks most teams do not play against conference opponents, there are still some great matchups to watch. Our Colgate Raiders are playing the Yale Bulldogs on Saturday in Connecticut. This could prove to be a good matchup as this rivalry goes back to 1909 when we played our first game against the Ivy League school. Another good matchup between rivals is USC vs. Stanford which is being played on Saturday Night.

The best matchups of week three in college football are no doubt those between ranked teams. The Ohio State Buckeyes are facing the Oklahoma Sooners, which will most likely be a great game between a powerhouse of the Big 10 and Big 12.

Michigan State is facing off against Notre Dame in a matchup that is highly anticipated. But the best game in week three will no doubt be No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 10 Louisville. The Cardinals’ quarterback Lamar Jackson has been on an absolute tear, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against the Seminoles defense. Michigan State is facing off against Notre Dame in a matchup that is highly anticipated.