College GameDay Week 3 Picks, Location & Guest Picker

• College GameDay sets up on The Grove Stage for No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss
• Morgan Freeman joins the crew Saturday, September 19, from 9 AM to noon ET
• Keep reading for the Week 3 GameDay picks, location, TV details and my best bets

Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford with LSU on Saturday, and College GameDay will be there for his first game back against Ole Miss. The Tigers and Rebels meet at 7:30 PM ET on ABC, with both teams looking for their first SEC win of the season.

Both teams are 2-0 in the week’s only top-10 matchup. Morgan Freeman handles guest picker duties, Bill Belichick takes North Carolina into Death Valley at noon, and Alabama gets a home shot at the Florida State team that beat the Tide last season.

Below you’ll find the College GameDay Week 3 picks tracker, Saturday’s featured games and my betting card.

College GameDay Week 3 Location, Start Time & Guest Picker

Morgan Freeman makes his first appearance as the celebrity guest picker. Ole Miss coach Pete Golding is also scheduled to join the show live.

Rece Davis hosts alongside Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Stanford Steve. ESPN’s digital preshow begins at 8:20 AM ET.

College GameDay Picks Today: Week 3 Crew Selections

Here are the College GameDay Week 3 picks from the crew and guest picker Morgan Freeman. These are straight-up selections.

The College GameDay crew was unanimous on Vanderbilt over NC State, Texas A&M over Kentucky and Alabama over Florida State. Morgan Freeman, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee backed Ole Miss against LSU, with Nick Saban taking the Tigers. Kirk Herbstreit did not make a pick because he is calling the LSU-Ole Miss game.

Saban stood alone on Clemson, while Howard was the only Auburn backer. McAfee went against the rest of the desk with SMU and West Virginia. Mississippi State and Virginia Tech each earned a narrow 3-2 edge in the panel’s picks.

Week 3 College GameDay Superdog Picks

The Superdog segment features underdogs to cover the spread. The selections below use the exact broadcast lines.

Howard took the biggest Superdog of the week with Northern Iowa +40.5 against Iowa. McAfee also backed his outright upset choice against the spread, taking West Virginia +10.5 against Virginia.

How the Week 2 GameDay Picks Finished

Nick Saban led the panel at 8-1 in Week 2. Michigan’s 17-10 win over Oklahoma accounted for his lone loss; Desmond Howard was the only panelist to pick the Wolverines.

The panel finished 33-11 on straight-up selections, but its six Superdog bets went 0-6 against the spread. Herbstreit abstained from Ohio State-Texas because he was calling the game. See the selections in last week’s GameDay article.

Week 3 Schedule & College Football Odds

LSU-Ole Miss headlines the night, with SMU-Louisville among the afternoon matchups worth watching. Here are the featured games and college football odds for Saturday.

Odds checked September 18. DraftKings lines except Georgia-Arkansas. Lines can move. West Virginia-Virginia is a neutral-site game in Charlotte.

My Week 3 College Football Best Bets

My picks below use BetMGM odds checked September 18. North Carolina +3.5 is an alternate spread. Lines can move.

North Carolina vs Clemson Prediction: Tar Heels +3.5

North Carolina enters 2-0 against a Clemson team that lost 51-10 to LSU. That defeat is a reason to be cautious about laying points with the Tigers, even at home.

With the total at 43.5, I expect a tighter game than Clemson’s opener. Taking more than a field goal gives North Carolina room to lose narrowly and still cover.

I want the half-point: a three-point Clemson win pays at +3.5 and pushes at +3. My pick is the Tar Heels at +3.5; I would pass if that number disappears.

• My Pick: North Carolina +3.5 (-125 at BetMGM, alternate spread)

Florida State vs Alabama Pick: Crimson Tide -19.5

Alabama finished its trip to Kentucky with a 45-17 win. The Tide now return home against the Florida State team that beat them last season.

Florida State enters 1-1, and I expect Alabama to create the separation it needs over four quarters. The current -19.5 leaves a three-touchdown win enough to cover.

That is a better number than the -20.5 available earlier in the week. I would play Alabama below -21, rather than give up a winning ticket if the Tide win by exactly 21.

• My Pick: Alabama -19.5 (-110 at BetMGM)

LSU vs Ole Miss Best Bet: Under 58.5

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was upgraded from doubtful to questionable on Thursday’s availability report. His status adds uncertainty to a game that already asks the Tigers to handle a hostile road crowd.

I prefer the total to the side. LSU held Clemson to 10 points and Louisiana Tech to 14, and I expect its defense to keep this game competitive even if the offense takes time to settle in.

My pick is Under 58.5. A higher total would improve the bet; I would not chase a move below 58. Leavitt’s availability remains worth checking before kickoff.

• My Pick: LSU-Ole Miss Under 58.5 (-108 at BetMGM)