College football Week 4 streaming guide: Texas Tech-Utah, Florida-Miami, Big Ten After Dark

College football was really college footballing last weekend. Georgia mounted three separate comebacks to (once again) devastate Tennessee, this time in an unforgettable 44-41 overtime finish. Georgia Tech’s special teams sprinted onto the field to drill a 55-yard field goal and upset Clemson. West Virginia scored a game-tying touchdown with 11 seconds left, then topped Pitt in OT to mint new Backyard Brawl lore.

We highlighted all these games last week, as part of our recurring effort to tease the headlining matchups and promote some potential chaos-causing sleepers in FBS play. There’s a lot going on this weekend, too. We have ranked battles between the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12. Mike Gundy’s seat warmer is scorching to malfunction ahead of the Turnpike Classic; Sparty’s preferred caffeine intake is doubled before an extra-late kickoff. There’s something for everyone on this forthcoming slate.

All times ET, and all odds via BetMGM.

Week 4 viewing guide

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ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are available for free over the air. In addition, CBS streams on Paramount+, Fox streams on Fox One and NBC streams on Peacock. ESPN network broadcasts also stream on ESPN Unlimited.

Thursday

Best on paper AND best potential chaos agent: Rice at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

We’re doubling up here, because this is Thursday’s sole listing. It’s a big night for AAC heads, at least. Bill Connelly’s SP+ model projects a close game (27-24, Rice). The Owls rely on a diverse rushing attack paced by three Texas natives: Chase Jenkins under center, Quinton Jackson and Daelen Alexander in the backfield. Charlotte just put on a (low-stakes) show in the Queen City with a 42-35 marathon over Monmouth. Unrelated, but “Charlotte 49ers” would be an ideal name for Christian McCaffrey’s bildungsroman.

Friday

Best on paper: Iowa at Rutgers, 8 p.m. on Fox

Another close one for SP+ projections, which has the Scarlet Knights winning by 0.2 points. Iowa (2-1) pushed an impressive Iowa State team to the edge of the cliff two weeks ago, and Kirk Ferentz became the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach last Saturday. Undefeated Rutgers (3-0) snuck past Ohio before running it up on two lesser opponents, and lifelong fan turned top edge transfer Eric O’Neill gets a national test against the Hawkeyes’ beefy O-line. This probably won’t be the highest-scoring affair, but a hard-fought one nonetheless.

Best potential chaos agent: Tulsa at Oklahoma State, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

The Turnpike Classic dates back to 1914; this 2025 installment has the Cowboys on the defensive after suffering a 69-3 beatdown at Oregon. Would Mike Gundy get fired on the spot if his team loses to Tulsa at home? Former Oklahoma State running back Dominic Richardson is now the senior bellwether for the Golden Hurricane (singular, lest you forget), and redemption should be on his mind in a Friday night upset bid.

Saturday, early window

Best on paper: No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah, noon on Fox

Two top-25 teams, eager to prove themselves on “Big Noon Kickoff.” The Texas Tech program helped imagine what an ideal Air Raid quarterback looks like, and Behren Morton absolutely fits the description. He carved up Oregon State for 464 yards and four touchdowns last Saturday. He’s countered by Utah’s Devon Dampier, who has completed 73 percent of his passes this year and also leads the Utes in rushing (198 yards). With a narrow spread and a sizable point total, this game looks like a banger.

Best potential chaos agent: SMU at TCU, noon on ESPN2

The Mustangs were responsible for some of this season’s chaos already — all readers unaffiliated with SMU should pause this and rewatch highlights of its 48-45 loss to Baylor. TCU humiliated Bill Belichick in his collegiate debut, en route to dropping 90 points in its first two games. Oddsmakers have the scoring total set at 64.5, which sounds awesome. The winner of this in-state rivalry game gets a coveted iron skillet, which also sounds awesome.

Head coach Sonny Dykes leaped over to the Horned Frogs in 2022 after four years of marshaling the Mustangs. He was thrown out of last year’s matchup after consecutive flags for unsportsmanlike conduct. Oh, and TCU announced that it will pause this annual, historic meetup at the end of the season. This has game-of-the-week potential.

Saturday sleeper: North Texas at Army, noon on CBSSN

These teams are evenly matched on The Athletic’s 136 updated rankings. The Mean Green is averaging 47.7 points per game so far; Austin native Drew Mestemaker has nine touchdowns and zero picks in the early going. The Black Knights’ two games have been decided by a total of six points, and per usual, this team runs the ball with the righteous passion of ten thousand wishbones.

