There are many in-conference games heading into Week 4 in college football. I’ve taken a stab at two of those games that I believe have some early value for Week 4 in college football.
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College Football Top Early Week Picks (Week 4)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKingsFanDuel Sportsbook)
USC Trojans vs. Michigan Wolverines
The USC Trojans will play their first Big Ten game against the reigning and defending national champions.
However, the Wolverines aren’t playing like former national champions. We don’t even know who the quarterback will be on Saturday.
Despite a 28-18 win against Arkansas State, Michigan starter Davis Warren threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. Eventually, he was benched for Alex Orji, who completed two of four passes, one of which led to a touchdown.
Ultimately, Michigan has a quarterback problem. It’s hard to win without good quarterback play, and bad turnovers also hurt the defense’s ability to earn stops and help win the game.
On the other hand, Michigan will face a USC team that had a bye week last week. USC is 2-0 and will be less beat up by game time. The Trojans already knocked off LSU in an insane Week 1 battle and then closed out Week 2 with a 48=0 win over Utah State. The defense is much more improved from last season’s squad, and the offense, behind Miller Moss, is electric.
I picked Michigan to beat Texas and watched the Wolverines lose that game, 31-12. I told myself I’d never pick Michigan again. With USC currently at -5.5 on the road, I’ll take them.
Pick: USC -5.5 (-110)
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners
This is the other major game of the week.
While USC will get its first taste of the Big Ten, Oklahoma will play its first game in the SEC. The Sooners have held all three of their opponents to 19 or fewer points. But they’ll take on a Tennessee team that just dropped 71 points on Kent State in Week 3.
Tennessee could’ve won that game by 100 but slowed down after going up 65-0 at halftime. This is the same offense that provided 51 points against a typically quality North Carolina State defense.
Ultimately, this will be Tennessee’s first road test. However, the offense should still find success throughout the game against Oklahoma. The Vols might be the best offense in the SEC, although Ole Miss might have something to say.
Nico Iamaleava has thrown for nearly 700 yards and six touchdowns, while Dylan Sampson has already recorded nine touchdowns on 45 carries.
Conversly, Oklahoma relies heavily on Jackson Arnold. He leads the team in passing and rushing yards. After all, Oklahoma hasn’t provided a massive amount of offense despite playing three teams that were not in a Power-4 conference.
Therefore, I’ll back Tennessee on the road at -7.5. I wish the number were at 6.5, but I believe Tennessee can earn a two-score win.
Pick: Tennessee -7.5 (-105)
