ESPN College GameDay 2022: Week 4 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions
The SEC is again filled with top teams this year. The conference features the No. 1 team in the country (Georgia), the No. 2 team (Alabama) and eight more programs ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.
Week 4 will be a big one in the SEC. That's because there will be two conference games Saturday featuring a pair of ranked opponents. No. 10 Arkansas is going on the road to face No. 23 Texas A&M, while No. 11 Tennessee will host No. 20 Florida.
ESPN's College Gameday is heading to Knoxville, Tenn., for the Gators-Vols matchup. The popular kickoff show will begin at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN and ESPNU. It will be held on the Ayres Hall Lawn on Tennessee's campus.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
It's the first time College GameDay will air live from Knoxville since Sept. 24, 2016, when the Vols went on to defeat the Gators 38-28.
Before further breaking down that matchup, here's the schedule for ranked teams in Week 4, along with predictions for each game.
Week 4 Top 25 Schedule, Predictions
Saturday, Sept. 24
Kent State at No. 1 Georgia, noon ET, ESPN+
Maryland at No. 4 Michigan, noon ET, Fox
No. 5 Clemson at No. 21 Wake Forest, noon ET, ABC
Central Michigan at No. 14 Penn State, noon ET, Big Ten Network
No. 17 Baylor at Iowa State, noon ET, ESPN2
Rhode Island at No. 24 Pittsburgh, noon ET, ACC Network
No. 20 Florida at No. 11 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 22 Texas at Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Middle Tennessee at No. 25 Miami, 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network
No. 15 Oregon at Washington State, 4 p.m. ET, Fox
Tulsa at No. 16 Ole Miss, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Northern Illinois at No. 8 Kentucky, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
No. 10 Arkansas at No. 23 Texas A&M, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Vanderbilt at No. 2 Alabama, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Wisconsin at No. 3 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
UConn at No. 12 NC State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Kansas State at No. 6 Oklahoma, 8 p.m. ET, Fox
No. 7 USC at Oregon State, 9:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Wyoming at No. 19 BYU, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2
No. 13 Utah at Arizona State, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Stanford at No. 18 Washington, 10:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
Picks in bold.
Florida-Tennessee Preview
This may be an SEC rivalry, but it's been one-sided for more than a decade. Since 2005, Florida has won 16 of its 17 meetings with Tennessee. Because of that, the Gators now have a 31-20 lead in their all-time series vs. the Vols.
But Tennessee is a much more formidable opponent this year than it has been in recent seasons. The Vols were unranked during their game against the Gators each of the previous four years, and this season, they're nearly a top-10 team. And they will likely be one if they win on Saturday.
Two of Tennessee's three victories during its 3-0 start were lopsided affairs against lighter opponents, as it defeated Ball State in Week 1 and Akron in Week 3. But the Vols also got a 34-27 overtime win over No. 24 Pittsburgh in Week 2.
If Tennessee now takes down Florida, a special season could be unfolding in Knoxville.
"Everybody came to Tennessee to play in these types of games," Vols head coach Josh Heupel said, per Matt Ray of Sports Illustrated. "... We've got a passionate fan base, and everybody understands that this is a big football game, and I say that meaning this is a traditional rival game and one that our fans point to. It's one that our players care about, too."
It's big from the Gators' side, too. They've already lost one game (and all of their contests have been close), so they're going to be motivated to not drop another one to fall to 2-2.
Florida opened the season with a huge statement victory, taking down Utah (then ranked No. 7, now at No. 13) for a 29-26 win. But the Gators fell the next week, losing 26-16 to Kentucky at home. The Wildcats are a good team, though, as they're now up to No. 8 in the AP poll.
Last week, Florida pulled out a 31-28 home victory over South Florida. And now, it will look to start its first winning streak of the year.
"Good football team," Gators head coach Billy Napier said of the Vols, per Grant Ramey of 247Sports.com. "It’s going to be a challenge and we look forward and embrace that."
There could be exciting quarterback play from both sides. Tennessee senior Hendon Hooker has passed for 844 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions and has a pair of rushing scores. Florida sophomore Anthony Richardson has passed for 423 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions, but he's had plenty of big plays on the ground, rushing for 134 yards and three TDs.
The Vols appear to be a stronger team on paper, and they should win as the favorite at home. But the Gators have had their number in recent years. So this SEC clash in Knoxville could truly go either way, and it should be entertaining to watch.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