Saturday, afternoon window

Best on paper: No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m. on ABC

If he escapes Norman with the W, Jackson Arnold could drop any number of Arnold Schwarzenegger action zingers to punctuate the revenge. “I eat [crimson] berets for breakfast, and right now, I’m very hungry.” Or, wait … “consider that a divorce,” he could bark at Sooner Schooner. Arnold spent two seasons with Oklahoma before restarting at Auburn, and his Tigers look sharp after a run-heavy 3-0 start to 2025. Of course, all those one-liners are irrelevant if John Mateer handles business and puts the hosts on top here.

Last year’s meeting ended with a pick-six and a two-point conversion to seal OU’s comeback. The Sooners have won all three head-to-head games: last year’s shocker and two separate Sugar Bowl triumphs (1972, 2017).

Best potential chaos agent: No. 21 Michigan at Nebraska, 3:30 p.m. on CBS

Since arriving at Nebraska, Matt Rhule has been the platonic ideal of a chaos coach — 2-10 in his first dozen one-score games, with plenty of weird endings and inopportune stumbles. There is a “Rhule of 3s,” though, which acknowledges successful turnarounds in his third season at both Temple and Baylor. The unbeaten Cornhuskers are now trying to go 4-0 for the first time in nine years.

But here’s another unofficial rule of football: Wink Martindale is a mad scientist. Michigan’s defensive coordinator will dial up the pressure against Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, who so very much models his game after Patrick Mahomes. Raiola plus Bryce Underwood, the Wolverines’ hot-and-cold freshman QB, should yield all kinds of havoc.

Saturday sleeper: Tulane at No. 13 Ole Miss, 3:30 on ESPN

At 3-0, the Green Wave offense has looked sharp against Power 4 opponents Northwestern and Duke. The Rebels defense has looked shaky, allowing 23 points to Kentucky and then 35 to Arkansas last Saturday. Ole Miss QBs Austin Simmons (ankle) and Trinidad Chambliss (thumb) were each scuffed up in that win over the Razorbacks. Lane Kiffin’s crew is undoubtedly the home favorite, but this may end up being closer than anticipated.

Saturday, evening window

Best on paper: No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana, 7:30 p.m. on NBC

This is the “B1G” stuff we’ve been dreaming about. Michigan-Ohio State? Nah. Land Grant Trophy? Not quite. How about a top-10 Illinois team against a nationally relevant Indiana program? The late kickoff on NBC means “Big Ten Saturday Night” presentation, with Noah Eagle on the call, Todd Blackledge on commentary and the Fall Out Boy song on bumper music. This is the Illini’s highest AP ranking in more than two decades, dating all the way back to 2001’s Kurt Kittner campaign. The Hoosiers are coming off an electrifying College Football Playoff push in 2024, and they’re averaging a broken video game mark of 307.7 rushing yards through three weeks.

Best potential chaos agent: Florida at No. 4 Miami, 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Anything can happen amid in-state animosities. Miami has largely looked strong under Mario Cristobal, but we can’t forget last year’s Canes losing one-score stunners to lesser opponents (Georgia Tech and Syracuse). Florida held USF to 18 points two weekends ago, then outgained No. 3 LSU in total yards while putting up 23 first downs to the Tigers’ 10. The Gators lost both games.

Florida makes for an interesting upset threat if QB DJ Lagway can get (somewhat) right after his five-interception implosion in Death Valley. Miami’s Carson Beck grew up in Jacksonville, less than an hour and a half away from The Swamp. He’s the current Heisman favorite. If nothing else, this prime-time draw has real chaos upside.

Saturday sleeper: Washington at Washington State, 7:30 on CBS

Not exactly a sleeper given the proper noun rivalry (Apple Cup), but the Huskies and Cougars should deliver one of the rowdiest crowds of the late slate. The Cougs stole last year’s showdown in Seattle with a 24-19 victory. Washington won the 2023 game, with Grady Gross’ 42-yard field goal preserving a perfect season as time expired. The Pac-12 is back, and only one of these teams is a member!

Saturday super sleeper, Night Moves edition*: Michigan State at No. 25 USC, 11 p.m. on Fox

*Presented by Bob Seger and the best cafe in all of East Lansing 

Speaking of former Pac-12 traditions, let’s welcome the Big Ten After Dark.

Here’s The Athletic columnist Joe Rexrode to set the table:

“This is the time of year when we remember why and how much we love college football. It’s our big slobbering basset hound. But we forget how dumb it can be. Thank you, USC-Michigan State start time, for a reminder.”

Yes, that’s an 11 p.m. kickoff for Spartan locals. Lincoln Riley has Jayden Maiava looking like a star under center, and the Trojans have opened 2025 airing it all the way out (364 passing yards per game thus far). Michigan State provides the first real defensive test, though, and Long Beach product Aidan Chiles has a chance to make the biggest of impressions in Southern California. Maybe this becomes an unexpectedly tight game, and maybe this is the sound to snooze to as Sunday dawns.

Updated Week 4 college football odds

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(Photo of Devon Dampier: Chris Gardner / Getty Images)