September 24–26, 2026
Week 4 brings the first major wave of conference games, with several ranked matchups carrying significant implications for the early College Football Playoff picture. The current AP Top 25 has Texas No. 1, Georgia No. 2, Notre Dame No. 3, Ole Miss No. 4 and Indiana No. 5.
Games of the Week
No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee
Saturday, noon ET — ABC
This is the marquee early game. Texas enters 3–0 and heads to Knoxville for its first major road test of the season. Tennessee is also 3–0, making this a matchup between two unbeaten teams.
Key storyline: Texas quarterback Arch Manning leads the nation’s No. 1 team into a difficult SEC road environment.
No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET — ABC
Ole Miss arrives at 3–0 after defeating LSU 32–24 and moving up to No. 4 in the AP rankings. Florida enters at No. 21 after defeating Auburn 44–39.
Key storyline: Can Florida’s offense keep pace with an Ole Miss team that just defeated a ranked SEC opponent?
Oklahoma at No. 2 Georgia
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET — ESPN
Georgia is 3–0 and coming off a 45–17 victory over Arkansas. Oklahoma is 2–1 after a 14–6 victory over New Mexico.
Key storyline: Oklahoma faces one of the country’s toughest defenses in Athens.
No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET — CBS
A classic Big Ten matchup featuring two ranked teams. Michigan is 2–1, while Iowa is 3–0. The game is expected to be a physical battle with field position and defensive execution particularly important.
No. 20 Oregon at No. 12 USC
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET — NBC
One of the biggest games of the night. Oregon is 2–1 and USC is 4–0. Both are ranked in the AP Top 25, and the winner will take an important early step in the Big Ten race.
No. 23 Texas A&M at No. 10 LSU
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET — ABC
LSU enters ranked No. 10 after its loss to Ole Miss, while Texas A&M fell to No. 23 after a 31–21 home loss to Kentucky.
This is a particularly important bounce-back opportunity for both programs.
South Carolina at No. 8 Alabama
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET — ESPN
Alabama is unbeaten at 3–0 and ranked eighth. South Carolina comes in at 2–1 after losing 41–34 to Mississippi State.
Other Games to Watch
No. 3 Notre Dame at Purdue — 2 p.m. ET, Peacock
No. 15 Utah at Iowa State — 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX
No. 9 TCU at No. 11 UCF — 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1
Wisconsin at No. 13 Penn State — 5 p.m. ET, Peacock
No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State — 7:45 p.m. ET
Kansas State at Cincinnati — 7 p.m. ET
Arizona at Washington State — 7:30 p.m. ET
Northwestern at No. 5 Indiana — Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FOX
Clemson at California — Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Three Major Storylines
1. Texas faces its first major SEC road challenge.
The Longhorns’ trip to Tennessee is one of the weekend’s most significant tests for the No. 1 team.
2. The SEC takes center stage.
Texas–Tennessee, Oklahoma–Georgia, Ole Miss–Florida, South Carolina–Alabama and Texas A&M–LSU give the conference an unusually deep group of high-profile games.
3. Oregon–USC could reshape the Big Ten picture.
The Ducks and Trojans meet in Los Angeles in a matchup featuring two ranked teams and major conference implications.
Week 4 Outlook
With eight ranked-vs-ranked matchups on the schedule, Week 4 represents the first weekend of 2026 with a truly loaded national slate. The results could significantly alter the AP Top 25 and the early CFP conversation.
