TUCKER’S PICK ‘EM: Week 4 college football picks and previews

Record last week 11-4

Record this season: 37-11

All times Eastern

Associated Press rankings

 

Florida Atlantic (2-1, 0-0 C-USA) @ No. 16 UCF (2-0, 1-0 AAC)
Friday, September 21 at 7 p.m. ESPN
UCF had an extra week off after Hurricane Florence caused its game at North Carolina to be canceled.

The Knights would be 3-0 if they had played the Tar Heels.

They’ll be 4-0 after they play the Owls:

UCF 52, Florida Atlantic 42

 

 

Washington State (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) @ USC (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12)
Friday, September 21 at 10:30 p.m. ESPN
This Pac-12 showdown will be just underway when you get home from high school football games.

The Cougars will get their third win over the Trojans in the last four seasons:

Washington State 27, USC 21

 

 

Nebraska (0-2, 0-0 Big Ten) @ No. 19 Michigan (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, September 21 at 12 p.m. FS1
I’d like to give a shout out to Nebraska fans. Fans in Lincoln stood and cheered for their team until the final whistle of their game against Troy.

It’s hard to find fans like that nowadays:

Michigan 38, Nebraska 20

 

 

No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) @ Missouri (3-0, 0-0 SEC)
Saturday, September 22 at 12 p.m. ESPN
The Bulldogs took the No. 2 spot from Clemson in this week’s AP Poll.

Expect plenty of points in their second visit to a Columbia this season:

Georgia 52, Missouri 31

 

 

No. 8 Notre Dame (3-0) @ Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1 ACC)
Saturday, September 22 at 12 p.m. ABC
Notre Dame is the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to visit Winston-Salem since No. 13 Northwestern came to town in 1996.

No. 13 Auburn visited in 1979.

Wake Forest won both those games:

Notre Dame 28, Wake Forest 21

 

 

No. 22 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC) @ No. 1 Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC)
Saturday, September 22 at 3:30 p.m. CBS
Alabama is the first team in Southeastern Conference history to score at least 50 points in its first three games.

That streak will end Saturday, right?

Alabama 49, Texas A&M 17

 

 

No. 3 Clemson (3-0, 0-0 ACC) @ Georgia Tech (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
Saturday, September 22 at 3:30 p.m. ABC
Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech are not where they hoped to be ahead of a matchup with the No. 3 team in the country.

Interestingly, the Yellow Jackets have beaten the Tigers in five of their last six games at Bobby Dodd Stadium:

Clemson 35, Georgia Tech 20

 

 

The Citadel (0-2, 0-2 SoCOn) @ Mercer (2-1, 1-0 SoCon)
Saturday, September 22 at 4 p.m. ESPN+
Mercer has shown out since dropping its season opener at Memphis.

The Bears thrashed Jacksonville and then upset Samford last week on the road:

Mercer 28, The Citadel 17

 

 

South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC) @ Vanderbilt (2-1, 0-0 SEC)
Saturday, September 22 at 4 p.m. SEC NETWORK
Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason made the news twice this week.

He wore a name tag to his news conference Tuesday before pretty much telling Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly to “cash me outside” on Wednesday.

How ‘bout dat?

South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 24

 

 

No. 17 TCU (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) @ Texas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, September 22 at 4:30 p.m. FOX
TCU will play on the road for the third straight week, but the Horned Frogs have yet to leave the state of Texas.

They’re unbeaten in Austin since joining the Big 12 in 2012:

TCU 24, Texas 17

 

 

No. 14 Mississippi State (3-0, 0-0 SEC) @ Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC)
Saturday, September 22 at 7 p.m. ESPN2
I remember thinking this would be a close game last year.

Mississippi State won 45-7:

Mississippi State 34, Kentucky 21

 

 

Florida (2-1, 0-1 SEC) @ Tennessee (2-1, 0-0 SEC)
Saturday, September 22 at 7 p.m. ESPN
CBS passed over this game for just the third time since 1996.

It’s a shame, really. Neither team is very good, but it will be a good game.

I guess prime time on ESPN isn’t all that bad:

Florida 24, Tennessee 16

 

 

Arkansas (1-2, 0-0 SEC) @ No. 9 Auburn (2-1, 0-1 SEC)
Saturday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m. SEC NETWORK
Auburn has scored at least 52 points against Arkansas in each of the last three seasons.

In case you missed it, North Texas beat the Razorbacks 44-17 last week:

Auburn 52, Arkansas 13

 

 

No. 7 Stanford (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) @ No. 20 Oregon (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
Saturday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ABC
Here’s a great offense vs. a great defense.

Stanford is giving up an average of less than eight points a game.

Oregon is scoring an average of more than 51 a game:

Stanford 31, Oregon 28

 

No. 18 Wisconsin (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) @ Iowa (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, September 22 at 8:30 p.m. FOX
Unbeaten Iowa hosts an angry Wisconsin team coming off a loss to BYU.

The winner of this matchup has gone on to represent the West Division in the Big Ten Championship Game four seasons in a row:

Wisconsin 24, Iowa 20

 

 

Fort Valley State (1-2, 1-0 SIAC) @ Benedict (1-1, 0-0 SIAC)
Sunday, September 23 at 4:30 p.m.
The Wildcats scored with 21 seconds left to beat Miles 21-19 last week.

They’re off to Columbia, South Carolina now for the Palmetto Classic:

Benedict 24, Fort Valley State 21