It's Gonna Be A Great Saturday! (Week 4 College Football Preview & DraftKings Picks)

Chris Gardner. Getty Images.

Last week I wrote this college football preview blog for the first time and absolutely cooked with my gambling picks so this could be a new weekly tradition!

Let's dive into Week 4 shall we? 

This week's slate has five headline games but not as much value on the gambling board. As always, all lines and wagers should be done on the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Utah (-3.5) vs. Texas Tech (Sat 11am FOX BIG NOON)

Easily the most exciting matchup of the weekend. The winner of this game is immediately the favorite to win the Big 12 this season.

Fox even liked the matchup so much that Dave Portnoy and The Big Noon Kickoff are headed to Salt Lake.

Texas Tech spent millions and millions of dollars in NIL this summer to load up their roster ESP on the front 7 on defense. The Red Raiders have a 5th year senior at QB in Barrett Morton with plenty of experience. Although Tech has played the Sisters of the Poor the first 3 weeks, they still have to get credit for the path of destruction beatdowns.

This is their first road test and it is a doozy. Utah FINALLY fixed their offensive woes this offseason bringing in dual threat QB Devin Dampier and his OC from New Mexico. The Utes have two potential 1st round offensive tackles which is the key to this game against the stout Red Raider D Line.

One thing we always know about Utah is the Utes play serious defense. They always have under Kyle Whittingham. Utah also has a unique home field advantage up in the mountains that is underrated. 

The Utes pull this one out at home behind Dampier's legs in a battle.

Utah 27 Texas Tech 23

SMU (+6.5) at TCU (Over 63.5 (Sat 11am))

You can throw the record books out anytime these two rivals get together. Everyone I know is talking about TCU being the pick of the week.

In the words of the great Lee Corso "Not so fast my friends!"

TCU looked dominant ruining Bill Belicheck's UNC debut on Labor Day night behind stud QB Josh Hoover in a 48-14 thrashing. Hence the Horned Frogs being the public pick here.

SMU is 2-1 but blew the lead in a 48-45 thrilling OT loss to Baylor. The Ponies still have dual threat QB Kevin Jennings and a bunch of expensive talent on the roster. (SMU also made the playoffs last year).

The underdogs ALWAYS fight in this series and expect a shootout down to the final gun. TCU wins late behind Hoover but does not cover…..

TCU 38 SMU 35

Memphis (+7.5) vs. Arkansas (Over 60.5 (Sat 11am))

This is a sneaky fun off the radar game. I only included it because it is going to be buck wild and I love the over!

Arkansas has an elite offense behind 6-6 starting QB Taylen Green who runs like a gazelle and is flourishing in his 2nd year under OC Bobby Petrino. The Hogs torched Ole Miss defense for 35 last week and should have no problem going up and down the field in Memphis.

But Arkansas also cannot stop anyone on defense. And Memphis always has NFL athletes at the skill positions, a good offensive coach in Ryan Satterfield and Nevada transfer QB Brendon Lewis has looked the part so far. (He is also my close friend ex-Oakland Raider Jon Alston's nephew so maybe I am a tad biased).

Points will be scored early & often! I am just taking the over…..

Arkansas 41 Memphis 34 

Auburn (+6.5) at Oklahoma (Sat 2:30pm)

The game of the day in the SEC is in Norman, Oklahoma with a bunch of storylines.

Auburn QB Jackson Arnold makes his return to Norman after BRUTAL 2024 season as a Sooner. But was it really his fault?

Oklahoma's top 5 WRs got hurt last year and their offensive line stunk.

Now Arnold gets his shot at redemption in Hugh Freeze's offense with a pair of beast WRs in Eric Singleton and Cam Coleman. 

The Tigers also have a stout pass rush to get after the elusive OU QB John Mateer.

On the Oklahoma side, vibes are sky high after slamming Michigan 2 weeks ago. Washington St transfer Mateer is a potential Heisman candidate even. He can do it with both his arms and legs.

The Sooners also have a good defense behind head coach Brent Venables and home field here.

But there's one factor that must be mentioned in this game and that is not to mess with Hugh Freeze when he is an underdog in a big game!

Going back to his Ole Miss days, Freeze is notorious for having his guys up for big games and dogging the small ones. Auburn's effort against South Alabama last week was yet another example.

The Tigers will be ready and will fight like hell but the Sooners gut it out at home late. Auburn still covers.

Oklahoma 24 Auburn 21

Michigan (-1.5) at Nebraska (Under 47.5)

For years and years, we have been waiting on Nebraska to sack up and win a big game. Is Saturday finally the day?

Matt Rhule is now in year 3 and talented sophomore QB Dylan Raiola has taken his lumps. Say what you will about Nebraska football, their fans always show up and show out in Memorial Stadium. The atmosphere will be awesome.

Michigan's offense is littered with questions after 5 star Freshman QB Bryce Underwood looked horrendous completing only 9 passes in the loss at Oklahoma.

This is going to be a lower scoring grind and the Huskers finally win a big one although this pick is more of an indictment of the Michigan offsne.

