What to watch: College football Week 4 viewer's guide

Don’t sleep on the fourth weekend of the 2025 college football season.

Though teams like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Penn State are off, there are still three conference games featuring ranked teams. And all three could have College Football Playoff ramifications.

Here’s what to watch in Week 4, starting with an early kickoff in Salt Lake City.

No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah

Is this an early preview of December’s Big 12 championship game?

Neither school has played the toughest of competition, but you can argue that both Tech and Utah have been two of the most impressive teams in the conference. The Red Raiders lead college football with 58 points per game as QB Behren Morton has thrown for 11 TDs and one interception.

Utah, meanwhile, is enjoying good quarterback play again. New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier is completing 73% of his passes and has thrown seven touchdowns while also leading the team in rushing with 198 yards on 33 attempts. The Utes also haven’t given up more than 10 points in a single game over the first three weeks of the season.

In addition to being a possible title game preview, the game is also an early-season referendum on the changes both teams made ahead of the season. Utah added Dampier knowing that it was an above-average quarterback away from being back in the mix for the conference title. Tech spent lavishly in the transfer portal all over the roster but a specific focal point was the defensive line. The Red Raiders will need to hold up well against the Utah run game to pull the upset.

No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold returns to Norman after a tumultuous 2024 season.

Arnold was anointed the starter at the end of 2023 following Dillon Gabriel’s transfer. But he struggled in 2024 and found himself in and out of the starting lineup before entering the transfer portal.

After winning Auburn’s summer QB competition, Arnold is completing 70% of his passes and has eight total touchdowns so far this season. Can he find the same success he had on the ground against Baylor vs. the Sooners? Arnold rushed 16 times for 137 yards and two scores in the 38-24 Week 1 win. He’s carried the ball 19 times for 55 yards in the two games since.

John Mateer has stabilized the QB position in Norman after arriving from Washington State. Mateer was responsible for all three of Oklahoma’s TDs in the Sooners’ Week 2 win over Michigan.

The Wolverines scored 13 points in that game. Illinois State and Temple, Oklahoma’s other two opponents, have each only mustered a field goal. The Auburn offense is in for a stiff test against what’s been one of the best defenses in the country, though Oklahoma will be without star edge rusher R Mason Thomas for the first half after his targeting ejection against the Owls.

Tulane at No. 13 Ole Miss

Don’t let the double-digit spread in this game make you think there isn’t any intrigue. Tulane is building an incredibly strong early-season case to be the top non-power conference team thanks to its wins over Northwestern and Duke, though the Green Wave escaped against South Alabama in Week 2.

Former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff leads the Green Wave in rushing with 40 carries for 288 yards and six scores. He rushed 17 times for 111 yards and four touchdowns against the Blue Devils while also completing 15-of-23 passes for 245 yards.

Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons is set to return after missing most of the Rebels’ win over Arkansas following the ankle injury he suffered against Kentucky in Week 2. Backup QB Trinidad Chambliss started that game and played well; he threw for 353 yards and a score while rushing 15 times for 62 yards and two TDs. If Simmons isn’t fully healthy, Week 3 shows that Ole Miss has depth at QB.

If Tulane can pull the upset, the Green Wave are immediately the clear favorites to make the playoff among non-power teams. Heck, a close loss may even grant them that status. And Ole Miss can’t get caught looking ahead, either. The Rebels host No. 3 LSU in Week 5.

No. 21 Michigan at Nebraska

It’s the biggest game of the Matt Rhule era at Nebraska.

Nebraska enters the game with a staggering losing streak against ranked opponents. You have to go all the way back to 2016 to find Nebraska’s last victory over a team in the AP Top 25. The Huskers beat No. 22 Oregon in Week 3.

Since then, Nebraska has lost 27 straight games against teams in the top 25. Seriously.

A win over the Wolverines would make many Nebraska fans start dreaming of what could be in 2025. No. 25 USC and No. 2 Penn State are the only other ranked teams on the Huskers’ schedule.

Michigan QB Bryce Underwood struggled in his first road start in Week 2 vs. Oklahoma but bounced back in a big way against Central Michigan. He threw for 235 yards and a TD while rushing nine times for 114 yards and two scores. Underwood should be much more comfortable than he was nearly two weeks ago, and Michigan should have a better game plan to support him in an atmosphere that will be just as raucous as it was in Norman.

No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana

This game could end up having massive implications for the College Football Playoff at the end of the season.

The Hoosiers were the fourth Big Ten team in the playoff behind Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State a season ago. Is Indiana a playoff-caliber team again? We’ll have a much better idea on Saturday.

The first three weeks really haven’t given us much of an idea as Indiana has faced Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State. Former Cal QB Fernando Mendoza is 55-of-76 passing for 708 yards and has thrown nine TDs without an interception so far this season. Four of those TD passes went to WR Omar Cooper Jr. against Indiana State.

Illinois finished fifth in the Big Ten a season ago and brought back most of its starting lineup. QB Luke Altmyer appears to have taken a step forward as a passer; his stats are basically identical to Mendoza’s. Altmyer is 56-of-78 passing for 709 yards and eight touchdowns. WR Hank Beatty has been a breakout player too. He has 19 catches for 289 yards already.

Thanks to Illinois’ Big Ten schedule, this game may be more of a must-win for the Hoosiers than the Illini. Indiana travels to Oregon and Penn State later this season. A loss on Saturday will make a road win against one of those top-10 opponents vital to get back to the playoff.

Other games to watch

Arkansas (-7.5) at Memphis, Noon ET, ABC: It’s another opportunity for an American Conference team to get a signature win over an SEC opponent. And just like at Florida, there could be some serious pressure at Arkansas with a loss. A Memphis win would drop the Razorbacks to 2-2 ahead of a Week 5 game against Notre Dame.

SMU at TCU (-7), Noon ET, ESPN2: This could be the last Iron Skillet rivalry game we see for a while. The two Metroplex rivals aren’t scheduled to face each other in the near future. With the exception of the 2020 season, they’ve played every year since 2007.

North Carolina at UCF (-7), 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox: Will UNC’s second game against a Big 12 opponent go better than its first? The Tar Heels were overmatched in their Week 1 blowout loss to TCU and have since beaten Charlotte and Richmond. It’s also a good barometer for where UCF stands in the opening weeks of Scott Frost’s tenure. The 2-0 Knights have played Jacksonville State and North Carolina A&T.

South Carolina at No. 23 Missouri (-10.5), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Tigers have looked strong over the first three weeks of the season and dominated Louisiana in Week 3. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers is listed as questionable for the game; he left in the first half of the Gamecocks’ loss to Vanderbilt last week after a hit to the head.

Florida at No. 4 Miami (-7.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC: Miami opened the 2024 season with a win over Florida and can move to 4-0 this season with another victory over the Gators. The Hurricanes’ offense looks fantastic as it’s transitioned from Cam Ward to Carson Beck and the defense smothered a USF team that beat Florida in Week 2.

Arizona State at Baylor (-2.5), 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox: Could the defending Big 12 champions drop to 2-2? Arizona State lost late to Mississippi State in Week 2 as QB Sam Leavitt struggled. He was just 10-of-22 passing for 82 yards and an interception. Baylor lost to Auburn in Week 1 before beating SMU by three in overtime in Week 2 after a late comeback.

What to watch: College football Week 4 viewer’s guide

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