College football today: Week 4 games, schedule for Thursday

Details on what's on the Week 4 college football schedule today, with Thursday night action kicking off from the Sun Belt.

Your look at the college football schedule for today, as the Week 4 schedule of games gets underway. / James Guillory-Imagn Images

College football returns to the field today as the Week 4 schedule of games gets a very early preview with two Group of Five teams in action, including one of the preseason's playoff hopefuls.

Appalachian State sits at 2-1 on the year and is coming off a win against East Carolina, one week after getting dominated on the road against Clemson, a result that put a big dent in those CFP odds.

South Alabama had a considerably more successful outing last Saturday, stacking up 620 total yards while scoring a school-record 87 points in a thrashing of FCS school Northwestern State.

Today's game represents the Sun Belt conference opener for both teams, as the Mountaineers are looking to avoid falling to .500 and the Jaguars hoping to get there after starting 1-2 overall.

Here's what you need to know about the Week 4 college football schedule as it kicks off today.

College football games today: Week 4 schedule for Thursday

All times Eastern, and game lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

South Alabama at App. State
Thurs., Sept. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Line: App State -7
Total: 62.5 points

South Alabama: Last week's 87-point outburst helped pump up the Jaguars' numbers, as they now rank 8th nationally with 48.3 points per game, but have struggled stopping other opponents, ranking 106th in FBS by allowing just under 30 points on average.

Appalachian State: Joey Aguilar leads a Mountaineer passing attack that ranks 16th nationally with 321 yards per game, but the ground game needs some work, ranking 92nd in college football by posting just under 135 yards rushing, and App State is 114th in scoring defense, an average also tilted by allowing 66 points to Clemson two weeks ago.

And if you're interested in the NFL, its Week 3 Thursday Night Football gets underway today, too.

Patriots at Jets
Thurs., Sept. 19 | 8:15 p.m. | Prime
Line: Jets -6
Total: 38.5 points

Patriots: New England dropped a 3-pointer at home in overtime against Seattle, falling to 1-1, and while it's strong running the ball, 4th in the NFL, it also ranks 29th among 32 teams in passing output.

Jets: Aaron Rodgers & Co. rebounded from their Week 1 loss at the 49ers with a 7-point victory at the Titans, but New York (1-1) is 22nd in passing, 26th in rushing, and 25th in scoring defense so far.

AP top 25 rankings

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Texas (35)
2. Georgia (23)
3. Ohio State (5)
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Tennessee
7. Missouri
8. Miami
9. Oregon
10. Penn State
11. USC
12. Utah
13. Kansas State
14. Oklahoma State
15. Oklahoma
16. LSU
17. Notre Dame
18. Michigan
19. Louisville
20. Iowa State
21. Clemson
22. Nebraska
23. Northern Illinois
24. Illinois
25. Texas A&M

More ... AP top 25 for Week 4

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