Week 4 College Football Risers & Fallers: NCAAF Stock Watch

The wild Week 4 slate of college football did not disappoint, as we were fortunate enough to see some highly-touted matchups come right down to the wire. 

Florida State knocked off Clemson on the road in overtime to wrap up the noon slate, solidifying their playoff chances. Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes got steamrolled in Eugene, Utah edged out UCLA in a defensive battle, and Alabama got back on track against Ole Miss during the mid-day slate. 

Washington State controlled Oregon State, Penn State manhandled Iowa, and Ohio State squeaked by Notre Dame on a last-second touchdown on the road in the night slate. How is the college football landscape looking heading into Week 5?

Stock Up

Cameron Ward, QB, Washington State

If you don’t know this name by now, come out from under that rock where you’re hiding. Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward has been astounding this season, taking a step forward from last year’s first season in the FBS following a record-breaking career at Incarnate Word. Ward lit up Oregon State on Saturday, completing 28-of-34 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns. 

The Cougars have two very respectable wins over Oregon State and Wisconsin, but still have to face UCLA, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington in what is a loaded Pac-12 conference. In a CFB landscape dominated by quarterback play, Cameron Ward has began to build a quiet case to enter the Heisman conversation and to potentially propel himself into the top-tier of NFL draft prospects.

#Pac12FB Offensive Player of the Week, presented by @Nextiva: Cameron Ward 🐾

Full release ➡️ https://t.co/02i7mXMuan pic.twitter.com/LHIH9zN31J

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 25, 2023

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State is playing complete football right now. This is a roster that has very few, if any, holes in it and it showed in Saturday’s 31-0 thrashing of Iowa. Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar remained poised, KeAndre Lambert-Smith was a reliable target, and the defense was flying all over the field yet again en-route to a dominant performance. 

The Nittany Lions are a real threat, but can they take the next step and knock Ohio State or Michigan off?

Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State

The Buckeyes’ first-year starting quarterback delivered a clutch performance against Notre Dame on Saturday night. McCord converted third down after third down on the final drive of the game, failing to crumble under pressure and leading the Buckeyes to a game-winning touchdown as time expired.

McCord went 21-for-37 through the air for 240 yards in the win. Ohio State fans can rest knowing that they have a quarterback who can perform in big moments.

Utah Utes

In a Pac-12 conference where USC, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington are getting all of the hype, people forget about the back-to-back conference champs. The Utah Utes have been without quarterback Cam Rising all season long, but that has not stopped them from pulling off some great wins. In a conference that is all about flashy offense, the Utes win games defensively.

They made UCLA play their game on Saturday, pulling out the win 14-7 with quarterback Nate Johnson at the helm. The Utes have a quick turnaround with a tough Oregon State team coming off of a loss on Friday night.

Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina

Another under-the-radar, forgotten quarterback has his stock quietly rising following his performance on Saturday. Once a highly-regarded recruit and the future of Oklahoma football, Spencer Rattler lost his starting job to Caleb Williams and transferred out to South Carolina. Aside from a huge performance against Tennessee last season, he has been out of the national media.

Rattler has been impressive this season, taking Georgia down to the wire in Week 3 and having a near-perfect game against Mississippi State in a Week 4 win. Rattler went 18-for-20 for 288 yards and three touchdowns, adding 43 rushing yards in the win. He could undoubtedly sneak his way into NFL consideration.

Stock Down

Big Ten West

Thank goodness the Big Ten is doing away with divisions in 2024, because this might be the worst division in the FBS and the biggest crime to college football fans. Northwestern has a case to be the worst Power 5 team, and they beat Minnesota on Saturday night in overtime. Wisconsin has struggled with easy opponents, Iowa just got manhandled by Penn State, Illinois almost lost to Florida Atlantic, Nebraska is Nebraska, and Purdue just keeps on losing. 

One of those teams will be taking on Michigan, Ohio State, or Penn State in Indianapolis in December and it is going to be a pain to watch just like it has been the past few seasons.

Big ten west may end in a 7 way tie with a mascot battle royale at the end of the season

— Barstool Iowa (@BarstoolUIowa) September 24, 2023

New-Look Big 12

The four new teams that joined the Big 12 looked… bad in their Big 12 debuts. Houston made theirs in Week 3 against TCU and got beat 36-13 at home, while the other three new Big 12 teams made their debuts in Week 4. All three lost. Cincinnati fell to Oklahoma 20-6, BYU lost to Kansas 38-27, and UCF fell to Kansas State 44-31. It is safe to say that the Big 12 is a big step up from the American Athletic Conference, and it may take some time for these four programs to adjust.

Coach Prime

We all knew it was coming. The hype finally wore off and Colorado and Coach Prime stumbled to a 42-6 loss in Eugene, Oregon. While the turnaround has been impressive so far, one offseason is not long enough to turn a team from one of the worst at the D1 level to a team that can compete in big games. 

The Buffaloes take on USC in Week 5 in what should be another unevenly matched game.

Michigan State Spartans

No program in college football is in as much turmoil as Michigan State is right now. Fresh off of a 41-7 loss to Washington, the Spartans dropped a home game to Maryland 31-9. Mel Tucker is out as the head coach following a scandal, and the players have seemingly given up just four games into the season. The Spartans are in for a long season ahead and a long rebuilding process.

Anybody Playing Washington

The Washington Huskies have blown out anybody standing in their path this season and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. looks like a legitimate Heisman contender. The Huskies have averaged nearly 50 points per game with an average winning margin of 30.3 points. While the competition hasn’t been legit, they still have Oregon, USC, Utah, Oregon State, and Washington State on the schedule. These defenses had better be prepared for this high-flying offense under Kalen DeBoer.

Rome Odunze with the 83-yard return for a TD 😱 pic.twitter.com/xwRKyb0ItT

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 24, 2023

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