USA TODAY Sports Alabama has breezed through its first three games with Tua Tagovailoa shining at quarterback and the defense playing as well as ever. But could the Crimson Tide be in for a test this week? The top-ranked Crimson Tide host No. 22 Texas A&M in their first game against a ranked opponent. And the Aggies have already shown their ability to threaten a title contender two weeks ago against Clemson. The other top game of the game of the weekend sees No. 7 Stanford visit No. 19 Oregon in an early Pac-12 North showdown. This is the first of a difficult two-part road troop for the Cardinal, who will head to Notre Dame next week. Before looking ahead to South Bend, they'll need to slow down Justin Herbert and the Ducks. QUESTION OF WEEK:Who is the top contender for the Heisman? BOWL PROJECTIONS:One change to playoff field after big upset MAKING MARKS:First-quarter grades for all 130 college football teams Elsewhere, Wisconsin looks to bounce back from its stunning loss to BYU when it visits Iowa in a matchup that should determine the favorite in the Big Ten West. And speaking of bouncing back, TCU turns its attention to a trip to Texas after its loss to Ohio State.<doc-sep>We may have been spoiled by the first three weeks of the 2018 season, particularly considering how many interesting showdowns we were given to kick off the year. That's not to say Week 4 is lacking, but while it is clearly not as loaded, there are still a number of intriguing matchups to pay attention to throughout the day on Saturday. With action beginning early in the day and continuing late into the evening, let's take a look at the biggest games on the schedule Saturday along with our predictions for what will transpire in those contests. Our CBS Sports college football experts have picked every game both straight up and against the spread, giving you ample opportunity to decide how to make your picks ahead of kickoff. All times Eastern No. 2 Georgia (-14.5) at Missouri -- noon on ESPN: It's going to be tremendous watching Drew Lock go up against one of the toughest defenses in the nation, and that will be the matchup that decides the game. While Lock has been sizzling this year, the Bulldogs will force him to simmer down a bit with a few mistakes and pull away late thanks to D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield wearing down the Tigers defense. This game screams "Georgia backdoor cover." Pick: Georgia (-14.5) -- Barrett Sallee Dennis Dodd Jerry Palm Tom Fornelli Chip Patterson Barton Simmons Barrett Sallee Ben Kercheval MIZZOU +14.5 Georgia Georgia Missouri Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia S/U Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia No. 22 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama (-26.5) -- 3:30 p.m. on CBS: Alabama isn't just covering the spread here in the early season, it's obliterating the limits to which bookmakers feel comfortable setting these lines. The Tide are 3-0 against the number and not a single game has been a sweat with Bama covering by 13 points, 13 points and 32.5 points (vs. Ole Miss). At under four touchdowns, this might be a spot where the market, still awaiting that letdown game, hasn't caught up to the Tua Tagovailoa train. Pick: Alabama -26.5 -- Chip Patterson No. 3 Clemson (-16.5) at Georgia Tech -- 3:30 p.m. on ABC: Too many points here in a game where I expect Georgia Tech to play well with its back against the wall. Clemson knows it doesn't need style points, it just needs wins, and it can ride the defense to another low-scoring victory. Pick: Georgia Tech +16.5 -- Chip Patterson So what college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 4? And what title contender gets the scare of a lifetime? Visit SportsLine to see which teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $4,000 in profit over the past three seasons and was all over BYU's stunning upset of Wisconsin in Week 3. No. 17 TCU (-3.5) at Texas -- 4:30 p.m. on FOX: It makes sense why the spread is what it is entering the game. TCU lost by 12 points to Ohio State and Texas pummeled the Trojans by 23. But those scores can misrepresent which team actually looked more impressive. Yes, Texas doling out the harshness in the second half of its game was a positive step. However, the Trojans had a pitiful -5 yards rushing when the Horns have allowed Maryland and Tulsa to run on them. And Texas is still a feast-or-famine offense. TCU's well-coached defense comes up big here. Pick: TCU -3.5 -- Ben Kercheval Dennis Dodd Jerry Palm Tom Fornelli Chip Patterson Barton Simmons Barrett Sallee Ben Kercheval TEXAS +3.5 TCU TCU Texas TCU TCU TCU TCU S/U TCU TCU TCU TCU TCU TCU TCU No. 7 Stanford (-1.5) at No. 20 Oregon -- 8 p.m. on ABC: I just can't trust Oregon to this point. It's not that I don't think it's a good team, but allowing Bowling Green to put up 24 points, and allowing 22 against San Jose State, causes me to worry about how this defense will perform against Stanford's offense. The Ducks have an offense that will keep this close, but not close enough to cover such a small spread. Pick: Stanford -1.5 -- Tom Fornelli<doc-sep>8 of 8 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images No. 7 Stanford (3-0) at No. 20 Oregon (3-0), 8 p.m. ET The performance of Stanford's offensive line against Oregon's defensive line will likely determine this critical Pac-12 battle. Bryce Love will return from his one-game absence, so the Ducks must be prepared for their toughest test of the season. Raucous though Autzen Stadium will be, we're riding Love and the running game. Prediction: Stanford 31, Oregon 27 East Carolina (1-1) at South Florida (3-0), 8 p.m. ET South Florida has consistently put up impressive numbers on