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...
Texas A&M Suddenly Has Two Problems Fans Cant Ignore
Texas A&Ms SEC opener in Lexington brought a reality check, and it came in a game the Aggies were expected to handle. Kentucky controlled enough of the evening to hand A&M a 31-21 loss, leaving the group with immediate questions on both sides of the ball after entering the matchup as the favorite.
Mario Craver and KJ Edwards provided some encouraging signs on offense, but Marcel Reeds interceptions and a defense that surrendered too much yardage and too many points, especially in the third quarter, stood out for all the wrong reasons. For an Aggies team that needed a clean start to conference play, the loss was more than just a setback because it exposed problems that cannot be brushed aside. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Mike Elko Problem Before LSU
Texas A&Ms trip to the top 10 came apart quickly on Saturday night, when the Aggies lost 31-21 at home to unranked Kentucky. It was the worst defeat so far in Mike Elkos tenure, and it came with the kind of defensive letdown that makes a ranking drop feel inevitable. Kentucky piled up 408 yards, and the Aggies slid from No. 8 to No. 20 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.
Now the attention turns to LSU, and the timing could hardly be less forgiving for Elkos team. A home loss like this raises obvious questions about consistency and resilience, especially with a rivalry game next on the schedule. Texas A&M still has plenty of season left to repair the damage, but the margin for error suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Terry Bussey News Leaves Texas A&M With A Huge Offensive Problem
Terry Busseys season is over, and Texas A&M is now dealing with a problem that goes well beyond simply replacing one receiver. Mike Elko confirmed in a press conference that Bussey will miss the rest of the year after suffering a lower body injury in the Kentucky game, taking away one of the Aggies more important offensive pieces and a regular presence on kickoff returns.
For a team trying to keep its passing game moving, the timing stings. Texas A&M does have other receivers available, but Busseys versatility made him difficult to replace in one spot, let alone all the ways the Aggies used him. The next few games will show how much the offense can absorb before his absence starts to reshape the whole rotation. [Read more 🡒]