College Football 2021: 3 teams that will be on upset alert in Week 3

2. Penn State (vs. Auburn)

Penn State’s emphatic victory over Ball State might not have meant much nationally, but it was a big win for the team. Ball State is a good team and Penn State completely shut them down as Penn State should have. Why is that important? They focused on the task at hand. They didn’t look back at their solid performance or look ahead to their next big game.

Let’s cut to the chase: Auburn’s key to victory is quarterback Bo Nix. To say Nix hasn’t lived up to expectations at Auburn would be an understatement. That’s an even truer statement when you’re talking about Nix on the road. Rivals pointed out that Nix has nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions away from Jordan-Hare Stadium. Now Nix not only goes to Happy Valley, but he’ll be facing the fall force of a White Out.

Auburn has defeated Akron and Alabama State by a combined 122-10. That’s not exactly a top 10 resumé, but Nix has been a big part of that. He’s completed 74 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and has yet to throw an interception. He’s prone to picks, so protecting the ball will be huge.

Don’t discount the Auburn defense either. Penn State’s offensive line has been Swiss cheese at times, particularly against Wisconsin. That could be bad news for the Nittany Lions. Auburn already has eight sacks on the season from six different players. TD Moultry is the guy to watch on the Tigers defense that can create havoc in the Penn State backfield.

I said that Auburn’s previous two victories weren’t worthy of a top 10 ranking, but a win at Penn State would certainly add credibility.