RADIO
Jackson's Week 4 college football predictions for all ranked games and top-25 matchups. His picks for Utah vs. Texas Tech, Auburn vs. Oklahoma and more.
Week 4 College Football Predictions
It’s time for another exciting college football slate! Even though several ranked teams are out of action on byes this week, there are at least a handful of must-see matchups as we close on the first month of action in 2025. Contenders and pretenders will start to reveal themselves as conference play picks up, so let’s waste no more time diving into this week’s picks.
No. 25 USC vs. Michigan State
It’s still weird that this is a Big Ten conference game, but one of these two programs will suffer its first loss on Saturday. USC is in the AP top 25 for the first time this season after handling Purdue last weekend, and quarterback Jayden Maiava has been excellent thus far.
There’s reason for optimism for Michigan State with Jonathan Smith at the helm, but the Spartans aren’t quite ready to compete with a team as talented as the Trojans.
Prediction: USC 34, Michigan State 17
No. 24 Notre Dame vs. Purdue
Somehow, Notre Dame is still ranked after getting out to a 0-2 start. Yes, Miami and Texas A&M might just be that good, and Notre Dame could win out. But this early in the season, it’s odd not to reward another program with a ranking next to its name ahead of the Irish.
Either way, Notre Dame has a tremendous talent advantage over Purdue, and I expect the final score to reflect that.
Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Purdue 10
No. 23 Missouri vs. South Carolina
Should we stop doubting Eli Drinkwitz? We probably should. The Tigers are 24-5 over the last two seasons, and their offense continues to light up the scoreboard. Quarterback Beau Pribula has been better than advertised, and running back Ahmad Hardy might contend to lead the country in rushing.
Meanwhile, South Carolina is coming off an embarrassing blowout loss to Vanderbilt at home, and its offense has looked putrid to begin the year. They won’t have the firepower to keep up.
Prediction: Missouri 42, South Carolina 20
No. 21 Michigan vs. Nebraska
Nebraska’s last win over a ranked opponent came in 2016. That’s an absurd stat for one of the most successful programs in college football history. This Saturday would be a great time to change that, as true freshman Bryce Underwood is leading the Wolverines into Lincoln.
Nebraska has not allowed a pass of over 20 yards, and Underwood struggled mightily in his first road start at Oklahoma. If you love offense and points, this is likely not your game. But we’re taking the Huskers as road underdogs.
Prediction: Nebraska 17, Michigan 13
No. 20 Vanderbilt vs. Georgia State
Vanderbilt was the talk of college football last season after upsetting Alabama and ultimately qualifying for a bowl game. However, the Commodores lost to Georgia State last year, so it would be difficult to imagine Clark Lea’s team “overlooking” the Panthers.
Diego Pavia is excellent, and Vandy looks like a more well-rounded team in 2025. This one will not be close.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 38, Georgia State 7
No. 18 Georgia Tech vs. Temple
Fresh off a thrilling win over Clemson, Georgia Tech draws a favorable matchup against Temple. While this could set up to be a “letdown” spot, it’s time to start trusting head coach Brent Key. The Yellow Jackets play the game the right way, and their rushing attack should prevent a sloppy contest that gets them in trouble.
Temple was blown out by Oklahoma last weekend, and unfortunately, the Owls are in for another long day.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 30, Temple 7
No. 16 Utah vs. No. 17 Texas Tech
Many could argue that this Utah vs. Texas Tech matchup is the game of the week, and it could decide who ends up in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game later this season. Seriously, the chance to compete for a College Football Playoff spot might be on the line.
These teams appear to be somewhat evenly matched, but we trust Utah at home, and Kyle Whittingham is no stranger to these big games. Joey McGuire is, though.
Prediction: Utah 43, Texas Tech 38
No. 15 Tennessee vs. UAB
It was a crushing defeat for Tennessee last week, as a missed field goal at the end of regulation prevented the Vols from snapping an eight-game losing streak to Georgia. However, Joey Aguilar was prolific in his SEC debut, and there’s reason to believe Tennessee will still qualify for the College Football Playoff.
