Fearless predictions: Week 3

No. 12 Arkansas at Georgia (+2.5)
Rose: The Bulldogs played South Carolina fairly tough last week. Arkansas has lost six straight at Georgia. So I'm going with Georgia, figuring that Aaron Murray and the offense get back on track this week. Plus, the Bulldogs simply can't lose two straight SEC games this early in the season. Georgia 23, Arkansas 20.
Abramson: This is a must-win for Georgia. The Bulldogs have not started 0-2 in the SEC under Richt, and now Ryan Mallett is coming to town. The Georgia loss at South Carolina was tough, knowing that the Bulldogs could have made it much more interesting. But there's still no AJ Green and Aaron Murray is still a freshman. There's a first for everything, Mr. Richt. Arkansas will win this through the air and with sound defense, 21-10.

Maryland at No. 21 West Virginia (-10)
Rose: I wasn't overly impressed with West Virginia needing overtime to beat Marshall on the road last week. I was impressed with the way Maryland dug in to beat Navy a few weeks ago. The Terps haven't done much in the air thus far, but the running game has been very good. And I like the way Maryland's defense is playing. West Virginia running back Noel Devine is capable of a huge game, but Maryland seems to have things figured out. Maryland 24, West Virginia 23.
Abramson: This 2-0 start is the best Maryland has looked since Sept. 2008. West Virginia needed OT to beat Marshall on the road, but I'm not going to downgrade the Mountaineers too much just yet. I think WVU can stop the run at home and figure out how to do enough on offense to best the Terps defense. Noel Devine runs wild in a WVU win, 38-20.

Georgia Tech at North Carolina (-1.5)
Rose: There's still too much swirling around the North Carolina program for me to feel comfortable taking them this week. The Yellow Jackets lost at Kansas last week, but that rushing attack will get cranked up again this week. Georgia Tech 20, North Carolina 13.
Abramson: Both schools are in a mess. One is coming off a disappointing loss at Kansas and UNC has had almost two weeks to think about what kind of mess its in. But it's also had two weeks to prepare for the option. I will give UNC QB T.J. Yates, who I've been critical of in the past, the benefit of the doubt this weekend. UNC 23, GT 20.

No. 10 Florida at Tennessee (+14)
Rose: Florida's offense has struggled thus far with new quarterback John Brantley and an absent running game. The Vols hung around with Oregon for a half, but the better athletes on the field prevailed in the second half as the Ducks won easily. My guess is the same happens this week. Tennessee may hang around for a while, but Florida will take control at some point. Florida 27, Tennessee 10.
Abramson: Here's a prediction: Jeffrey Demps runs for another long touchdown to spark a Florida offensive surge. He's 2-2 so far, so it's not that bold at all. There's no way the Tennessee defense can hold the Florida offense down all four quarters. I expect Tennessee to make it interesting for about 20 minutes of football. The other 40 belong to the Gators. UF 40, UT 17.

No. 8 Nebraska at Washington (+3)
Rose: Washington's Jake Locker is really good. But Nebraska's defense is really good, too. The Cornhuskers see passing offenses and top quarterbacks in the Big 12 pretty consistently. So Nebraska will handle this non-conference test. The Cornhuskers' potent running back should wear down the Huskies' defense and take care of the clock. Nebraska 23, Washington 13.
Abramson: I honestly think this could be the game of the weekend. I really like Nebraska's attack on defense. The offense has a great look with Taylor Martinez calling the shots. I think Jake Locker is good enough to keep Washington in the game, but can the Huskies stop what's been an electric offense so far? I'm not sure they're up to the task. Martinez runs wild to a 33-21 win.

Air Force at No. 7 Oklahoma (-17)
Rose: One week Oklahoma struggles to beat Utah State. The next week the Sooners look great and shut down Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder. So what about this week? One thing's for sure: Air Force's rushing attack, which leads with nations with 423 yards per game, presents a unique challenge for Oklahoma. I actually think this game will be close late. But I can't see Oklahoma losing at home. Oklahoma 27, Air Force 20.
Abramson: Man, Oklahoma made me look dumb last weekend. The Sooners were so impressive last weekend against Florida State, it's really tough to pick against them. The one thing that Air Force has in its favor is the ability to control the clock with the running game. If the Falcons can sustain drives, it'll keep the Sooner offense from scoring 70 points, but I'm not sure Air Force will score often. I'll go Oklahoma, 34-23.

Clemson at No. 16 Auburn (-7)
Rose: I liked what I saw from Auburn and quarterback Cameron Newton in the big road win at Mississippi State. Still not sure about Clemson at this point. Auburn 24, Clemson 14.
Abramson: Here's the list of reasons I'm picking against Clemson: Road game. The only thing the ACC has proven so far is that it stinks. Cameron Newton looks like a giant when he's taking snaps. And Clemson hasn't played a worthy foe yet. Auburn 17, Clemson 10.

No. 6 Texas at Texas Tech (+3)
Rose: Texas and Mack Brown don't have stellar histories playing in Lubbock. Meanwhile, Texas Tech's passing attack remains strong, even with former SEC head coach Tommy Tuberville in charge. This is a tough one to call. Texas Tech will put up some points. But can Texas match it? Garrett Gilbert has only thrown one touchdown pass this season. I'll go with Texas Tech, gaining inspiration from what will be a fired up home crowd. Texas Tech 30, Texas 27.
Abramson: Well, there's a new coach in Lubbock, but the Red Raiders are still averaging 43.5 points a game. It's obviously going to be another track meet, the first for Longhorns QB Garrett Gilbert. Can he withstand the heat? This game comes down to the turnover battle, and I think Tuberville gets his first Texas-sized win...against Texas. Yeah. Red Raiders, 37-33.

Notre Dame at Michigan State (-3.5)
Rose: Notre Dame should be better prepared for this game after playing Purdue and Michigan. In fact, the Irish had the lead late against Michigan. The Spartans are always a tough team to figure out. I like Kirk Cousins at quarterback. It will be a high-scoring game. I just think Notre Dame has a little too much on the offensive side in the end. Notre Dame 34, Michigan State 31.
Abramson: Notre Dame has one thing going for it this weekend: No Denard Robinson on the field for the Spartans. I like Kirk Cousins at quarterback, but he's not going to lift his team to victory over the visiting Irish. I expect Dayne Crist to be healthy and pass for a lot of yards against a Sparty pass defense that's been very pedestrain in the first two weeks. Irish win easy, 34-17.

No. 9 Iowa at No. 24 Arizona (+1.5)
Rose: Iowa usually has trouble when it heads west. But the defense is very strong and the offense, with Ricky Stanzi leading the way, is clicking. The Wildcats have also been very impressive on offense, with Nick Foles completing 83 percent of his passes. Iowa's defense, however, is something Arizona hasn't seen this season. I think Arizona takes a lead late into the game, but Stanzi rallies the Hawkeyes, just like he did consistently last season. Iowa 27, Arizona 23.
Abramson: Arizona is currently ranked third in the country in total defense and 12th in total offense. Their opponents: Toledo and The Citadel. If Iowa can play its game of tough defense and a controlling tempo on offense, I think the Hawkeyes bring the Wildcats back down to earth some. But an Arizona loss does not mean they're a bad team. Iowa wins, 24-20.