Faculty soccer convention play is (principally) underway and the stakes will probably be raised accordingly. The game dips its toes this weekend with ranked matchups within the Massive Ten, Massive 12 and SEC that includes Faculty Soccer Playoff favorites and a few remaining query marks.
Let’s rank the highest 10 video games of Week 4, beginning with a couple of honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable Point out: JMU at North Carolina, Rutgers at Virginia Tech, Memphis at Navy, TCU at SMU, Iowa at Minnesota
(All level spreads come from BetMGM; click on right here for reside odds. All kickoff instances are Japanese and on Saturday except in any other case famous.)
10. San Jose State (3-0) at Washington State (3-0), Friday, 10 p.m., The CW
Line: Washington State -11.5
Line: Clemson -20.5
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik threw for a career-high 378 yards on a 92.3 p.c completion price towards App State. (Alex Hicks Jr. / USA At present Sports activities by way of Imagn Pictures)
8. Arkansas (2-1) at Auburn (2-1), 3:30 pm, ESPN
It’s robust to correctly articulate in textual content, however this recreation simply appears like leaf-changing faculty soccer within the fall. The sport is on ESPN now as a substitute of CBS, neither staff is anticipated to be within the combine for the SEC title or CFP, Arkansas’ Sam Pittman is on the recent seat — however there’s an ineffable nostalgia hit with this matchup. It must be an attention-grabbing quarterback matchup between Arkansas’ dual-threat Taylen Inexperienced and Auburn redshirt freshman Hank Brown, who threw 4 touchdowns in his first begin towards New Mexico final week. Each groups have gantlet schedules forward and will actually use a win to maintain followers from getting stressed.
Line: Auburn -3
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How about Kenny Dillingham and the Solar Devils? The second-year head coach has ASU — picked useless final within the Massive 12 preseason ballot — off to an undefeated begin with three stable wins, together with a barnburner over Texas State final Thursday. Quarterback Sam Leavitt has been workmanlike, working again Cam Skattebo is a wrecking ball, and Dillingham’s dedication to recruiting Texas is already paying dividends. Whether or not ASU could make any noise within the Massive 12 race stays to be seen, but it surely may begin towards a puzzling Texas Tech staff that escaped in extra time towards Abilene Christian, received smoked by Wazzu after which hung 66 on North Texas.
Line: Texas Tech -3
6. Georgia Tech (3-1) at No. 19 Louisville (2-0), 3:30 pm, ESPN2
Georgia Tech received proper with a blowout over VMI following the shut loss to Syracuse, and with a quick keep within the Prime 25, it’s clear the Yellow Jackets are higher than most anticipated this season. However Louisville is the staff I’m extra interested by. The Cardinals have climbed into the highest 20 nearly by default on the energy of straightforward wins over Austin Peay and Jacksonville State. Switch quarterback Tyler Shough has impressed towards inferior competitors, however with a street journey to Notre Dame subsequent week, this recreation ought to present a significantly better sense of how viable an ACC and Playoff contender Louisville might be this season.
Line: Louisville -10.5
5. No. 8 Miami (3-0) at South Florida (2-1), 7 p.m., ESPN
Mario Cristobal’s year-three warpath makes an intriguing cease in Tampa. Quarterback Cam Ward has been spectacular for the Hurricanes, rating second in FBS in passing yards, first in passing touchdowns, third in yards per try and fourth in QB ranking, lifting Miami into the highest 10. However now it has to face a USF squad that gave Alabama matches for 3 1/2 quarters. Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown has run the ball successfully however struggled by the air, and USF’s protection fissured late towards the Tide, permitting 21 factors over the ultimate six minutes. A decisive street win, in prime time on ESPN, would shift the Miami hype prepare into excessive gear.
Line: Miami -16.5
Cam Ward transferred to Miami from Washington State within the offseason and is main the Hurricanes towards their CFP hopes. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Pictures)
4. No. 24 Illinois (3-0) at No. 22 Nebraska (3-0), 8 p.m. Friday, Fox
The ranked Massive Ten matchup you didn’t know you wanted in your life. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola and his Patrick Mahomes cosplay will get one other flip within the highlight Friday evening towards the undefeated Illini. Raiola has been spectacular for a real freshman with heavy expectations and a fan base that’s determined to return to successful soccer. The Cornhuskers haven’t been to a bowl recreation in seven seasons, haven’t crushed a ranked staff since 2016 and haven’t performed so at residence since 2011. Enter an Illinois staff that’s second in FBS with a plus-8 turnover margin. The Illini haven’t been elite in different areas up to now however are stout sufficient to maintain the optimism in Lincoln on excessive alert.
Line: Nebraska -8.5
3. No. 11 USC (2-0) at No. 18 Michigan (2-1), 3:30 p.m., CBS
It’s Alex Orji time for Michigan. The speedy junior takes over at quarterback for Davis Warren, who threw six interceptions in three video games on the helm of a dismal offense. Can Orji present sufficient of a spark to show issues round? The Wolverines are a house underdog for the second time in three weeks. They received clobbered by Texas in Week 2 and now get USC coming off an idle week. The Trojans are surging in The Athletic’s Playoff projector after the opening-week win over LSU and with what appears to be a a lot improved protection below new coordinator D’Anton Lynn. A street victory over Michigan would additional enhance these CFP hopes, particularly with a good schedule the remainder of the best way: no Ohio State, no Oregon, and Penn State, Nebraska and Notre Dame all at residence.
Line: USC -6
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2. No. 12 Utah (3-0) at No. 14 Oklahoma State (3-0), 4 p.m., Fox
Utah quarterback Cam Rising is anticipated to play after struggling an damage to his throwing hand within the Week 2 win over Baylor. The Utes have been predictably robust on protection and stay the highest-ranked staff within the Massive 12 however are touring into the thunderdome of Stillwater. The Pokes have been considerably of an enigma. Doak Walker-winning working again Ollie Gordon II has been principally held in test, averaging simply 3.5 yards per carry, however seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman has picked up the slack. Bowman is sixth in FBS in passing yards together with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. It is a essential stretch for Oklahoma State, which travels to Kansas State subsequent week and continues to be with out star linebacker Collin Oliver. With Utah headed to Arizona subsequent week, we must always have a greater deal with on the highest of the Massive 12 by the tip of the month.
Line: Utah -2.5
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1. No. 6 Tennessee (3-0) at No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0), 7:30 p.m., ABC
The massive storyline is Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel returning to Oklahoma, the place he quarterbacked this system to a nationwide championship and was later fired as offensive coordinator. Joe Rexrode penned an incredible retrospective on how the reunion has unfolded for all concerned (labored out for Tennessee!), in addition to the stakes for a recreation Joe describes as an “early College Football Playoff clarifier.” The Vols appear to be a wagon, main the FBS in factors per recreation at 63.7. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s 10.4 yards per try ranks eighth amongst all quarterbacks and the offense is averaging 8.1 yards per play. The Sooners are on the opposite finish of the spectrum, averaging simply 4.9 yards per play below quarterback Jackson Arnold, who’s averaging 5.6 yards per try and nonetheless looking for his groove. (Probably getting vast receivers Nic Anderson and Andrel Anthony again from damage may assistance on that entrance.) Brent Venables’ protection has been stable, but it surely’s Tennessee that’s permitting 3.1 yards per play and 4.3 factors per recreation, each within the prime three in FBS. ESPN’s “College GameDay” heads to Norman to see if the Sooners can decelerate Tennessee within the first SEC showdown for Oklahoma.
Line: Tennessee -7
(Prime picture of Jackson Arnold: Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Pictures)
