5. No. 22 Florida @ Kentucky (11 a.m. on ESPN)
It is still not clear which team in the SEC East can battle Georgia for the top spot. That answer will be less murky after this week when No. 22 Florida hits the road to face Kentucky.
The Gators looked like they were headed for a disappointing season after their Week 1 loss to Utah, but since then have gone 3-0 with a rather dominating win over Tennessee. With that loss, the Volunteers are all but out of the running for the East crown and now the Gators and Wildcats seem to be the favorites for Georgia’s challenger.
Kentucky picked up its first SEC win last week against Vanderbilt, but the offense still has some room for improvement.
On the other hand, the Gators’ offense has not been very impressive either. This will likely be a defensive battle all the way to the finish, with the home-field advantage in Lexington being enough to put the Wildcats over the top.
Winner: Kentucky
4. No. 10 Utah @ No. 19 Oregon State (8 p.m. on FS1 – Friday)
For all intents and purposes, No. 19 Oregon State’s matchup this week against No. 10 Utah is an elimination game for the Beavers in the Pac-12. After falling last week at Washington State, the Beavers will be fighting for their lives the rest of the season.
That starts this week as they host a scorching hot Morgan Scalley-led defense for the Utes. In the absence of senior quarterback Cameron Rising, Utah’s defense has single-handedly carried them this season.
The Utes could only muster up 14 points last week against UCLA, but the defense held the Bruins to only a touchdown. Rising’s status this week is still unknown, but if he has to miss a fifth straight week, the defense will once again have to step up and stop Oregon State junior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
Rising will make a massive difference in this game, but whether he plays or not, he will still not be in the form the Utes need him to be to win. Fighting for their conference championship hopes, the Beavers will come out on top.
Winner: Oregon State
3. No. 11 Notre Dame @ No. 17 Duke (6:30 p.m. on ABC)
For the first time, ESPN’s College Gameday is headed to Durham, North Carolina for No. 11 Notre Dame against No. 17 Duke. Head coach Mike Elko has fully transformed this Blue Devils program in year two and it is fully fair to say they have a shot at an ACC championship.
This game will not matter for those hopes, but what better way to continue to sell your program than knocking off a powerhouse such as Notre Dame on national television?
Before the loss against Ohio State last week, Notre Dame looked like a legit contender for the college football playoffs. However, any hope of that has practically faded away.
The Fighting Irish are still a good team with a disruptive defense and an elite quarterback in senior Sam Hartman. Duke is still a rather inexperienced team at the highest level and despite the home-field advantage, as long as Notre Dame has 11 players on the field at all times, they will come out on top.
Winner: Notre Dame
2. No. 24 Kansas @ No. 3 Texas (2:30 p.m. on CBS)
It has been a pleasure to make fun of Texas after losses to bad Kansas teams in 2016 and 2021, but a loss this season in a top-25 matchup will be a little more excusable.
The Jayhawks have improved tremendously over the last two years under head coach Lance Leipold and have a legit quarterback in junior Jalon Daniels. Kansas is undefeated through four weeks this season with double-digit wins over Illinois and BYU.
Texas still has the most impressive win of the season, taking down Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and other than a weak showing against Wyoming, sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns offense has been great. The defense for the Longhorns has also looked impressive.
Daniels will be the best quarterback the Longhorns have faced so far, but the defense for Kansas is still a little shaky. Fans in Austin should expect a back-and-forth affair this weekend but will be happy walking out of the stadium after pulling away late in a win over the Jayhawks.
Winner: Texas
1. No. 13 LSU @ No. 20 Ole Miss (5 p.m. on ESPN)
This is a really big game in the SEC West. Ole Miss will likely be taken out of contention for the title with a loss to LSU after falling to Alabama last week.
In that game, the Rebels’ offense — which was thought to be the strong suit of the team — struggled to move the ball against the Crimson Tide. Junior quarterback Jaxson Dart and sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins should be able to muster up 10 points.
It appeared the spotlight was too heavy for them. They get a chance to right that ship this week in Oxford.
For the Tigers, they will be looking to improve to 3-0 in the SEC, while also diminishing any doubt that they can win the West after a close win against Arkansas. A win against Ole Miss will get them closer to their goals of back-to-back appearances in the SEC championship game.
The purple and gold will do just that as they will take down Ole Miss on the road by a touchdown.
Winner: LSU
Honorable Mentions:
No. 8 USC @ Colorado (11 a.m. on Fox):
The Trojans will look to continue their run for a college football playoff on the road against a Colorado team seeking some revenge after a blowout loss against Oregon. That revenge will have to wait another week as the Trojans will roll in Boulder.
Winner: USC
Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (11 a.m. on SEC Network)
The Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium always produces an instant classic and that should not change this weekend. Despite losing sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman for the rest of the season, the Aggies will win a close one against the Razorbacks.
Winner: Texas A&M