Is Washington underrated this season? How concerning are Georgia’s injuries?

Has any team been more dominant through three weeks than No. 8 Washington?

The Huskies are 3-0 with an average margin of victory of 34.7 points per game. Washington defeated preseason Mountain West favorite Boise State, 56-19, in Week 1 before defeating Tulsa, 43-10, in Week 2. The Huskies then went on the road and dismantled Michigan State on Saturday at night, 41-7.

And the margin of victory against the Spartans doesn’t even begin to tell the story of Washington’s dominance in East Lansing. The Huskies could have easily put up 50 or 60 points, but they took their foot off the gas and relied on the running game after leading 35-0 at halftime.

Michael Penix Jr., Washington’s star quarterback, didn’t play a single snap in the fourth quarter, but he still managed an incredible 473 yards and four touchdowns. He had 375 of those yards and all four touchdowns by halftime. And by the time the final seconds ticked down the clock, Washington had recorded a whopping 713 yards of offense and is now averaging 9.46 yards per play on the season.

The passing attack orchestrated by second-year Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer has been downright unstoppable. Penix has already thrown for a ridiculous 1,332 yards and 12 touchdowns while he completes 74.3% of his attempts with just one interception.

Not only is Penix incredibly efficient, but he also has a stellar trio of receivers who can win one-on-one matchups in a variety of ways. Whether they’re skiing to jump, running crisp routes, or sprinting past defenders, Rome Odunze (22 catches, 419 yards, 2 TDs), Jalen McMillan (20 catches, 311 yards, 3 TDs), and Ja’ Lynn Polk (13 catches, 300 yards, 2 TDs) can do it all and have a strong argument to be the best wide receiver trio in the country.

And despite the flashy offensive production, it seems as if Washington is flying under the radar. The Huskies began the year ranked No. 10 in the AP poll and have risen just two spots to No. 8. Washington won’t be in the spotlight for quite some time, either. In a Week 4 packed with elite matchups, Washington will host Cal in the 10:30 pm ET window after the dust settles from Ohio State’s highly anticipated primetime showdown with Notre Dame audience.

The path for Washington to be a legitimate College Football Playoff contender in the second half of the season is very realistic. UW is a three-touchdown favorite over the Golden Bears on Saturday and then will be a heavy favorite again the following weekend on the road against a high-scoring Arizona team. The Wildcats scared the Huskies in Seattle last fall, so they should have Washington’s full attention. If UW can avoid an upset in these two matchups, it will be 5-0 heading into its bye week with a visit from No. 10 Oregon looming on Oct. 14.

This is a team that should not be overlooked.

Georgia’s injuries pile up

The Georgia train keeps moving, but is there reason to worry?

The Bulldogs, the two-time defending national champions, won their 20th straight game Saturday by defeating South Carolina, 24-14. It wasn’t the sharpest performance from Kirby Smart’s group. Georgia trailed 14-3 at halftime before rallying with three touchdowns in the second half to win by 10 points.

In the win, Carson Beck was an efficient 27-of-35 for 269 yards, while Daijun Edwards, Dillon Bell and Cash Jones scored on the ground for the Bulldogs. Defensively, UGA held South Carolina to just 98 yards of offense in the second half and forced South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler to throw two interceptions.

Overall, Georgia did not play up to its usual standards and the injuries are starting to pile up. The most significant injury setback came along the offensive line when right tackle Amarius Mims suffered what Smart called a “bad” ankle sprain.

Mims, who is expected to miss several weeks, is the latest big name added to the growing list of injured Bulldogs. Smart said Monday that it is the longest injury list he has had during his time as head coach. Other notable injured UGA players include wide receiver Ladd McConkey (back), running backs Kendall Milton (knee) and Roderick Robinson (ankle) and safety Javon Bullard (ankle).

Georgia has a home game against UAB this weekend that should allow more time for some players to recover while giving others a chance to take on larger roles before SEC play resumes. away at Auburn on Sept. 30.

