Week 4 Review
Written by David
Week 4 is the reason we have a love-hate relationship with college football. We love it because no other sport delivers this much drama, chaos, and unpredictability in a single weekend. We hate it because the moment we think we've figured things out, it humbles us with stunning upsets, busted confidence picks, and enough bad beats to make us question why we even watch. It's frustrating, exhilarating, maddening, and somehow keeps us coming back for more
No. 1 Texas survived a trip to Knoxville by grinding out a defensive slugfest and escaping with a 20-17 win. The Longhorn defense made life miserable for 14th ranked Tennessee all afternoon, while the offense did just enough to leave Neyland Stadium with an SEC road victory. Tennessee made things interesting late, but Texas treated the final minutes like a fire drill and hung on for dear life.
UCLA didn't just beat Maryland; they conducted a full-scale demolition project in a 54-3 thrashing of the Terrapins. The Bruins piled up points early and often while the Terrapins spent most of the afternoon looking for an emergency exit. It was a total beat down that few saw coming.
In a game that felt destined to be decided by a single bounce, Iowa stunned Michigan 20-19. The Hawkeyes once again proved that winning ugly is still winning, while the Wolverines were left wondering if karma caught up with them in another last second thriller…this time, going against them.
No. 21 Florida turned The Swamp into an offensive carnival, racing past No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28. The Rebels discovered that keeping pace in a track meet is much harder when the other team never slows down. This Florida team may be legit behind a very strong rushing attack.
UCF protected home turf with a methodical 21-13 win over TCU. The Knights controlled the flow of the game and kept the Horned Frogs chasing from behind most of the afternoon. TCU hung around long enough to keep things interesting, but every time it looked like the Frogs were ready to make a move, UCF slammed the door shut.
Nebraska delivered one of its most complete performances of the season, rolling past Michigan State 31-13. The Cornhuskers were sharper, faster, and more physical from start to finish. By the end, Michigan State couldn’t keep up.
Oklahoma State's offense came out firing and never really cooled off in a 41-24 victory over a very good West Virginia team. The Cowboys piled up points and big plays while the Mountaineers struggled to keep pace with the Cowboy’s Offense.
Cincinnati pulled off a statement victory by knocking off Kansas State 31-26. The Bearcats answered every challenge the Wildcats threw at them and made the key plays late to seal the upset. Kansas State came in looking for a road win and left with a fresh appreciation for Cincinnati hospitality.
No. 20 Oregon marched into Los Angeles and left with a convincing 41-27 win over No 12. USC. The Ducks' offense repeatedly found ways to break through, and even adversity couldn't slow them down. USC had the Hollywood setting, but Oregon walked away with the better script and the happier ending.
No. 24 Mississippi State defended Davis Wade Stadium with a hard-fought 31-24 win over No. 19 Missouri. The Bulldogs capitalized on key opportunities and made just enough plays down the stretch to hold off the Tigers. Missouri stayed within striking distance all afternoon, but Starkville had other plans and sent the Tigers home growling at missed chances. Up next for Mississippi State is Alabama.
On to Pick’ems…
Yeah, that Week 4 was no joke. Mike was Week 4’s punching bag for most of the day but was able to finally crawl off the mat and salvage some points by the end of the night. Before those last two games ended, he was only sitting at 8-points.
Only two people did better in Week 4 than Week 3. That would be Chris who did six points better this week and Jacob who outdid last week by one point.
Once Week 4 got warmed up, Adam and Evelyn had little choice but to assume the fetal position and hope for mercy. Unfortunately for them, Week 4 was fresh out of mercy. The damage inflicted on their picks was so severe that a police report may not be entirely out of the question.
Rick, Sean, and Kim remain entrenched in the top three, although they've shuffled the seating arrangement since last week. Considering Week 4 seemed determined to repeatedly kick the rest of us in the crotch, it's a mystery how they escaped relatively unscathed.
Jacob, Sam, and Noah were the big winners after moving up in the rankings. All three of them are well within range to make a move into the top 3 spots.
Wendi was legitimately sick all weekend, and Week 4 responded by deciding to pile on. Michigan suffered a stunning upset, her picks were dragged into the same abyss as the rest of ours, and any hopes of a relaxing recovery quickly disappeared. Some weekends you're the windshield; this weekend, Wendi was the bug.
Most Points for the week: Jacob and Sam both snagged 36-points which means there’s a $20 prize waiting for some lucky winner next week.
Least Points for the week: Mike was flirting with disaster at one point, but Adam more than stepped in to help him out snagging only 13-points.
Best Pick of the week: Let’s roll with Rick, Noah, and Wendi each picking Florida over Ole Miss in a high-stakes match-up. Most everyone else got crushed by the game.
Worst Pick of the week: Feel free to balk at any of Adam’s picks, but sticking 9-points on Missouri to beat Mississippi State was a bit of a head scratcher. Had he pulled that game out though, He would be hailed a genius.
Here’s how we rank heading into Week 5:
Rick – 177 points
Sean – 176 points
Kim – 175 points
Jacob – 173 points
Sam – 173 points
Noah – 171 points
Marc – 165 points
Wendi – 165 points
David – 162 points
Cindie – 155 points
Teddy – 154 points
Christian – 153 points
Mike H – 146 points
Adam – 143 points
Chris D – 135 points
Evelyn – 123 points.
