College Football 2023: Winners and Losers from Week 4
Shortly after Florida State escaped a trip to Clemson with a dramatic overtime victory to keep its dream season alive, Colorado received an ugly reality check from Oregon.
So far, college football's loaded Week 4 slate has not disappointed.
Along with FSU and Oregon, Alabama and Utah also picked up massive victories in their conference openers during the afternoon. The evening slate featured three more Top 25 matchups with Washington State getting the upset over Oregon State, Ohio State scoring a final-seconds TD to beat Notre Dame and Penn State shutout Iowa 31-0.
Of course, not all news was good news. That sound you hear is a full-on meltdown happening at Virginia Tech.
This piece will be updated throughout Saturday's action.
Winner: Florida State Ends Clemson Skid
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No matter what happened in the opening games of the season, Florida State knew it had a Clemson-sized obstacle in Week 4.
Entering the clash, Clemson had rattled off seven consecutive wins in the series, simply dominating as of late. Five of those victories included a double-digit margin, too.
But the streak is over. Long live the streak.
Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman—who caught three touchdowns in the triumph over LSU—put together another huge day. He reeled in five passes for 86 yards, snagging a contested, game-winning 24-yard touchdown on FSU's second snap of overtime.
Now that Clemson already has a pair of conference losses, Florida State is officially the ACC favorite.
Loser: Virginia Tech, Again
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Brent Pry, we have a problem.
The former Penn State defensive coordinator inherited a messy program last season. The Hokies continued an unceremonious slide with a loss to Marshall, which leaned on a 174-yard, two-touchdown effort from star running back Rasheen Ali in a 24-17 final.
Easily the worst part? Marshall was favored anyway.
The offense is a mess. The defense is no better than average. Virginia Tech dropped to 1-3 and has lost three non-conference games in a season for the first time since 1992.
Pry shouldn't necessarily be on the hot seat as he attempts to right the wrongs of the Justin Fuente era. But those excuses will start to ring hollow if Tech, which finished 3-8 last season with a 1-6 mark in conference play, keeps losing to Purdue, Rutgers and Marshall-level teams.
Winner: Alabama's Bounce-Back Game
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Through one half, Alabama hadn't calmed the concerns about its offense at all. Jalen Milroe threw an interception in the end zone, and the Crimson Tide proceeded to lose 21 yards on a drive that started at the Ole Miss 1-yard line. They headed into halftime down 7-6.
The next 30 minutes were much better.
Nick Saban's crew scored on three straight possessions to begin the third quarter and built a 14-point edge. Given how the defense played all afternoon, it was fair to call that advantage a commanding lead.
Alabama held the Rebels to just 301 yards and a 3-of-14 mark on third down, forcing a clutch turnover on downs late in the valuable 24-10 win. Ole Miss also missed a 34-yard field goal immediately before halftime that could've made a substantial difference in the second half.
Winning at home didn't remove the concerns around the Tide, but there won't be any panicking as the Tide travel to Mississippi State and Texas A&M over the next two weeks.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Loser: Colorado's Dream Season
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Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Colorado burst onto the scene with an upset of TCU on the opening weekend of the season. Then, the Buffaloes outlasted Nebraska before clipping Colorado State in overtime. They shattered early expectations and became one of the sport's top September darlings.
Oregon, though, provided an emphatic reminder that CU's shortcomings—a shaky offensive line and a vulnerable defense—may be exposed again and again in a tough Pac-12.
Bo Nix totaled four first-half touchdowns and propelled the Ducks to a 35-point halftime lead. Colorado, meanwhile, had a terribly ugly drive recap through 30 minutes: punt, punt, punt, punt, punt.
Seen better, you know?
Nix closed the 42-6 rout with 285 total yards and those four scores, hitting Troy Franklin eight times for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon piled up 240 rushing yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, also making seven tackles for loss and limiting Deion Sanders' squad to a measly 199 yards.
As we've said for several weeks around here, Colorado may compete for bowl eligibility. That would be progress for the program. But the Buffs aren't ready to challenge for a conference crown in 2023.
