Week 4 brings a Saturday slate loaded with matchups that matter, and the biggest draws are the ones with ranked teams colliding in the SEC and Big Ten. Six of those ranked-on-ranked games are spread across the weekend, and a few stand out right away.
The headline game for plenty of fans is Texas at Tennessee. Arch heads into the stadium where Peyton made his name, trying to carve out his own place with a Longhorns team that already knocked off No.
1 Ohio State a couple weeks ago. Now Texas is stepping into its first road game and opening SEC play against a Tennessee offense that can put up points, even if it hasn’t faced a defense like this one yet.
Ole Miss at Florida has the feel of a classic letdown spot if the Rebels aren’t sharp. Ole Miss comes in after an emotional win against Lane Kiffin and LSU, but now has to travel to face an undefeated Florida team that is newly ranked, riding momentum after beating Auburn, and showing it can run the ball well. The question is simple: did Ole Miss spend all its energy on beating Lane, or can it reset fast enough for Florida?
Oregon at USC is another one with major playoff implications hanging over it. Both teams have plenty to prove.
Oregon already has a bad loss to unranked Oklahoma State, and this is the kind of game it needs to use as a statement. USC is still unbeaten, but its defense remains a big question after giving up a lot against Rutgers.
The Ducks’ skill talent will test that group in a big way.
Then there’s LSU at Texas A&M, which has the kind of pressure that makes a late-September game feel bigger than it should. Both teams want SEC championship contention, and both are coming off losses.
LSU’s loss came on the road against top-ten Ole Miss, while Texas A&M took a hit at home against unranked Kentucky. That makes this one especially urgent for the Aggies, who may need it even more.
Either way, neither side can really afford a second straight defeat.
There are also several other games worth keeping on the radar. Iowa visits Michigan in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
The Hawkeyes have only played one Power 4 game so far, a three-point win over Iowa State, while Michigan has had some uneven offense and played UTEP a little too close early before pulling away. That one kicks at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Oklahoma travels to Georgia in a matchup that looks tough on paper for the Sooners. Oklahoma owns the second-worst scoring offense in the SEC and ranks 99th nationally in total offense, and now it gets a road date against a Georgia defense that ranks seventh in FBS and is allowing about 3 yards per play. That game is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Missouri at Mississippi State closes the day with a ranked team that has earned it. Mississippi State is ranked after Kamario Taylor led a big win at South Carolina.
Taylor has more than 800 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes, and the Bulldogs already have two road wins over Power 4 schools. Miami is the only other school that can say the same.
That one kicks at 7:45 p.m. on SECN.
In Other News...
Jon Sumrall Just Turned Up The Pressure On The Swamp
Jon Sumralls latest comments have added a little extra edge to Floridas next home date, and not just because of what he said about the Gators crowd against FAU. Sumrall drew a sharp comparison between that atmosphere and the one he recently saw at Auburns Jordan-Hare Stadium, and he made it clear he is expecting even more from The Swamp when Florida hosts Ole Miss. For a program that treats home-field energy as part of its identity, that kind of outside praise can land as both a compliment and a challenge.
The timing also gives the remarks more bite, since Sumrall has already been a familiar name in Auburn conversation and his coaching choices have been tracked closely. Even without a direct Florida-Auburn angle on the field, comments like these tend to travel quickly around the SEC, especially when they touch on stadium environment and fan impact. The next Ole Miss game now carries an added layer: not just a conference matchup, but a chance for Floridas crowd to answer a pointed comparison. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Breakout RB Gives Ole Miss A Much Bigger Problem
Jadan Baugh has become the kind of early-season force that changes how an offense is defended, and Florida has been leaning on it from the start. The breakout back leads the nation in rushing touchdowns and sits second in rushing yards, a surge built on three straight 100-yard games and a steady role in an offense that has topped 42 points in each of its first three outings.
For Jon Sumrall, the bigger development has been the way Baugh is finishing runs and making faster decisions once he gets the ball. The coach has even backed the running backs Heisman pose celebration, a sign of how central Baugh has become to Floridas identity, and why Ole Miss is staring at a much tougher problem than it might have expected when it starts planning for the Gators. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Spurrier Just Weighed In On A Texas Game Gators Fans Know Well
Steve Spurrier doesnt often need much convincing to share a football opinion, and his latest one will perk up Florida fans who still remember how often he had Tennessees number. The former Gators star and coach weighed in on the upcoming Texas-Tennessee matchup by backing the Volunteers, pointing to Tennessees past win over Texas and the edge of playing at home.
For Florida supporters, the timing and the source make it especially notable. Spurriers long history with Tennessee gives his endorsement of the Volunteers a familiar edge, and his personal ties to the state only add to the intrigue, even if the bigger question is whether Texas can shake off the kind of matchup that has tripped up plenty of teams before. [Read more 🡒]