When you look at the college football slate for Week 4, it’s almost like everything up to this point has been practice. Now, finally, the action really begins.
That’s how good the Saturday schedule looks, with several games featuring ranked teams playing against each other, a host of fascinating storylines, and a “Big Noon Kickoff” matchup featuring Cincinnati’s Big 12 debut — against the mighty Oklahoma Sooners, no less.
HOW TO WATCH ‘BIG NOON KICKOFF’ THIS SATURDAY
- 10 a.m.-Noon ET: “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show on FOX
- Noon ET: Oklahoma at Cincinnati on FOX and the FOX Sports app
Not that Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield is fazed by any of that.
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“You don’t look at the jersey and say, ‘Oh, a team like Oklahoma, with tons of history and all this and that,’” he said earlier this week. “We respect them, but we still want to go out and win. We still want to go out and play our best football.”
So what should fans look for as they settle into their couches for a day-long football party?
Week 4 preview: Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati, and much more!
FOX Sports college football experts RJ Young, Michael Cohen, Bryan Fischer and Laken Litman share what they’ll be looking for in the biggest games this week.
No. 16 Oklahoma at Cincinnati (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
Michael Cohen: Oklahoma has stormed into 2023 with dominant wins over Arkansas State (73-0), Southern Methodist (28-11) and Tulsa (66-17) to amass the nation’s largest point differential at plus-139. The Sooners have the No. 3 scoring offense and the No. 5 scoring defense in the country, leading the Big 12 in both categories. But the question on most people’s minds as head coach Brent Venables prepares his team for conference play is this: Are the Sooners for real?
A year ago, Oklahoma embarked on the Venables era with a similar vengeance, racing to a 3-0 start courtesy of lopsided wins against UTEP (45-13), Kent State (33-3) and Nebraska (49-14). The primary statistics from that three-game jaunt featured eerily similar numbers to what the Sooners have produced in 2023: scoring averages of 42.3 points per game in 2022 and 55.7 points per game this year; defensive allowances of 10 points per game in 2022 and 9.3 points per game this year; a yardage total of 1,502 that puts last year’s offense within 100 yards of this year’s output.
But Oklahoma’s flying start in 2022 quickly eroded as the Sooners lost their opening three conference games against Kansas State, TCU and Texas en route to a 6-7 overall record. It was the program’s first losing season since 1998, and six of the seven losses were to unranked opponents — a number last matched in 1996. The Sooners were the only team in college football to finish the season with a losing record despite having an offense ranked in the top 15 nationally. The reason? An exploitable defense that finished 122nd overall (461 yards per game), 88th in opponent third-down conversion rate (40.9%) and 104th in opponent touchdown rate in the red zone (67.2%).
We’ll find out soon enough whether this year’s team is a legitimate contender for the College Football Playoff or just another early season mirage.
RJ Young: “Ain’t played nobody.” “Soft schedule.” “Cupcake schedule.” “It’s September.” This is how we say 3-0 in college football. All that is about to come to an end.
Dillon Gabriel has an 83% completion rate, 10.8 yards per drop-back, an 11/1 TD/INT ratio, and a 92.5 total QBR (third overall).
Cincinnati might have the first decent defense the Sooners face, but Oklahoma’s offense is better than decent, putting up 56 a game, including 66-plus twice in the last three games.
Oklahoma’s defense is giving up nine a game and picked off five passes in the midst of a Golden Hurricane.
That’s just an Oklahoma building like a storm on the horizon. That’s just the pro team down here. The last time the Conestoga rolled through Ohio, Baker Mayfield left a flag dead center of the Shoe in Columbus.
Bryan Fischer: This matchup has obviously lost a little luster with Cincinnati’s rather inexplicable loss to Miami (Ohio), but is equally the first real opportunity to see whether Oklahoma has made enough gains on both sides of the ball. Despite winning all three games by 17-plus points so far and notching the best point differential in the country, the Sooners are still largely an unknown. Were the issues that appeared for a few quarters against SMU a flash in the pan, or something that can be better exploited by a team like the Bearcats?
