College Football Week 4 Watchability Tiers: First Stacked Slate of the Season Has Something for Everyone

Conference play is starting across most of the country, but there's also a nonconference clash with big national title implications.

Author:
Richard Johnson
Publish date:
Sep 22, 2023

In this story:

Clemson Tigers

Florida State Seminoles

Colorado Buffaloes

Oregon Ducks

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Penn State Nittany Lions

UCF Knights

Kansas State Wildcats

Welcome to the first wall-to-wall good week of college football. There are more games this weekend than you can shake a stick at. Grab a spot on the couch and get settled in, because you’re not moving from the time games kick until the nightcap.

All times Eastern.

Definitely good

Florida State vs. Clemson (noon, ABC)

Florida State has lost seven in a row to Clemson. That cannot sit well with the folks in Tallahassee. What will is a victory here that may be the second definitive stamp that these Noles are for real as not just ACC title contenders, but national title threats.

Colorado vs. Oregon (3:30, ABC)

The Coach Prime show goes on the road, and there’s no sneaking up on an opponent this time around. The atmosphere should be incredible in Autzen, where the game should boil down to how much the Ducks can assert their will on a Colorado team that is nowhere near the pushover it’s been in the past.

UCLA vs. Utah (3:30 pm, Fox)

The Utes should have a different offensive gear with Cam Rising’s return. This is a measuring stick game for both. Is Utah the Utah we’ve come to know at close to full capacity, or is UCLA and young quarterback Dante Moore ready for prime time?

Ohio State vs. Notre Dame (7:30, NBC)

In any other week the attention of the entire sport would be here, but the Colorado show has overshadowed everything else, even the most quintessential helmet game you could ask for. But this game is packed with intrigue and it’s notably not parked in Week 1, which means there’s hopefully going to be a more exciting game than what the teams put on display last year.

Sneaky good (or at least with something of notable intrigue)

Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati (noon, Fox)

It’s Cincy’s Big 12 opener, though there’s a bit of a dampened atmosphere around the program after a loss against Miami (OH) last week. Regardless, Nippert will be rocking with OU coming to town.

SMU vs. TCU (noon, FS1)

The last Iron Skillet game for the foreseeable future. Pour one out, and enjoy a good ol’ fashioned DFW rivalry showcase.

Alabama vs. Ole Miss (3:30, CBS)

Lane Kiffin has fashioned himself as Alabama’s preeminent pest. But he’s yet to topple the Tide as head coach. Does that change in this game?

UTSA vs. Tennessee (4:00, SEC Network)

Tennessee should roll here, but after a shaky performance against Florida last week, what exactly are these Vols?

BYU vs. Kansas (3:30, ESPN)

BYU’s welcome to the Big 12 comes on the road. And what a date they have against Kansas, a team that feels decidedly frisky in the league this year.

Iowa vs. Penn State (7:30, CBS)

Iowa wants to drag this game to hell and make Penn State play on its level. More often than not, they’ve succeeded in making teams do that. But are these Nittany Lions good enough to stay above sea level in Happy Valley?

UCF vs. Kansas State (8:00, FS1)

One more Big 12 opener features the Knights traveling to Kansas State. There aren’t gimme weeks in this league, and how the conference welcomes its new entrants is Exhibit A.