Week 4 College Football Predictions: 3 Games That Will Help Clarify Top 25

There are four games this week between ranked teams. Those are good matchups to watch, but they don't necessarily help us clarify anything. 

We're not really doubting that those teams should be ranked. Maybe you feel they're ranked too high, or too low, but their position isn't really in question.

What teams do we need to know a little bit more about? Maybe they're ranked, maybe they're not. This week will tell us a lot more about whether or not they should be.

No. 23 USC at Arizona State

It's actually not inconceivable that these two teams will switch positions if ASU wins. ASU's only loss was a 17-14 defeat at No. 24 Illinois. That's certainly not a terrible loss.

USC is 3-0, but have achieved that record against largely unproven opponents. Arizona State is still a little bit unknown, but they are by far the toughest team that USC has faced this year.

The winner here will go a long way in solidifying their first three games.

If either team loses convincingly, it will probably drop them out of Top 25 consideration for several weeks.

No. 9 Nebraska at Wyoming

Nebraska deserves to be ranked, that's not really in question. But right now, they sit at a 3-0 record and two of those wins were a lot tougher than they needed to be.

Are the Cornhuskers a genuine National Championship contender, or just another good team?

They should beat Wyoming. But if Wyoming puts the kind of points on Nebraska that Fresno State and Washington did, it may be a sign that Nebraska's National Championship, or even Big 10 hopes, are nothing more than a pipe dream.

We'll know more about Nebraska next week when they play in Wisconsin. But this game might give us a bit of a sneak preview.

Vanderbilt at No. 12 South Carolina

Again, South Carolina deserves to be ranked. But how good are they?

They have allowed a lot of points and been seriously tested in two of their three games. Vanderbilt has averaged 33 points per game. They are certainly capable of scoring.

South Carolina's offense isn't really in question. To be taken as a serious SEC threat, they need to show that their defense can hold up.

Even though they don't play Alabama or LSU, they will not be able to win consistent shootouts against SEC opponents.

This is an opportunity for South Carolina to show that their defense can play. They don't need to pitch a shutout. But if they win another game where both teams fly past 40 points, it's only a matter of time before South Carolina's luck runs out.