Fox News Digital Sports’ college football winners and losers: Week 4

Week 4 College football season This tournament was full of close matches.

Michigan fought against USC, Utah won against Oklahoma State, Missouri needed overtime to get past Vanderbilt, Tennessee beat Oklahoma on the road, and Colorado’s heroic performance also helped them get the win.

But there were a few teams and players who were the most impressive throughout the week.

Read the list of this week’s winners and losers below.

Winners

MichiganIt’s unclear what the USC defense was doing in the second half, but they just couldn’t stop the Wolverines’ rushing attack. Even though Michigan didn’t get a great performance from Alex Orji at quarterback, who finished with just 32 yards, the Wolverines were fantastic on defense, sending the Trojans home with a tough loss, especially after we all saw what Texas did to this same team a few weeks ago.

Josh Heupel: The former quarterback who won a national championship for Oklahoma went home to Norman on Saturday, and his Vols did not disappoint on defense. You may think of Heupel as an offensive guru, but he has one of the best defenses in college football, which could help them advance to the College Football Playoff. This was a big game for the Vols, considering their head coach was fired by Oklahoma just 10 years ago. On Saturday night, his football team made sure to take care of his former team, giving them the game ball after the win.

Utah: The absence of Cam Rising at quarterback didn’t hurt the Utes at Oklahoma State on Saturday, winning 22-19 behind Micah Bernard’s 182 yards rushing. This was a huge win for the Utes in the Big 12 race, and QB Isaac Wilson did enough to push his team over the finish line in the end. The hype around the Cowboys has disappeared while Utah is heading to the College Football Playoff, and Cam Rising didn’t even play. Keep an eye on the Utes. This team is coming together, especially when Rising comes back.

Alex Orji: He had to wait his turn, but Alex Orji finally made his first start for Michigan. It was a special day for the junior, starting in a 27-24 win over USC in the program’s first conference game. Tom Brady’s patient journey at Michigan also reflected Orji this week.

Shedeur Sanders: A classic game in Boulder unfolded against Baylor thanks to Sanders’ magic on the last play of the game, where he launched a Hail Mary to LaJontae Wester in the middle of a rain storm to force overtime after the extra point was missed. Sanders didn’t have the best completion percentage, going 25-41 passing, but he threw for 341 yards with two passing touchdowns, while rushing for one himself. Buffalo is 3-1 this year, which is a great start for Coach Prime’s Buffs.

CLEMSON: At 1-1, Dabo Swinney’s team was hosting the 2-1 Wolfpack of NC State, and while it was an unranked opponent against the No. 21 Tigers, they are winners as the 59-35 win was convincing. Cade Klubnik looked poised under center throughout the game, and Clemson now has 101 first-half points in its last two games. The Tigers went 28-0 in this one and moved to 2-1 to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, center, and defensive lineman James Pierce Jr. (27) celebrate with their team after defeating Oklahoma during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Norman, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

james madisonThe Dukes went into Tar Heels country and scored 70 points in a 70-50 win over UNC. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III was responsible for seven touchdowns for the Dukes, throwing for five scores and 388 yards while also scoring two runs for 99 yards on the ground. As a team, 3-0 JMU had 611 yards of offense.

MonmouthThe Hawks stunned Florida International with a 45-42 win. FIU fumbled at the goal line in the final seconds. Monmouth kicker Michael Calton Jr. hit a 43-yard field goal. It was Monmouth’s first win against an FBS opponent, and they improved to 2-1 in games played in the Sunshine State.

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Losers

North CarolinaAre we seeing the final games of the Mack Brown era in college football? It sure seems that way after James Madison got a big check and then hung 70 points on the Tarheels in a 70-50 win at North Carolina. This seems like a football program that has lost its way, and Mack Brown’s postgame comments indicating that his future may be over sooner than some expected is the main talking point. I think we’re heading toward retirement for Brown, and the Tarheels program has taken a big step up in the ACC.

oklahomaWell, we have the quarterback situation for the Sooners. Five-star Jackson Arnold failed to perform well against Tennessee and has gone through some tough moments in the last four games, being benched before halftime in the loss to the Vols. True freshman Michael Hawkins came into the game and carried Oklahoma’s offense as far as possible against Tennessee’s stout defense. One of the most important moments came at the end of the fourth quarter when Jackson Arnold had to enter the game on a 2-point conversion due to Hawkins’ injury timeout. The Oklahoma crowd filled the stadium with boos as he entered, indicating they were wondering where this was going.

Ian Strong of Rutgers runs after a catch against Jaden Keller of Virginia Tech during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Blacksburg, Virginia. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

BalorDid the Bears really give up a Hail Mary touchdown to Colorado as time expired? Yes, and it was bad, very bad. Not only did they lose a 31-24 lead, but they let Colorado win the game in overtime, improving coach Deion Sanders’ record to 3-1 so far this season. This was a bad thing for Baylor head coach Dave Aranda.

NebraskaA crushing loss to Illinois ruined a great start for Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers. Worse still, in addition to missing countless scoring chances and keeping Illinois on the edge, untimely poor play and poor game management cost them a trip to the Big Ten title game.

Virginia TechThe Hokies were hoping to break a streak of 11 consecutive non-conference losses. Make it 12. Rutgers came on their field and got a 26-23 road win, and it didn’t look like it would be a close contest early on as the Scarlet Knights started the game on a 14-0 run.

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson hands the football to running back DJ Giddens during an NCAA football game against BYU on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

Kansas State: Last week, Avery Johnson and the Wildcats showcased the team’s rushing attack against Arizona. This week, they didn’t show up against BYU. The Cougars beat Kansas State 38-9. Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw two touchdown passes in the win. Johnson threw two interceptions in the loss. Kansas State will be a national title contender at this juncture.

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FOX News Digital Sports college football winners and losers were compiled by FOX News Digital Sports staff and Outkick.com Staff.