UAB has one of the worst passing defenses in the country, and Josh Heupel has not been shy about running up the score on inferior opponents. This one will get ugly quickly.
Prediction: Tennessee 70, UAB 14
No. 13 Ole Miss vs. Tulane
Ole Miss vs. Tulane isn’t your classic SEC vs. American Conference matchup. Tulane is one of the most dangerous Group of Five teams in the country, and head coach Jon Sumrall is headed toward a big-time job in 2026. The Ole Miss defense was dominated by Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green last week, and Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff has plenty of ability to do the same.
Don’t expect this to be an easy win for Ole Miss. In fact, this will be the upset of the week.
Prediction: Tulane 41, Ole Miss 40
No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 22 Auburn
The storylines are endless for this ranked vs. ranked SEC throwdown. Former Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold will lead the Tigers into Norman, where the man who took his job, John Mateer, is the Heisman front-runner. Both Hugh Freeze and Brent Venables are desperate for a statement win, and the loser of this contest will be doubted moving forward.
Oklahoma likely has the quarterback and defensive edge. And home-field advantage is enough to have confidence in them.
Prediction: Oklahoma 34, Auburn 20
No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana
Is Indiana headed for a second straight College Football Playoff berth? If so, this feels like a must-win for the Hoosiers. Both Indiana and Illinois head into this contest undefeated, though neither has faced a great opponent. This is arguably the most important edition of this rivalry game of all time because it has serious CFP implications.
The books favor Indiana, but at this point in the season, we trust Luke Altmyer and the Illini defense just a bit more than Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosier defense. Illinois wins on the road.
Prediction: Illinois 24, Indiana 20
No. 8 Texas vs. Sam Houston
Even Arch Manning doubters did not expect him to struggle like this, right? The sophomore has completed just over 55% of his passes for 579 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. The performance at Ohio State is excusable, but how has he not been dominant against San Jose State and UTEP?
Either way, the Longhorns get another easy matchup this week, and their defense is elite, so Manning probably wouldn’t even need to attempt a pass for Texas to win.
Prediction: Texas 34, Sam Houston 3
No. 7 Florida State vs. Kent State
After embarrassing Alabama and East Texas A&M, the Noles have yet another chance to flex their offensive muscles on Saturday. Kent State is one of the worst FBS teams, while FSU could be a prime College Football Playoff contender. We expect those two things to be evident here.
Prediction: Florida State 77, Kent State 10
No. 6 Oregon vs. Oregon State
Remember when this rivalry was fun and competitive? Good times. But unfortunately, the last two games of the series have been decided by at least four scores in favor of Oregon, and it’s likely to be worse than that when the dust settles in Eugene on Saturday. Oregon is looking ahead to a big-time matchup with Penn State, while the Beavers are 0-3 and showing no signs of life.
Prediction: Oregon 48, Oregon State 6
No. 4 Miami (FL) vs. Florida
In the preseason, this Sunshine State rivalry looked like it could be one of the most important games of the year. Miami has held up its end of the bargain, but Florida has already lost two games and fallen out of the rankings. Billy Napier could be run out of Gainesville if the Gators get embarrassed by Carson Beck and the Canes, and that wouldn’t surprise anyone.
Florida’s defense will keep it close in the first half, but its embarrassment of an offense will prove fatal once again.
Prediction: Miami 27, Florida 10
No. 3 LSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana
Speaking of underperforming offenses, LSU will host Southeastern Louisiana in Week 4. Garrett Nussmeier is reportedly dealing with an injury, but the Tigers’ offensive woes have been evident to start the season. Luckily, there is time for LSU to get it right, and it starts with taking care of business against the Lions. Brian Kelly is likely hoping Nussmeier is standing on the sideline in the second half.
Prediction: LSU 31, Southeastern Louisiana 3
