Sure, football comes back and that is super exciting. After that wears off though, you wonder one thing: When are the real big matchups coming?

I’m thrilled to report that Week 4 is the week we’ve been waiting for. While high school season is full speed ahead and we already celebrate our homecoming this week, College Football is just breaking into the good stuff.

Before we analyze the awesome slate that awaits you this weekend, let’s review what has transpired since the last preview came out…

About Last Week 

Last week I went 10-4, which puts me at a 35-11 record (76.09%). 

If we take a look back at my preview for last week, I said that the seemingly boring slate would be met with an exciting course-correction by the craziness of College Football. Was I not right on the money with that? 

The Noon Game of The Week saw a big upset (I wasn’t so right on the money about Maryland). Iowa/Iowa State in the afternoon wasn’t an upset, but certainly lived up to it’s twitter nickname: #ElAssico.

Football in the state of Iowa summed up in one GIF pic.twitter.com/hsF5BTxvIn

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) September 15, 2019

There have been five 18-17 games in the last 20 seasons of CFB and Iowa has unsurprisingly been involved in two of them (and won both, also unsurprisingly).

— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) September 15, 2019

Yeah, it really was the most Iowa Iowa that ever Iowa-d. 

Later that night, things stuck to script for the most part, with one big exception…

What a rollercoaster of emotions ?

Michigan State thought they had tied it up…until they didn’t. pic.twitter.com/TmKdvEJgxN

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 14, 2019

In fairness to Sparty, I’ll acknowledge that their center was mugged on the last play and it wasn’t called. But c’mon Dantonio — know how to count your players on the field after multiple timeouts in preparation for a game-tying kick. That’s all their own fault. 

Had they not made that dumb mistake, the game would’ve been theirs, and the non-call at the end wouldn’t have ever taken place. Also, it’s not like their defense hasn’t gotten away with doing the exact same thing to a center on a game-deciding play.

So in conclusion, take note: don’t let anyone tell you that any Saturday slate is boring. You just don’t know with College Football, and that’s exactly what makes it thrilling (Go vote CFB over NFL in TFS’ recent side-by-side debate).

Let’s get into the good stuff…

Saturday, September 21

Noon Game of The Week

#11 Michigan @ #13 Wisconsin

When: 11:00 CT

TV: FOX

Rain (Above 40%)?

Where: Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, WI)

Series History: Michigan leads 51-1-15 (Last Time: M won 38-13 in 2018)

I shouldn’t even have to preview the Wisconsin Badgers – they’re the exact same setup every year. See the picture above.

This year, the offense has some reloading to do, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable to expect that from a program like Wisconsin – a team that always falls under the roster stereotype. Their development of big offensive linemen is unparalleled, and they have some guys to fill up the NFL-departed gaps. They have a new quirky player at the quarterback position in Jack Coan, who is replacing Alex Hornibrook — a grad transfer to Florida State. 

On defense, there are the same grabby cornerbacks wearing hoodies under their jerseys. The defense had some regression last year, but a boost can be expected out of this year’s squad with returning players competing for starting spots.

The team’s success will really depend on the extent of their offensive production. Can Johnathan Taylor still crank out the yardage when defenses load up the box out of expectation that he will be unleashed repeatedly? Can the quarterback successfully keep defenses honest with big pass plays? We have yet to know fully. What we know so far with two blowout wins though, is encouraging to their success.

As for Michigan: yes, stupid Army things happened. It’s a matter of figuring out which things are stupid Army things, and which things are long-term issues that need to be addressed. 

I think the sloppiness surrounding fumbles and miscues can be expected to be cleaned up, but the real long term concerns lie in the offensive playcalling and execution. Where is the Speed and Space that was promised from Offensive Coordinator Josh Gattis? Running fifteen times over makes me worry that either quarterback Shea Patterson is refusing to throw to the five star wide receivers (if true, he needs to be benched), or worse, Jim Harbaugh has taken back the offensive playcalling keys. 

There is a lot left on the table for this team to prove, and there is unfortunately not much I can say conclusively except suggesting to wait for this game. 

Running back Zach Charbonnet is a pretty solid back to give the ball to, assuming he isn’t constantly overused like the previous game. The defense is surprisingly solid through two games, a testament to Don Brown’s coaching (even with Army triple-option schematic distractions).

The negative parts of the Harbaugh era have been defined by disappointments and underperformances, rather than expected losses. This is one of the only times ever (let alone only in September) that I have gone into a Michigan game during his tenure with such a lack of confidence that I don’t expect a win. The main reason why is simple: Michigan hasn’t won in Madison since I was exactly one month old.

It’s going to take a few surprising performances to prove me wrong, and I will believe it when I see it (I hope I do). On one hand, Michigan had a bye week. On the other hand, Wisconsin did as well.

Here is NFL Preview writer Michael Raupp with his unbiased  pick for this one…

Wisconsin Wins, 27-21

Who's Your Pick for Noon Game of the Week: Week 4?

• #13 Wisconsin (83%, 5 Votes)
• #11 Michigan (17%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 6

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Other Noon Games of Note

11:00 CT:

#23 California @ Ole Miss (ESPNU)

Tennessee @ #9 Florida (ESPN)

Michigan State @ Northwestern (ABC)

Afternoon Game of The Week

#8 Auburn @ #17 Texas A&M

When: 2:30 CT

TV: CBS

Rain (Above 40%)?