Winner: Kansas Keeps Rolling
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Last season, the Jayhawks captured plenty of national attention on their memorable road to a 5-0 start. They ended up making the program's first bowl appearance in 14 years.
Kansas might do it again. This time, it's just quieter.
After knocking off Missouri State, Illinois and Nevada, the Jayhawks toppled BYU 38-27 on Saturday. Jalon Daniels tossed three scores, and the defense added two touchdowns—one fumble recovery and one pick-six—as Kansas won its Big 12 opener and improved to 4-0.
The schedule is about to get much tougher; Kansas heads to third-ranked Texas next weekend, and October home dates against UCF and No. 16 Oklahoma will likely be difficult, too.
Still, KU is on a path to six wins again. For a program in such recent disarray, the value of attaining bowl eligibility should not be discounted.
Loser: UCLA's Prove-It Moment
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Because the Utes are still waiting for quarterback Cam Rising to return from his knee injury, they haven't played up to their potential. They've kept winning tight games, but UCLA presented a bigger test.
Unfortunately for the Bruins, they squandered a big chance to take down the Rising-less Utes.
Freshman quarterback Dante Moore had his first "welcome to college" outing, completing just 15 of his 35 pass attempts against a feisty Utah defense. UCLA actually out-gained the Utes 243-219, but Moore tossed a pick-six on the opening snap of a 14-7 loss.
And the gauntlet is only beginning for the Bruins.
Following an idle weekend, UCLA hosts No. 21 Washington State and travels to No. 14 Oregon State. The promising 3-0 start may be a distant memory by mid-October.
Winner: Wazzu Holds off Oregon State
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The one and only Pac-2 showdown on the calendar served as another joyous night for Washington State.
Star quarterback Cameron Ward and receiver Josh Kelly put on an absolute show in the 38-35 win over Oregon State. Ward threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns while running for a fifth score, and Kelly finished with eight catches for 159 yards and three trips to the end zone.
On the other side, the Cougs held DJ Uiagalelei to a modest 198 yards on 34 pass attempts. Oregon State ran the ball effectively and staged a fourth-quarter rally, but the Beaves had no answers for Ward.
Wazzu jumped to 4-0 on the season and is primed to hold its highest ranking in the AP Top 25 since the 2018 squad reached No. 7.
Loser: Iowa's Offense Hits a New Low
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I am sorry, Hawkeyes fans. Truly. You're a loyal bunch and don't deserve the constant negative press this season.
But it's continually wild to see a ranked team with an offense this inept.
As usual, Iowa played a stingy game defensively. Penn State tallied 31 points but required double-digit plays on three of its touchdown drives. Nothing came easy for the Nittany Lions.
However, the Hawkeyes entered the fourth quarter with an abysmal 54 yards on 25 snaps. They lost a fumble on a 12-yard reception that would've put them in the red zone. They had five straight three-and-outs before a second lost fumble. By that point, it was 24-0.
Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz needs the team—not simply the offense, for the record—to average 25 points per game to keep his job. That number now stands at 21.3.
Winner: Ohio State Survives in South Bend
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SOUTH BEND — After an opening half filled with missed opportunities and a grand total of three points, the Top 10 battle in South Bend brought the drama.
TreVeyon Henderson ripped off a 61-yard touchdown scamper to bump Ohio State's lead to 10 early in the third quarter.
But the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish responded in commanding fashion. First, they orchestrated a 13-play touchdown drive that covered nearly eight minutes. Then, the defense forced a three-and-out before Sam Hartman engineered a go-ahead 96-yard touchdown drive.
Ohio State would not go quietly, though.
Following a clutch defensive stand, the Buckeyes faced a 14-10 deficit with 65 yards to cover in 86 seconds. They converted a 4th-and-7, overcame an intentional grounding penalty and reached the Irish's 1-yard line with seven seconds on the clock.
Incomplete. Three seconds. Likely one play remaining.
Touchdown.
By mere inches, Chip Trayanum fell across the goal line to hand the Buckeyes an epic 17-14 triumph at Notre Dame and keep their undefeated season alive.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
