For the vast majority of programs, nonconference play is over and the time to prove your worth against more competitive league competition is here. That’s right Texas Tech: no more hiding behind the weakest schedule in the country.
The Red Raiders are far from the only power-conference program to not play anybody worth their salt yet. Indiana, winners over the likes of Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State, takes a major leap up the ladder to face a Top 10 Illinois team this week. Utah and Michigan State also rank in the bottom 20 in strength of schedule, but at least each school played a Power 4 opponent in its first three games.
All that to say, those four programs, and more, will get a chance to add a résumé-bolstering win Saturday. Plus, a transfer quarterback gets his chance for revenge and Billy Napier has another (yes, another) shot at redemption.
Here are the games to focus on in Week 4, featuring takes from Sports Illustrated experts Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer, as heard on SI’s college football podcast, Others Receiving Votes:
No. 17 Texas Tech Red Raiders (3–0) vs. No. 16 Utah Utes (3–0)
Saturday, noon ET, Fox
These aren’t your typical Kyle Whittingham–coached Utes. Well, they still boast the eighth-best scoring defense in the nation—a staple of the veteran coach’s teams at Utah—but it’s the offense that’s impressed behind the arrival of New Mexico tandem, OC Jason Beck and QB Devon Dampier. And the Utes will need to score to keep pace with the Red Raiders’ top-ranked scoring offense (58 points per game). Texas Tech fifth-year quarterback Behren Morton is tied for the FBS lead with 11 passing touchdowns and second in efficiency (208.43) going into this game between early season Big 12 front-runners.
What SI’s experts say:
Forde: “I’m going with the Utes. Solid program that had the blip last year. They’re back. And they did what Vanderbilt did. What Oklahoma has done—where you don’t just go get a quarterback, you get the quarterback’s offensive coordinator, too, and you bring in the package and you ramp your offense that way. And it is working extremely well so far for them. I hope the fans get there early and enjoy their sunrise tailgating.”
Fischer: “Give me Utah at home. The hook scares me a lot in this one with that three and a half. But I think Utah with the offense they have, they’re going to be able to keep things close. And look, their advantage is the one thing that can negate what Texas Tech has done in the portal. [The Red Raiders] went heavy along their offensive and defensive lines. Well, guess what? Utah has maybe the best offensive line in the country. They certainly have two first-round tackles on both the left and right side. I think Devon Dampier and Jason Beck, the OC there, I think they know what to do when games are close. When they need a play called, I think they have a lot of things up their sleeve.”
No. 22 Auburn Tigers (3–0) vs. No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners (3–0)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Jackson Arnold returns to Norman, Okla., seemingly renewed after spending his first two seasons with the Sooners. The Auburn quarterback has been more accurate (69.6% completion percentage, up from 62.6% in 2024) and a real threat on the ground (5.5 yards per carry and four touchdowns), through three games with the Tigers, though notably with a smaller sample size. Also, a Brent Venables defense awaits, having allowed just a single touchdown this season and allowing a measly 3.48 yards per play (best in FBS among teams that have played three games). Expect a tough, physical game.
Tulane Green Wave (3–0) at No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels (3–0)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
If you haven’t paid attention to what Jon Sumrall is doing in New Orleans, you’ve missed out. With a revamped roster and new quarterback Jake Retzlaff, the Green Wave have polished off two Power 4 opponents in Northwestern and Duke and survived a scare at South Alabama, setting up their toughest test yet in Ole Miss. The Rebels survived a shootout with Arkansas last week behind the surprising debut of Trinidad Chambliss, a transfer from Division II Ferris State, at quarterback. If Chambliss can replicate that performance (413 total yards and three scores), Tulane may have finally found a 2025 opponent it can’t keep up with.
No. 21 Michigan Wolverines (2–1) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (3–0)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+
Is it time to start believing in the Year 3 Matt Rhule turnaround in Lincoln, Neb.? He won 10 games in his third season at Temple, then 11 in his third year with Baylor. (Just don’t count his third season with the Carolina Panthers and the theory is alive and well.) This year’s Nebraska team sure seems to have the juice, anchored by a strong defense, a burgeoning star running back in Emmett Johnson and confident quarterback play from sophomore Dylan Raiola. There will be no Sherrone Moore on the road again for the Wolverines as he closes out his two-game suspension. Bring back the cutoffs Biff Poggi. Please.
Forde: “Last week, we saw Michigan do with Bryce Underwood, which is what they really didn’t do against Oklahoma, which is cut him loose to run and be the exquisite athlete he is. He had over 100 yards rushing on, I think only nine carries. Yeah, it was Central Michigan, but that’s the dynamic of his game that I think makes him all the more dangerous. And he’s plenty confident. You get him going with some runs and watch the confidence build there and see that offense start moving better, and I think Michigan can win and cover in Lincoln. Nebraska has tended to turn into a bundle of nerves in close games as they did against Cincinnati and nearly blew that, so I don’t trust them in a close game here.”
