With Georgia, Ohio State and Alabama looking like the clear top three in the country, Week 3 gave us some clues as to who could challenge that triumvirate atop the college football world.
In a change from previous seasons, the Pac-12 Conference is supplying a couple of candidates: No. 7 USC, which moved to 3-0 with a late-night rout of Fresno State; and No. 18 Washington, also 3-0 after thumping then-No. 11 Michigan State in Seattle.
There are more expected contenders, too: No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Clemson and No. 6 Oklahoma have yet to be challenged. This week, Clemson has the toughest test with a trip to No. 21 Wake Forest. The Tigers are 7-point favorites at Caesars Sportsbook.
And in the SEC, could either Georgia or Alabama succumb before conference championship weekend? No. 8 Kentucky certainly is one candidate to rise up, and four others play one another this week: No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (-2½) in Arlington, Texas, and No. 11 Tennessee (-8½) hosting No. 20 Florida.
Here’s a complete schedule and list of the available Week 4 point spreads and over/under totals at Caesars Sportsbook:
(*no lines available yet for games involving FCS teams)
All times are in Eastern Time.
Top 25 games
Kent State at No. 1 Georgia (-44, o/u 59), 12 p.m. Saturday, ESPN+
Maryland at No. 4 Michigan (-17, o/u 62), 12 p.m. Saturday, Fox
No. 5 Clemson (-7, o/u 57) at No. 21 Wake Forest, 12 p.m. Saturday, ABC
Central Michigan at No. 14 Penn State (-26.5, o/u 60.5), 12 p.m. Saturday, BTN
No. 17 Baylor (pick ’em, o/u 45) at Iowa State, 12 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2
*Rhode Island at No. 24 Pitt, 12 p.m. Saturday, ACCN
No. 20 Florida at No. 11 Tennessee (-8.5, o/u 62), 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
No. 22 Texas (-4.5, o/u 59.5) at Texas Tech,32:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Middle Tennessee at No. 25 Miami (-25.5, o/u 53.5), 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ACCN
No. 15 Oregon (-6, o/u 53.5) at Washington State, 4 p.m. Saturday, Fox
Tulsa at No. 16 Ole Miss (-20.5, o/u 62), 4 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network
Northern Illinois at No. 8 Kentucky (-24.5, o/u 53), 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2
No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (-2.5, o/u 48), 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Vanderbilt at No. 2 Alabama (-38, o/u 59.5), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network
Wisconsin at No. 3 Ohio State (-17, o/u 56), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
UConn at No. 12 NC State (-38, o/u 50), 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Kansas State at No. 6 Oklahoma (-13, o/u 53.5), 8 p.m. Saturday, Fox
No. 7 USC (-6.5, o/u 68) at Oregon State, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Pac-12 Network
Wyoming at No. 19 BYU (-21.5, o/u 52), 10:15 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2
No. 13 Utah (-14, o/u 52) at Arizona State, 10:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Stanford at No. 18 Washington (-13.5, o/u 60), 10:30 p.m. Saturday, FS1
Other games
THURSDAY, SEPT. 22
West Virginia (-1.5, o/u 53) at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Coastal Carolina (pick ’em, o/u 63.5) at Georgia State, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
*UT-Chattanooga at Illinois, 8:30 p.m., BTN
FRIDAY, SEPT. 23
Virginia at Syracuse (-7.5, o/u 53), 7 p.m., ESPN
Nevada at Air Force (-24, o/u 49.5), 8 p.m., FS1
Boise State (-16, o/u 46.5) at UTEP, 9 p.m., CBSSN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24
Missouri at Auburn (-6.5, o/u 51.5), 12 p.m., ESPN
Bowling Green at Mississippi State (-29.5, o/u 57), 12 p.m., SEC Network
TCU (pick ’em, o/u 69) at SMU, 12 p.m., ESPNU
Duke at Kansas (-8, o/u 64.5), 12 p.m., FS1
South Florida at Louisville (-14, o/u 63.5), 12 p.m.
Buffalo at Eastern Michigan (-3.5, o/u 60.5), 12 p.m., CBSSN
UCLA (-21, o/u 58) at Colorado, 2 p.m., Pac-12 Network
UMass at Temple (-9.5, o/u 44.5), 2 p.m., ESPN+
*Fordham at Ohio, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Notre Dame (-1, o/u 60) at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Minnesota at Michigan State (-1.5, o/u 51.5), 3:30 p.m., BTN
Indiana at Cincinnati (-14, o/u 54), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
James Madison at Appalachian State (-8.5, o/u 57), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
Toledo (-1, o/u 46.5) at San Diego State, 3:30 p.m., FS1
Florida International at Western Kentucky (-27.5, o/u 66.5), 3:30 p.m., CBSSN
North Texas at Memphis (-13, o/u 68), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
*Texas Southern at UTSA, 3:30 p.m.
Georgia Tech at Central Florida (-18, o/u 57.5), 4 p.m., ESPNU
*Sacramento State at Colorado State, 4 p.m.
Arizona at Cal (-4, o/u 48), 5:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Akron at Liberty (-27, o/u 57.5), 6 p.m., ESPN+
Navy at East Carolina (-17.5, o/u 49)), 6 p.m., ESPN+
Ball State at Georgia Southern (-8.5, o/u 61.5), 6 p.m., ESPN+
Arkansas State at Old Dominion (-3.5, o/u 57.5), 6 p.m., ESPN+
Rice at Houston (-17, o/u 58), 6 p.m., ESPN+
Iowa (-7, o/u 35.5) at Rutgers, 7 p.m., FS1
Southern Miss at Tulane (-12, o/u 50), 7 p.m., ESPN+
UNLV (-2.5, o/u 62) at Utah State, 7 p.m., CBSSN
*Houston Baptist at Texas State, 7 p.m.
Marshall (-4, o/u 52.5) at Troy, 7 p.m., NFL Network
Louisiana Tech at South Alabama (-12.5, o/u 60.5), 7 p.m., ESPN+
New Mexico at LSU (-31, o/u 47), 7:30 p.m., ESPN+/SEC Network
Charlotte at South Carolina (-23, o/u 64), 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
Miami (Ohio) at Northwestern (-6.5, o/u 50), 7:30 p.m., BTN regional
Florida Atlantic at Purdue (-19, o/u 60.5), 7:30 p.m., BTN regional
Hawaii at New Mexico State (-2.5), 8 p.m.
Boston College at Florida State (-16.5, o/u 48.5), 8 p.m., ACCN
UL (-12) at UL-Monroe, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Western Michigan at San Jose State (-3.5), 10:30 p.m., CBSSN
