A few times a season, we have what I like to call “sneaky good” weeks in college football.
Week 4 is one of those weeks.
Transparently, sometimes I have trouble finding at least 10 games that I think are truly worth keeping an eye on. This week, I was swapping games in and out of the list multiple times.
For the first time this season, we have more than five matchups featuring teams that are both ranked in the AP Top 25. And to add to that point, it does feel like there are multiple games on the slate that could result in upsets (at least, from a rankings perspective).
As we close out the month of September, teams are beginning to take their true form, and as fans we are having to rely less on what we thought about those teams before the season began to form an opinion about the “haves” and “have nots” of the sport.
Let’s take a look at the best that Week 4 has to offer.
Embed from Getty Images5 Games You Need to Watch This Weekend
#1 Texas at #14 Tennessee (Saturday, 12 PM ET – ABC)
The Longhorns will leave the state of Texas for the first time this season and head to Rocky Top, where the crowd will still be wearing orange, albeit a different hue and none too supportive of the “horns up” gesture. A lot has transpired since the comeback against Ohio State nearly two weeks ago, and while Arch Manning will certainly be one of the main topics of conversation associated with this game, he’s not really the main concern for Steve Sarkisian. Rather, how well the Longhorns’ defense holds up against the fourth-best rushing attack in the country is likely the key question to be answered in Knoxville.
The Volunteers have been sitting pretty thus far in 2026, developing their true freshman quarterback in relatively low pressure situations while the run game (298.6 YPG) ensures that has been the scenario. That will probably come to an end this week, with Will Muschamp likely to force Tennessee into utilizing Faizon Brandon as a true creator for the offense rather than as primarily a game manager. He has been relatively competent through three games, but this is a without a doubt the biggest game of his life up to this point. I see this being a “one or the other” type game – either Brandon is humbled by a veteran defense and cunning defensive coordinator, or Texas is upset in its first road test and we have a new top dog heading into Week 5.
My Pick: 28-21 Texas (covers -4.5 spread)
#4 Mississippi at #21 Florida (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET – ABC)
The Rebels successfully made Lane Kiffin’s return to Vaught Hemingway Stadium a nightmare, not only dominating the first half of the game but slamming the door shut on the Tigers’ furious comeback attempt, denying Kiffin & Co. any chance of having the last laugh. The threat of a letdown performance this week feels high, however, and Vegas agrees. While Mississippi was still getting ready for its battle last weekend, Florida was about four and a half hours down the road proving that its hot start offensively is no fluke. The Gators posted nearly 500 yards of balanced offense on Auburn, solidifying quarterback Aaron Philo and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner as one of the early surprises of the 2026 season. Just one year ago Florida couldn’t get out of its own way on offense, and now that side of the ball is what gives it an excellent opportunity to notch its first victory over a top five team since 2020.
Trinidad Chambliss admitted that emotions were high last weekend, and it will at least partially be on the Mississippi quarterback to refocus his teammates ahead of this matchup in The Swamp. However, much like the earlier SEC battle featured in this article, it’s elsewhere that I have my finger pointed as to the key matchup. The Rebels have the worst run defense in the conference thus far and haven’t yet faced a rushing attack like Florida’s. The Gators posted 243 yards on the ground against Auburn and haven’t been held to fewer than 214 yards rushing in a game this season. If Chambliss was the poster boy for emotion last weekend, the torch could be passed on the same field this weekend and given to Jadan Baugh. The Gators running back leads the country with eight rushing touchdowns this season and hasn’t yet gotten the flowers he deserves for sticking with the program during the transition from Billy Napier to Jon Sumrall. There’s pent up energy in Gainesville, too, and it’s about to help ensure another significant shakeup in the Top 25 rankings.
My Pick: 35-33 Florida (does not cover -3.5 spread)
#17 Iowa at #18 Michigan (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET – CBS)
I joked that the Big Ten took a weekend off last week, but it’s back and in the very traditional sense with this matchup. As opposed to the other big one in the conference this weekend, the battle between the Hawkeyes and Wolverines figures to be the type of affair that would make old-school fans of the game happy. Don’t be fooled by Iowa’s nearly 480 yards per game of offense thus far – we’ve seen that before and even been told as recently as 2025 that “things are different this year.” They’re not, and the Hawkeyes are even not-so-subtly telling you that with their 13 total points allowed defensively through three games. Kirk Ferentz’s squad is going to try to follow the Western Michigan blueprint for stifling Michigan’s offense, and it just might work.
Iowa’s disciplined approach defensively gives it a great opportunity to keep the Michigan offense contained. The longer guys like JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh have to wiggle free downfield, the better that Bryce Underwood will look. I expect the Hawkeyes defense, which is currently the best in the country, to do a good job preventing those opportunities for most of the game and forcing the Wolverines to produce in a more structured way. The problem for Iowa is that Michigan will likely do the same. In what could be viewed as a stalemate in terms of style will ultimately be decided by a few big moments orchestrated by playmakers. The Wolverines have more of those, have already experienced a major scare in a tight game and will enjoy homefield advantage. Kyle Whittingham’s team should survive another week.
