Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
This is one of the best college football slates of the year. Dig in.
Last week we were tasked with coming up with the five best games of the college football week.
It was a difficult task.
Coming up with the five best games this week however is also difficult, but for a much different reason. While Week 3 did not offer much in the way of matchups between ranked teams, or games that could have national title implications, Week 4 is the exact opposite. Six games this weekend feature a matchup of ranked opponents, and that does not include Florida State making a trip to play Clemson, nor does it include 18th-ranked Duke travelling to Storrs to take on Connecticut, or 12th-ranked LSU hosting a tough Arkansas team.
While finding five games last week was hard, cutting it down to five games this week was tougher.
Here’s our best effort.
5. Mississippi (15) at Alabama (13)
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin attempts to be the second Saban tree branch to knock down the big boss this season as the Landsharks go on the road to Alabama, but the biggest story here is who’s under center for the Crimson Tide. QB Tyler Buchner started the game against USF, but after only completing five passes, he was pulled for Ty Simpson, who didn’t fare much better. Jalen Milroe might once again get the start for the Tide in a crucial home game to keep them in the hunt for a New Years’ Six bowl bid, and their first game in SEC play. The Ole Miss defense is also run by a former Saban assistant Pete Golding, so a Bama family reunion might be underway here of sorts. Either way, this looks to be the best SEC game of the week, with potential national shockwaves if Ole Miss were to pull off the upset.
4. UCLA (22) at Utah (11)
The Bruins might have something at quarterback, with true freshman Dante Moore. Moore got the start for UCLA against N.C. Central last week — his second straight start — and threw a touchdown pass on the Bruins’ first play from scrimmage.
While Chip Kelly has yet to commit to a starter (five UCLA quarterbacks played in the blowout against the Eagles) Moore looks every bit the part of a future star. Which should be expected, given that he was one of the top ranked quarterbacks in his recruiting class. But if he gets the start Saturday, as is expected, the former five-star recruit will see his toughest challenge yet in a Utah team that is tough, physical, and will get after him — or whoever the Bruins put under center — in a hurry.
3. Iowa (24) at Penn State (7)
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 3-0, but yet to face a Big Ten opponent.
They open their conference schedule with perhaps their toughest game of the season.
As things stand right now, Penn State is the only ranked team the Hawkeyes will face this year. The Nittany Lions are viewed as one of the best teams, not just in the Big Ten but in all of college football, and sophomore Drew Allar has yet to turn the football over since becoming the starting quarterback.
There is also some bad blood simmering beneath the surface between these two schools. They last played back in 2021, when then No. 3 Iowa knocked off then No. 4 Penn State at home, rallying from a 14-point deficit to win 23-20. But Iowa fans took to booing injured Penn State players, believing the injuries were strategic in nature to slow down the Iowa offense, leading to a war of words between the coaching staffs in the weeks that followed.
Oh, and it is a “White Out” game Saturday night in Happy Valley. Always makes for incredible visuals.
2. Colorado (19) at Oregon (10)
This is truly the first big test for head coach Deion Sanders’ Colorado team. They have to go to Eugene to take on an Oregon team that returns many starters from last year. This looks to be a dynamic QB battle, with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders squaring off with Oregon QB Bo Nix, but Sanders will be without superstar WR/DB Travis Hunter. Hunter took a massive shot in the win over Colorado State and will be out for a few weeks.
For the Buffaloes, this could come down to how many stops can they get on defense. Oregon has shown that they’re capable of lighting up the scoreboard with the run or the pass, and Colorado hasn’t looked great in either department against Power Five competition. However, if they can generate enough stops consistently, they can get Sanders the ball back for some more “Brady Mode” moments. Make sure you keep your eyes on this one.
1. Ohio State (6) at Notre Dame (9)
This is the game both college fans and NFL scouts will be looking at. Ohio State comes in the higher ranked team, but hasn’t really looked too impressive. Notre Dame on the other hand, is firing on all cylinders with an offense that looks efficient with QB Sam Hartman leading the charge, but they might not have faced a defense that’s as talented as the Ohio State one they welcome to South Bend on Saturday. If the Fighting Irish can get the run game going against that talented OSU front, it should go a long way towards an Irish victory.
On the flip side, this is the first major test for Buckeye QB Kyle McCord. He’s had his ups and downs, but he can’t afford to make any mistakes against the Irish. Luckily for him, he has two all-world wideouts in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka who can flip the odds in Ohio State’s favor at anytime. This game will go a long way towards the CFP, and whoever wins might propel themselves into the top four.
