Media by Associated Press – Kansas running back Devin Neal (4) runs during the first half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)
The last week of September is upon us. Let’s take a look at the top four teams to bet on in college football’s Week 4 of the season.
Kansas -9 v. Duke
Maybe the best story in college football so far this season comes from Lawrence, Kansas. A typical door mat in football, the Kansas Jayhawks are 3-0 as they host Duke this weekend. Kansas and Duke are used to meeting up in big games on the hardwood but not on the gridiron.
Lance Leipold has engineered an impressive turnaround, and KU already has wins over Houston and West Virginia. It isn’t far-fetched to say the Jayhawks will be ranked with a win over 3-0 Duke on national TV (FS1) this weekend.
The offense has scored at least 48 points in all three games, and quarterback Jalon Daniels has 566 yards passing, 237 yards rushing, and has accounted for ten touchdowns with only one interception.
Duke is also 3-0, but they have played a much weaker schedule than Kansas. Look for the Jayhawks to make a statement in their final non-conference game of the year.
Tennessee -10 v. Florida
The Vols are looking every bit like a top 15 team, and Florida has looked putrid on offense the last two weeks. Maybe they will take the reins off Anthony Richardson this weekend, but they didn’t against South Florida or Kentucky. Richardson has completely barely 50% of his passes on the season and has four interceptions with no touchdown passes.
Florida was ripped up by South Florida’s running attack, and they will have the same problem Saturday. Jaylen Wright is averaging 5.1 yards per carry this season, and the Vols have 12 rushing touchdowns from four different players. They have put nearly 200 yards per game on the board rushing this season.
Meanwhile, Hendon Hooker has completed 70% of his passes this season with six touchdowns, no interceptions, and an average of nearly 300 yards per game. Senior leadership should get Tennessee their second win over the Gators since 2004.
Utah -14 at Arizona State
Arizona State is a mess. They were embarrassed by Eastern Michigan at home last week and fired Herm Edwards on Sunday. They had a mass exodus of talent in the off-season and have allowed 64 points in two games against FBS teams this season while scoring just 38 points.
Enter Utah, a top-15 team with a solid offense and great leadership. Running back Tavion Thomas averages 4.4 ypc and should have a big day after the Sun Devils gave up 300 rushing yards against EMU last week. Quarterback Cameron Rising has eight touchdown passes to one interception and a 67% completion rate.
Last year at home, Utah won 35-21 with a 28-0 second half. Rising threw for 247 yards, and two touchdowns and Thomas ran for a score, with 84 yards on the ground. Look for the Utes to ramp up the offense this year and take advantage of a ASU team in disarray.
Michigan State +3 v. Minnesota
This line seems inflated because the Spartans looked horrible at Washington last week. The good news for Michigan State is they are back home this week, and they are playing a team in Minnesota that is less likely to throw all over them.
The Gophers have a run-first offense, with Mohamed Ibrahim tallying 464 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. But top wideout Chris Autman-Bell suffered a leg injury in the 49-7 win over Colorado and is out for the season.
Through the air is where MSU is vulnerable, as they allowed 397 passing yards against the Huskies last week and 203 against Akron the week before.
Michigan State has won four in a row in this series, with Minnesota’s last win in East Lansing coming in 2006. As long as quarterback Payton Thorne takes care of the ball, Michigan State should be able to cover this spread.
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