Offensively, Oklahoma is certainly capable of producing the big play. Gabriel leads the conference in most passing categories and seems to have found a new favorite target in Andrel Anthony. It’s still early, but the offensive line seems more consistent, and the running back rotation has proven to be productive, even if you would like to have the pecking order be a little more clear. Still, for all the solid numbers, there were a few too many stalled drives against the Mustangs and not quite peak efficiency that Jeff Lebby’s offense is going to need for Big 12 games on the road (much less against a foe like Texas in a few weeks).
Equally, Venables appears to have things figured out defensively (9.3 PPG allowed) and the front seven in particular has impressed against the less-than-stellar competition they’ve faced so far. LB Danny Stutsman is an early leader for my favorite Big 12 defender to watch with the way he flies over the field and somehow finds the ball.
The improvement on that side of the ball makes it equally important for UC to convert its chances in the red zone. They were atrocious in that part of the field against the RedHawks and that contributed in a big way for that game getting to overtime when it should have been a 20-plus point win. Scott Satterfield’s crew did look a lot better than I expected with so many new faces throughout the program, and they’ll have to hope that a more intense focus combined with a rocking Nippert can allow them to open their new Big 12 endeavor with a win.
Laken Litman: Oklahoma is heading into this game after crushing Tulsa, 66-17, last Saturday. Gabriel played a close-to-perfect game, completing 28 of 31 passes for 421 yards with five touchdowns and an interception. After finishing a disappointing 6-7 last season, including losing four of their last five games, the Sooners have started this season as explosive as possible, outscoring their first three opponents 167-28. So unsurprisingly, they’re ranked third nationally in scoring offense, racking up 55.7 points per game.
But beware: OU began the 2022 season in a very similar fashion, rushing out to a 3-0 record and blowing out opponents before suffering three straight losses in Venables’ first year as head coach. While Oklahoma probably isn’t a playoff contender (at least not yet) and isn’t even the favorite to win the Big 12 (Texas is, especially after beating Alabama), it shouldn’t have any issues on the road in Cincinnati.
The Bearcats are coming off a surprising loss, but want to make a good impression in their first conference game as a Big 12 member. Realistically, though, can Cincinnati’s defense pile on enough pressure to keep OU’s tempo under control? Its defense is allowing opposing teams to score just more than 20 points per game, but it also hasn’t seen an offense like the Sooners yet, which could mean trouble.
No. 22 UCLA at No. 11 Utah (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX)
Cohen: It’s not often that a true freshman wins the starting quarterback job at a Power 5 school the way Dante Moore has at UCLA, where he edged juniors Ethan Garbers and Collin Schlee. But there’s a reason Moore was rated the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle with coaches from Michigan, Oregon, LSU and Notre Dame pining for his commitment, and Bruins’ fans are beginning to see why. Through three games, Moore has blended a reasonable level of efficiency (62.7% completion rate) with the kind of ball security he was known for at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit (seven TDs, one INT). The question now is whether he can cut it against conference opponents like Utah, which has the No. 18 overall defense and the No. 12 defense among Power 5 programs.
Fischer: All eyes on the quarterbacks for this one to no surprise. UCLA’s Moore has been eye-opening with his deep balls and will have to connect on several attempts down the field if the Bruins will have a shot at ending Utah’s 16–game win streak at Rice Eccles. Cam Rising potentially getting the start for the Utes will be a major storyline coming in, and if he does play, seeing what kind of rust he has on his touch will be as notable as his movement in the pocket coming off that ACL tear. Don’t overlook how Nate Johnson gets used as a dual-threat, as he could be extra dangerous facing a fairly new defensive coordinator in D’Anton Lynn.
Litman: Utah hasn’t had a cupcake schedule to start the season like so many other teams around the country. In Week 1, the Utes beat up on Florida — and that win is looking even better now after the Gators took care of then-No. 11 Tennessee in the Swamp last weekend. In Week 2, Utah came back to beat Baylor in Waco in the fourth quarter. In Week 3, the Utes didn’t have any problems in a 31-7 win over Weber State.
And by the way, Kyle Whittingham’s team hasn’t even had Rising in any of these games. He’s been recovering from the ACL injury he sustained in last year’s Rose Bowl vs. Penn State. There’s talk that he could make his season debut against UCLA, which would make things even more interesting in a competitive Pac-12.
