Big 12 football picks, predictions for college football Week 4

College football is three weeks in, and the Week 4 slate is by far the best of the season so far. Six top-25 matchups will grace your TV screens this weekend, along with several other intriguing matchups.

Every week, our staff gathers to pick the Big 12 football games. It is a challenging task, especially given the conference's crowded field below the top three teams: Texas Tech, BYU and Utah.

With conference play now beginning for most teams, how will the first full week of Big 12 play shape up? Our Buffaloes Wire staff picked all the games in the conference straight up and a few other marquee matchups.

Here are our expert picks for Week 4 as we see if teams' nonconference performances were real or not.

All games are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, and all times are Mountain Time. Kansas, Arizona State and BYU are off this week.

Colorado at Baylor

10 a.m., ESPN2

We have shared our Colorado-Baylor predictions in a separate post, with each staff member providing a final score prediction and some thoughts on the game.

No. 10 Texas Tech vs. Sam Houston

10 a.m., TNT

Ariana: Texas Tech

This game seems pretty easy to call. The Red Raiders are undefeated and coming off their first big test of the season in Houston, while Sam Houston State has only one win so far, and it came last week against Nicholls. Texas Tech wins this one in a landslide.

James: Texas Tech

Charlie: Texas Tech

Shouldn't be too hard for the Red Raiders to cruise in this one.

Iowa State vs. No. 15 Utah

1:30 p.m., Fox

Ariana: Utah

Iowa State put up a strong effort in their lone loss of the season against Iowa. Meanwhile, Utah has continued to climb in the AP poll after each dominant victory. However, I think this will be the Utes' biggest challenge so far. While I think Utah will ultimately come away with a victory, the Cyclones should give them a run for their money.

James: Utah

Charlie: Utah

I don't think Utah will run away with this one, but the Utes are the better team and should win fairly easily.

UCF vs. TCU

1:30 p.m., FS1

Ariana: TCU

TCU versus UCF might be the game of the week in the Big 12. Both programs enter with 2-1 records, and this is their conference opener. TCU's lone loss came against North Carolina in Ireland, but the Horned Frogs have looked much better since. UCF's loss came against Pittsburgh in Week 2. Neither team has defeated a Power Four school yet this year, so it is hard to gauge who really has the better team. Ultimately, I lean toward TCU because of their quarterback, Jaden Craig, who already has almost 1,000 passing yards after only three games.

James: TCU

Charlie: TCU

Truthfully, I don't like either team. Neither one is a Big 12 contender, and both have had puzzling losses. UCF is the home team, but I do think TCU is slightly better and will get the road victory.

Georgia Southern vs. Houston

2 p.m., ESPNU

Ariana: Houston

Personally, I did not think the Cougars deserved to drop in the AP poll after their loss to Texas Tech. It was a very competitive game that came down to the final minute. So, Houston is going into this game with something to prove. Especially against a team like Georgia Southern, which has only one win against Charleston Southern. In their only game so far against a Power Four team, their loss to Clemson, Georgia Southern's offense could not do much of anything. Houston may have the largest margin of victory of any Big 12 team in Week 4.

James: Houston

Charlie: Houston

A weird nonconference game for Houston on the road at Georgia Southern. It will be a tougher game than it would be in Houston, but the Cougars should roll.

Cincinnati vs. Kansas State

5 p.m., ESPN2

Ariana: Kansas State

I expect this game to be close and quite entertaining between Cincinnati's quarterback JC French IV and Kansas State's quarterback Avery Johnson. Both quarterbacks can run the ball, and Johnson actually leads the Wildcats in rushing after his 152-yard performance last week. Both teams are undefeated and have talented rosters, but Johnson is the difference-maker and leads Kansas State to 4-0 for the first time since 2012, when they finished 11-2.

James: Kansas State

Charlie: Kansas State

K-State has really surprised me so far this year, and I like what Collin Klein is putting together. Cincinnati is a tough customer, but I think the Wildcats have what it takes to take down the Bearcats at home.

West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State

5 p.m., ESPN2

Ariana: Oklahoma State

West Virginia comes into this game undefeated, yet Oklahoma State is slightly favored to win. What I think this game comes down to is the quarterbacks, and I have more confidence in Drew Mestemaker. It started bad in the first game of the season, but he has played significantly better the past two weeks to get the Cowboys to 2-1. Mestemaker also had his first game of the season without an interception last week and is going to build on that momentum.

James: Oklahoma State

Charlie: West Virginia

Rich Rodriguez seems to have figured it out in Year 2 in Morgantown. The Mountaineers are coming off an impressive win against Virginia and now host a talented Cowboys team. Milan Puskar Stadium is a difficult venue to play in, so I give the Mountaineers a chance to continue their upward momentum.

Washington State vs. Arizona

5:30 p.m., CBS

Ariana: Arizona

Washington State quarterback Caden Pinnick is having a rough start to the season with just 403 passing yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions and a quarterback rating of 34.3 in the first three games. Meanwhile, Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita has over 800 passing yards, seven touchdowns, one interception and a QBR of 86.6. Given the Wildcats' superior play at quarterback so far this season, they will come away from this game victorious.

James: Arizona

Charlie: Arizona

I would like to see more from the Wildcats, and blowing out a mediocre Washington State team would be a good start.

No. 1 Texas at No. 13 Tennessee

10 a.m., ABC

Ariana: Texas

Texas wins this game, but not because of Arch Manning. The battle of the trenches – Texas' defensive line versus Tennessee's offensive line – will decide this game. The Volunteers are averaging nearly 300 rushing yards a game while Texas is barely giving up 100 rushing yards a game. I am picking the Longhorns to win at the line of scrimmage and therefore win the game. Also, I think this could be a lower-scoring game than people anticipate with how good both defenses are.

James: Texas

Charlie: Texas

This will be a test for Texas and Arch Manning, but I do believe the Longhorns are a better team.

No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 22 Florida

1:30 p.m., ABC

Ariana: Ole Miss

Florida recently joined the top 25 after defeating Auburn last week and getting to 3-0 for the first time since 2019. However, I don't think they'll get to 4-0. Ole Miss looked like a National Championship contender in their emotional win against LSU. So far, the Gators have not shown they can beat a team of this caliber.

James: Ole Miss

Charlie: Ole Miss

The Rebels are a wagon, and I am riding in the front seat. Give me the Rebels to go into The Swamp and get the win.

No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan

1:30 p.m., CBS

Ariana: Iowa

Iowa is on a six-game winning streak going back to last season. Meanwhile, the Wolverines are undefeated so far this season after officials literally handed them their first win against Western Michigan. Michigan came into their game against Oklahoma with something to prove, but the Hawkeyes come into this game with a chip on their shoulder. Despite being the higher-ranked team, Michigan is largely viewed as the favorite. Iowa will want to keep this low-scoring if they want to win, but they tend to set the tone and turn games into defensive battles. That is precisely what they will do in this game.

James: Michigan

Charlie: Iowa

So far, Michigan has not impressed me, and Iowa is always a tough out. The Big House will be rocking, but I'll take the feisty Hawkeyes to pull off the upset.

No. 12 USC vs. No. 16 Oregon

5:30 p.m., NBC

Ariana: USC

Oregon's Dante Moore may be viewed as one of the top NFL Draft prospects, but USC's Jordan Maiava comes into this game with solid stats of his own with 1,173 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns through four games. The Ducks do not have an offense as explosive as the Trojans, and that will make all the difference. 

James: USC

Charlie: USC

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 football picks, predictions for college football Week 4