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College football 2017 Week 4 predictions
George Frey/USA TODAY Sports

College football 2017 Week 4 predictions

Early-season jitters have subsided, and the top teams are separating themselves in Week 4 of college football. Some ranked teams are leaving the comfort of their home arenas for their first true road games. Winning on the road is no easy task, especially in the most hostile venues NCAA football has to offer.

Here are some games to look for in Week 4.

 
1 of 25

North Carolina State vs. No. 12 Florida State

North Carolina State vs. No. 12 Florida State
John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

North Carolina State almost upset Florida State last season, and the Wolfpack is riding a two-game winning streak heading into the rematch this week. Florida State hasn’t had a chance to take the field since losing to Alabama due to Hurricane Irma, so it may be rusty to start the game. N.C. State could take advantage of the Seminoles' layoff and pull off the upset this year.

Pick: Florida State

 
2 of 25

No. 4 Penn State at Iowa

No. 4 Penn State at Iowa
Gregory J. Fisher/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Nittany Lions have shown their playoff-caliber talent by rolling over their first three opponents. Now they leave the comfy confines of Happy Valley and step in to Kinnick Stadium, one of the most dangerous places in the Big Ten. Iowa comes into the game undefeated and will feed off the energy of the crowd. If Penn State is not careful, it may find itself in trouble against the balanced attack of the Hawkeyes. 

Pick: Penn State

 
3 of 25

UCLA at Stanford

UCLA at Stanford
Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET

Just one week after breaking in to the AP top 25, UCLA lost a thrilling game against Memphis. Quarterback Josh Rosen was brilliant for stretches, throwing for 463 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions. Despite those numbers, his defense let him down, allowing Memphis to score 48 points. The Bruins face a Stanford team that is returning home after two straight losses. The Cardinal would love to show it is still a team to be reckoned with.

Pick: Stanford

 
4 of 25

No. 7 Washington at Colorado

No. 7 Washington at Colorado
Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 10 p.m. ET

On its way to the College Football Playoff last year, Washington dispatched Colorado in the Pac-12 Championship Game. This season, the Buffaloes host the Huskies with revenge on their minds. Colorado rolled through its non-conference schedule allowing nine points per game in its first three matchups. The Buffaloes will be tested against Jake Browning, who is having another efficient season at quarterback for the Huskies. But will he get a road win in Boulder?

Pick: Colorado

 
5 of 25

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Neutral Site)

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Neutral Site)
Erich Schlegel/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

The Southwest Classic is back as the Razorbacks face off against the Aggies at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Razorbacks come into the game wounded after only scoring three points against TCU last week. Texas A&M is looking to answer a lot of questions after needing a rally at halftime to overcome Louisiana-Lafayette. This rivalry game went to overtime in back-to-back games in 2014 and 2015. We may need OT to determine a winner this year as well.

Pick: Arkansas

 
6 of 25

No. 17 Mississippi State at No. 11 Georgia

No. 17 Mississippi State at No. 11 Georgia
Matt Bush/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET

There are no easy games in the SEC, as Georgia knows all too well with Mississippi State coming in hot. The cowbell-ringing school is coming off an absolute destruction of ranked LSU and riding high coming into this battle of the Bulldogs. Georgia could be in for a dogfight this Saturday.

Pick: Mississippi State

 
7 of 25

No. 3 Oklahoma at Baylor

No. 3 Oklahoma at Baylor
Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET

Baylor’s nightmare season does not look like it’ll end anytime soon, especially with the No. 3 team in the country coming into town. Baylor has given up 33 points per game to "powerhouse" opponents like Liberty, UT-San Antonio and Duke. The Sooners will not show any mercy with their deadly offensive weapons.

Pick: Oklahoma

 
8 of 25

No. 16 TCU at No. 6 Oklahoma State

No. 16 TCU at No. 6 Oklahoma State
Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Offense, offense and more offense; if you want points on the board, this is the game to watch. TCU comes into the game average 49 points per game with quarterback Kenny Hill leading the way. Oklahoma State’s offense is averaging 54 points per game behind the arm of Mason Rudolph. Program this game into your DVR; it’s going to be a shootout.

Pick: Oklahoma State

 
9 of 25

Notre Dame at Michigan State

Notre Dame at Michigan State
Matt Cashore/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

The megaphone trophy is up for grabs with Notre Dame traveling to East Lansing to face Michigan State. These two teams meet up evenly matched with the Fighting Irish’s running attack clashing with a defense that has only given up 12 points a game this season. Expect this one to be close.

Pick: Michigan State

 
10 of 25

Toledo at No. 14 Miami

Toledo at No. 14 Miami
Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

This is Miami’s first game since Sept. 2 due to Hurricane Irma. The Hurricanes host a Toledo team that has been rolling on offense, scoring 45.3 a game. With Miami coming off a long layoff, it will have some kinks to work out. Toledo’s vaunted aerial attack may have a field day taking advantage of the rusty Hurricanes.

Pick: Toledo

 
11 of 25

Temple at No. 21 South Florida

Temple at No. 21 South Florida
Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

South Florida was on its way to an AAC East Division title last year before the Temple Owls stopped its march with an upset win. This year, South Florida is the favorite once again, but can it get over hump? The Bulls will need a big game from Quinton Flowers if they want to exorcise their demons from last season.

Pick: South Florida

 
12 of 25

No. 20 Florida at Kentucky

No. 20 Florida at Kentucky
Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Florida needed a Hail Mary heave to beat Tennessee last week, but have the Gators emotionally recovered from that win? They go into a hostile environment at Kentucky, who has lost its last 30 games to Florida. If the Gators think this is going to be just another cakewalk, the Wildcats could surprise them with a stout defense of their own.