No. 19 Colorado at No. 10 Oregon (3:30 p.m. ET)
Young: Shedeur Sanders is 73-8 as a starter. He’s averaging 417 passing yards a game with a 10:1 TD-to-INT ratio. In 2021, he led Jackson State to an 11-2 record and a SWAC title. What’s significant about that year apart from the obvious? There was no Travis Hunter on that team.
Still, Prime has been real about his team: “We have not played a complete game. … If the offense is playing well, the defense is hot garbage. If the defense is playing well, the offense is horrible. And the special teams is not special.”
In Hunter’s stead, Kyndrich Breedlove was cooked. Prime said five-star freshman CB Cormani McClain “is not ready.” And when Prime was asked what was holding McClain back, he said: “He is.”
Oregon looked beatable against Texas Tech, barely escaping with a 38-30 win. The defense is suspect, but Bo Nix, Bucky Irving and Troy Franklin are not.
Upset pick: Coach Prime and Colorado will beat Oregon
Cohen: Will Autzen Stadium be the place where Colorado’s magical start endures its first hiccup? The Buffaloes have lost 18 consecutive games against top-10 opponents dating to 2007, and their last road win against a top-10 opponent came back in 1995. Beating Power 5 opponents like then-No. 17 TCU and Nebraska was one thing, but downing a perennial College Football Playoff contender away from home is another. So while it’s clear by now that doubting Deion Sanders is a fool’s errand, it’s also fair to wonder if having the Pac-12’s worst rushing offense and worst rushing defense will eventually hamstring Colorado against conference opponents.
Fischer: I can’t wait to see how the Buffs handle Autzen Stadium for the first time, because it is the loudest venue in the Pac-12 and a daunting environment for a team if they’re not on the same page, given how on top of you the fans are. Lots of attention is being given to the offensive playmakers involved in this one (sans Hunter, sadly) but the real battle is going to be in the trenches where the Ducks have a decided advantage (the black and gold have the most sacks allowed in the Pac-12 and the fewest sacks defensively). Through three games, Colorado OC Sean Lewis and his heady QB Shedeur Sanders have been able to somewhat minimize shortcomings in that area, but Dan Lanning’s side is on a different level compared to what they’ve seen so far. Likewise, the visitors will have to balance keeping tabs on the mobile Nix while trying to remain active in getting up the field to clog running lanes and applying pressure.
Litman: Pac 12 competition begins for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes this weekend. It’s not really fair to call this Colorado’s first true test of the year though — it went on the road in Week 1 and beat TCU, last year’s national title runners-up. Then it took care of rivals Nebraska and Colorado State in consecutive weeks. Sure, this is the Buffs’ first conference game — and it’s at Autzen Stadium, which is sure to be a rocking environment – but nothing seems to faze this team.
Shedeur Sanders has been rolling but will have to lead the offense without top target Hunter. How will Colorado overcome the Hunter-sized hold on both sides of the ball? Leave it to Coach Prime to figure out a way to use that to get his players motivated for this one.
Deion Sanders at Colorado is becoming the most amazing story in sports history
No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 13 Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET)
Cohen: Alabama’s streak of 128 consecutive weeks in the top 10 came to an end following its Week 2 loss to Texas and a sluggish Week 3 win over South Florida. Now the Crimson Tide are trying to avoid the program’s first 2-2 start since 2003, at which point Mike Shula was the head coach and Nick Saban hadn’t yet gone to the NFL. As has been the case all season, the microscope will hover over quarterback Jalen Milroe, whom Saban officially named the starter after backups Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner combined for just 107 yards and zero touchdowns last week. It’s no longer a stretch to say Alabama’s season hinges on Milroe.
Fischer: Alabama’s offensive line has looked abnormally bad so far this season, and this feels like one of those confirmation games, where we see the same old problems manifest upfront or Tide OC Tommy Rees gets the group to have more of a backbone in moving people off the line. Milroe is clearly the best option at quarterback, but it will be worth tracking to see how much they’re going to use his legs on designed runs and rollouts to potentially create some big plays. It wasn’t too long ago that a loss to Ole Miss led to proclamations that the Alabama dynasty was over. It wasn’t. A loss on Saturday could revive those old sentiments, however.