 Nebraska 20 Michigan 17

Tulane (+11.5) at Ole Miss (O/U 61.5 Sat 2:30pm)

FASCINATING game here!

Tulane is 3-0 and could be the top G5 team in America behind BYU transfer QB Jake Retzlaff and a dang good defense. My guy Jon Sumrall is one of the top rising coaching starts in America too.

I love Coach Sumrall and I hope Tulane wins every game this season but this one!

The Green Wave got revenge on ex-QB Darian Mensah and Duke in NOLA last week to get to 3-0 in one of my biggest plays of the season. After leading BYU to 10 wins in 2024, Retzlaf has been even better than advertised ESP with his legs scoring an absurd 4 rushing TDs last week.

This is easily Tulane's toughest test of the season and the Wave are a double digit underdog in Oxford.

On the Ole Miss side, all eyes will be on QB Trinidad Chambliss who will be starting his 2nd game for the Rebels after TORCHING Arkansas in a 41-35 win. Chambliss can fly and his running ability adds another dimension to an already loaded Rebel offense.

Starting QB Austin Simmons is still dealing with a sprained ankle from the Kentucky game and Chambliss has a legitimate shot to Wally Pipp his job.

This is a trap game for Ole Miss fresh off 2 SEC wins the last 2 weeks and with LSU coming up to Oxford for a showdown next Saturday.

The last few years, Tulane has fought the power 5 teams like hell almost winning at Oklahoma, leading Ole Miss at half & getting screwed on an offensive PI call vs. Kansas State.

The Green Wave have enough talent to stay in this game ESP on the defensive line. They will make this thing sticky to the end but the Rebs pull away in the 4th behind Chambliss.

Ole Miss 34 Tulane 24

Kansas (-13.5) vs. West Virginia (Sat 5pm)

Including this one too because I love the way this game sets up for the Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

West Virginia beat their arch rival Pitt in the Backyard Brawl in OT last week for a signature early season win in Rich Rod's 2nd go round in Morgantown.

Now the Mountaineers come off an emotional high with a long cross country trip to face a high powered offense led by dual threat QB Jaylen Daniels. Kansas also spent big $$$ in NIL and Lance Leipold is the most underrated coach in America.

People are forgetting about West Virginia's horrendous road loss 2 weeks ago at Ohio already after the Backyard Brawl. This entire team is transfers and new to the roster. 

The Jayhawks beat the brakes off them in a rout.

Kansas 41 West Virginia 20

Florida (+8.5) at Miami (FL) (O/U 51.5 (Sat 6:30pm))

Florida is LIMPING into this one after dropping 2 games in a row to USF & LSU. The offense has been a trainwreck scoring only 26 points combined in the 2 losses. Hyped QB DJ Lagway could not stop throwing the ball to LSU Tigers last week and finished with an absurd 5 INTs?!?!?

Embattled Head Coach Billy Napier is feeling some serious heat early in the season and the Gators schedule is bloody murder the rest of the way.

It damn sure has not been the defense's fault holding USF and LSU to only 38 total points in the 2 losses (and LSU had a pick 6!)

The defense is gonna have to play their asses off to give the Gators a shot.

The Canes look pretty dang back behind QB Carson Beck who suddenly looks like the Heisman candidate and 1st round pick we thought he was before a disastrous 2024 season at Georgia.

Miami beat Notre Dame opening weekend and then laid waste to USF last week when the Bulls were fresh off the Florida upset.

I am mad that I did not get Miami at (-7.5) earlier in the week here. Florida is struggling too much on offense to win this on the road but their defense will keep them from getting flat out embarrassed.

Not sure that moral victory will help the drowning Napier…..

Miami 27 Florida 16

Illinois (+6.5) at Indiana (Sat 7pm)

(Reminder that you cannot bet Illinois games in the state of Illinois on DraftKings because of state laws.)

I FREAKING LOVE this is a primetime Top 25 matchup for these programs!!!! Both these fan bases deserve this after years and years of struggling. 

The winner of this game will have 2025 playoff aspirations too.

Bret Bielema has done the Lord's Work at Illinois resurrecting a program that was below the gutter for almost 15 years. QB Luke Altmayer is solid and has lots of momentum after leading the Illini to 9 wins last season too.

Bielema teams can play some defense. He coaches up that side of the ball and the Illini have a seasoned squad that will not back down on the road in Bloomington.

Fresh off a 2024 playoff berth, the Hoosiers are riding at an all time high under coach Curt Cignetti. Cal transfer QB Fernando Mendoza has some juice too.

My instincts trust Bielema, Altmayer and the veteran Illini to find a will and a way to pull this damn thing out Saturday night in a battle to the end in a mild upset. Illinois Money Line also should be a little saucy……

Illinois 27 Indiana 24

DO NOT FORGET to use the DraftKings Parlay Boosts on Saturday. There is a 33% one for Auburn/Oklahoma & South Car/Mizzou plus two others that can be used on random games.

No sportsbook has better promos for their players!

Let's make some more cash this weekend! 

IT"S GONNA BE A GREAT SATURDAY!!!!