College Football Week 4 Contestants and Contenders: Texas Survives, Michigan Karma and Coaches Sweat

KNOXVILLE, TN – It only took four weeks of action to throw us into the madness of college football, with upsets and teams already on the ropes heading into October.

Are schools already looking to make changes at the head coaching position? Sure, and some leaders might end up making the decision pretty easy for their bosses to make.

But what we witnessed on Saturday will go down as one of the craziest weekends this season, and there will be ramifications.

ARCH MANNING REVEALS IN CIGAR SMOKE: TEXAS LEAVES NEYLAND WITH A VICTORY AND A WARNING FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Heck, Texas led Tennessee by ten points late in the fourth quarter, but had to withstand a last-minute drive by the Vols to escape Knoxville with the victory. There wasn’t even a touchdown pass thrown by Arch Manning on Saturday, but the defense ended up with over ten sacks on Vols quarterback Faizon Brandon in what looked like a Will Muschamp defensive renaissance.

We’re just getting started on this crazy college football weekend.

Oregon lost quarterback Dante Moore to a head injury in the first half, thanks to a dirty play. But that didn’t end their hopes of beating USC. Two weeks after losing to Oklahoma State, the Ducks traveled to Southern California and once again left Trojan fans wondering when Lincoln Riley was going to win a few meaningful games.

Quarterback Dylan Raiola of the Oregon Ducks throws the ball in the first half against the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

We don’t know when Moore will return, but backup Dylan Raiola took the reins Saturday night and never looked back. Throwing for over 280 yards against USC, this could be the start of Raiola’s redemption tour, at least until Dante Moore returns.

But a massive 41-27 win for the Ducks got their season back on track, while USC fans wonder what else Lincoln Riley wants to do to them.

Who would have thought before the season started that Oklahoma would already regret this contract extension for Brent Venables. But just four games into the 2026 season, the Sooners have a major problem on their hands, thanks in part to the Georgia Bulldogs’ 41-13 score Saturday afternoon in Athens.

It’s not a catch, Florida has earned the respect of Ole Miss. Beamer in difficulty. Hello, Kamario Taylor

Oh, and if you were wondering if Ole Miss was falling into a trap this week in Gainesville after beating LSU last weekend, I think that would be disrespecting what Jon Sumrall is doing with the Florida Gators.

A 52-28 road loss brought the Rebels back to reality, with Pete Golding expected to regroup his team this week after a roller coaster two weeks. But make no mistake, the Florida Gators are nothing like the team we witnessed during the Billy Napier era.

FLORIDA ADMITS IMPRESSIVE OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE TO ACHIEVE MASSIVE VICTORY OVER NO. 4OLE MISS

Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall watches the second half of a game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on September 26, 2026. (Getty Images)

And, speaking of teams we think could get things back on track in 2026, South Carolina itself has a major problem moving forward under head coach Shane Beamer. Not only were they beaten 49-18 by Alabama, but the Gamecocks feel like a rudderless ship, with expectations placed so high on quarterback LaNorris Sellers before the season started.

NOW? The Gamecocks lost their seventh straight SEC game, and things aren’t looking any better for the future.

Well, that will only make things worse in Colombia for Beamer, who had spent a good amount of money to keep a number of stars from reaching the gate, like Dylan Stewart.

Will Kamario Taylor end up being the catalyst that returns Mississippi State to college football relevance? Well, he’s already done it, and he looks pretty darn good in the process.

The 24th-ranked Bulldogs beat No. 19 Missouri, winning their first ranked game in more than a decade, with Taylor passing for more than 350 yards on the night.

Watch out, Alabama. The Bulldogs await next week in Starkville. \

Kamario Taylor #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs warms up before the game at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi on September 26, 2026. (Getty Images)

Karma finally comes to Michigan. LSU sends Texas A&M fans into panic mode

Yes, you read that correctly.

An Iowa Hawkeyes touchdown with just one second left left Michigan fans stunned, probably the same way Western Michigan fans felt during the Week 1 controversy that allowed the Wolverines to escape with a victory.

Three weeks later, it was Kirk Ferentz who delivered karma like a Taylor Swift single, which made out-of-state college football fans laugh, I imagine.

No, this doesn’t sound anything like a team expected to pay quarterback Bryce Underwood more than $3 million per season. In reality, this looks like a team headed to a bowl game in December, and away from the Big Ten championship. At this point, it might be wise for Michigan fans to start preparing for the Ohio State game to end the season, and not get their hopes up every weekend.

This win against Oklahoma also looks even worse by the week.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes shakes hands with Kyle Whittingham of the Michigan Wolverines after Iowa’s 20-19 victory at Michigan Stadium on September 26, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Getty Images)

So you thought Lane Kiffin would stay quiet late into the night after losing to his old team last week in Oxford?

Uh, no.

Not only did LSU take out their frustration against Texas A&M, but they also made things look easy in the 38-6 victory. Sam Leavitt carved up the Aggies secondary, while Kiffin found himself on the sideline celebrating a fourth-down play that turned into a touchdown.

Simply put, the Tigers made Mike Elko’s team look like a mediocre SEC team without much hope for the future. We should probably go ahead and count the Aggies out of the College Football Playoff, while LSU appears to have the “Lane Train” back on track in Baton Rouge.

Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Louisiana State Tigers takes the field before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi on September 19, 2026. (Getty Images)

What moments in the world on Saturday…

Can someone explain to me how Louisville could lose at home to Wake Forest 30-27, with this team contending for “surprise” team of the season outside the ACC?

Well, that went up in smoke in their own stadium.

Oh, and how could we not mention the job Luke Fickell did on Saturday, leading his Wisconsin Badgers into Happy Valley and coming away with the 24-20 victory that shocked the folks in State College. People forget that Fickell didn’t just wake up and become a bad coach. He just didn’t have the resources in Madison.

Head coach Luke Fickell of the Wisconsin Badgers shakes hands with head coach Matt Campbell of the Penn State Nittany Lions after the game at Beaver Stadium on September 26, 2026, in State College, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

He still may not have everything he needs to rebuild the Wisconsin football team, but they certainly made Penn State pay for potentially looking beyond the Badgers.

Week four of the college football season has rolled around, which will mark a wild start to the month of October.

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