Young: Lane Kiffin and Pete Golding are not only former assistants of Nick Saban but coordinators. Golding was in Tuscaloosa just last year, and he runs the scheme that made Dave Aranda a household name in Baton Rouge. Quinshon Judkins and Jaxson Dart might rush 50 times in this game.
Milroe gets a shot at redemption for Alabama after it became clear he’s the best QB the Tide have on campus.
Alabama’s front seven is a legitimate nightmare: Deontae Lawson and Dallas Turner are terrifying. Put some Kool-Aid in that secondary. Sprinkle some sugar to get a little Malachi Moore. And you’ve got defense hitting like an ox.
Litman: Alabama’s dynasty may be coming to an end, but Saban certainly doesn’t want to lose to Lane Kiffin for the first time. Jimbo Fisher, Kirby Smart, and now Steve Sarkisian are the only former Saban assistants to pull off that feat.
Whatever happens, we know that Milroe will be back at quarterback for Bama after he was benched last week in an uninspiring win over South Florida. Saban said this week that Milroe has “earned the opportunity to be the quarterback” moving forward.
How will Alabama bounce back after an unconvincing start?
No. 14 Oregon State at No. 21 Washington State (7 p.m. ET on FOX)
Young: Cam Ward has a better total QBR than LSU QB Jayden Daniels and Oregon QB Bo Nix. He can sling it. Wazzu put up 31 on Wisconsin, 64 on Northern Colorado and 50 on Colorado State. That’s 48.3 a game.
But Oregon State is giving up just 11 a game, and DJ Uiagalelei and Damien Martinez (117 rushing a game) are carrying OSU to 41 a game. If Oregon State falls behind by a couple of scores, it could be difficult for the Beavers to find a way to come back and win.
Cohen: There’s something cruel about the two Pac-12 programs that were left behind in the latest round of conference realignment enjoying excellent starts to the 2023 campaign: Even when they’re good, nobody thought they were good enough. But while the uncertainty surrounding their respective futures continues to overshadow what the Cougars and Beavers do on the field, Saturday’s game pits one of the country’s most explosive offenses against one of the country’s stiffer defenses. Washington State QB Ward (986 passing yards, nine TDs, no INTs) spearheads a group ranked seventh in total offense. And Oregon State defensive coordinator Trent Bray — a name college football fans should get to know — has a unit ranked in the top 25 for the second consecutive year.
Fischer: A lot of folks are going to have some interesting emotions going into this one, but hopefully that melts away and allows the two teams to stage a battle befitting two programs that love to punch above their weight. The atmosphere in Pullman should be electric for a game in prime time on FOX, and I’ve been really impressed at the improvement we’ve seen on both sides of the ball from Jake Dickert’s Cougars in particular. Uiagalelei hasn’t been asked to shoulder the load quite as much as you would have thought, but he’s been solid and made some really nice throws — something he’ll have to do on the road in this one.
Litman: Turns out one of the more exciting Top 25 matchups this weekend happens to be between the two Pac–12 teams left out of conference realignment. Huh.
While these programs haven’t been particularly exciting in the past, this game will be a fun quarterback duel. Uiagalelei, who transferred from Clemson, has been uneven to start the season, but is still completing more than 60% of his passes and has plenty of weapons around him. Meanwhile, Washington State’s Ward has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards in three games with nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
DJ Uiagalelei connects with Anthony Gould for a 75-yard TD
No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9 Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. ET)
Cohen: Ever since Ohio State head coach Ryan Day carried his quarterback competition into the regular season, a popular train of thought has framed the Buckeyes‘ showdown with Notre Dame as a referendum on whichever player won the job. But Saturday’s game is less about Kyle McCord than it is about Ohio State’s offensive line, which has endured the growing pains associated with new faces at center and both tackle spots. Thus far, the Buckeyes have allowed four quarterback pressures per game and 3.7 tackles for loss per game. And while both of those numbers are a tick lower than the season-long values surrendered in 2022 — 5.8 quarterback pressures per game and 3.8 tackles for loss per game, respectively — the current rates are far too high given the caliber of opponent Ohio State has played. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is averaging 17.8 quarterback pressures and 4.3 tackles for loss over its first four games. The Buckeyes will be tested.
