Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss drives Klatt’s Week 3 college football predictions

FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt has released his predictions for Week 3 of the 2026 college football season, placing significant weight on the tactical advantages held by LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. Speaking on "The Joel Klatt Show," Klatt forecasted an LSU victory over Ole Miss with a score of 28-20, a decision grounded in Kiffin’s previous tenure at the Ole Miss program.

Klatt argued that Kiffin possesses a distinct institutional advantage, stating that he knows the Ole Miss coaching staff and players better than anyone else. Specifically, Klatt noted that Kiffin is familiar with the defensive structures of Ole Miss coordinator Pete Golding and has detailed knowledge of key players, which he believes will allow LSU to exploit specific weaknesses in the game plan.

Beyond the high-profile SEC matchup, Klatt predicted that SMU would maintain their momentum against Louisville, forecasting a 31-27 win. The analyst described the contest as a "monster" game between two top-tier quarterbacks, noting that both teams are currently ranked one and two in the country for total offense per game.

Despite his confidence in the SMU outcome, Klatt identified ball security as the primary risk factor for the Mustangs. He observed that SMU’s Week 1 victory over Florida State was closer than expected due to turnovers, suggesting that if quarterback Kevin Jennings can avoid mistakes, SMU’s superior talent will prevail.

The analysis also extended to the Big 12, where Klatt discussed the upcoming clash between Houston and Texas Tech. He highlighted the coaching strategies of Willie Fritz at Houston and Joey McGuire at Texas Tech, noting that McGuire is expected to address his team’s unconvincing performances in the first two weeks of the season.

These predictions form part of the broader Week 3 schedule, which also sees Alabama hosting a Florida State team described as being in a state of panic following recent results. The selections reflect a focus on coaching familiarity and player performance metrics as key determinants of the upcoming weekend’s outcomes.