College football Week 4 watchability rankings: Colorado vs. Baylor could be revealing

Colorado is going to play in a Big 12 football game for the first time in 14 years on Saturday when it hosts Baylor in Boulder.

And while it’s not one of the most watchable games in Week 4 of the 2024 college football season, it might be one of the most interesting, and could tell us a lot about the direction both programs are heading in. It’s one of those games where fans on both sides believe their team should comfortably triumph – but of course, there can only be one winner.

A home loss by Colorado to open conference play – remember, the Buffs were the first former Pac-12 member to run back to the Big 12 last summer – would signal to a lot of folks that, once again, this team is all sugar and no substance, all flash and no fight. After overhauling last year’s roster, Deion Sanders’ Buffs haven’t yet shown that they’ve actually improved. A loss to Baylor would likely only increase frustrations that some observers have with Sanders’ grandstanding and bloviating.

For Baylor, a loss to Colorado would likely only make Dave Aranda’s seat warmer. Aside from his 12-2 campaign in 2021 which saw the Bears win the Big 12 and the Sugar Bowl, Aranda has a 13-24 record as Baylor’s head coach. After a disappointing 3-9 season last year, this feels like make-or-break moment for the fifth-year leader of the Bears.

If you’re inclined to watch Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders play against the nation’s top passing defense, it kicks off at 8 p.m. EST on FOX on Saturday.

Here are the other games you should watch this week:

Best Game of the Week: No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. – ABC

This game has a lot going on:

• Two undefeated teams.
• Two top 25 defenses.
• Tennessee sporting the nation’s top offense, scoring 63.7 points per game.
• Oklahoma’s SEC opener.
• Former Oklahoma championship-winning quarterback Josh Heupel returning to Norman as an opposing head coach.

Yeah, y’all. This should be fun.

Game that might have an impact on the College Football Playoff: N.C. State at No. 21 Clemson

Saturday, Noon – ABC

The spread on this game ballooned to 20.5 points in Clemson’s favor, which seems absurd considering Clemson lost this game in Raleigh a year ago and got spanked in Week 1 by the only other Power Four team it has played this season. Yes, the Wolfpack got blown out by an SEC team too, but are the Tigers really three touchdowns better than N.C. State? Is a Dave Doeren-coached team really going to go down to Death Valley and get embarrassed like that in their conference opener?

Anyways, this game is worth paying attention to because the ACC – and its automatic bid to the playoff via conference championship – is wide-open. Florida State is fraudulent, and Miami and Louisville haven’t really been tested yet. The winner of this game could have the inside track to punching a ticket to Charlotte for the first weekend in December.

Weird Weeknight Game of the Week: San Jose State at Washington State

Friday, 10 p.m. – The CW

If you squint just a little, this kind of looks like our old friend Pac-12 After Dark, no?

Anyways, this game features a pair of surprisingly undefeated teams with unsurprisingly fun offenses. Jake Dickert’s Cougars are scoring 43.7 points per game (16th best in FBS) and are coming off an emotional Apple Cup win. Meanwhile, there are no signs of the ground-and-pound triple-option for Ken Niumatalolo’s Spartans, who are led by the most-productive receiver in all of college football. Nick Nash leads the nation in catches (34), receiving yards (485) and receiving touchdowns (six).

Awesome Group of Five matchup worth watching: Memphis at Navy

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. – CBS Sports Network

After a win over Florida State to give it a 3-0 start, Memphis looks like a team that could find itself in the driver’s seat to grab the Group of Five bid to the College Football Playoff. But they wouldn’t be the first team with lofty aspirations to be tripped up by a Service Academy team. The 2016 season comes to mind, when a sixth-ranked Houston team came into Annapolis only to lose in a 46-40 shootout.

Now, this Navy team likely isn’t as strong as that one, which went on to host the AAC title game, but the Midshipmen (2-0) seem capable this season of being competitive against and potentially spoiling the plans of good teams. Memphis is 2-2 in Annapolis since Navy joined the league.

Sickos Guilty Pleasure Game of the Week: Cal at Florida State

Saturday, 7 p.m. – ESPN2

If FSU falls to 0-4 at the hands of the California Golden Bears – AT HOME – any and all lawsuits against the ACC have to be dismissed, right?

This also might be the last stand for DJ Uiagalelei.

If Cal beats FSU this weekend they should be considered a charter member of the ACC with a full allotment of their payout and rights to host the 2025 ACC basketball tournament in California

— Ben Swain (@TheBenSwain) September 17, 2024

“Look At Us, Who Would’ve Thought?” Matchup of the Week: No. 24 Illinois at No. 22 Nebraska

Friday, 8 p.m. – FOX

Undefeated and ranked Nebraska. Undefeated and ranked Illinois. This is something that hasn’t happened in decades.

No, really.

Check out this nugget from Illinois’ game notes:

“The Illini and Cornhuskers will meet as ranked foes for the first time since Sept. 21, 1985, when No. 17 Nebraska knocked off No. 20 Illinois, 52-25, in Lincoln.”

Also watch…

No. 11 USC at No. 18 Michigan: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. – CBS

No. 12 Utah at No. 14 Oklahoma State: Saturday, 4 p.m. – FOX

Toledo at Western Kentucky: Saturday, 7 p.m. – ESPN+

No. 13 Kansas State at BYU: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. – ESPN