Week 4 is bringing a full slate of heavyweight matchups, but a few of the loudest conversations right now are about teams that may be getting judged a little too quickly - and one schedule that deserves every bit of the ridicule it’s getting.
Start with LSU. Lane Kiffin and the Tigers went into a charged Vaught-Hemingway Stadium last weekend and came away with a 32-24 loss to Ole Miss, which stayed unbeaten and got a little revenge through coach Pete Golding against his former boss. That result has plenty of people reaching for the panic button, but that feels premature.
Sam Leavitt’s stat line is the obvious reason for the concern: 3 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and 5 sacks taken. He also hasn’t lost a fumble, and he has shown flashes as a runner.
Jordan Rodgers took aim at Leavitt this week for playing “ backyard football ,” but the broader point is that LSU does not need to turn him into a statue in the pocket. The Tigers are built to let him improvise some, and the defense should help cover for the rough edges.
Retaining DC Blake Baker was a massive move for Kiffin this offseason, and LSU’s defense is described as elite.
The bigger picture for the Tigers is still out ahead of them. No SEC game comes easy, especially with teams like resurgent Mississippi State and Kentucky already making noise.
But the real measuring-stick stretch appears to be back-to-back home dates with Alabama on Nov. 7 and Texas on Nov. 14.
Split those and LSU is in good shape for the Playoff. Lose both, and Selection Sunday gets uncomfortable.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, got a break before heading into what looked like a tricky one. After that emotional win over LSU, the Rebels were set to visit an undefeated Florida team under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall.
On paper, that had trap-game written all over it. Then the betting line dropped, and the Rebels caught what the piece calls an unexpected gift: Florida is actually favored by 3.5 points over the No. 4 team in the country.
That number has clearly gotten attention, and it should give Pete Golding’s group extra motivation. The line is being framed as disrespectful, with the argument that it should be close but lean Ole Miss by 1.5 or 2 points even on the road.
Sumrall had his own line about it, saying, “There’s lot of good drugs out there, huh?” Either way, the Rebels have plenty to work with as they try to avoid a letdown.
There’s also no shortage of college football ridicule aimed at Indiana’s schedule. Curt Cignetti and other Big Ten coaches and executives have been critical of SEC scheduling, but the source takes a hard swing right back at the Hoosiers’ own slate.
The criticism is blunt: “Seriously, what is that? It’s a bad joke, is what it is.”
The verdict is even shorter after that: Indiana should feel embarrassed.
One of the weekend’s more interesting games outside the ranked-vs.-ranked spotlight is UCLA at Maryland. Bob Chesney has given Bruins fans some reason for optimism with a 3-0 start, but this is the first time UCLA will leave California this season.
Maryland, now 2-1, has dynamic quarterback Malik Washington and gets the home-field edge against a team making the cross-country trip. If UCLA can go on the road and win behind star running back Wayne Knight, the conversation around the Bruins gets a lot more serious.
One extra note from the piece: Indiana does not play either UCLA or Maryland in Big Ten play.
The column wraps with a quick look at the five most disappointing teams so far in 2026. Oregon tops that list after the loss to Oklahoma State, and the offense has struggled since Will Stein left for Kentucky. The question is raised: if Dante Moore had followed Stein to Lexington, would he be a Heisman favorite?
Clemson also makes the cut, even if expectations weren’t sky-high nationally. The point there is simpler: the Tigers no longer resemble the powerhouse they were last decade.
South Carolina is another team drawing concern, with the suggestion that these could be the last weeks of the Shane Beamer era. If things go badly in Tuscaloosa this weekend, that could speed up the end.
Oklahoma is on the list too, and for a frustratingly familiar reason: the Sooners somehow have even more offensive issues this year than they did last year. John Mateer needs to clean up his decision-making or Norman could be in for a very long season.
Washington rounds out the five despite being 3-0. The reason is that the Huskies’ 16-14 struggle-win over Utah State has cast doubt on their dark-horse Playoff buzz, and the expectation here is that they may end up with a losing record in Big Ten play.
Texas A&M does not make that disappointment list yet, and the explanation is that Kentucky looks like a much-improved team under Will Stein. The Wildcats are expected to make life difficult for plenty of ranked opponents this season.
In Other News...
College GameDay Guest Picker For Tennessee Texas Could Spark Vols Debate
ESPNs College GameDay is headed to Knoxville for Tennessees September 26 matchup with Texas, and the early conversation is already drifting beyond the game itself. The biggest question around the shows visit is the celebrity guest picker, a role that usually leans toward someone with ties to the host school and a little local star power to match the moment.
That part of the process is what could stir up a familiar Vols debate, since the show has gone a lot of different directions over the years with guests such as Charles Barkley, Peyton Manning and comedians Nate Bargatze and Theo Von. Around Tennessee, the list of possible names is wide enough to fuel arguments of its own, with Rick Barnes, Bianca Belair, Candace Parker and Kenny Chesney all mentioned as possibilities as the countdown to kickoff continues. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Texas Test Just Got Clearer With One Big Availability Shift
The buildup to Tennessees SEC opener against Texas got a little cleaner Wednesday night when the latest injury reports came out, and one of the more noteworthy updates for the Vols was the absence of DeSean Bishop and Daevin Hobbs from the list. That matters with conference play beginning and the Longhorns bringing a defensive front that Tennessee will have to handle from the start.
Tennessee still has several players listed as out or questionable, with some season-ending injuries already part of the picture, but the Texas side also has its own status questions to sort through. The Longhorns, though, are expecting defensive lineman Colin Simmons to be available, which gives the opener a clearer shape on one side and just enough uncertainty on the other to keep the matchup interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Spurrier Just Weighed In On A Texas Game Gators Fans Know Well
Steve Spurrier is never shy about weighing in on a big SEC-leaning game, and the former Florida star and coach has now circled Tennessee for an upset pick against Texas. His reasoning was simple enough: the Volunteers already beat the Longhorns once, and he likes their chances again with the game coming to Knoxville, where the crowd and the setting can tilt things in Tennessees favor.
For Volunteers fans, Spurriers opinion adds another layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of intrigue. He has spent plenty of time on the other side of this rivalry landscape, winning often against Tennessee during his Florida years, and he also has a personal connection to the state. So when Spurrier talks up the Vols in a game like this, it is not just idle chatter - it is the kind of comment that gets attention well beyond Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]