Undefeated teams with games to prove it in Week 4

As of Week 3, there are 39 undefeated teams in college football. Some have barely been tested and this weekend we will learn much more about their caliber.

Chestnut (3-0) at Texas A&M (2-1)

Auburn is off to a 3-0 start to begin the Hugh Freeze era, but how good is this team? The Tigers have wins over UMass and Samford and also posted a 14-10 road win over Cal in an ugly game that included a combined seven turnovers. This week, Auburn opens SEC play on the road against Texas A&M. The Aggies were soundly beaten on the road by Miami earlier this month, but they are by far the toughest team Auburn has faced. Texas A&M is favored by 7.5 points at BetMGM.

BYU (3-0) at Kansas (3-0)

This will be a good fact to learn about both teams, but we’re more curious about BYU as it makes its Big 12 debut. The Cougars are coming off a 38-31 road win over Arkansas, but managed to win that game despite of being outgained 424 yards to 281. BYU especially struggled running the ball, and now its defense will face a big challenge from above. Kansas offense boosted. The Jayhawks, a 9.5-point favorite over BYU, looked dominant in a Week 2 win over Illinois, but struggled to overcome winless Nevada over the weekend.

No. 19 Colorado (3-0) vs. No. 10 Oregon (3-0)

Deion Sanders and Colorado will face their biggest test of the season on Saturday when they travel to Eugene to take on No. 10 Oregon. The Buffs won just one game last fall, but are off to an impressive 3-0 start thanks to an upset over TCU, a convincing win over Nebraska and a double-overtime comeback victory over Colorado State on Saturday night. CU lost star two-way player Travis Hunter in the CSU game, and his absence could be felt greatly against Oregon’s powerful offense. The Ducks are favored by 21 points.

No. 6 Ohio State (3-0) at No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0)

Ohio State finally named Kyle McCord its starting quarterback before Saturday’s win over Western Kentucky and he had his best game of the season, throwing for 318 yards and three touchdowns. But facing WKU’s defense at home doesn’t compare to the task of a night game at Notre Dame. The Irish are off to a strong 4-0 start that includes a 45-24 road win over a tough NC State team. Still, this is a big step forward in the competition for both sides. The winner will ascend to the top of the College Football Playoff discussion.

No. 15 Ole Miss (3-0) at No. 13 Alabama (2-1)

Ole Miss has a great opportunity this weekend. Alabama’s quarterback struggles have been a big story this season, but can Lane Kiffin and the Rebels take advantage of them? So far, Ole Miss has looked pretty sharp on offense in their wins over Mercer, Tulane and Georgia Tech. Jaxson Dart appears to be much improved compared to last season, but will that strong early-season play carry over to the atmosphere in Tuscaloosa against a loaded Alabama defense?

No. 22 UCLA (3-0) vs. No. 11 Utah (3-0)

This is a really intriguing Pac-12 matchup. Utah has managed to start 3-0 despite starting QB Cam Rising remaining on the sidelines due to the knee injury he suffered in last season’s Rose Bowl. The combination of Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson has been enough to get the Utes past Florida, Baylor and Weber State. Could Rising finally return for the Pac-12 opener? UCLA has flown under the radar among Pac-12 contenders, comfortably opening the year with wins over Coastal Carolina, San Diego State and NC Central. Freshman Dante Moore has started the last two games at QB for the Bruins, and he has a really tough road environment ahead of him in Salt Lake City.

No. 21 Washington State (3-0) vs. No. 14 Oregon State (3-0)

WSU has been very impressive to start the season. The Cougars defeated Colorado State on the road and then defeated Wisconsin at home before taking on Northern Colorado over the weekend. Now WSU will host Oregon State, the only other remaining member of the Pac-12 after this season. Oregon State, coming off its first 10-win season since 2006, beat San Jose State, UC Davis and San Diego State to open the season. But in SDSU’s win, DJ Uiagalelei had a bit of a rough game as he completed only 14 of 30 throws and had two interceptions. It will have to be better than that if the Beavers want to go to Pullman and get a win.