What a start it's been to this college football season, one that's shaping up to be as wide-open as any in recent memory. Week 3 continued the fireworks, from Georgia Tech taking down Clemson to Georgia surviving Tennessee in overtime to Texas A&M pulling off a last-second miracle in South Bend. That's an awfully high bar for Week 4 to clear, but if this year has taught us anything so far, it's that the arrow is only pointing up.
And sure enough, this weekend's slate is loaded with juicy matchups. Want to make sure you're staying on top of it all? We've got you covered with this hour-by-hour viewing guide.
Friday, Sept. 19
Main screen: Iowa at Rutgers (8 p.m. ET, FOX)
It's not the most robust mid-week slate, but there's still a sneaky-fun Big Ten matchup to tap into on Friday night.
Iowa is once again ... let's be charitable and call it "offensively challenged," despite the addition of star FCS QB Mark Gronowski. But the defense is about as salty as ever, and it'll be fascinating to watch Phil Parker's secondary go up against a Rutgers team that has a much more dynamic passing attack than you probably think. The Scarlet Knights boast a trio of receivers who could make NFL rosters one day in Ian Strong, KJ Duff and DT Sheffield, and OC Kirk Ciarrocca guided Minnesota to a top-10 ranking not too long ago. This is an awfully fun "styles make fights" sort of game, and the winner of this game will be set up to be a thorn in the side of the conference elite moving forward.
For the sickos: Tulsa at Oklahoma State (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Only the truest of true believers will be willingly watching Oklahoma State right now, but there's a chance that Friday night puts the final nail in Mike Gundy's coffin, and that alone is worth a peek if this game stays close into the second half. Things are very, very grim in Stillwater after that historic beatdown at Oregon two weeks ago; if Gundy is going to pull another Houdini act and get the boosters off his back, handling an in-state opponent — one that's 0-2 against FBS competition this season — with ease would be a great place to start. Then again, we wouldn't put anything past the Cowboys' moribund offense right now.
Saturday, Sept. 20: Early games
Main screen: No. 17 Texas Tech @ No. 16 Utah (12 p.m. ET, FOX)
It's a crime that the strictures of media rights agreements have conspired to rob us of a world in which this game is held at night at Rice-Eccles (rather than 10 a.m. ET local time, a fact which I'm sure the locals in Salt Lake City are thrilled about). But the good news is that the product on the field should provide more than enough juice no matter what the atmosphere is like.
Behren Morton and the Texas Tech passing game have atomized every team they've faced so far this season. Granted, the teams they've faced so far this season are Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kent State and Oregon State, but still: The Red Raiders have won those games by a combined score of 174-35, and Morton is averaging a patently ridiculous 11.4 yards per attempt. That's impressive no matter what your competition.
Now, though, the difficulty level jumps up a notch or three, as Kyle Whittingham's Utes are looking typically nasty on defense. It's historically very hard to score on Utah at home, and now they've got themselves an offense too thanks to dual-threat dynamo Devon Dampier. These are likely the two best teams in the Big 12, and a Playoff spot could be on the line.
Second screen: SMU @ TCU (12 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
These two teams separated by just a few miles have played all but seven years since their first meeting in 1915, with the winner rewarded with an iron skillet — yes, seriously. But the pageantry and cookwear is just the tip of the iceberg here, as the winner will put themselves in excellent position to challenge for a CFP berth when all is said and done.
SMU made the Playoff last season, of course, but 2025 has gotten off to a bumpy start, with a home loss to Baylor already on the books and QB Kevin Jennings struggling to capture last year's magic. His counterpart in this game, on the other hand, is having no such trouble, as Josh Hoover might be the best quarterback in the country you haven't heard of yet — and a potential top-10 pick in next spring's draft. The Horned Frogs could surprise a lot of people this season, and this is the coming-out party.
Third screen: Arkansas @ Memphis (12 p.m. ET, ABC)
If you want fireworks, you've come to the right place. Taylen Green's Lamar Jackson impression continued apace at Ole Miss last weekend, when he rushed for over 100 yards and threw for 305 more while nearly leading the Razorbacks to a road upset. He's a freakish athlete who's finally taken the leap as a passer in year two under Bobby Petrino, and now he'll hope to help the Hogs navigate a tricky trip across the border to Memphis. The 3-0 Tigers have their eye on the Group of 6 automatic bid to the CFP, and this would be one heck of a win to put on the resume. There will be points aplenty in this game between these border rivals, and if Arkansas does go down, the heat under Sam Pittman's seat will ratchet way up.
