College football's conference play is (mostly) underway, and the stakes will be correspondingly higher: The sport finds its footing this weekend with ranking matches in the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC that will determine the College Football Playoff championship and any remaining question marks.
Let's start with the honorable mentions and count down as we rank the top 10 games of Week 4.
Honorable Mention: JMU vs. North Carolina, Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech, Memphis vs. Navy, TCU vs. SMU, Iowa vs. Minnesota
(All point spreads are from BetMGM. Click here for live odds. All kickoff times are Eastern time and Saturday unless otherwise noted.)
10. San Jose State (3-0) at Washington State (3-0), Friday, 10 p.m., The CW
Last week's win up the Wazoo was a good one, renewing the Apple Cup rivalry with a win over Washington and a dramatic goal-line victory for the Cougars. Quarterback John Mathias was a two-way fireball and head coach Jake Dickert brought a celebratory cigar to the postgame press conference. Washington State is one team that's feeling good early on. The Cougars now face San Jose State in a different kind of grudge match, who may feel slighted by Washington State for leading the Pac-12's takeover of the Mountain West. The Spartans have yet to face a team as good as up the Wazoo, but former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo has abandoned the triple option and led San Jose State to an undefeated start that includes a road win over Air Force.
line: Washington -11.5
A tough start for NC State. After a 51-10 blowout loss to Tennessee, the Wolfpack lost starting quarterback Grayson McCall to injury in a 30-20 win over Louisiana Tech. Freshman reserve CJ Bailey started against Clemson and led the team to a comeback win over Louisiana Tech, but NC State never looked like a team worthy of a preseason Top 25 ranking. This will also be an interesting test for Clemson, who is coming off a bye week after a blowout loss to Georgia and a big win over Appalachian State. Are the Tigers still a real threat in the ACC and playoff race? The spread for this game suggests so. Either way, Saturday's results will get us a little closer to the answer.
line: Clemson -20.5
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnick threw for a career-high 378 yards and completed 92.3 percent of his passes against Appalachian State. (Alex Hicks Jr./USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images)
8. Arkansas (2-1) vs. Auburn (2-1), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
It's hard to put into words, but this game is a college football game in the fall when the leaves change color. The game is on ESPN instead of CBS, and neither team is expected to be in the running for the SEC title or CFP, so Arkansas' Sam Pittman is in a tough spot, but there's an indescribable nostalgia to this matchup. The quarterback showdown between Arkansas' two-way player Taylen Green and Auburn's redshirt freshman Hank Brown should be intriguing. Brown made his first start last week against New Mexico, throwing four touchdowns. Both teams have tough schedules coming up, and a win is essential to ease fans' worries.
line: Auburn -3
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What about Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils? The second-year head coach has led ASU, picked last in the Big 12 preseason poll, to an undefeated start with three solid wins, including a hard-fought win over Texas State last Thursday. Quarterback Sam Leavitt is a workhorse, running back Cam Skatebo is devastating and Dillingham's enthusiasm for recruiting Texas is already paying off. It remains to be seen whether ASU can make any notable appearances in the Big 12 race, but it could be up against an inexplicable Texas Tech team that escaped in overtime at Abilene Christian, got swept up the Wazzou and then slammed North Texas for 66 points.
line: Texas Tech University -3
6. Georgia Tech (3-1) at No. 19 Louisville (2-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
Georgia Tech followed up a tough loss to Syracuse with a big win over VMI, and their brief stay in the Top 25 makes it clear that the Yellow Jackets are better this season than most expected. But I'm more interested in Louisville. The Cardinals have almost automatically entered the Top 20 with easy wins over Austin Peay and Jacksonville State. Transfer quarterback Tyler Shaw impressed against underdogs, but with a trip to Notre Dame coming up next week, this game should give us a better idea of just how much of an ACC and playoff contender Louisville is this season.