Fischer: You probably have to go back to our colleague Brady Quinn’s days in South Bend to find a time when Notre Dame entered a game like this having a decided advantage at quarterback over an Ohio State team that has been churning out first-rounders. Yet that’s where the two sides find themselves coming in, with Sam Hartman looking like a bona fide Heisman candidate and McCord seeming rattled anytime he has to get to his third or fourth read. The Irish haven’t won their first four games by 20-plus since 1970, and this game offers up the opportunity to firmly stamp their College Football Playoff aspirations as real or a mirage just as it does the Buckeyes.
Litman: This is a huge test for McCord. After backing up C.J. Stroud the past two seasons, it’s his turn to prove himself on the road at night in a hostile environment against a top-10 opponent. If he can help lead the Buckeyes to a win over Notre Dame — which is led by a veteran defense and sixth-year quarterback Hartman — then maybe Ryan Day has a playoff-caliber team on his hands.
Young: One way or another somebody’s about to be all up in their neighbors’ faces on Monday. We got the Deloitte debutants versus the roughnecks from the Rust Belt. Hartman has the best QB résumé in Notre Dame history. McCord has Tre Henderson and the best receiving corps north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
The Notre Dame offense can go blow for blow with the Ohio State offense — ND went on a 21-0 run to defeat NC State. But this is a battle of two defenses. Ohio State’s defense looks capable of holding ND to under 28, which is probably what it will take to win. ND also beat Central Michigan by the same margin (24) that an awful Michigan State did two weeks ago.
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State preview: Can the Irish pull off the upset?
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No. 24 Iowa at No. 7 Penn State (7:30 p.m. ET)
Cohen: Games like these are the reason Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz pursued former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara in the transfer portal. The White Out environment at Penn State is one of the most raucous in college football, and McNamara, who turned 23 in May, is known for having the poise, composure and moxie to handle adverse situations. His last trip to Beaver Stadium on Nov. 13, 2021, ended as a 21-17 Michigan win after McNamara connected with tight end Erick All for a 47-yard touchdown with 3:29 remaining. McNamara finished the game having completed 19 of 29 passes for 217 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s the kind of output the Hawkeyes will need from him this weekend.
Young: Perhaps the two best defenses in the Big Ten are going at it in this one. So which QB takes care of the ball best: McNamara or Drew Allar? I haven’t seen SingleHIM all year. Yeah, I’ve seen Nick Singleton — 36 rushes for 154 with five TDs — but I’m still waiting on SingleHIM to make like a turbo-charged Mustang and bite the track.
Iowa will need at least one defensive TD. Penn State can throw down a marker with a double-digit win. This is the game McNamara was brought in to win. If Iowa gets past Penn State, there’s no reason to doubt the Hawkeyes can get to the Big Ten title game with a CFP spot on the line.
Fischer: I was less than impressed by Penn State’s first road trip of the season at Illinois last Saturday, but being at home in Happy Valley during a White Out at night is an entirely different set of circumstances for the Nittany Lions. As usual, this one is going to come down to Iowa’s offense doing something beyond the initial script and whether Phil Parker’s defense can limit the explosive plays to force QB Allar to make a costly mistake. The Hawkeyes still feel like the best in the Big Ten West after three weeks, but this is one of those games where we’ll really see if PSU is for real in terms of challenging for the division, conference and CFP in 2023.
Litman: Allar, who struggled in his first road test against Illinois last week, is expected to come into form with more experience. But the real story for this Nittany Lions team is the defense.
Manny Diaz’s unit is coming off a game against the Illini in which it recorded five takeaways for the first time in seven years. Penn State had four interceptions by four different players, plus a fumble recovery. The top-20 defense is loaded with talent and is playing like it, having allowed just 35 points through three games this season. We’ll know more about how much of a legitimate contender this team is after facing stiffer competition vs. Iowa — and how much of a threat it actually poses to Big Ten goliaths Michigan and Ohio State.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.
Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.
Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He has been covering college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets such as NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
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