Pick: Florida

 
13 of 25

No. 1 Alabama at Vanderbilt

No. 1 Alabama at Vanderbilt
Marvin Gentry/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Alabama’s first true away game of the season may be a tough one. Vanderbilt is coming off an upset of Kansas State and has allowed 13 points in three games. Alabama is a more talented team than anybody the Commodores have faced so far, but when they are in Nashville, they can beat anyone.

Pick: Alabama

 
14 of 25

No. 5 USC at Cal

No. 5 USC at Cal
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Weekender for USC takes them to Berkeley after a hard-fought double-overtime victory against the Texas Longhorns. The Trojans haven’t looked like the world-beaters they were purported to be, and their first road trip may be a challenge for them. Cal is undefeated, beating North Carolina and Ole Miss coming into this game. If USC is looking past the Golden Bears, it will be in a world of hurt.

Pick: Cal

 
15 of 25

Duke at North Carolina

Duke at North Carolina
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

No, this isn’t March, but it doesn’t make the Duke-North Carolina rivalry any less fun to watch. The Blue Devils come in undefeated. North Carolina is dealing with injury issues but has played very close games against Cal and ranked Louisville. It may not be the best football in country, but it will be an intense game with the Victory Bell on the line.

Pick: North Carolina

 
16 of 25

No. 24 Oregon at Arizona State

No. 24 Oregon at Arizona State
Troy Babbitt/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 10 p.m. ET

"Pac-12 After Dark" tends to bring out some of the best games of college football on any given week. With two offensive teams like the Oregon Ducks and Arizona State, anything can happen. If you East Coasters have a little extra time, let go of your East Coast bias and check out what will be a barn burner of a game in the Pac-12.

Pick: Oregon

 
17 of 25

Kent State at No. 19 Louisville

Kent State at No. 19 Louisville
Jamie Rhodes/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson was stymied all day against Clemson’s incredible defense. Taking punishment can take a toll mentally, and it will be interesting to see whether Jackson can get back on track. The Cardinals host Kent State, which should give Jackson plenty of opportunity to shake off the loss from last week.

Pick: Louisville

 
18 of 25

No. 8 Michigan at Purdue

No. 8 Michigan at Purdue
Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET

The Wolverines' first true road game takes them to West Lafayette, Ind., where a dangerous Purdue team waits for them. Purdue started the season 2-1 with a balanced attack engineered by head coach Jeff Brohm. Michigan has had trouble scoring on offense, and it doesn’t have the Wolverine faithful to lean on for energy this week. The team will need to get something going when it has the ball to win against Purdue.

Pick: Michigan

 
19 of 25

Texas Tech at Houston

Texas Tech at Houston
Michael C. Johnson/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Texas Tech just hung 52 points on Arizona State behind quarterback Nic Shimonek's golden arm. As good as the offense has been, the Red Raiders' defense has allowed a lot of points — points Houston would be more than happy to take. The Cougars are coming off a Bayou Bucket Classic win and would like to enjoy another win against a Texas school. 

Pick: Texas Tech

 
20 of 25

UMass at Tennessee

UMass at Tennessee
Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

There are fewer heartbreaking moments in sports than losing via Hail Mary, and Tennessee knows the feeling well after last week. It gets an easier matchup against UMass this week, but the hangover from that result may still be lingering. However, returning to Knoxville may help the Volunteers move forward. 

Pick: Tennessee

 
21 of 25

No. 15 Auburn at Missouri

No. 15 Auburn at Missouri
John Reed/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Auburn offense has been awful, but the defense has been a saving grace. Giving up only 10 points a game, the Tigers have stopped other teams to give their offense more chances to score. The last time Auburn went on the road, it was stopped by Clemson. Missouri is not Clemson, but the Tigers will still need to show some sort of offense if they want to be successful in the SEC.

Pick: Auburn

 
22 of 25

Syracuse at No. 25 LSU

Syracuse at No. 25 LSU
Matt Bush/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron could not get the Starkville monkey off his back, falling to Mississippi State despite having a talented team. Running back Derrius Guice was held to 76 yards on 15 attempts. He and the rest of the Tigers will look to recover in Death Valley against a less than threatening Syracuse team.

Pick: LSU

 
23 of 25

UNLV at No. 10 Ohio State

UNLV at No. 10 Ohio State
Joe Maiorana/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

After getting roundly criticized, Ohio State J.T. Barrett completed his best game of the season last week, finishing with 270 passing yards and two touchdowns while completing 75.8 percent of his passes. With the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels pulling into town, Barrett will look to build on his performance and bring the Buckeyes back into playoff position.

Pick: Ohio State

 
24 of 25

No. 23 Utah at Arizona

No. 23 Utah at Arizona
George Frey/USA TODAY Sports

Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET

Arizona Wildcats quarterback Brandon Dawkins is coming off a six-touchdown performance on the road against UTEP. This week, Arizona will host No. 23 Utah with dual-threat quarterback Tyler Huntley leading the way for the Utes. Both of these teams could put up a lot of points in this game.

Pick: Utah

 
25 of 25

Louisiana-Monroe at Louisiana-Lafayette

Louisiana-Monroe at Louisiana-Lafayette
Justin Ford/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, 5 p.m. ET

The Battle on the Bayou is here again as the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns host the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. Louisiana-Lafayette held a halftime lead against Texas A&M before falling to the Aggies, so the Ragin’ Cajuns have something to hang their hat on. But can Louisiana-Monroe surprise Louisiana-Lafayette with a win in a tough rivalry game on the road?

Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette

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