For the sickos: North Texas @ Army (12 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Talk about styles make fights: North Texas has one of the most explosive, go-go offenses in the country under Eric Morris, one that just blasted Washington State to the tune of a 59-10 win last weekend. Defense, however, has been a sore spot, and they'll be put to the test against an Army team that wants to grind you down one four-yard fullback dive at a time. Will the Mean Green be able to get enough stops to actually get the ball back? Just how many 20-play drives can Army mount? These are two of the stronger teams in the Group of 6, and we'll learn a lot about them on Saturday.
Saturday, Sept. 20: Mid-afternoon games
Main screen: No. 22 Auburn @ No. 11 Oklahoma (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Oh baby. After sailing through the non-conference, Oklahoma's SEC gauntlet begins in all-too-familiar fashion, as former Sooners QB Jackson Arnold leads Auburn into town. A former five-star recruit, Arnold was touted as the future of the Oklahoma program, only to be unceremoniously dumped for John Mateer in the transfer portal after struggling in 2024.
Now he's found a soulmate in Hugh Freeze, one who knows exactly how to maximize his athletic gifts (and minimize his weakness as a passer). Then again, he's yet to face a test like the one he'll see on Saturday, as Brent Venables figures to have all sorts of diabolical stuff cooked up for this game. Who will take home bragging rights and keep their hopes of an SEC title (and CFP bid) very much alive? And which coach will be staring down some very angry fans that are all too willing to make a move if things go sideways?
Second screen: No. 21 Michigan @ Nebraska (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Nebraska continues to make real strides under Matt Rhule. The Huskers survived a sloppy opener against Cincinnati, then blasted two overmatched opponents in Houston Christian and Akron. In Dylan Raiola's second season at the helm, this team believes that it's finally ready to make the leap and become a legitimate Big Ten contender.
To do that, though, they'll have to finally be able to notch a defining win. Nebraska hasn't been able to close the deal in these sorts of games in the recent past, and if they want to do so here, they'll have to slow down all-world freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood and a Wolverines team that's itching to make up for the egg it laid at Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago. Underwood's lack of experience (and lack of dynamic playmakers around him) leave Michigan vulnerable here. But they're going to make the Huskers earn it, something they've failed to do dating back two decades now.
For the sickos: Oregon State @ No. 6 Oregon (3 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network) and NC State @ Duke (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Oregon will likely put this one to bed before halftime, especially after an underwhelming slog at Northwestern last weekend. But the Civil War is always worth your time, even as the Ducks move on to life in the Big Ten. Attention must be paid here, at least at the start.
Once that scoreline gets suitably ugly, however, feel free to flip over to ESPN2, where NC State and Duke feel destined to author a very spiritually ACC Coastal showdown. Both of these teams boast dynamic quarterbacks and suspect defenses, and that means we could be in for wild affair in Raleigh. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that either team is a conference-title dark horse. What I will tell you, though, is that these fan bases don't much like each other, and that this game could go off the rails in a hurry (complimentary).
Saturday, Sept. 20: Prime time
Main screen: No. 9 Illinois @ No. 19 Indiana (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
The sheer, ornery pettiness radiating off of both sidelines in this game will be worth the price of admission alone, as few coaches love causing a ruckus more than Bret Bielema and Curt Cignetti. Of course, the game itself has plenty to recommend it: Both teams are 3-0, and a relatively friendly remaining schedule means that the winner here stands a very good chance of getting to the end of the regular season at 3-0 and smack in the middle of CFP at-large discussions.
This game could well be defined by which gunslinging quarterback makes the most plays (and the fewest mistakes), as both Illinois' Luke Altmyer and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (a legitimate NFL prospect) bring plenty of experience and moxie to the table. My money's on Mendoza in that particular matchup, but I can't wait to figure out which of these teams is best positioned to go on a dream run.
