College football Week 4:
Can TCU hang with Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State? Penn State faces road test at Iowa.
A look at the top college Football Bowl Subdivision games for the upcoming week.
NO. 15 TCU AT NO. 7 OKLAHOMA STATE
Sept. 23, 3:30 p.m., ESPN Line: Oklahoma State by 12
It’s Texas Christian’s turn to try to slow down QB Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State.
Tulsa couldn’t do it. South Alabama didn’t have much of a shot. And Pittsburgh was humiliated on its own field, falling 59-21 to the Cowboys (3-0) last week.
Rudolph has thrown for 1,135 yards, 11 TDs and one interception, helping a veteran Oklahoma State team look like a playoff contender. Now the Cowboys enter Big 12 play and face an improved Horned Frogs team coming off a rout of Southern Methodist.
TCU (3-0) also has a victory at Arkansas, but this is a considerable step up in competition. The Horned Frogs have allowed only 43 points in their first three games while getting back to their defensive roots, but they’ll need a strong game from QB Kenny Hill to keep pace with the potent Cowboys.
Who wins? Oklahoma State, 42-28
NO. 5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT CALIFORNIA
Sept. 23, 3:30 p.m., ABC Line: Southern California by 161⁄ 2
Southern California (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) has been the most erratic of the nation’s potential national title contenders. The Trojans were sluggish against Western Michigan, stellar against Stanford and then needed field goals at the end of regulation and in the second overtime from freshman walk-on K Chase McGrath to outlast Texas 27-24.
Clay Helton’s bunch heads on the road for the first time to face surprising California (3-0), which opened with a victory at North Carolina and is coming off a 27-16 defeat of Mississippi. The Bears are led by first-year coach Justin Wilcox, who was Southern Cal’s defensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015.
Who wins? Southern California, 35-24
NO. 1 ALABAMA AT VANDERBILT
Sept. 23, 3:30 p.m., CBS Line: Alabama by 181⁄ 2
Points could be at a premium in this matchup of stingy defenses. The Crimson Tide (3-0) begin conference play as an even greater favorite in the Southeastern Conference West than when the season began.
Vanderbilt has allowed 13 points through three games and held Kansas State to 277 total yards in a 14-7 triumph last week. But Kansas State QB Jesse Ertz rushed for 126 yards and a TD, so the Commodores must tighten their defense if they want to contain Alabama QB Jalen Hurts. Who wins? Alabama, 28-10
NO. 3 OKLAHOMA AT BAYLOR
Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 Line: Oklahoma by 26
After giving up a couple early touchdowns to Tulane, Oklahoma (3-0) rolled past the Green Wave 56-14 as QB Baker Mayfield threw for 331 yards and four TDs.
The Bears (0-3) have sputtered early in new coach Matt Rhule’s first season, losing to Liberty, Texas-San Antonio and Duke.
Who wins? Oklahoma, 49-7
NO. 19 MISSISSIPPI STATE AT NO. 12 GEORGIA
Sept. 23, 7 p.m., ESPN Line: Georgia by 7
A few weeks back, this looked like a potentially tricky game for Georgia. Now, it might be one of the most fascinating showdowns in the SEC this season. Mississippi State (3-0, 1-0 SEC) demolished Louisiana State 37-7 in Starkville, Miss., last week as QB Nick Fitzgerald threw for two TDs and rushed for two more.
Now Mississippi State must move past that emotional high as they face Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs (3-0, 0-0), who will try to prevent the visitors from dominating possession as they did last week.
Georgia, 24-21
NO. 4 PENN STATE AT IOWA
Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m., ABC Line: Penn State by 12
The Nittany Lions (3-0) have dominated, ripping Akron, Pittsburgh and Georgia State behind QB Trace McSorley (753 yards, nine TDs, two interceptions) and RB Saquon Barkley (307 yards, three TDs). The Nittany Lions have allowed 14 points (and one TD) through three games.
Iowa (3-0) has endured scares from Iowa State and North Texas the last two weeks, but has a long history of pulling off upsets at home, including last November’s 14-13 stunner against Michigan.
Penn State, 28-17
NO. 22 FLORIDA AT KENTUCKY
Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network Line: Florida by 3
Florida (1-1, 1-0), which has won 30 in a row against Kentucky, is coming off the wildest finish of the season, beating Tennessee 26-20 on QB Feleipe Franks’ 63-yard TD pass to Tyrie Cleveland as time expired.
The Wildcats (3-0, 1-0) were lackluster the first two weeks, but snagged a 23-13 triumph at South Carolina behind RB Benny Snell’s 102 yards and two TDs. Kentucky is seeking its first 2-0 start in SEC play since 1977. Who wins? Florida, 17-16
NOTRE DAME AT MICHIGAN STATE
Sept. 23, 8 p.m., Fox Line: Notre Dame by 5
The Spartans (2-0) are coming off a bye week and can match their victory total from last year if they can beat the Fighting Irish (2-1). Notre Dame bounced back from a loss to Georgia by steamrolling Boston College 49-20.
RB Josh Adams rushed for 229 yards and QB Brandon Wimbush added 207 yards and four TDs on the ground, but neither is likely to have as much room to operate.
Who wins? Michigan State, 24-20
NO. 6 WASHINGTON AT COLORADO
Sept. 23, 10 p.m., Fox Sports 1 Line: Washington by 101⁄ 2
This is a rematch of last year’s Pac-12 title game, won 41-10 by the Huskies. Washington RB Myles Gaskin rushed for 159 yards in that game, while Colorado were held to 163 yards of offense.
The Huskies (3-0) have had little difficulty with Rutgers, Montana and Fresno State, while the Buffaloes (3-0) have won each of their first three games by doubledigit margins. Who wins? Washington,
35-21
UCLA AT STANFORD
Sept. 23, 10:30 p.m., ESPN Line: Stanford by 71⁄ 2
Both are coming off sobering road losses to strong Group of Five programs. The Bruins (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) fell 48-45 at Memphis as the Tigers’ Riley Ferguson (six TDs) and outdueled UCLA QB Josh Rosen. The Cardinal (1-2, 0-1) were beaten 20-17 at San Diego State, even though RB Bryce Love rushed for 184 yards.
Who wins? Stanford, 31-28
Times Eastern. Odds are courtesy of Playbook.com.