It’s time for the fourth week on the college football schedule. In this weekly series I point out games I feel college football fans should keep an eye on every weekend. At the end I also highlight the games that our regional (Charlotte) college football fans should watch out for. This is easily the most exciting week so far, with several great matchups awaiting us. Let’s take a look:

#11 Michigan at #13 Wisconsin

Saturday, 12:00 p.m.

This is one of the most intriguing matchups so far this year and one of the best games the Big Ten can give us. 2-0 Michigan will be in Madison taking on the 2-0 Wisconsin Badgers. It will be a huge test to Michigan, who has struggled so far this season to get their two wins. They had a rough time for a while against Middle Tennessee State and won in double-OT last week against Army. We will find out if they are really the nation’s 11th best team or if they are overrated against this Wisconsin team who has yet to give up a touchdown this season while averaging 55 points a game.

Prediction: Wisconsin over Michigan

#8 Auburn at #17 Texas A&M

Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Finally we’re seeing multiple big-time matchups in the same week after a slow start to the season. Auburn is 3-0 with a big opening-week win against Oregon, while Texas A&M is 2-1 with a loss to Clemson. In my opinion, Alabama and Georgia are in a category of their own within the SEC and these two teams will battle for that 2nd tier within the conference. Playing at Kyle Field will definitely provide a big advantage to A&M, since it’s one of the toughest places to play in college football, but I think Auburn is the better football team and will escape with a narrow victory.

Prediction: Auburn over Texas A&M

#7 Notre Dame at #3 Georgia

Saturday, 8:00 p.m.

This is ESPN’s College Gameday game of the week, as they will set up in Athens, Georgia tomorrow morning. Notre Dame is 2-0 so far this season, with wins coming against Louisville and New Mexico. Meanwhile Georgia is 3-0, but has yet to be tested, playing Vanderbilt, Murray State, and Arkansas State. This will be their first true challenge so it will be interesting to see how they stack up. And Notre Dame is always an interesting team. They have a lot of talent, look dominant most weeks, but sometimes look overwhelmed when they meet up against the nation’s top teams. Georgia is definitely one of those teams and is a national championship contender. Notre Dame is going to have to play stellar defense if they want a shot at winning this one, especially in Athens.

Prediction: Georgia over Notre Dame

Regional Games of Interest

Appalachian State at North Carolina

Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Saying that this game will have a big impact on many people across the state of North Carolina is an understatement. These two schools haven’t met up on the football field in exactly 79 years even though they are less than three hours away from each other. The Tar Heels surprised a lot of people by winning their first two games against South Carolina and Miami, even though this was supposed to be a rebuilding year. True freshman quarterback Sam Howell has looked great so far when the coaches let him throw it. And Appalachian State has a long established winning culture where they expect to beat anybody they play. The Mountaineers certainly have the offense to get the job done, but there’s a question mark surrounding the defense, who gave up 41 points two weeks ago to Charlotte. I think this will be a really close game that will be really fun to watch for a lot of people. As an alumnus of Appalachian State, I think the Mountaineers will pull it out on the road.

Prediction: Appalachian State over North Carolina

Garett

College Football Games to Keep an Eye On: Week 4