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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah travels for a ranked Pac-12 matchup, while BYU hosts its first Big-12 contest in Provo against Cincinnati.
We're reaching the fun part of the college football season, and you won't want to miss out. Make your picks here.
No. 10 Utah (4-0) at No. 19 Oregon State (3-1)
Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. MDT (FS1)
Utah's perfect record meets a major test this week on the road against the Oregon State Beavers.
Why Utah will win: The Utes might have the best defense in the nation. No opponent in Utah's undefeated 4-0 start has scored more than 13 points, and the Utes are allowing just 51 rushing yards on average.
The offense remains the big question, however, with Cam Rising's status still up in the air and just 14 points scored at home against UCLA last week. This one may come down to Utah's defense getting a takeaway against a Beavers quarterback in DJ Uiagalelei who already has three interceptions on the season.
Why Oregon State will win: On the flip side, Uiagalelei also has seven touchdown passes on 828 yards. The Beavers average 459 yards per game, split almost evenly between the run and pass game.
They stayed in the Top 25 after a close 38-35 loss to Washington State in the de facto "Pac-2 Championship" game last week and present a serious test for Utah's stellar defense so far.
Line: Oregon State -3.5
Over/under: 44.5
Cincinnati (2-2) at BYU (3-1)
Friday, Sept. 29 at 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
The Cougars are hoping their Big 12 home debut goes better than the road debut last week in Kansas.
Why Cincinnati will win: The Bearcats arrive in Provo on a two-game losing streak after opening the season 2-0.
Quarterback Emory Jones will have to take better care of the ball with five interceptions already this season, but his 970 passing yards speak for themselves as a big handful for Jay Hill and the BYU defense.
Why BYU will win: The Cougars came up short in a 38-27 loss in Kansas where the run game became BYU's glaring problem, averaging just 61 yards on the ground.
Kedon Slovis has a strikingly similar stat line to Jones at the quarterback position so far, with 1,017 yards and three interceptions to eight passing scores. This one may come down to who can run the ball and turn the ball over less.
Line: Cincinnati -2.0
Over/under: 48.5
No. 22 Florida (3-1) at Kentucky (4-0)
Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. MDT (ESPN)
The Gators head to Lexington looking to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the season.
Why Florida will win: The Gators followed up a Week 1 loss in Salt Lake City with three-straight wins at home, including a 29-16 win over Tennessee.
The quarterback-running back duo of Graham Mertz and Trevor Etienne is the engine on offense, and the defense is allowing just 82 rushing yards on average.
Why Kentucky will win: Fifth-year senior and NC State transfer Devin Leary leads the Wildcats offense with nine touchdowns on 1,060 passing yards, though his five interceptions could be cause for concern.
Kentucky also boasts a solid defense with just 77 rushing yards allowed on average, and running back Ray Davis already has five touchdowns on the ground this season.
Line: Kentucky -1.0
Over/under: 44
Utah State (1-3) vs. UConn (0-4)
Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. MDT (CBSSN)
Someone is leaving this game with a much-needed win.
Why Utah State will win: The Aggies have won a game. The Huskies have not.
True freshman McCae Hillstead has seven passing touchdowns on 619 yards since taking over as starting quarterback, and fell one touchdown short of a comeback last week against James Madison. Receiver Terrell Vaughn has been a scoring machine so far, with six touchdown catches through four games.
Why UConn will win: The Huskies have yet to score more than 17 points so far this season, but the Aggies are allowing double that to their opponents on average.
They showed potential in a 10-point loss to NC State to open the season and should have plenty of opportunities to get the offense going against a Utah State defense giving up 412 yards per game.
Line: Utah State -6.0
Over/under: 51
No. 13 LSU (3-1) at No. 20 Ole Miss (3-1)
Saturday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
A Top-20 SEC battle in Oxford? Yes, please.
Why LSU will win: The Tigers have exploded since a Week 1 loss to Florida State, averaging nearly 50 points and 530 yards per game.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels has 12 touchdowns and two interceptions on 1,296 passing yards and his favorite target, Malik Nabers, already has five touchdown catches.
Why Ole Miss will win: The Rebels have a reverse track record so far, averaging 52 points per game through the first three weeks before succumbing to the Crimson Tide in a 24-10 loss last week.
Corner Canyon product Jaxson Dart leads the team in both passing and rushing yards with 1,096 and 219, respectively, and has 10 total touchdowns to lead a potent offense averaging 470 total yards.
Line: LSU -2.5
Over/under: 67
Don't forget to make your picks here.
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Caleb Turner
