Week 4 looks substantially better than Week 3 did.
After last week featured just two games between ranked opponents, there are three such matchups this week, including two between teams ranked in the top 15. And both of those games could prove to be crucial at the end of the season.
Saturday afternoon, No. 12 Utah visits No. 14 Oklahoma State in a matchup that could easily happen again in December at the Big 12 championship game. Saturday night, No. 6 Tennessee and its explosive offense visits No. 15 Oklahoma in the first SEC game ever in Norman.
Here are the five biggest games of the weekend.
(All times are Eastern and all odds are from BetMGM.)
Time: 8 p.m. Friday | TV: Fox | Line: Nebraska -8.5 | Total: 42.5
Both teams are undefeated to start the season as they enter Big Ten play. Illinois’ win over Kansas in Week 2 doesn’t look as good after the Jayhawks lost to UNLV in Week 3, and it remains to be seen just how well Nebraska’s Week 2 win over Colorado will hold up.
There are signs of real optimism for both teams, however. They are both giving up fewer than 10 points per game and the offenses have done enough. After throwing for 13 TDs and 10 interceptions in 2023, Illinois QB Luke Altmyer already has six TD passes and hasn’t thrown an interception. Nebraska freshman Dylan Raiola threw the first interception of his career against Northern Iowa but has completed at least 70% of his passes in each of the Huskers’ first three games. The first team to 20 could win this one.
NC State at No. 21 Clemson
Time: Noon | TV: ABC | Line: Clemson -20.5 | Total: 47
After watching Clemson in Week 1 against Georgia, a line like this would have seemed unfathomable. But the Tigers blew out Appalachian State in Week 2 as the offense rebounded mightily from its struggles against the Bulldogs. Then they were off in Week 3.
NC State is enduring a rough start to the season. After a second-half surge was needed for a Week 1 win over Western Carolina, the Wolfpack were blown out by Tennessee in Week 2 and QB Grayson McCall was injured in a Week 3 comeback win over Louisiana Tech. McCall is out for Saturday’s game and will be replaced by freshman CJ Bailey.
If NC State can pull the shocking upset — the Wolfpack have won two of their last three games against the Tigers — Miami becomes the even bigger team to beat in the ACC. If Clemson is convincing in this one, the Tigers will have every right to think they’re the Hurricanes’ equal atop the conference.
No. 11 USC at No. 18 Michigan
Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: CBS | Line: USC -6 | Total: 44.5
This is another line that would have seemed impossible at the start of the season, but USC’s big win over LSU and Michigan’s offensive struggles have made it clear so far that the Trojans are the better team.
Michigan will start Alex Orji at quarterback against the Trojans after Davis Warren started the first three games and threw three picks in the Week 3 win over Arkansas State. Orji has seen playing time in each of the first three games but those have primarily been in running situations. He has thrown just six passes all year. Expect the Michigan offense to be even more run-oriented. Getting out to an early lead will be critical.
Michigan’s likely insistence to run the ball will be a good test for a USC defense that has been incredibly solid in coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s first season. The Trojans look to be a far better tackling unit than they have in years past. QB Miller Moss has completed 73% of his passes through two games while former Mississippi State RB Woody Marks is averaging nearly six yards a carry.
No. 12 Utah at No. 14 Oklahoma State
Time: 4 p.m. | TV: Fox | Line: Oklahoma State -2.5 | Total: 52.5
After missing Utah’s Week 3 win over Utah State, all signs point to Cameron Rising playing against the Cowboys. The seventh-year senior QB missed the 38-21 victory over the Aggies with a right hand injury he suffered against Baylor. Even though the Utes played the Bears in Week 2, this is officially Utah’s first Big 12 game ever.
Despite Rising’s likely return, the Cowboys are favored at home. RB Micah Bernard is averaging 6.7 yards a rush after missing most of 2023 due to injury and TE Brant Kuithe looks fully healthy with eight catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns through three games.
Oklahoma State is still looking to get RB Ollie Gordon going. The All-American has rushed 62 times for 216 yards through three games this season. That’s just 3.5 yards a carry. Seventh-year QB Alan Bowman was less than impressive in an overtime win over Arkansas, but threw for 396 yards and five touchdowns against Tulsa in Week 3.
It’s worth noting that Utah was a 2.5-point favorite as of Wednesday, but significant money came in on Oklahoma State to flip the line five points and make the Cowboys 2.5-point favorites.
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma
Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Tennessee -7 | Total: 57.5
Former Oklahoma QB and assistant Josh Heupel returns to Norman as the Volunteers’ head coach on Saturday night. Heupel finished second in the Heisman voting in 2000 as the Sooners won the national championship with a 13-0 season. He coached at Oklahoma from 2006 through 2014 when he wasn’t retained after an 8-5 season.
After coaching at Utah State, Missouri and UCF, Heupel has led the Vols for the past four seasons and will assuredly have some tricks up his sleeve for his first game back in Norman as a head coach. After all, this is a Tennessee team that tried an onside kick up 30-0 against Kent State in Week 3.
UT QB Nico Iamaleava has become an early Heisman favorite with his play so far, but Tennessee’s real strength has been its run game. The Volunteers have already rushed for over 1,000 yards this season as 12 players have at least one rushing attempt.
Oklahoma needs to get a sluggish pass game going. Jackson Arnold is just 54-of-86 for 484 yards so far this season. That’s less than six yards a pass. If Oklahoma is going to pull the upset, Arnold needs to have his best game of the season.
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Other games to watch
Florida at Mississippi State (Noon, ESPN): This game is worth checking on given the state of both programs. Billy Napier’s Gators are 1-2 after two home losses and Mississippi State was blown out at home in Week 3 by Toledo. If Florida can’t get the win on Saturday, questions about Napier’s future are going to significantly intensify.
Vanderbilt at No. 7 Missouri (4:15 p.m., SEC Network): Here’s a game that had a chance of being in the top five had Vanderbilt held on against Georgia State. Alas, the Panthers got a late TD and an upset win over the Commodores in Week 3. Missouri would like to win much more comfortably than it did against Boston College, while Vanderbilt needs to show its win over Virginia Tech in Week 1 wasn’t a fluke and that it’ll be more competitive in the SEC.
No. 8 Miami at South Florida (7 p.m., ESPN): Don’t sleep on the Bulls. Yeah, Miami is a 16.5-point favorite, but Alex Golesh’s team got a bowl win a season ago and hasn’t been overmatched against Alabama in each of the past two seasons. Miami QB Cam Ward is the current Heisman favorite and will retain that status with another big game.
Cal at Florida State (7 p.m., ESPN2): Is this the week Florida State finally gets a win? We aren’t too sure. Cal is playing solid football this season and is off to a 3-0 start. The Bears won on the road at Auburn in Week 2 and the Tigers are a better team than the Seminoles at this point.
No. 13 Kansas State at BYU (10:30 p.m., ESPN): We’ve got a good nightcap this week as the Wildcats are 6.5-point favorites over the Cougars. BYU got a 20-point win at Wyoming in Week 3 as the Cowboys had just 217 total yards. Kansas State, meanwhile, had one of the most impressive wins of the weekend with a 31-7 takedown of Arizona.