NCAAF · 12 hours ago

Ranking the Top 5 Potential Upsets for College Football Week 4

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Georgia Tech at Stanford
The Stanford Cardinal have looked really bad, but they are at home for a late kick against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. ACC football!

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Stanford Cardinal
- Date: Sept. 26 | Time: 10:30 PM ET | TV: ESPN
- AP Rank: NR Stanford | NR Georgia Tech
- Records: Stanford 1-2 (1-0) | Georgia Tech 1-2 (0-0)
- Stadium: Stanford Stadium | Location: Stanford, CA
It’s a very long trip from Atlanta to Palo Alto, and the Yellow Jackets have already lost to Colorado and Tennessee at home this season. Alberto Mendoza has been sacked eight times and, surprisingly, is not being used at all in the run game. Justice Haynes is a stud, but Stanford should have success against a defense not on the same level as the one they saw against Miami or Duke.
1. Texas at Tennessee
The No. 1 team in the country is on the road this week and should be very wary. The top-ranked Texas Longhorns travel to Knoxville to play the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols have the ingredients needed to hang with the Longhorns.

Texas Longhorns @ Tennessee Volunteers
- Date: Sept. 26 | Time: 12:00 PM ET | TV: ABC
- AP Rank: No. 1 Texas | No. 14 Tennessee
- Records: Texas 3-0 (0-0) | Tennessee 3-0 (0-0)
- Stadium: Neyland Stadium | Location: Knoxville, TN
Neyland Stadium is an extremely difficult place to play, and top-five teams have fallen there very recently. That was in 2022, and No. 3 Alabama lost a classic to Tennessee (52-49) as the students stormed the field. That Tennessee team had a ridiculously explosive passing game. Still, this version of the Vols will lean on a very physical running game that can dominate time of possession and on a defense capable of causing issues for Arch Manning.

If the version of Texas that was losing to Ohio State for three quarters shows up, Tennessee could definitely knock them off.
2. Iowa at Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines and Iowa Hawkeyes begin Big Ten play this week. Skepticism about both teams is fair.

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Michigan Wolverines
- Date: Sept. 26 | Time: 3:30 PM ET | TV: CBS
- AP Rank: No. 18 Michigan | No. 17 Iowa
- Records: Michigan 3-0 (0-0) | Iowa 3-0 (0-0)
- Stadium: Michigan Stadium | Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Michigan's struggles are well documented. They came as close as you possibly can to losing to Western Michigan and were in a fight with UTEP at halftime, but also beat Oklahoma. Of course, after OU nearly fell to New Mexico, beating the Sooners may not mean all that much. Iowa has a pair of shutout wins over Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa in which they looked awesome. Still, they also only won by three at home against a totally rebuilt Iowa State squad.

In short, we don’t “know” anything, but I think we can safely say Michigan’s offense has serious flaws and quarterback Bryce Underwood continues to struggle against competent defense. Underwood is averaging only 7.9 yards per attempt and is still completing just 62.5 percent of his passes. Iowa will take away the easy stuff and force him to prove he can stretch the field. I don’t necessarily trust Iowa’s offense, but the Hawkeyes are a real threat to hand the Wolverines a home loss.
3. Nebraska at Michigan State
For the third straight season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers went through the non-conference portion of the schedule unbeaten.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Michigan State Spartans
- Date: Sept. 26 | Time: 5:00 PM ET | TV: BTN
- AP Rank: NR Nebraska | NR Michigan State
- Records: Nebraska 3-0 (0-0) | Michigan State 2-1 (0-0)
- Stadium: Spartan Stadium | Location: East Lansing, MI
The hard work begins now as the Huskers travel to East Lansing to play the Michigan State Spartans. True freshman Jamal Rule has been a revelation at running back for Nebraska, and transfer QB Anthony Colandrea has been good. It’s fair to say the Huskers have not played anyone with a pulse yet, but they’ve been impressive.

Michigan State struggled with Toledo and lost 27-10 to Notre Dame with only 167 total yards, so why is this line only 5.5 points? It seems like we are being begged to take Nebraska, which should put them on upset alert.
4. Missouri at Mississippi State
Before the season, I called my shot and ranked Kamario Taylor among the nation's top quarterbacks. After three games, the “KT1” bandwagon is so full that we’ve had to upgrade to a double-decker bus to fit all the admirers.

Missouri Tigers @ Mississippi State
- Date: Sept. 26 | Time: 7:45 PM ET | TV: SEC Network
- AP Rank: No. 24 Mississippi State | No. 19 Missouri
- Records: Mississippi State 3-0 (1-0) | Missouri 3-0 (0-0)
- Stadium: Davis Wade Stadium | Location: Starkville, MS
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are 3-0 with road wins over Minnesota and South Carolina, and they now return to Davis-Wade Stadium for all of the cowbell as Missouri comes to town. After spending this week hearing nothing but love, Jeff Lebby’s team has to play a very talented offense led by another quarterback catching the eye of analysts.

Austin Simmons can sling it, and the Bulldogs’ defense has holes. Add in the very real struggles for Mississippi State’s offensive line, particularly at left tackle, and Missouri has reason to believe they can hang in there and pull off the upset in a letdown spot for Mississippi State.
5. Georgia Tech at Stanford
The Stanford Cardinal have looked really bad, but they are at home for a late kick against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. ACC football!

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Stanford Cardinal
- Date: Sept. 26 | Time: 10:30 PM ET | TV: ESPN
- AP Rank: NR Stanford | NR Georgia Tech
- Records: Stanford 1-2 (1-0) | Georgia Tech 1-2 (0-0)
- Stadium: Stanford Stadium | Location: Stanford, CA
It’s a very long trip from Atlanta to Palo Alto, and the Yellow Jackets have already lost to Colorado and Tennessee at home this season. Alberto Mendoza has been sacked eight times and, surprisingly, is not being used at all in the run game. Justice Haynes is a stud, but Stanford should have success against a defense not on the same level as the one they saw against Miami or Duke.
1. Texas at Tennessee
The No. 1 team in the country is on the road this week and should be very wary. The top-ranked Texas Longhorns travel to Knoxville to play the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols have the ingredients needed to hang with the Longhorns.

Texas Longhorns @ Tennessee Volunteers
- Date: Sept. 26 | Time: 12:00 PM ET | TV: ABC
- AP Rank: No. 1 Texas | No. 14 Tennessee
- Records: Texas 3-0 (0-0) | Tennessee 3-0 (0-0)
- Stadium: Neyland Stadium | Location: Knoxville, TN
Neyland Stadium is an extremely difficult place to play, and top-five teams have fallen there very recently. That was in 2022, and No. 3 Alabama lost a classic to Tennessee (52-49) as the students stormed the field. That Tennessee team had a ridiculously explosive passing game. Still, this version of the Vols will lean on a very physical running game that can dominate time of possession and on a defense capable of causing issues for Arch Manning.

If the version of Texas that was losing to Ohio State for three quarters shows up, Tennessee could definitely knock them off.