4-Down Territory: Old Man QBs, The Fansville Curse & Meaty Conference Matchups.....

Getting old is not for the faint of heart.

This week as the season ages some teams will be playing some soft-chew non-conference matchups. Others are getting into some meaty conference games. And for Utah and Oklahoma State they'll be playing two QBs with a combined age of 49. Maybe they'll get together and gripe about all these young whipper-snappers that are ruining the game.

It all makes for a fun week 4....

First Down: Maintenance Checks/Tune-ups: Marshall (1-1) at #3 Ohio State (2-0) 12:00 FOX: This is the last tune-up before OSU hits the Big Ten slate. New QB Will Howard and new OC Chip Kelly found a better connection in week 2. A bye-week last week gave them more time to get things right if they want to match the performance of the Buckeye defense which is #1 nationally in total defense……Kent State (0-3) at #10 Penn State (2-0) 3:30 BTN: From a performance standpoint, Kent State marks the worst non-conference opponent since PSU joined the Big Ten. Kent State ranks 133rd (out of 133) in scoring defense, total defense, run defense, total offense, red zone offense and third down offense. PSU got a Bowling Green wake-up call two weeks ago, so if the Nittany Lions start slow fans should be very worried……Bowling Green (1-1) at #25 Texas A&M (2-1) 7:30 SEC Network: Speaking of Bowling Green--they led Penn State for much of their game two weeks ago. They went after the PSU secondary aggressively and have a solid pass attack. Watch for their tight end Harold Fanin who grabbed 11 passes for 137 yards and a TD against Penn State……

First Down Again (after a Penalty)---THE FANSVILLE CURSE: Louisiana-Monroe (2-0) at #1 Texas (3-0) 8:00 SEC Network: Is there a Dr Pepper Fansville NIL Curse? Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei was the first Dr Pepper NIL guy, and his career was never the same. Bryce Young (Alabama) and Caleb Williams (USC) failed to make the College Football playoffs after being in a Dr Pepper Fansville ad. Now Quinn Ewers got injured which paved the way for Texas fans to see Arch Manning in his first meaningful game action. They really liked what they saw –especially a 67-yard TD run. Keep in mind that Arch’s dad is Cooper Manning who was a talented WR (not a QB) and had by-far the best speed of the three Mannings. Texas has too much talent, but this will be a great building block as a first start for Manning. As for the Fansville curse it might be time to bring this guy back.....Larry Culpepper. After all, Larry claimed to have invented the College Football Playoff and was silenced. Maybe this is the Culpeper Curse.

Second Down: More Non-Conference Action: Rutgers (2-0) at Virginia Tech (2-1) 3:30 ACC Network: Rutgers is coming off a 7-6 season and is looking to build another bowl season. One of the best backs in the Big Ten is Rutgers RB Kyle Monongai. But this season hinges on a QB that can get the ball downfield and back up opposing defenses. Is transfer QB Athan Kaliakmanis the answer? They’ll start to find out more this week. Virginia Tech is a tough environment and Coach Brent Pry is a defense-first guy……UCLA (1-1) at #16 LSU (2-1) 3:40 ABC: The UCLA world tour resumes with their third game being played in a third different time zone. LSU overcame a slew of mistakes to win at South Carolina. LSU probably just has too much firepower on offense for UCLA’s struggling offense to keep up in a potential shootout…….#8 Miami (3-0) at USF (2-1) 7:00 ESPN: Miami’s jump up in the polls was sparked by a rout of Florida in Gainesville. Given the Gators’ performance since then, that win has lost its luster. USF showed flashes of greatness playing Alabama in a game that was tight for three quarters. If USF can put that effort forward for a full sixty minutes this could be a tight one. Miami has become a playoff favorite because they have a soft schedule that features only one currently ranked opponent.

Third Down: Conference Matchups Part 1: Georgia Tech (3-1) at #19 Louisville (2-0) 3:30 ESPN2: Georgia Tech wants to run the ball and control the tempo of the game. In their lone loss to Syracuse, Tech struggled to run the ball and stop the pass. Louisville is comfortable putting the ball up and that could be a problem for Tech……. Stanford (1-1) at Syracuse (2-0) 7:30 FRIDAY ESPN: This is the new ACC. Syracuse QB Kyle McCord seems to have found a home and was really impressive in the win over Georgia Tech. McCord loves throwing the ball to TE Oronde Gadsden who is poised to return to his 2022 form when he hauled in 61 passes for 969 yards. He is a major threat. Stanford’s pass defense was picked apart by TCU in the season opening loss. To have a chance they will have to be much better……Cal (3-0) at Florida State (0-3) 7:00 ESPN2: A strange new world, this is a conference game matchup and Cal is the undefeated team and FSU is the winless team. Cal has already won at Auburn, so they will be well prepped for this one. FSU needs to get an identity on offense. But the biggest surprise has been the underachievement of a talented defense…..#13 Kansas State (3-0) at BYU (3-0) 10:30 ESPN: BYU pulled off a minor surprise with the week 2 win over SMU. Can they contend in the Big 12? We’ll find out this week. Kansas State QB Avery Johnson has already made the fans in Manhattan, Kansas forget the guy who played for them last year. In the first half of a big win over Arizona last week, the K-State defense bent but did not break. Then in the second half they slammed the door shut. This team has the look of a conference contender and a potential playoff team.  

Fourth Down: Big Conference Matchups: #24 Illinois (3-0) at #23 Nebraska (3-0) FRIDAY 8:00 FOX: This may not be a very high-scoring affair in a game between two programs that stress defense. The key to the 3-0 start for the Illini has been a +8-turnover margin in just three games. Nebraska’s defense is anchored by the guys up front. Both teams are in the national top 15 in scoring defense and both teams have played a game against dynamic mobile QBs; Illinois topped Kansas and Nebraska beat Colorado. This game could turn on a kicking play or a critical mistake……#11 USC (2-0) at #18 Michigan (2-1) 3:30 CBS: Through two games USC has made big strides on defense and ranks in the top 20 in scoring defense. On offense, QB Miller Moss waited his turn and now has an array of skill guys to throw the ball to. It is a tall group of WRs; they stand 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 and 6-6. But the wildcard in this game may be the 5-10 WR/Return man Zachariah Branch. Last year he averaged a gaudy 20+ yards per punt return with both a punt and kick returns for TDs. Michigan has made a change at QB. Davis Warren (6 INTs in 3 games) is out, and Alex Orji (6 pass attempts in 3 games) is in. Orji gives UM a physical runner at QB. It would be a big help if TE Colston Loveland can come back from last week’s injury. USC already has a win vs LSU, but now their first Big Ten journey begins……#12 Utah (3-0) at #14 Oklahoma State (3-0) 4:00 FOX: Cam Rising looks like he is a go despite an injury last week. Given his advanced age, it is surprising to find a QB with more experience than Rising. But With OSU QB Allan Bowman in his seventh year of college football, that is the case. It also helps Bowman that star running back Ollie Gordon (a 1,700+ yard rusher last year) is back. This is one of those games that will help shake out the Big 12 race…..#6 Tennessee (3-0) at #15 Oklahoma (3-0) 7:30 ABC: This is one of those dream matchups that happen now that the SEC expanded. Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava has everyone in Knoxville dreaming of big things. This will be his first true road test. And the OU defense is getting into the form fans would expect of a Brent Venables team. Keep an eye on Sooners’ LB Danny Stutsman—one of the best in the country. But what may be the key to OU’s chances is a pass rush that is second in the SEC with 11 sacks already. OU’s offense has yet to truly excel so far this year, so disrupting UT’s rhythm will be critical to keep the scoring down.