Ranking the 10 Best College Football Games in Week 4

Week 4 is here, and there are several exciting games. Some of these games have conference title implications, some have College Football Playoff chances on the line, and some should be really entertaining showdowns. Here are the ten best!

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1. Texas Tech at Utah – Noon on FOX

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are currently the favorite to win the Big 12 with odds of +390 to take home the league’s championship belt. Utah is right behind them at +400 with TCU, Iowa State, and Baylor trailing the leading duo. The two leading contenders in the Big 12 meet in Salt Lake City, and we find out which 3-0 team is the true favorite to win the nation’s most wide-open conference. Utah has looked revitalized with new quarterback Devon Dampier leading an offense that fully matches what Kyle Whittingham wants from his team. Texas Tech boasts a wealth of firepower and a defense that appears significantly improved following substantial investments in the transfer portal. It’s a breakfast showdown in the mountains of Salt Lake City!

Week 4: Texas Tech at Utah (-2.5)

2. SMU at TCU – Noon on ESPN2

The TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs meet on Saturday at high noon to write another chapter in the Battle for the Iron Skillet rivalry. TCU leads the all-time series 53-43 with seven ties, but the SMU Mustangs won last season by a score of 66-42. This game typically has a lot of points, and TCU looks to build on its impressive 3-0 start with another victory over an ACC foe.

Week 4: SMU at TCU (-6.5)

3. Auburn at Oklahoma – 3:30 on ABC

This SEC clash in Norman might end up being Saturday’s best game. The Auburn Tigers are 3-0 with a win over Baylor as the main highlight. The Oklahoma Sooners are also 3-0 and have looked really good with a home victory over Michigan two weeks ago, headlining their resume. Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold returns to Oklahoma after leaving OU for Auburn and making way for John Mateer to arrive in Norman. The Sooners have a brutal schedule and really have to get this one at home.

Week 4: Auburn at Oklahoma (-6.5) 

4. Tulane at Ole Miss – 3:30 on ESPN

Tulane has wins over Northwestern and Duke, and the Green Wave could very well be the favorite to land the Group of Five’s College Football Playoff bid. At minimum, they’ll be a contender for that spot and should battle South Florida for the American Athletic Conference title. Tulane now faces its toughest test with a trip to Oxford to battle the Ole Miss Rebels. Ole Miss is 3-0 after surviving a shootout against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Rebels have some uncertainty at quarterback, and they now face a defense much better than what Arkansas offered. 

Week 4: Tulane at Ole Miss (-12.5)

5. Michigan at Nebraska – 3:30 on CBS

Do you think the Nebraska faithful will be fired up for this game in Lincoln? Big Red has been waiting to return to national prominence for a long time, and they have a shot to take down the Michigan Wolverines on CBS, and a win likely moves them into the rankings. Michigan responded to the loss at Oklahoma by putting up 63 points against Central Michigan and letting freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood use his legs to help jumpstart the offense. Will Underwood and the passing game find success on the road? Can Dylan Raiola be effective against a good defense? 

Week 4: Michigan (-2.5) at Nebraska 

6. South Carolina at Missouri – 7:00 on ESPN

The South Carolina Gamecocks lost quarterback LaNorris Sellers and then got thoroughly outplayed by the Vanderbilt Commodores last Saturday night in Columbia. Sellers is now uncertain for the game against Missouri, and this has gone from a “toss-up” contest to a game in which Missouri is favored by more than 10 points. The Tigers are playing very well, but they have not played a team with the same kind of athletes they have on the lines of scrimmage. Kansas scored 31 points on Missouri, and if Sellers plays and is unleashed as a runner, South Carolina has the talent to make this very interesting. Beau Pribula hopes to use this game as a breakout showcase, and Missouri has a schedule that makes it a College Football Playoff contender.

Week 4: South Carolina at Missouri (-9.5)

7. Florida at Miami – 7:30 on ABC

Everything about this game screams out for a Miami blowout. The Florida Gators have looked terrible on offense the past two weeks, losing to South Florida and turning it over five times in a loss to LSU. The calls for the firing of head coach Billy Napier have intensified and reached a fever pitch. So why are the Miami Hurricanes only favored by a little more than a touchdown? That’s a big warning that this rivalry game might have some unexpected twists and turns ahead. Florida has a bye week coming up, and a blowout loss to Miami could usher in a change in Gainesville.

Week 4: Florida at Miami (-8.5) 

8. Illinois at Indiana – 7:30 on NBC

The Indiana Hoosiers and Illinois Fighting Illini have played each other on the gridiron many, many times. This Saturday will mark the first time since 1950 (and only the second time ever) that both teams are ranked as No. 19 IU welcomes No. 9 Illinois to Bloomington. IU has won 11 straight home games and has been dominant at home under Curt Cignetti, beating opponents by an average of 52 to 7.7 this season and beating everyone but Michigan dominantly in Bloomington last season. Illinois has looked great in wins over Duke, Western Illinois, and Western Michigan, and they enter this game full of confidence. This is viewed by many as a “College Football Playoff eliminator game." That may end up being true, but for now, it can confidently be said that this should be a fantastic clash between two very hungry programs with excellent coaching staffs.

Week 4: Illinois at IU (-5)

9. Arizona State at Baylor – 7:30 on FOX

The primetime window, as expected, has several exciting games. The Baylor Bears have one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, and the Bears will get a chance to put on a show on Saturday night as they take on an Arizona State team that has been susceptible through the air thus far. Sawyer Robertson is averaging more than 350 yards through the air, and I think he’ll beat that by throwing for more than 400 yards on the Sun Devils. Arizona State and Baylor both already have one loss and should be playing with some desperation to keep their season from going off the rails in week 4.

Week 4: ASU at Baylor (-2.5)

10. Michigan State at USC – 11:00 on FOX

I feel bad for the Michigan State fans as this game won’t end until the middle of the night in East Lansing. Of course, when your conference spans multiple time zones, things like this are going to happen. On the field, the 3-0 USC Trojans host the 3-0 Michigan State Spartans. USC has not really been tested yet, but its defense does seem improved, and quarterback Jayden Maiava appears to have taken a step forward as a leader for the offense. Michigan State beat Boston College in East Lansing, and that overtime victory seemed like a really nice win, but a bit of luster wore off a week later as Stanford also beat BC. This is a significant test for head coach Jonathan Smith and a must-win game for Lincoln Riley’s Trojans.

Week 4: MSU at USC (-18.5)

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