A quick look at Saturday’s college football schedule shows there’s no time for apple picking this weekend.
If there’s ever a weekend to stay locked in front of your television all day, it’s this Saturday.
We have six – SIX – top 25s alone. That’s more than the first three weeks combined and the most in a single week in three years. College football is like pizza – if you’re not familiar, all pizza is still pretty good – but we still need to celebrate special weekends like this. We have entered the part of the season where the games really start to matter.
Like No. 23 Texas A&M at No. 10 LSU. As I wrote earlier this week, the game has all the makings of a losing impact leaving town. Both teams began the season as popular picks for the College Football Playoff and yet one of them will be 0-2 in conference play before even getting out of September. The data set is small, but no team has ever started 0-2 in conference play and still reached the playoffs.
This is just one of four top-25 games in the SEC.
You can start the day with No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee at noon ET. Is Arch Manning the guy we saw triumphantly guide the Longhorns to a second-half comeback against Ohio State or the guy who struggled against UTSA? This is a big game for Manning and a star opportunity for Tennessee’s true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon.
No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida might be the most intriguing matchup of the day. After a win against former coach Lane Kiffin, will Ole Miss suffer an emotional hangover, or are the Rebels so good that it doesn’t matter? First-year head coach Pete Golding says all the right things, but escaping The Swamp with a win won’t be easy. Having a guy like Trinidad Chambliss certainly helps.
Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State’s other star quarterback, has a chance to keep No. 24 Mississippi State’s momentum going against No. 19 Missouri. A win against the Tigers would give the Bulldogs a 4-0 record heading into a huge home game against No. 8 Alabama.
Outside of the SEC, we have two tasty top 25 matchups in the Big Ten. No. 17 Iowa travels to No. 18 Michigan in what could be a race to see which team can score 20 points first. Both teams are on the periphery of the CFP race and could take a big step forward with a win on Saturday.
And then there’s No. 20 Oregon at No. 12 USC. The Ducks, a popular preseason title pick for some, already have a bad loss to Oklahoma State and can’t afford to fall to 2-2 with what’s still left on the schedule. Oregon coach Dan Lanning has already been criticized for his coordinator’s hiring, and that noise will only get louder with a loss in Los Angeles. For Lincoln Riley, it’s time to prove the investment was worth it. The Trojans have a chance to make a real statement at home against Oregon and can’t pass up this opportunity.
All times Eastern
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 14 Tennessee
Noon on ABC, Fubo (try for free): After seeing a spectacular comeback against Ohio State, Texas appears to be a legitimate national title contender, and this line is under a touchdown. So it’s tempting to pick the Longhorns, but the Volunteers remain a mystery. Their game against Georgia Tech ended quite early, so it’s hard to know exactly what to expect from this team. As a result, the total is more attractive. I documented Manning’s struggles on the road above, and I have to give the Texans defense the edge in a matchup against a true freshman. Points can be valuable for much of this game. Choose: Less than 55.5
No. 21 Florida vs. No. 4 Ole Miss
3:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try for free): I’m a little skeptical that Florida is one of the favorites in this matchup, but I don’t really have any interest in picking on the spread here. No, the thing I’m most sure of is that points will be scored. Florida’s defense hasn’t exactly been amazing despite an overall relatively easy schedule, and we’ve already seen Ole Miss give up points to Louisville and LSU. I think we’ll have another shootout here. Pick: Over 58.5 – Tom Fornelli
No. 18 Michigan vs. No. 17 Iowa
3:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app Paramount+ Premium: Michigan was on borrowed time throughout the season, including the stunning Hail Mary against Western Michigan. Iowa will be the team that finally makes them pay – and ironically, it will start on offense. Running back Kamari Moulton and receiver Tony Diaz give the program one of its best RB-WR combos in the last 20 years, and they’ll make just enough explosive plays to pull off an upset in the Big House. Pick: Iowa SU (+178) – Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 2 Georgia vs. Oklahoma
3:30 p.m. on ESPN, Fubo (try for free): The only Power Four quarterbacks more effective than Gunner Stockton right now are Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss and Miami’s Darian Mensah — and no one is talking about the Georgia signal-caller’s electric start. And when you have a leader on offense in terms of pace while the guy on the other team is struggling this season from a confidence standpoint, it raises questions about Oklahoma’s ability to hang in this game. This looks like a 31-7 type game unless the Sooners can get something going offensively for the first time all season against a deep opponent. Pick: Under 43.5 points – Brad Crawford
No. 10 LSU vs. No. 23 Texas A&M
7:30 p.m. on ESPN, Fubo (try for free): Coming off the heels of an embarrassing home loss to Kentucky, Texas A&M ventures into the most intimidating nighttime atmosphere in college football. This is not the right place for a team struggling with shaky quarterback play. LSU also has a lot of flaws, but the Tigers are salty enough defensively to make life difficult for Marcel Reed. On the other hand, A&M’s defense never looked comfortable or disruptive against Kentucky. LSU coach Lane Kiffin should plan a game on the field after watching this tape. Pick: LSU -7.5 – David Cobb
No. 12 USC vs. No. 20 Oregon
7:30 p.m. on NBC, Fubo (try for free): Even though the series between these two teams was heavily tilted in favor of Oregon, USC did not miss points against the Ducks. And even though bettors have clearly identified the strength advantage of both teams, predicting a high-scoring matchup with an over-under total, it still may not be enough. These two teams have a total of 69 points in 2025 and 63 points in 2023, leaving some wiggle room with the total currently posted. Pick: Over 61.5 – Chip Patterson
The Proven SportsLine Computer The model simulated every Week 4 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that is on a 22-19 streak among CFB’s top-rated picks this season.
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