offense. The only realistic way East Carolina can topple the Bulls is if they commit multiple turnovers or waste red-zone chances. Otherwise, USF should encounter little resistance. Prediction: South Florida 48, East Carolina 20 South Alabama (1-2) at Memphis (2-1), 8 p.m. ET The nation's No. 115 defense might not enjoy its showdown with the fourth-ranked offense. Last week, Memphis thrashed Georgia State for 679 yards in a 59-22 triumph. South Alabama might need to break out its most reliable rain dance. Prediction: Memphis 56, South Alabama 28 Texas Southern (1-2) at Houston (2-1), 8 p.m. ET Despite a no-show defensively at Texas Tech, Houston continued its scorching start on the scoring side. The Cougars have tallied no fewer than 551 yards or 45 points in any game, and Texas Southern won't be stopping that streak. Prediction: Houston 52, Texas Southern 17 No. 18 Wisconsin (2-1) at Iowa (3-0), 8:30 p.m. ET Even before BYU stunned Wisconsin, this Big Ten clash spelled trouble for the Badgers. Two years ago, Iowa upset Michigan under the lights of Kinnick Stadium. Penn State needed a final-play touchdown to survive last season. The Hawkeyes can pull off the upset if they stifle Wisconsin star Jonathan Taylor and force quarterback Alex Hornibrook to propel the visitors. Prediction: Iowa 24, Wisconsin 20 Air Force (1-1) at Utah State (2-1), 10:15 p.m. ET Air Force did a tremendous job holding FAU star Devin Singletary to 57 rushing yards. However, the secondary collapsed and ceded 471 yards. Although Jordan Love won't be that productive, the sophomore quarterback has guided Utah State to 60-plus points in two straight games and will overwhelm the Falcons. Prediction: Utah State 45, Air Force 31 Arizona State (2-1) at No. 10 Washington (2-1), 10:30 p.m. ET During last season's clash, bad red-zone offense and missed field goals resulted in a stunning upset by Arizona State. Washington quarterback Jake Browning hasn't played well to begin the campaign, but the Dawgs can lean on running back Myles Gaskin to complement yet another excellent effort from their defense. Prediction: Washington 27, Arizona State 17 Eastern Michigan (2-1) at San Diego State (2-1), 10:30 p.m. ET Running the ball on San Diego State is practically impossible. Three opponents have trudged to 139 total yards on 83 attempts. And now, Eastern Michigan has a quarterback dilemma. That combination is unfortunate enough, but 5.9 yards allowed per carry is begging for disaster against the Aztecs. Prediction: San Diego State 31, Eastern Michigan 21 Duquense (3-1) at Hawaii (3-1), 11:59 p.m. ET Back to a familiar kickoff time—you know, midnight ET, not noon—Hawaii has a perfect chance to rebound from its loss at Army. Duquense surrendered 290 passing yards and four touchdowns to UMass earlier this season, so Cole McDonald should continue his torrid start and record a fifth straight 300-yard showing. Prediction: Hawaii 58, Duquense 21 Odds provided by OddsShark.<doc-sep>
Each week, I will use this space to tell you what I think are a few of the best bets heading into the weekend. I will also throw in an upset of the week, which will be a team that is at least a touchdown underdog that I am picking to win outright. I will also give you picks on other games involving potential College Football Playoff teams. Last week, my picks went 2-1, and the upset special hit as well. I am now 7-5 against the spread on the season, which includes the upset special. I'm 2-1 on the upset special winning outright. Week 4 college football picks Texas A&M at Alabama (-27): Alabama looks a little different than the Crimson Tide we have seen in the past. This Alabama team has a dynamic offense to go along with its consistently-dominant defense. The Tide are naming the score against everybody. The Aggies are the best team Alabama has played so far, which is evidenced by the scare they put into Clemson in Week 2. However, that was at home in College Station; this SEC West showdown is Texas A&M's first road trip. Pick: Alabama (-27) Northern Illinois at Florida State (+10.5): Northern Illinois gave up 33 points at Iowa to open the season but has only given up 33 since, including just 17 to Utah. The Huskies have some issues offensively, but so do the Seminoles. This may be one of the few times left this season that the Seminoles are favored. NIU plays enough defense to keep this close. Pick: Northern Illinois (+10.5) Boston College at Purdue (+6.5): In his first season, Jeff Brohm engineered a big turnaround at Purdue that was sparked largely by a vast improvement of the defense from the year before. Much of that defense has graduated, though, and this season's version is a work-in-progress. BC is known for its running game, thanks to AJ Dillon, but their offense is actually pretty balanced. Purdue hung with Missouri last week due to a Big Ten record-setting performance from quarterback David Blough, but the Boilers can't count on that every week. Pick: Boston College (-6.5) Upset of the week Arizona at Oregon State (+6.5): Oregon State got their hats handed to them at Ohio State and struggled against each of Southern Utah and Nevada, but the Beavers were able to score against all three of those teams. Southern Utah has been the only team Arizona could get its offense moving against, and the Wildcats aren't exactly a defensive stalwart. I like the Beavers at home in a shootout. Pick: Oregon State (+6.5) What college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 4? And what title contender will get the scare of a lifetime? Visit SportsLine to see which teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $4,200 in profit over the past three seasons and was all over BYU's stunning upset of Wisconsin. Other CFP candidates