Week 4 college football: 3 must-watch games, including USC vs. Michigan

There have been almost too many nail-biting games and surprises to count through just the first three weeks of the college football season. And there are several more contests to look ahead to as the strength of opponents for many teams in college football grows heading into Week 4.

This week’s slate is filled with ranked-on-ranked matchups and will serve as a measuring stick for a lot of the nation’s top teams to show where they truly stand. Here’s a look into three games to turn your attention to on Saturday.

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1. No. 11 USC at No. 18 Michigan

Michigan may have a quarterback problem, but USC certainly does not. Miller Moss has looked like a true darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate so far this season, presenting himself as one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the nation who is quickly becoming a household name. As the Trojans come off of an open date, Moss has completed 72.7% of his passing attempts for 607 yards with 2 touchdowns.

The Wolverines remain in a state of limbo at quarterback as neither Alex Orji nor Davis Warren has particularly impressed so far. Orji is being given the reins as the starter in a recent switch at the position the Wolverines hope will provide a spark to their offense. The Michigan defense has been heralded over recent history for its abilities up front that have been stingy against the run, allowing opponents an average of just 2.66 yards per rush with one touchdown surrendered.

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The pieces Michigan has in the secondary could give Moss, who relies largely on his work in the pocket and high-level mental processing, some problems. They did, though, fail to give Texas any trouble through the air earlier when they faced the Longhorns, allowing Quinn Ewers 246 passing yards.

Expect USC to take advantage of Michigan’s inconsistencies on both sides of the ball here.

2. No. 12 Utah at No. 14 Oklahoma State

This one is expected to be one of the closest games of the weekend, and there’s good reason for that. As simple as it may sound at first, who gets the narrow margin of victory will come down to the battle taking place in the trenches. Utah boasts a veteran offensive line that has been elite in pass protection, and it will be put to a test as it looks to continue its success against an Oklahoma State defensive front that is among the best in college football and has posted 10 sacks through just three games into the season.

One of the biggest storylines to keep watch over will be Utes quarterback Cam Rising’s hand injury, which could affect his availability or the strength of the pass games for Utah depending on his status. If he is completely unable to go, Utah will rely on the talents of backup quarterback Isaac Wilson, the brother of NFL quarterback Zach Wilson.

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The Utah defense, while stout, will be faced with the tough task of keeping Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II at bay. No defense OSU has gone up against this year has had any answer for him as Gordon totals 216 rushing yards on 62 carries with four touchdowns.

3. No. 6 Tennessee at No. 14 Oklahoma

Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been nothing short of on fire this season, and he’ll have a chance to prove it against high-quality competition here. Iamaleava has completed 71.6% of his passes to this point in the season for a total of 698 yards with six touchdowns, two interceptions, and one rushing score. But some are skeptical as to just how that will carry over against a bigger opponent considering Tennessee has faced just Chattanooga, NC State, and Kent State so far.

Oklahoma is obviously well-ranked but has looked shaky at times, especially when it comes to third-down situations. Self-inflicted wounds have also been an issue for the Sooners and were particularly evident when they were nearly upset by one of the worst teams in college football the Houston Cougars.

This one is largely going to come down to how well a high-powered, balanced Tennessee offense can go up against an efficient Sooners defense that leads the nation in takeaways with a total of 10. But Tennessee’s defensive front has also proven underrated and incredibly deep, leaving the Vols looking like a team that could come out on top of this one by at least a couple of scores.

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