Conference play is here, and with it comes the kind of shakeup that can turn a clean College Football Playoff picture into a mess by halftime. Week 4 opens with a bracket that already has plenty of pressure points, from the Group of 6 race to a handful of heavyweight showdowns that could reshape both playoff hopes and seeding.
At the top of the Group of 6 picture, the Broncos have held the lead from the start of the season, and they can tighten their grip on the bid if they go into Kalamazoo, Mich., and beat MAC favorite Western Michigan. Notre Dame, meanwhile, still hasn’t stitched together a complete four quarters this season, but the next two weeks - trips to Purdue and North Carolina - give that talented roster a chance to do it.
Saturday night brings one of the biggest tests of the day for Lincoln Riley and USC. Oregon is the kind of opponent that can expose any soft spots in a hurry, and this one feels like a defining moment for the Trojans’ playoff chase. Ohio State, by contrast, doesn’t have that same do-or-die feel against Illinois, but a convincing win in its conference opener could put the Buckeyes right back in the conversation as the team to beat.
Alabama also enters a tricky stretch over the next two weeks, and the Tide can’t afford to look past anyone with quarterbacks like LaNorris Sellers waiting on the other side on Saturday. Indiana has its own issues to clean up after a closer-than-it-should-have-been game against Northwestern, and Curt Cignetti won’t love what he saw from either side of the ball. The bright spot was tailback Lee Beebe Jr., who looks like a bona fide star and could end up playing a massive role for the reigning champions.
There’s also a matchup that may not grab the broadest national attention but still carries serious CFP weight between the lines. The Cougars look like the class of the Big 12, and they get a chance to catch their breath on Saturday before a stretch that could define their season, with trips to TCU and a home date against Notre Dame later in October. On the other sideline, the Tigers are staring at a situation they likely never expected this early: a CFP elimination game in late September when they host Texas A&M at night in Death Valley.
Georgia finally gets a real test against an opponent with a pulse, with Oklahoma coming between the hedges. The obvious draw is what Kirby Smart has planned defensively for John Mateer, but Georgia’s CFP outlook may hinge even more on whether its offense can keep humming against a Sooners defense that still brings plenty of sting.
Mario Cristobal, meanwhile, should be focused on the injury report as Miami heads into what ought to be an easy one against Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes have already lost a host of starters this season, even while getting off to a hot start, and they’ll need to get healthier before ACC play begins next weekend at rival Clemson.
Ole Miss has its own emotional reset to manage after exacting a measure of revenge against Lane Kiffin, and Pete Golding has clearly spent the week making sure his team doesn’t drift into a letdown. The Rebels are being cast as the underdog going into the Swamp, but if they can finish the job by sunset, they could have the three best wins in the country - a résumé few teams will be able to match before Halloween.
And then there’s the first of what could be at least two Manning Bowls this season, with Arch & Co. heading to Knoxville for a noon kickoff in a game that doubles as a battle over the UT name. Road games have been a test for the Longhorns before, but a win at Neyland Stadium would go a long way toward locking down the top ranking.
In Other News...
Nick Saban Just Raised The Stakes For Florida Against Ole Miss QB
Nick Sabans latest TV turn landed right in the middle of Ole Miss momentum swing, and it came with a fresh dose of respect for Trinidad Chambliss. After Chambliss helped the Rebels beat LSU, the former Alabama coach praised him on The Pat McAfee Show and called him a top playmaker, a notable endorsement from someone who has spent years sizing up quarterbacks in the SEC.
Saban also made it clear he had learned his lesson after backing LSU before that matchup, saying he regretted picking against Chambliss and would not do it again. With Ole Miss headed toward Florida, the comment only adds a little more intrigue to a game that already carries plenty of attention, because now the Rebels quarterback arrives with a high-profile seal of approval and a fresh target on his back. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Turned College GameDay Into A Lane Kiffin Message
Tennessee fans made their feelings about Lane Kiffin clear on ESPNs College GameDay ahead of their showdown with Texas, turning the pregame spotlight into a reminder of how deep the resentment still runs. Kiffin, now the head coach at LSU, has long been a sore spot in Knoxville because of his brief and contentious stint leading the Volunteers in 2009, and the crowd response underscored that the history never really faded.
The timing only added to the edge, with both SEC programs staring at demanding weeks ahead. LSU has Texas A&M coming up, while Tennessee now has to turn around and host Texas, keeping the focus on the field even as Kiffin once again became part of the conversation around the Vols. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas SEC Title Position Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Week 4 is starting to reshape the SEC race, and the picture is suddenly a lot less settled than it looked a week ago. ESPN Analytics now has Texas and Georgia as the conferences leading contenders, with Texas at 33 percent and Georgia at 32 percent, but Alabama and Ole Miss are still very much in the mix as the league heads into another round of telling matchups.
For Ole Miss, the spotlight only gets brighter with a trip to Florida on deck, one of several games that could begin to separate the true contenders from the rest of the pack. Texas at Tennessee is another measuring-stick game on the slate, and with Alabama also facing a significant test ahead, the path to Atlanta already feels crowded and fragile in a way that should keep the SEC race interesting for a while longer. [Read more 🡒]