Second screen: Florida @ No. 4 Miami (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
It remains to be seen just how long the leash is for Billy Napier at Florida at this point. But if this one gets ugly, and the Gators fall to 1-3 on the season (and 0-2 against in-state rivals), you have to think there'll be serious internal pressure to make a move.
And ... well, this one really does seem like it could get ugly. Miami might be the single most impressive team in the country right now, handling Notre Dame at home in the season opener and then snuffing out USF last weekend. This team is very big and very mean up front on both sides of the ball, and Carson Beck seems to have all the help he needs on offense. Trusting a Mario Cristobal team is always fraught with peril, but it's hard to identify a real weakness with the Canes. Which, considering how haywire DJ Lagway and the Gators offense has been this season, figures to spell trouble.
Third and fourth screens: South Carolina @ No. 23 Missouri (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Arizona State @ Baylor (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX)
This is such a loaded prime-time slate that we simply had no choice but to bust out the quadbox. Both of these games looked a bit shinier in the preseason, but there's still plenty to recommend them despite a few unexpected early losses.
It seems like LaNorris Sellers is trending towards playing for South Carolina, and that's a huge relief, because they're going to need him to be Superman if they have any hope of knocking off a Missouri team that's running white-hot right now. Sure, the competition hasn't been the stiffest, but Beau Pribula and Ahmad Hardy form arguably the most under-the-radar backfield in the country, and this team has athletes all over the field. Sellers hasn't gotten nearly enough help from his skill players; he's going to have to work some magic to keep this game close — and keep the Cocks' dim Playoff hopes alive.
Both Arizona State and Baylor entered the year with legitimate Big 12 title hopes, hopes that took a hit after losses at Mississippi State and at home to Auburn respectively. (Here's where we're contractually obligated to remind you that It Just Means More.) But Sam Leavitt and Sawyer Robertson are still two of the wildest dual-threat QBs out there, tremendous athletes who are liable to make any decision at any time, and that gives this game some off-the-charts chaos potential. Add in the desperation that comes with wanting to avoid a second loss by mid-September, and we could be in for a show.
For the sickos: Washington @ Washington State (7:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Look, I won't sugarcoat it: This game will likely not be close. Washington enters off a bye with Demond Williams and Jonah Coleman anchoring one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Wazzou, meanwhile, just got blasted by 49 points against an AAC team. Things are not great for the Cougs right now, and they're liable to get worse.
That said, it's still the Apple Cup, and this one will be played in front of a raucous crowd in Pullman. That's worth a check-in on its own, considering how perilous the future of this rivalry feels now that the teams no longer share a conference.
Saturday, Sept. 20: Nightcap
Main screen: Michigan State @ No. 25 USC (11 p.m. ET, FOX)
Yes, you read that right: This game will kick off at 11 p.m. East Lansing time, as the rejiggering of the Big Ten continues to wreak havoc on everyone's schedules. But if you manage to stay up this late, you could be in for a good time, as Aidan Chiles is blossoming year two under center with the Spartans and could put a scare into a USC team that's rolling early. If Spartans star wideout Nick Marsh is able to go (he's officially listed as questionable), MSU figures to have enough juice to at least make the Trojans earn this one.
In the recent past, Riley teams have stubbed their toe in spots like this. But they look awfully good with Jayden Maiava at the helm, and can make a statement as to their seriousness in the Big Ten and CFP races.
Second screen: Wyoming @ Colorado (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This game is the ultimate culture clash, with the no-nonsense, rugged-defense Cowboys coming to face off against Coach Prime in Boulder. This Buffaloes season has not gotten off to an ideal start, with a QB carousel already spinning between ballyhooed transfer Kaidon Salter and preseason third-stringer Ryan Staub. Deion Sanders seems like he'll go back to Salter to start this game, but Wyoming should provide a sneaky stern test if the Colorado offense isn't operating at peak capacity.
For the sickos: Cal @ San Diego State (10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Consider this a public service announcement: If you haven't watched Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele play yet, you need to rectify that immediately. The five-star true freshman has been a revelation in the early going while leading the Golden Bears to a 3-0 start, slinging the ball all over the field with reckless abandon. He should be able to keep the train rolling against a rebuilding Aztecs team, but you should tune in anyway so that you can be the smartest person in your group chat once NFL scouts start drooling over him.