line: Louisville -10.5
5. No. 8 Miami (3-0) at South Florida (2-1), 7 p.m., ESPN
Mario Cristobal's third-year struggles make for an interesting stop in Tampa. Quarterback Cam Ward has been outstanding for the Hurricanes, ranking second in FBS passing yards, first in passing touchdowns, third in yards per attempt and fourth in QB rating, propelling Miami into the top 10. But now Miami must face a USF team that plagued Alabama for three and a half quarters. Bulls quarterback Byram Brown ran the ball effectively but struggled through the air, and the USF defense crumbled late against the Tide, allowing 21 points in the final six minutes. A decisive road win on ESPN primetime would be the height of Miami excitement.
line: Miami -16.5
Cam Ward transferred from Washington State to Miami in the offseason and is leading the Hurricanes to CFP hopes. (Sam Navarro/Imagine Images)
4. No. 24 Illinois (3-0) at No. 22 Nebraska (3-0), 8 p.m. Friday, Fox
The ranked Big Ten matchup you never knew you needed in your life. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola and his Patrick Mahomes cosplay will be back in the spotlight Friday night against undefeated Illinois. Raiola is playing great for a true freshman with high expectations and a fanbase desperate for a return to winning football. The Cornhuskers haven't played in a bowl game in seven seasons, haven't beaten a ranked team since 2016 and haven't won at home since 2011. They'll be taking on an Illinois team that ranks second in the FBS with a plus-8 turnover margin. Illinois isn't top-tier in other areas right now, but they're strong enough to keep Lincoln's optimism on guard.
line: Nebraska -8.5
3. No. 11 USC (2-0) at No. 18 Michigan (2-1), 3:30 p.m., CBS
It's Alex Orji's turn at Michigan. The speedy junior replaces Davis Warren, who has been intercepted six times in three games. Can Orji provide enough of a spark to turn things around? Michigan is trailing at home for the second time in three weeks. After a blowout loss to Texas in Week 2, they open this week against USC, coming off a break. The Trojans are riding a wave of momentum. AthleticComing off an opening week win over LSU and a vastly improved defense under new coordinator Danton Lin, this team is poised to make the playoffs. A road win over Michigan would further boost their CFP hopes, especially with a favorable remaining schedule: No Ohio State or Oregon, and Penn State, Nebraska and Notre Dame are all at home.
line: USC-6
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2. No. 12 Utah (3-0) at No. 14 Oklahoma State (3-0), 4 p.m., Fox
Utah quarterback Cam Rising is expected to play despite an injury to his throwing hand in Week 2 against Baylor. Utah is a predictably strong defense and the top-ranked team in the Big 12 Conference, but they will enter the Thunder Dome in Stillwater. The Pockets are a bit of an enigma. Doak Walker Award-winning running back Ollie Gordon II has been mostly held down, averaging 3.5 yards per carry, but seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman has filled in the gaps. Bowman is sixth in the FBS in passing yards, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. This is a key time for Oklahoma State, who will be traveling to Kansas State next week and will still be without star linebacker Collin Oliver. Utah will head to Arizona next week, so they should have a better idea of where they stand atop the Big 12 Conference by the end of the month.
line: Utah -2.5
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1. No. 6 Tennessee (3-0) at No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0), 7:30 p.m., ABC
The big story is that Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is returning to Oklahoma. Heupel led the team to a national championship as quarterback at Oklahoma before being fired as offensive coordinator. Joe Rexroad wrote a great memoir about how the reunion unfolded for all involved (it worked out well for Tennessee!) and the importance of the game, which Joe describes as “an early articulation of the College Football Playoff.” Tennessee State is riding high as they lead the FBS in points per game with 63.7. Quarterback Nico Iamareava's 10.4 yards per attempt is eighth-most among all quarterbacks, and the offense is averaging 8.1 yards per play. The Sooners are at the other end of the spectrum, still trying to get back on track with just 4.9 yards per play under quarterback Jackson Arnold averaging 5.6 yards per play. (Wide receivers Nick Anderson and Andrel Anthony could help in that regard if they return from injury.) Brent Venables' defense has been solid, but Tennessee has allowed 3.1 yards per play and 4.3 points per game, both of which are in the top three in the FBS. ESPN's “College GameDay” heads to Norman to see if the Sooners can slow Tennessee down in Oklahoma's first SEC showdown.
line: Tennessee -7
(Top photo of Jackson Arnold by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
