Week 4 looks significantly better than week 3.
After just two games between ranked opponents last week, this week features three such clashes, including two between teams ranked in the top 15. And both games could prove crucial toward the end of the season.
Saturday afternoon, No. 12 Utah visits No. 14 Oklahoma State in a game that could easily happen again in December during 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.
These are the five biggest matches of the weekend.
(All times are Eastern and all odds are from BetMGM.)
Time: Friday 8pm | TV: Fox | Line: Nebraska -8.5 | Total: 42.5
Both teams are undefeated to begin the season as they enter Big Ten play. Illinois’ Week 2 win over Kansas doesn’t look great after the Jayhawks lost to UNLV in Week 3, and it remains to be seen how well Nebraska’s Week 2 win over Colorado will hold up.
There are signs of real optimism for both teams, though. They’re both giving up fewer than 10 points per game, and the offenses have done enough. After 13 TDs and 10 interceptions in 2023, Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has thrown six TD passes and no interceptions. Nebraska freshman Dylan Raiola threw the first interception of his career against Northern Iowa, but has completed at least 70 percent of his passes in each of the Huskers’ first three games. The first team to reach 20 points could win this one.
NC State at No. 21 Clemson
Time: Afternoon | TV: ABC | Line: Clemson -20.5 | Total: 47
After watching Clemson beat Georgia in Week 1, such a line would have seemed incomprehensible. But the Tigers beat Appalachian State in Week 2, when the offense bounced back magnificently from its struggles against the Bulldogs. Then they were eliminated in Week 3.
NC State has had a rough start to the season. After needing a second-half comeback to win Week 1 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 will be out Saturday and will be replaced by freshman CJ Bailey.
If NC State can pull off a shocking upset — the Wolfpack have won two of their last three games against the Tigers — Miami will become an even bigger team to beat in the ACC. If Clemson is convincing in this game, the Tigers have every right to think they can match the Hurricanes at the top of the conference.
No. 11 USC at No. 18 Michigan
Time: 3:30 PM | TV: CBS | Line: USC -6 | Total: 44.5
This too seemed impossible at the start of the season, but USC’s blowout win over LSU and Michigan’s offensive woes so far have made it clear 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 interceptions in the Week 3 win over Arkansas State. Orji has seen time in each of the first three games, but those have been primarily in running situations. He has thrown just six passes all year. Expect Michigan’s offense to become even more run-oriented. Getting an early lead will be key.
Michigan’s likely push 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 appear to be a much better tackling unit than in years past. QB Miller Moss has completed 73 percent of his passes through two games, while former Mississippi State RB Woody Marks is averaging nearly six yards per carry.
No. 12 Utah at No. 14 Oklahoma State
Time: 4:00 PM | TV: Fox | Line: Oklahoma State -2.5 | Total: 52.5
After Utah missed its 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 win over the Aggies with a right hand injury he sustained against Baylor. Although 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 home favorites. RB Micah Bernard is averaging 6.7 yards per rush after missing most of 2023 with injury, and TE Brant Kuithe appears fully healthy with eight catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns in three games.
Oklahoma State still wants to get RB Ollie Gordon to play. The All-American has rushed for 62 times for 216 yards in three games this season. That’s just 3.5 yards per carry. Seventh-year QB Alan Bowman wasn’t particularly 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 on Wednesday, but big money was placed on Oklahoma State to change the score by five points and make the Cowboys a 2.5-point favorite.
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma
Time: 7:30 pm | TV: ABC | Line: Tennessee -7 | Total: 57.5
Former Oklahoma QB and assistant Josh Heupel returns to Norman on Saturday night as the Volunteers’ head coach. Heupel finished second in the Heisman voting in 2000 when the Sooners won the national championship with a 13-0 season. He coached at Oklahoma from 2006-14 when he was not retained after an 8-5 season.
After coaching at Utah State, Missouri and UCF, Heupel has led the Vols the past four seasons and will undoubtedly have a few tricks up his sleeve for his first game back in Norman as a head coach. After all, this is a Tennessee team that attempted an onside kick in a 30-0 loss to 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 is the run game. The Volunteers have rushed for over 1,000 yards this season, as 12 players have attempted at least one rush.
Oklahoma needs to get a sluggish passing game going. Jackson Arnold is just 54 of 86 for 484 yards so far this season. That’s less than six yards per pass. If Oklahoma wants to pull off the upset, Arnold will need to have his best game of the season.
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Other games to check out
Florida at Mississippi State (noon, ESPN): This game is worth watching 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 by Toledo in Week 3. If Florida can’t win on Saturday, the questions about Napier’s future will increase significantly.
Vanderbilt at No. 7 Missouri (4:15 p.m., SEC Network): This is a game that would have had a shot at a top five finish if Vanderbilt had held on to Georgia State. Unfortunately, the Panthers scored a late TD and a surprise win over the Commodores in Week 3. Missouri will want to win much more comfortably than it did against Boston College, while Vanderbilt needs to show that its Week 1 win over Virginia Tech wasn’t a fluke and that it will be more competitive in the SEC.
No. 8 Miami at South Florida (7 p.m., ESPN): Don’t discount the Bulls. Yes, Miami is a 16.5-point favorite, but Alex Golesh’s team won a bowl game last season and hasn’t been outscored by Alabama in the past two seasons. Miami QB Cam Ward is the current favorite for the Heisman and will maintain that status with one more big game.
Cal at Florida State (7 p.m., ESPN2): Is this the week that Florida State finally wins? We don’t know for sure. Cal has been playing solid football this season and is off to a 3-0 start. The Bears won away at Auburn in Week 2, and the Tigers are a better team than the Seminoles right now.
No. 13 Kansas State at BYU (10:30 p.m., ESPN): We have a good nightcap this week, as the Wildcats are 6.5-point favorites over the Cougars. BYU is coming off a 20-point win at Wyoming in Week 3, while 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.
