College football Week 3 is when the season actually starts to feel serious. The warm-up games are fading out, the real matchups are rolling in, and fanbases are riding the emotional rollercoaster like it’s midseason already. A couple teams look unbeatable, a couple are already in crisis mode, and everyone else is trying to prove they belong in the conversation before conference play really kicks in. It’s still early, but every Saturday feels louder, wilder, and way more high-stakes.

The NFL, meanwhile, is just about to crack open its first weekend — the calm before the storm when every fanbase thinks they’ve got a shot and nobody’s been mathematically humbled yet. It’s the most hopeful moment of the year: rosters are healthy, dreams are alive, and all the preseason debates are about to either look brilliant or downright embarrassing. By Monday night, half the league will be in panic mode and the other half will be booking imaginary Super Bowl trips, but right now it’s nothing but fresh-slate optimism and that “football is back” buzz.