We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

Week 4 of the college football season is upon us, and it includes wildly fascinating matchups in the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC – all of which feature new teams within their respective leagues.

No. 11 Michigan will head to Ann Arbor to take on defending national champion and 18th-ranked Michigan, No. 12 Utah will head over to Stillwater to take on No. 14 Oklahoma State and No. 6 Tennessee will take its high-flying aerial attack to Norman to square off with No. 15 Oklahoma. 

What will go down on Saturday? Here are the picks from Outkick’s Trey Wallace and Barrett Sallee. Keep in mind that a correct pick against the spread in the “wild card” game is worth “two points” in our completely made-up scoring system.

Wallace: 7-5 straight up, 6-6 against the spread (8 points)

Sallee: 10-2 straight up, 7-5 against the spread (8 points)

No. 11 USC (-5) at No. 18 Michigan

Wallace: After watching Texas humiliate the Wolverines through the air, thanks to Quinn Ewers, I don’t see how Michigan’s defense will be able to contain Miller Moss. It will be fascinating to see how Michigan QB Alex Orji responds to being named the starting quarterback, and how his teammates rally around him. But this just feels like a game where Lincoln Riley has enough weapons on offense to expose Michigan once again, and force them to get into a track-meet, which will not workout well for them. I’m taking the Trojans to cover, and win outright.  

Miller Moss will lead the USC Trojans into Michigan for a crucial Big Ten matchup

Miller Moss will lead the USC Trojans into Michigan for a crucial Big Ten matchup (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

 

Sallee: I am a believer in USC’s defense and, because of that, I’m backing the Trojans and laying the points this weekend. The combination of their newfound ability to play fundamentally-sound defense and a Michigan offense that made a quarterback change to Alex Orji should be more than enough to allow Trojans quarterback Miller Moss to get the job done in the fourth quarter and get a cover. 

No. 12 Utah (-2) at No. 14 Oklahoma State

Wallace: One of the most interesting stats of this game is the combined age of Utah QB Cam Rising, and Oklahoma State’s Alan Bowman, who are both 7th year players. Besides that, this game has the chance to be one of the best of the weekend. The Utes getting Cam Rising back is crucial for this Utah team looking to make a playoff run. On the other hand, Oklahoma State will try to wear down the Utes by utilizing Ollie Gordon, and pushing the Utah defensive line around. I was back-and-forth on this game all week. But, I think Utah can handle the pressure of playing on the road and will win this Big 12 showdown. 
 

Utah QB Cam Rising will look to lead his team to a massive Big 12 win against Oklahoma State

Utah QB Cam Rising will look to lead his team to a massive Big 12 win against Oklahoma State. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

Sallee: It sounds like Utes quarterback Cam Rising is going to play after suffering a hand injury suffered earlier this month, but that won’t be enough to get the job done in raucous Stillwater. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy will slow the game down with running back Ollie Gordon II serving as the main focus of the offense, keep Rising on the sideline and get out of there with the slight upset. 

No. 6 Tennessee (-7) at No. 15 Oklahoma

Wallace: Here we go, the first all-SEC game for the Oklahoma Sooners, and they welcome back former coach and national championship winning QB Josh Heupel, who will bring his Tennessee Vols to Norman looking to make a statement. This might be one of the biggest games for the Sooners at home in a very long time, and it will take some time for Nico Iamaleava to get into a groove. While Brent Venables will get a few of this players back on Saturday from the injury list, I have no idea how this defensive unit will be able to contain the Vols offense. It’s not just Nico, but you throw-in a stout group of WR’s and Dylan Sampson at running back, which could lead to a tough day for the Sooners defense. 

But, let’s not act like Oklahoma doesn’t have the talent. Unfortunately, I just feel the Tennessee DL will force Jackson Arnold into a few turnovers, and the Vols offense will capitalize. Josh Heupel leads his Vols to the win, and they take care of the seven points. 
 

Sallee: Lay the points with the Volunteers and never look back. Their defense has been the true strength of the team so far, and the Sooners offensive line has been on the struggle bus all season long. Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold will be running for his life and this will be a double-digit win for Vols coach Josh Heupel in his return to Norman.

Wild Card Games

Florida (-6.5) @ Mississippi State

I have no idea how these two teams are going to respond from the letdown of last weekend. The Bulldogs were thrashed by Toledo, while Florida was embarrassed by Texas A&M. But, these are two teams still headed in opposite directions. It’s going to take some time for Jeff Lebby in Starkville, while Billy Napier is running out of time in Gainesville. We’re going to find out how much the Gators are still ‘bought-in’ with this season, and the rumors about Napier swirling around on a daily basis. This could be a decent back-bounce game for the Bulldogs, even though they do not have the same amount of talent as Florida. 

I’ve got a weird suspicion that Mississippi State comes out fired up, taking advantage of a demoralized Florida football team. But, it’s not enough at the end, as DJ Lagway leads the Gators to a late touchdown to win the game, but they don’t cover the spread. 
 

No. 8 Miami (-16.5) at South Florida

Sallee: Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is an absolute monster as he has elevated to the top of the Heisman Trophy odds, and he’ll prove it against a Bulls defense that will run out of gas late in the game. Coach Mario Cristobal knows how much a win in the talent-rich Tampa area will do for recruiting, so expect him to keep his foot on the gas for a full four quarters. 

We are going to get another fun weekend of college football, and I imagine a number of upsets, based off the last three weeks of evidence. I know the card isn’t stacked with Top-25 games, but there will be enough action for folks to enjoy. Don’t go looking ahead to Georgia vs. Alabama just yet, as this weekend will deliver.