With three full weeks of college football in the rearview mirror, most teams are a quarter of the way through their regular seasons and establishing identities. Others, such as No. 7 Texas A&M, are still figuring out exactly what they are. The Aggies are among those who will be challenged in a Week 4 slate featuring just two games between ranked teams and a handful of other interesting matchups.
Texas A&M’s test comes in an SEC West showdown with No. 16 Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week. Though Texas A&M has won nine straight in the series, several have been decided by a single possession. The 3-0 Razorbacks are riding high following a win over Texas in Week 2 and a drubbing of Georgia Southern on Saturday.
That game, along with No. 12 Notre Dame’s trip to No. 18 Wisconsin, headlines this week’s slate, although there will be ranked teams in action throughout the day. Among them will be No. 4 Oklahoma opening Big 12 play against a West Virginia team that just knocked off rival Virginia Tech.
Let’s look at the biggest games and their spreads to try to figure out what it all means. Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 18 Wisconsin (-6): Though separated by less than 250 miles, Notre Dame and Wisconsin have not met since 1964. They were supposed to play at Lambeau Field in Green Bay last season before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped it off the slate. Now, they’ll square off for the first time in nearly a half-century at Soldier Field in Chicago. Adding intrigue to this rare meeting of college football powers is that Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan is a Wisconsin transfer who started 18 games for the Badgers during four years with the program.
No. 7 Texas A&M (-6) vs. No. 16 Arkansas: Texas A&M is favored, but Arkansas has more momentum in this neutral site matchup at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The Aggies are still navigating life without starting quarterback Haynes King, who was injured early in a Week 2 win over Colorado. Backup Zach Calzada looked good against an overmatched New Mexico team Saturday, but now he’s going up against a fierce Arkansas defense that flustered Texas.
West Virginia at No. 4 Oklahoma (-16.5): West Virginia jumped out to a 17-point halftime lead against the Hokies and held on for a 27-21 win. If the Mountaineers can replicate its early quick strikes, like the 80-yard touchdown run from Leddie Brown, they should be able to compete with Oklahoma. The Sooners destroyed the Mountaineers 52-14 last season, but their narrow victory over Nebraska on Saturday showed this team still has plenty to work on before its ready to compete for a national title.
Rutgers at No. 19 Michigan (-19.5, SportsLine odds): Michigan has throttled Western Michigan, Washington and Northern Illinois on its way to a low-key, but impressive, 3-0 start. Now, it opens conference play against an equally 3-0, but more unproven, Rutgers team that owns wins over Temple, Syracuse and Delaware. Winning at the Big House will be far more challenging than winning at Syracuse. Another authoritative win for the Wolverines would set the stage for a key showdown at Wisconsin on Oct. 2.
Tennessee at No. 11 Florida (-19.5): Tennessee hasn’t won at Florida since 2004, but the Gators could be dealing with an Alabama hangover after they fell just short of upsetting the Crimson Tide. Tennessee cruised to an easy win over Tennessee Tech and may view this game as something of a Super Bowl. Perhaps the Volunteers can keep it closer than they did in a 34-3 defeat in the Swamp in 2019.
Best of the rest
No. 9 Clemson (-12) at NC State
Colorado State at No. 5 Iowa (-23)
No. 24 UCLA (-4) at Stanford
No. 21 North Carolina (-12.5) at Georgia Tech
LSU (-4) at Mississippi State
Texas Tech at Texas (-11)
Virginia (-4) at Wake Forest
