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...
Mississippi State's Fast Start Just Set Up A Bigger SEC Test
Mississippi States unbeaten start has given Jeff Lebby a little breathing room and a lot to like, with the Bulldogs opening 3-0 and already showing they can win in more than one way. The comeback against South Carolina stood out, but so has the balance around quarterback Kamario Taylor, whose passing and running have helped set the tone for an offense that has gotten real support from Fluff Bothwell and Anthony Evans III.
Lebby has made a point of crediting the groups resilience, and the defense has been just as important in making this early run look sustainable. Now the challenge changes from building momentum to protecting it, because the next stretch will show whether Mississippi States fast start was a hot beginning or the kind of foundation that can hold up through a tougher SEC climb. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Gets Its First Real Home Test Since Hot Start
Mississippi State returns to Davis Wade Stadium on Sept. 26 with a chance to see how far its hot start can carry into SEC play. After consecutive road wins, the Bulldogs are set to host No. 21 Missouri in what shapes up as their first real home test of the season, and the buildup has already taken on a little of the classic Starkville flavor with a call for fans to dress in white.
The crowd is expected to be part of the storyline as much as the football, with the school planning an attempt at a world record for cowbells rung simultaneously during the game. Tickets and parking passes are still available, and the home date also sits inside a broader look at Mississippi States schedule and recent results, giving fans a quick reminder that this early stretch has already put the Bulldogs in an unfamiliar and promising spot. [Read more 🡒]