College Football Week 4: Five teams on upset alert

Sep 17, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles sings with running back Leonard Fournette (7) and his team following a win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Mississippi State 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

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Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal safety Zach Hoffpauir (10) (left) celebrates stopping the USC Trojans on fourth down with Cardinal cornerback Quenton Meeks (24) during the second half of a NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium. Stanford won 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Stanford just doesn’t get a break to start the season. Hosting Kansas State in Week 1 and then USC in Week 3, the Cardinal have been taxed against tough opponents while other top programs are scheduling FCS foes — and if you’re Iowa, losing to them.

The Cardinal will have yet another tough matchup on tap in Week 4 as they travel to Los Angeles to take on UCLA in their second straight rivalry matchup on the schedule. The Cardinal are coming off a big win over USC and now they’ll need to defeat the Bruins and elite quarterback Josh Rosen if they’re going to remain atop the Pac-12 standings.

You would think that an offense with Christian McCaffrey in it wouldn’t lose to anyone that they’re supposed to beat, but the Bruins pose a tough matchup on the road.

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Stanford has played a couple of unproven quarterbacks through its first two contests and yet it has still allowed about 240 passing yards per contest. With a mark that high, it’s obvious that the secondary might be the issue on defense and Rosen won’t have a problem exploiting it.

UCLA lost to Texas A&M to start the season, in upset fashion, and now the Bruins are trying to return the favor against the No. 7 Cardinal at home. Heck of a primetime matchup for the Pac-12 on Saturday.

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