Fischer: “I think I’m going to lean with the home team getting points. I mean, this is the peak of what Nebraska can be on the field this year when Dylan Raiola is operating well in that offense, when those black shirts come to play on defense. I think they can win this game. And I think this is going to be a big test for whether, not only is Nebraska for real in the Big Ten as a potential fringe, maybe [College Football Playoff] dark horse, because the schedule does set up well. If they can get past this game, you can see the runway going there in terms of building momentum. This is a big game for Matt Rhule.”
No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini (3–0) at No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers (3–0)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
Cupcake time is over for Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers as the Illini come to town for the first ranked matchup between these two programs since 1950. So it’s fitting that the two programs arrive at this meeting on such equal footing. Defense has been the calling card early for both teams, with the Illini allowing 7.33 points per game and the Hoosiers yielding 7.67 points per contest across the first three weeks. Both quarterbacks, Illinois’s Luke Altmyer (709 yards, eight touchdowns, 181.99 rating) and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (708 yards, nine touchdowns, 189.70 rating) have posted almost identical stat lines and have yet to turn the ball over. With a margin that thin, chances are this game ends up close in the fourth quarter.
What SI’s experts say:
Forde: “I’m going to take the Hoosiers and give the five and a half [points]. It’s a pretty big number in, I think, two pretty even teams. But I really have liked this Indiana team all preseason. You know, I think we put them No. 10 in our preseason Top 25, higher than about anybody else. They’ve got a better quarterback in Fernando Mendoza and their defense is very good. They’ve got some skill players. I’m rolling with the Hoosiers.”
Fischer: “I think turnovers are going to be key in this one, in terms of which of those quarterbacks is going to give the ball away. So far, they really haven’t. But I think if you’re going to lean towards somebody making a boneheaded play, I almost want to go Fernando Mendoza. He’s had a couple of passes that have been a little bit errant. That’s a lot of points for a ranked team on the road. So give me Illinois, plus five and a half. I might live to regret this one because I am a big supporter in terms of what Indiana has coming into this game. But I think Illinois, they know how to win these games. They’ve been tested a lot more than Indiana has this season. So give me the Illini.”
Florida Gators (1–2) at No. 4 Miami Hurricanes (3–0)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
You can’t say Napier hasn’t gotten his opportunities to pick up a marquee win while at the helm in Gainesville, Fla. Last week didn’t go so hot, with DJ Lagway imploding for five interceptions on the road in Death Valley, but at least the travel isn’t as bad this week. The environment might be less hostile as well, but the level of competition won’t be. Miami steamrolled South Florida, 49–12 last week—the same Bulls team that beat Florida on a last-second field goal the week prior. The path doesn’t get any better for the Gators in the weeks to come, with six more top-15 opponents on the schedule after Miami. Now’s as good a time as any for Napier to get back in the win column—because he’ll need more than a few wins at the end of the season to have any hope of keeping his job.
What SI’s experts say:
Fischer: “Give me Miami, even with that hook in particular. I mean, I think if they are going to run up any type of score, if they’re going to have an opportunity to throw it deep and get another big play on the Gators, trust me, Mario Cristobal is going to do this in this one. Especially with Florida State on deck, they are operating at peak efficiency right there in Miami. I think this is a big game for Carson Beck. Give me Miami and the seven and a half.”
Forde: “I mean, if anybody I think has played the best so far this season, it might be Miami. I’ve been really impressed by what they’ve put on the field. And I think they are going to continue that and they’re going to roll. They’ll win. I ain’t worried about the hook. They’re taking that game and coming out authoritatively.”
Michigan State Spartans (3–0) at No. 25 USC Trojans (3–0)
Saturday, 11 p.m. ET, Fox
Utah starts a game at 10 a.m. local and Michigan State kicks off at 11 p.m. ET; what happened to the college football we love? Nevertheless, this battle between ancient world warrior mascots stands to help determine which program might be a contender and which one might be a pretender. Neither school has played anyone yet, apart from the Spartans’ wacky, double-overtime win over Boston College, but the Trojans have done what you’re supposed to against lesser competition: dominate. USC leads the country with 604 yards per game and a whopping 9.64 yards per play, with Jayden Maiava leading the nation with a jaw-dropping 12.5 yards per play. Hopefully this game gets wacky well after midnight on the East Coast.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Seven Best College Football Games to Watch in Week 4 Leads With Illinois-Indiana .
