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Week 4’s Six Ranked Matchups Recall a Dramatic Championship Weekend
With 12 ranked teams meeting Saturday, college football faces its busiest ranked-game slate since a consequential championship weekend in 2023.
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A rare concentration of ranked games
Week 4 brings six games between teams in the AP Top 25, putting nearly half of the ranked field into head-to-head competition Saturday. The last slate with that many ranked matchups came during conference championship week of the 2023-24 season. This weekend cannot directly award conference championships or playoff berths, but that earlier stretch offers a reminder of how much drama can emerge when ranked opponents collide.
Championship results reshaped the playoff
Washington and Oregon opened that memorable weekend with a back-and-forth Pac-12 championship game. The Huskies surrendered a 20-3 advantage, then answered Oregon’s comeback with lengthy touchdown drives to secure the victory and a path into the playoff. Alabama delivered another defining result, beating Georgia 27-24 to end the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak. The Crimson Tide climbed from No. 8 into the playoff field, while Georgia dropped out. The victory also proved to be Nick Saban’s last before his retirement in January 2024. Florida State experienced the opposite outcome despite winning. With third-string quarterback Brock Glenn starting, the Seminoles relied on their defense to defeat Louisville 16-6. Their undefeated record was not enough to preserve a playoff place: The committee moved them from No. 4 to No. 5.
More than the headline clashes
Michigan secured its playoff place by shutting out Iowa 26-0, holding the Hawkeyes to 155 total yards. Texas piled up 662 yards against Oklahoma State in its final Big 12 appearance, then rose from No. 7 to No. 3 as the weekend’s results strengthened its position. SMU also signed off from its conference with a championship, defeating Tulane 26-14 before leaving the American for the ACC. Matching that weekend’s consequences is a steep assignment. Still, Saturday’s concentration of ranked opponents gives this slate an unusual depth of compelling games.
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