My Pick: 20-16 Michigan (does not cover -5.5 spread)
#20 Oregon at #12 Southern Cal (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET – NBC)
The “other big one” in the Big Ten Conference this week isn’t traditional in any sense of the word. This former Pac-12 battle will at least be played fairly close to “after dark” for the majority of the country, with the Trojans welcoming in the Ducks in a crucial early season matchup from both a league and Playoff perspective. Plenty of questions have been posed amidst an incredibly shaky 2-1 start about this Oregon squad, which hasn’t been as advertised defensively so far this season. And while that may have Southern Cal smelling blood in the water, the Trojans will be without two of their top wideouts for this game. With the Ducks surprisingly dropping a game already, it doesn’t feel like Dan Lanning’s squad can afford another loss in this spot. The Trojans have historically struggled away from home in the Big Ten, however, and really need to take care of business at The Coliseum as well.
While there have been a lot of theories about what has truly plagued the Ducks this season, I think it’s really about getting back to basics for Dan Lanning. Oregon has not been running the ball well but has an opportunity to get itself right against a Southern Cal defense that is becoming increasingly suspect in terms of its ability to stop the ground game. Success on the ground would allow the Ducks to control the clock and keep the ball out of the hands of Jayden Maiava, who has been as advertised in 2026. With fewer proven options to throw to coupled with fewer opportunities if Oregon takes some of the air out of the ball, I think that the Southern Cal offense may struggle to look excellent for the first time this season. It may seem a bit surprising given Oregon’s performances thus far, but Dan Lanning is one of the nation’s best at putting together a proper gameplan and should also have the attention of his team following the lackluster first two games.
My Pick: 31-27 Oregon (covers -2.5 spread)
#19 Missouri at #24 Mississippi State (Saturday, 7:45 PM ET – SEC Network)
If Mississippi State ends up being the SEC team I was most wrong about this season, I won’t be upset in the slightest. True ball knowers have already been aware of the gem that the Bulldogs have at quarterback in Kamario Taylor, but the rest of the country is quickly catching up. Jeff Lebby’s team boasts the top offense in the conference, thanks in large part to Taylor, who is developing magnificently as a passer in addition to already being lethal with his legs. A true test of Mississippi State’s legitimacy comes in the form of the Missouri defense, which is once again a turnover machine operating within Corey Batoon’s system.
If you feel like you’ve seen Mississippi State’s go-go offense before, you likely have if you ever watched a Baylor game around a decade ago. Philip Montgomery is the new mastermind behind the Bulldogs’ offense, and one of the keys to it being so difficult to stop is the length of time (or lack thereof) it requires to operate successfully. While Mississippi State has amassed the fourth most yards of offense in the country through three games, it is No. 13 in the SEC in time of possession. The Missouri defense will likely try to force mistakes with pressure and its offense will accompany it by trying to sustain long, clock churning drives, but this is one of those matchups where a good defense will get beat by a better offense. Starkvegas will be rocking on Saturday evening to get behind their surprise contender, and the Bulldogs will give the home crowd plenty to cheer about.
My Pick: 34-24 Mississippi State (covers -5.5 spread)
Embed from Getty Images5 Games to Keep an Eye On This Weekend
Boise State at Western Michigan (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET – ESPN2)
A matchup that was anticipated in the preseason to be a potential G6 Playoff decider is still looking that way a month into the regular season. Both will seek to control the tempo of the game with their ground attack, making this a strength vs. strength affair that is highly underrated heading into the weekend.
Oklahoma at #2 Georgia (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET – ESPN)
It appears to be Last Chance Saloon for Oklahoma quite early, with the Sooners falling out of the Top 25 this week following a lackluster performance over New Mexico. Brent Venables needs to find offense from somewhere to shock the Bulldogs, which currently lead the country in scoring (59.3 PPG).
Wisconsin at #13 Penn State (Saturday, 5 PM ET – Peacock)
The Badgers looked good for about a half against a Notre Dame squad that in many ways could be characterized as Penn State on steroids. Luke Fickell’s team took care of the easy ones following its loss to the Fighting Irish, but will need a competitive performance in Happy Valley on Saturday evening to keep an already skeptical Badger faithful hopeful that this program has turned a corner.
Oklahoma State at West Virginia (Saturday, 7 PM ET – FS1)
The Cowboys’ victory over Oregon and the Mountaineers’ over Virginia are two of the more surprising results of the season thus far. Neither team was expected to make a ton of noise in the Big 12 this season, but with drastically different styles have each proven to be dangerous offensively. Expect a fun, unpredictable one in Morgantown that – dare I say – may get wild.
#23 Texas A&M at #10 LSU (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET – ABC)
The Hangover Bowl takes place in Baton Rouge on Saturday night, positioned in this timeslot because the broadcasting network banked on this being one of the top matchups of the regular season from a rankings perspective. I still think LSU is a Playoff contender, whereas the Aggies just arrived at disappointment earlier than I predicted. It’s still a ranked matchup, but I think it has the highest potential of any game on these lists to get ugly.