Where: Kyle Field (College Station, TX)

Series History: A&M leads 5-4 (Last Time: AU won 28-24 in 2018)

After swiftly extinguishing all chances of a Clemson upset, Texas A&M returns to Aggieland hoping to do some damage within their conference. 

They are facing an Auburn team that despite my criticisms for being inconsistent historically, has rolled on through these first three weeks — most especially boasting their Week 1 win over the Oregon Ducks. 

The only thing that has prevented the Tigers from having complete consistency is the play of quarterback Bo Nix. His 52.4 completion percentage is the sketchy number you can expect out of a true freshman. 

With two powerful defenses going into this showdown, we can expect this matchup to be a low-scoring grinder that makes offensive mistakes a leading force in deciding the game, and you just can’t hold a true freshman to the expectation that he won’t make more of them. A&M will break through with an upset here.

Texas A&M Wins, 31-28

Who's Your Pick for Afternoon Game of the Week: Week 4?

• #8 Auburn (100%, 3 Votes)
• #17 Texas A&M (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 3

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Other Afternoon Games of Note:

2:30 CT:

#15 UCF @ Pittsburgh (ABC/ESPN2)

#22 Washington @ BYU (ABC/ESPN2)

SMU @ #25 TCU (FS1)

Night Game of The Week

#7 Notre Dame @ #3 Georgia

When: 7:00 CT

TV: CBS

Rain (Above 40%)?

Where: Sanford Stadium (Athens, GA)

Series History: UGA leads 2-0 (Last Time: UGA won 20-19 in 2018)

You just knew that this one had to be the big one this coming Saturday. Last year, Georgia fans paid outrageous sums to get up to last year’s game at Notre Dame Stadium, and it certainly showed…

This year, the game is in Athens, and College GameDay jumped in on what should be an exciting Saturday in the South.

The visiting Notre Dame Fighting Irish are beginning the 2019 season with a more defined (but not yet fully defined) offense and a rebuilding defense. 

Quarterback Ian Book has now established himself as the guy, but has yet to become more comfortable and consistency execute the big plays this year. To give ND an opportunity to gain a season resume-defining win, Ian Book will need to have one of the best games of his career.

As for the Bulldogs of Georgia, the program stands in a position that screams “almost there.” 

The 2017 National Championship Game and the 2018 SEC Championships both reached a point where Georgia was incredibly close to beating Alabama, but just fell short. In this year’s quest to finally pull it off, Jake Fromm continues to smoothly sail the ship on offense.

The questions surround the defense, who just faced a coordinator change. Mel Tucker took the Colorado head coaching job, and outside linebacker coach Dan Lanning replaced him. Their rising recruitment ratings over time, however, show the potential for more reloading than rebuilding.

I don’t believe that Notre Dame is some huge underdog like many others have said, and I think they will keep this one close and exciting. However, the difference between these teams is in the fact that this is only Week 4. I think the Irish aren’t settled in for the season as much as Georgia — they will cooly and collectively take over the game in the fourth quarter.

Georgia Wins, 45-30

Who's Your Pick for Night Game of the Week: Week 4?

• #7 Notre Dame (80%, 4 Votes)
• #7 Georgia (20%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 5

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Other Night Games of Note:

6:00 CT:

#16 Oregon @ Stanford (ESPN)

Oklahoma State @ #12 Texas (ABC)

Late Game of The Week

Colorado @ #24 Arizona State

When: 9:00 CT

TV: PAC12 Network

Rain (Above 40%)?

Where: Sun Devil Stadium (Tempe, AZ)

Series History: ASU leads 8-2 (Last Time: CU won 28-21 in 2018)

It’s time to finally get excited about PAC 12 After Dark.

Remember the humble beginnings of the Herm Edwards era?

He didn’t know the nickname of the team he was hired to coach. It’s fine though, as Edwards ended up proving that you don’t play to know the mascot, you play to…

You get the point.

But yes, win they did. The team went 7-5 in year one, but had big wins over Michigan State, Arizona, Utah, and USC. That’s not a terrible group of wins for one of the smaller Power 5 programs in a transition year, with a coach that is just getting adjusted to being back at the helm of a team.

Only three weeks into year two, and they have already won at Michigan State. With true freshman Jayden Daniels being the only question mark of an otherwise very similar offense personnel-wise, it is encouraging to know that things are settling in for one side of the ball. Continued improvement can also be seen on defense, with the Sun Devils significantly limiting big time offenses.

As for the Buffaloes of Colorado, this PAC 12 South matchup is a big chance at redemption. After an exciting non-conference rivalry win over Nebraska, Colorado’s athletic department saw the everlasting downsides of playing a service academy, losing to Air Force 30-23.

This team is gonna need some time to adapt to their coaching change, as former Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker takes over. With a daunting schedule ahead and a lot of rebuilding to do on both sides of the ball, it’s hard to expect much of anything else out of the Buffaloes this year now that they’ve picked up one solid win.

Arizona State Wins, 39-21

Enjoy your Homecoming Saturday, everyone!