College Football Week 4 Schedule: Breaking Down Weekend's Most Intriguing Games
If the first few weeks of the college football season have proven anything, it's that no one is safe from an upset.
Two Top 10 teams have lost in each of the last two weeks, creating plenty of uncertainty as fans look ahead to the College Football Playoff at the end of the year. Although one loss does not necessary eliminate a team from national title contention, it definitely makes it more difficult.
The result is that every single game becomes vital for the top teams to survive with an undefeated record. This will not be easy thanks to a few intriguing matchups highlighting an action-packed week in college football.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Sept. 18 | No. 5 Auburn at No. 20 Kansas State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sept. 20 | No. 22 Clemson vs. No. 1 Florida State | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| Sept. 20 | No. 2 Oregon at Washington State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sept. 20 | Florida at No. 3 Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| Sept. 20 | No. 4 Oklahoma at West Virginia | 7:30 p.m. | Fox |
| Sept. 20 | No. 6 Texas A&M at SMU | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Sept. 20 | Mississippi State at No. 8 LSU | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sept. 20 | Eastern Michigan at No. 11 Michigan State | 12 p.m. | BTN |
| Sept. 20 | Troy at No. 13 Georgia | 12 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Sept. 20 | No. 14 South Carolina at Vanderbilt | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Sept. 20 | Indiana at No. 18 Missouri | 4 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Sept. 20 | Bowling Green at No. 19 Wisconsin | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Sept. 20 | Virginia at No. 21 BYU | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sept. 20 | Miami (FL) at No. 24 Nebraska | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
No. 5 Auburn at No. 20 Kansas State
It took a long time for people to respect Auburn as a national title contender last season, but the squad has been firmly in the Top Five all year. Still, ESPN's Paul Finebaum believes the squad is even better than people think:
The Tigers are building off their No. 1 rushing attack from 2013 with the No. 7 unit this time around. This has helped lead a team that has scored an average of 52 points per game through two weeks.
That being said, the squad has not dealt with an opponent anywhere near Kansas State's ability to this point in the year. The Wildcats held Iowa State to just 2.8 yards per carry in the last game, which was a big reason the team was able to come back after going down 15 points in the first half.
With dual-threat quarterbacks Jake Waters and Nick Marshall going head-to-head, this is certain to be an exciting battle from start to finish.
No. 22 Clemson at No. 1 Florida State
Florida State embarrassed Clemson 51-14 the last time these two teams met, a showdown that seemed to legitimize the Seminoles' standing as a national title contender. They kept up their strong play with an undefeated season and a BCS championship.
However, things could be a little difficult for Florida State this time around without the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in the first half. According to ESPN's Joe Schad, Jameis Winston will be suspended for the start of the game:
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is certainly not taking this matchup any more lightly, via Manie Robinson of The Greenville News:
Sean Maguire will get the start, and while there is a lot of offensive talent, he could have a hard time against an aggressive Clemson defense. If the Seminoles fall far enough back, even Winston could end up struggling to lead a comeback.
This is one of the toughest games on Florida State's schedule, and a poor performance without the starting quarterback could end up ruining the season.
No. 4 Oklahoma at West Virginia
Although West Virginia is not ranked, the squad has been extremely impressive in the first three games.
The Mountaineers started the year off with a respectable 10-point loss to Alabama on a neutral field before showcasing the offense with 94 combined points in games against Towson and Maryland. Matt Zenitz of The Baltimore Sun notes how well quarterback Clint Trickett performed last game:
Trickett currently ranks third in the FBS with 1,224 passing yards, while top target Kevin White ranks second in the nation with 460 receiving yards.
While Oklahoma ranks eighth in the nation with just 11 points allowed per game, the defense is going to have its hands full in this matchup.
Fortunately, the Sooners offense has been playing well with Trevor Knight leading a balanced attack alongside running backs Keith Ford, Samaje Perine and Alex Ross.
This is certain to be a high-scoring battle, and it might come down to which team gets the ball last.
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