Week 4 of the college football season features the start of conference play for many teams, and includes two games between teams ranked in the top 15. Both matchups they may prove valuable in the long run.
Here are the big games on Saturday.
(All times are Eastern and all odds are from BetMGM.)
Clemson is 1-1 with a bad loss to Georgia and a blowout win over Appalachian State in Week 2. NC State is also dealing with a rough start to its season with a narrow win over Western Carolina and the loss of Tennessee. Wolfpack QB Grayson McCall will miss Saturday’s game with an injury.
Michigan will start Alex Orji at quarterback against the Trojans after Davis Warren started the first three games and was mostly ineffective. The Wolverines will likely use a heavy offense that will test a USC defense that suddenly looks very strong.
Time: 4pm | TV: Fox | Line: Oklahoma State -2.5 | Total: 52.5
After missing Utah’s Week 3 win over Utah State, all signs point to Cameron Rising playing against the Cowboys. And this is the big news for this game which can help a lot in the top 12 rankings. The Cowboys are favored at home after the line had Utah as the favorite earlier in the week.
Former Oklahoma QB and assistant Josh Heupel returns to Norman as head coach of the Volunteers on Saturday night. UT QB Nico Iamaleava has become the front-runner for the Heisman with his game so far, and a strong offense will put pressure on Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold to get things going in the passing game.
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Kansas, West Virginia business hits
In a more competitive game, Kansas took the lead over West Virginia on an 11-yard run by Daniel Hisaw Jr.
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Same goes for the Buckeyes as TreVeyon Henderson breaks off a 40-yard TD run. Ohio State star Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have 202 yards and 3 TDs on just 12 carries so far .
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We’re back in the second half of these games and the Tigers are in the end zone again – this time on a TD pass from Cade Klubnik to Adam Randall. Clemson is now over 50 points.
Development of the board
Here’s where things stand as the first wave of games hits halftime:
Development of the board
Halftime: Ohio State 28, Marshall 14
After a lengthy review before halftime, a tackle on Marshall’s Elijah Metcalf was overruled. The Thundering Herd was down 14 at halftime.
Halftime: Clemson 45, NC State 7
The Tigers hit a field goal before halftime to make it 45-7. What an impressive showing by Dabo Swinney’s team. Clemson has now outscored its opponents 111-27 in its last six games.
Clemson adds a TD before the half
Clemson took its time on the drive before scoring on a 19-yard run by Jay Haynes. We’re nearing the halfway point in Death Valley and Dave Doeren’s Wolfpack can’t get into the locker room soon enough.
James Madison puts it at UNC
Perhaps the most surprising and exciting matchup in this early window is James Madison-North Carolina. The Dukes just took advantage of UNC’s second half to take a 46-21 lead with about half of the second quarter still to play.
Ohio State’s defense
The Buckeyes extended their lead when TreVeyon Henderson broke up several tackles and converted them for a 14-yard touchdown.
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The Tigers responded in kind to restore the lead to 28 points. This time it was Cole Turner who took it 18 yards around the end zone for a score. Dabo Swinney has to be happy with his team’s offensive outburst early in this game.
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Quinshon Judkins rips off a monster to extend the Buckeyes’ lead, rushing 86 yards for a touchdown.
Florida up 21-7 before Miss State
Meanwhile, with the heat surrounding Billy Napier in Florida, the Gators look to work early against Mississippi State. Embattled QB Graham Mertz is 15-for-16 with 147 passing yards and 3 TDs.
Touchdown NC State
The Wolfpack finally got on the board after that painful first quarter. They put together a respectable 9-play, 71-yard drive capped by a 5-yard TD pass from CJ Bailey to Jordan Waters.
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Six plays later, the Buckeyes are in last place at Will Howard’s goal line. He is Ohio State’s leading scorer in the game.
Marshall just went for it on fourth-and-1 at its own 45-yard line and couldn’t find it. It was a bold cry, the first that could end up biting the Thunder Flock.
Against Marshall!
The Thunder Herd does not die prematurely. Marshall’s Josh Moten picks off OSU’s Will Howard with a nice deep ball.
Clemson forces a turnover, scores again
The Tigers forced another fumble and recovered it. One play later, they were on the board again – this time on a 38-yard TD run by Phil Mafah, who returned from an injury scare and appeared to be work well. This is getting out of hand and it’s still only the first quarter.
Ohio State bounces back!
While the Thundering Herd took 13 plays to score, the Buckeyes’ response was very effective. It took them two plays, and Emeka Egbuka did most of the work with a 68-yard TD reception.
Clemson gets sacks, scores again
What a bad start for the Wolfpack. NC State QB CJ Bailey took his helmet backwards and fumbled for the ball, which was recovered by the Tigers deep in Wolfpack territory. Clemson then added to its lead with another TD pass from Cade Klubnik to Antonio Williams.
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On the second play of the game for the Tigers, Cade Klubnik finds Antonio Williams for a 31-yard touchdown. It’s not good news, though, as RB Phil Mafah went down with an apparent injury. of the shoulder while driving.
