College Football Odds Week 4: Latest Top 25 Picks and Final-Score Predictions
Statements are ready to be made in Week 4 of the college football season.
As conference play heats up, a handful of teams in the AP Top 25 face difficult tests as their College Football Playoff credentials begin to shine under the microscope of the selection committee.
For teams like TCU and Wisconsin, Week 4 presents an opportunity to rebound from tough Week 3 defeats, but that won't be easy as both teams face difficult road trips.
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Some programs will be out of the spotlight to start Week 4, but as Wisconsin's home loss to BYU last week ago taught us, anything is possible in college football.
Week 4 Schedule
All Times ET
Friday, September 21
Florida Atlantic at No. 16 UCF (-13.5) (7 p.m., ESPN)
No. 10 Penn State (-28) at Illinois (9 p.m., FS1)
Saturday, September 22
No. 2 Georgia (-14.5) at Missouri (Noon, ESPN)
No. 8 Notre Dame (-7.5) at Wake Forest (Noon, ABC)
Nebraska at No. 19 Michigan (-18) (Noon, FS1)
No. 23 Boston College (-7) at Purdue (Noon, ESPN2)
No. 22 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama (-27) (3:30 p.m., CBS)
No. 3 Clemson (-16.5) at Georgia Tech (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Tulane at No. 4 Ohio State (-35.5) (3:30 p.m., BTN)
Kansas State at No. 12 West Virginia (-16) (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
No. 13 Virginia Tech (-27) at Old Dominion (3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
Florida International at No. 21 Miami (-27) (3:30 p.m., ESPNU)
No. 17 TCU (-3) at Texas (4:30 p.m., Fox)
McNeese at No. 25 BYU (6 p.m., ESPN3)
Army at No. 5 Oklahoma (-31) (7 p.m.)
Louisiana Tech at No. 6 LSU (-20) (7 p.m., ESPNU)
No. 14 Mississippi State (-10) at Kentucky (7 p.m., ESPN2)
Texas Tech at No. 15 Oklahoma State (-12.5) (7 p.m., FS1)
Arkansas at No. 9 Auburn (-28.5) (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)
No. 24 Michigan State (-5) at Indiana (7:30 p.m., BTN)
No. 7 Stanford (-2) at No. 20 Oregon (8 p.m., ABC)
No. 18 Wisconsin (-3.5) at Iowa (8:30 p.m., Fox)
Arizona State at No. 10 Washington (-17.5) (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
Odds obtained from OddsShark.
Score Predictions
Iowa 27, Wisconsin 24
Wisconsin, coming off its surprising home defeat to BYU, takes on a tricky road test at Iowa Saturday night.
Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes played the Badgers tough in two of the last three seasons, with a 10-6 win at Camp Randall Stadium in 2015 being the only triumph.
Two years ago, the Hawkeyes pushed Wisconsin to the brink of an upset before falling 17-9 at Kinnick Stadium.
After the tumultuous Week 3 across the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes are one of five undefeated teams left in the conference alongside Ohio State, Penn State, Indiana and Minnesota.
Iowa poses a difficult hurdle for Wisconsin to clear because it enters with the seventh-best total defense in the FBS, which is anchored by a rushing defense that is tied for second in the nation with 42 yards conceded per game.
Defensive end A.J. Epenesa is one of the top players on the Iowa defense, as he's tied for third in the FBS with four sacks.
The key for the Iowa defense will be to stop Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor from breaking long runs.
Although BYU let Taylor run for 117 yards on 26 carries, the sophomore's longest dash out of the backfield was 15 yards.
Limiting Taylor forces the Badgers to rely more on quarterback Alex Hornibrook, who has completed 63.2 percent of his passes. The Wisconsin quarterback has three touchdown passes and two interceptions, and he's been sacked on six occasions.
By getting out to a fast start defensively, the Hawkeyes will get the crowd behind them and take the lead on a drive orchestrated by quarterback Kyle Stanley.
Iowa won't be able to break away with a massive advantage, but it's defense will keep it on the front foot and hand Wisconsin back-to-back losses for the first time since October 2016.
Stanford 27, Oregon 21
The balance of power in the Pac-12 North will shift Saturday night in Eugene, Oregon.
Stanford has a head start on the rest of the programs in the division since it's 1-0 in Pac-12 play from its Week 2 victory over USC.
One of the many reasons why Stanford will be favored in close games this season is its big-game experience.
David Shaw's team is led by a handful of experienced starters on offense, including Heisman Trophy hopeful Bryce Love, who is ready for a standout showing on the national stage after rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown versus USC.
Stanford isn't afraid to air the ball out either, as quarterback K.J. Costello's thrown for 729 yards in the first three games.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is Costello's top target, but he's spread the ball around to Kaden Smith, Trenton Irwin and others.
Oregon boasts an impressive passing game led by NFL draft prospect Justin Herbert, who has 840 passing yards and 12 touchdowns through three contests.
Herbert didn't face Stanford in 2017 because of an injury, but he did play the Cardinal in 2016 and threw two interceptions in a 52-27 defeat.
Stanford's passing defense is conceding 196.3 yards per game, and if it holds Herbert below 200 yards Saturday, a victory is almost guaranteed.
While the final score may be close, there will be a six-point difference because of a late Oregon touchdown after Love kills the clock on an extended fourth-quarter drive.
The win will boost Stanford into the driver's seat in the Pac-12 North and establish it as the conference's best hope for the College Football Playoff.
Other Score Predictions
UCF 37, Florida Atlantic 12
Penn State 49, Illinois 10
Georgia 37, Missouri 3
Notre Dame 21, Wake Forest 17
Michigan 17, Nebraska 13
Boston College 20, Purdue 17
Alabama 42, Texas A&M 21
Clemson 47, Georgia Tech 20
Ohio State 55, Tulane 16
West Virginia 49, Kansas State 21
Virginia Tech 31, Old Dominion 10
Miami 51, Florida International 13
TCU 27, Texas 20
BYU 47, McNeese State 6
Oklahoma 41, Army 20
LSU 31, Louisiana Tech 10
Mississippi State 27, Kentucky 24
Oklahoma State 42, Texas Tech 35
Auburn 37, Arkansas 20
Michigan State 17, Indiana 13
Arizona State 26, Washington 23
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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