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NCAA Football Game Thread: Week 4

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Each week this season, Drew and I will provide a Saturday open thread for discussion of the day's college football action. We do this in part because much of the NN community enjoys college football, but we also do it to help folks educated themselves about the various players that will be in the mix next spring when the 2012 NFL Draft rolls around.

This week features a good slate of matchups, including six undefeated teams in the Top 25 facing off against each other.

There are three particularly key matchups I want to address.

#3 Alabama vs. #14 Arkansas, 12:30 PT, CBS

This is a game in which I want to see if the Razorbacks offense can come through against a tough Crimson Tide defense. The first matchup to watch would be Alabama defensive backs versus the Arkansas wide receiver corps. The most notable player on this list is Alabama's Dre Kirpatrick, widely believed to be the top CB in the nation. I also want to see how Arkansas WRs Joe Adams & Greg Childs fare against the likes of Kirkpatrick and Alabama's starting safeties, Robert Lester & Mark Barron.

Other matchups I am looking at include how Arkansas DE Jack Bequette does against the Alabama offensive line, if the Arkansas front seven can stop RB Trent Richardson, and how the Alabama linebacking corps. They are led by Courtney Upshaw, Donta' Hightower, & Nico Johnson.

#7 Oklahoma State @ #8 Texas A&M, 12:30 PT, ABC/ESPN2/ESPN3.com

In this game I am looking more at individual players as opposed to team versus team matchups. Some of the players to keep an eye on for Oklahoma State there are QB Brandon Weeden, WR Justin Blackmon and OT Levy Adcock on the offense, and S Markelle Martin on defense. For Texas A&M I suggest keeping an eye on the duo of QB Ryan Tannehill and WR Jeff Fuller. And don't forget Cyrus Gray at running back.

#2 LSU @ #16 West Virginia 5:00pm PT, ABC

This is arguably the biggest matchup of the day. On paper looks like a mismatch, but I can see the Mountaineers coming out and getting an early lead on the Tigers. There are really 2 players individually I will be watching: LSU CB Morris Claiborne and WVU DE/OLB Bruce Irvin. It should make for an exciting game, but those are two players to focus in on if you're looking more for draft prospects.

Thursday, September 22
RESULT GAMELINKS
Cincinnati 44, North Carolina State 14 Box Score | Recap
Friday, September 23
RESULT GAMELINKS
Brigham Young 24, UCF 17 Box Score | Recap
Saturday, September 24
TIME (ET) MATCHUP TV PPV MOBILE TICKETS
12:00 PM ET San Diego State at No. 22 Michigan Big Ten Network Tickets
12:00 PM ET North Carolina at No. 25 Georgia Tech  ESPN 3 Tickets
12:00 PM ET Central Michigan at Michigan State Tickets
12:00 PM ET Toledo at Syracuse ESPN 3 Tickets
12:00 PM ET Eastern Michigan at Penn State  ESPN 3 Tickets
12:00 PM ET Notre Dame at Pittsburgh Tickets
12:00 PM ET Southern Methodist at Memphis Tickets
12:00 PM ET Louisiana-Monroe at Iowa Big Ten Network Tickets
12:21 PM ET Georgia at Ole Miss ESPN 3 Tickets
12:30 PM ET Temple at Maryland ESPN 3 Tickets
1:00 PM ET Massachusetts at Boston College ESPN 3 Tickets
1:00 PM ET Bowling Green at Miami (OH) ESPN 3 Tickets
2:00 PM ET Portland State at No. 20 TCU Tickets
2:00 PM ET Ohio at Rutgers ESPN 3 Tickets
2:00 PM ET Virginia Military Institute at Akron Tickets
2:00 PM ET Army at Ball State ESPN 3 Tickets
3:00 PM ET Tennessee State at Air Force Tickets
3:30 PM ET No. 14 Arkansas at No. 3 Alabama CBS Tickets
3:30 PM ET South Dakota at No. 6 Wisconsin Big Ten Network Tickets
3:30 PM ET No. 7 Oklahoma State at No. 8 Texas A&M
Coverage map "
  ESPN 3 Tickets
3:30 PM ET No. 11 Florida State at No. 21 Clemson  ESPN 3 Tickets
3:30 PM ET No. 13 Virginia Tech at Marshall Tickets
3:30 PM ET Western Michigan at No. 24 Illinois Big Ten Network Tickets
3:30 PM ET Tulane at Duke ESPN 3 Tickets
3:30 PM ET UAB at East Carolina Tickets
3:30 PM ET Colorado at Ohio State
Coverage map "
  ESPN 3 Tickets
3:30 PM ET UCLA at Oregon State Tickets
3:30 PM ET Southern Miss at Virginia ESPN 3 Tickets
3:30 PM ET California at Washington Tickets
3:30 PM ET South Alabama at Kent State Tickets
3:30 PM ET Kansas State at Miami (FL) Tickets
3:30 PM ET Cal Poly at Northern Illinois Tickets
4:00 PM ET New Mexico State at San Jose State ESPN 3 Tickets
4:30 PM ET Middle Tennessee at Troy ESPN 3 Tickets
5:00 PM ET Fresno State at Idaho ESPN 3 Tickets
6:00 PM ET Sam Houston State at New Mexico Tickets
6:00 PM ET Connecticut at Buffalo ESPN 3 Tickets
6:00 PM ET Louisiana-Lafayette at Florida International ESPN 3 Tickets
7:00 PM ET Vanderbilt at No. 12 South Carolina  ESPN 3 Tickets
7:00 PM ET No. 15 Florida at Kentucky  ESPN 3 Tickets
7:00 PM ET Rice at No. 17 Baylor Tickets
7:00 PM ET UTEP at No. 18 South Florida ESPN 3 Tickets
7:00 PM ET Florida Atlantic at Auburn ESPN 3 Tickets
7:00 PM ET North Dakota State at Minnesota Big Ten Network Tickets
7:00 PM ET Indiana at North Texas ESPN 3 Tickets
7:00 PM ET Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State Tickets
7:00 PM ET Nevada at Texas Tech Tickets
7:30 PM ET No. 9 Nebraska at Wyoming Versus Tickets
8:00 PM ET Missouri at No. 1 Oklahoma FX Tickets
8:00 PM ET No. 2 LSU at No. 16 West Virginia Tickets
8:00 PM ET Tulsa at No. 4 Boise State Tickets
8:00 PM ET Georgia State at Houston Tickets
8:00 PM ET Colorado State at Utah State ESPN 3 Tickets
8:00 PM ET Central Arkansas at Arkansas State ESPN 3 Tickets
9:00 PM ET Southern Utah at UNLV Tickets
10:15 PM ET No. 10 Oregon at Arizona  ESPN 3 Tickets
10:15 PM ET No. 23 USC at Arizona State  ESPN 3 Tickets
Sunday, September 25
TIME (ET) MATCHUP TV PPV MOBILE TICKETS
12:00 AM ET UC Davis at Hawaii ESPN 3 Tickets