Week 4 is here as we dive into another weekend of college football madness.

The biggest story going into Saturday’s slate of games is if Arch Manning will get his first college start. After capturing the attention of fans, he’ll have a lot to live up to in the spotlight as Texas faces UL Monroe.

USC will be making an appearance at the Big House for the first time in over 60 years as its visit will kick off conference play for the Trojans. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, No. 24 Illinois visits No. 22 Nebraska where one Illinois receiver lives out a different version of a dream he once had.

Before all of this plays out, Appalachian State gets things started as it hosts South Alabama on Thursday.

Our college football experts give insight on players, sound and storylines going into Week 4.

Jump to a section:
Texas QB depth | Illinois’ Pat Bryant | Must needs to win
New conference enemy | Quotes of the week

Stacked QB rooms are nothing new at Texas

Todd Dodge has a unique vantage point to the hysteria around Arch Manning, who made a national splash in his first extensive playing time at Texas after starter and Heisman Trophy candidate Quinn Ewers sustained an oblique injury.

Dodge, a quarterback guru and legendary Texas high school coach with seven state championships — including three-peats at two different schools — lived in the burnt orange spotlight himself. As the first Texas high school quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season in 1980, he was a star recruit for the Longhorns who started as a celebrity backup himself.

“The most popular guy in any college town is the No. 2 quarterback,” said Dodge, now the coach at Lovejoy High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “I’ve been the No. 2 where I couldn’t buy my own dinner and everybody wanted to let me know how much they thought I ought to be playing. And I’ve been the No. 1 who’s played well, who was probably over-fawned-over and then I’ve been the No. 1 when the team lost and I didn’t play well and I’m the biggest bum in three counties.”

He said fans often assume a quarterback room is filled with jealousy or back-biting, but in his career, he has found it to be the opposite, which Steve Sarkisian reiterated Monday when he said nothing changes if Manning starts. The bond between Ewers and his backup is evident, Dodge said. And he is familiar with both players and their families, namely Ewers, because his son Riley, was Ewers’ head coach at Southlake Carroll.

“They’re very, very talented young men that both could be playing almost anywhere in the country, but the No. 2’s family [the Mannings] put tremendous value in development and patience,” he said. “To me, that takes a little bit of the angst off of me as the starter knowing that I don’t have a backup who’s out there just every waning minute trying to convince people that he ought to be the guy.”

Greg Davis, too, experienced the attention in his time in Austin. In 1998, Major Applewhite went 8-2 as the starter, was selected Big 12 Freshman of the Year, then Texas landed the No. 1 prospect in the country, Chris Simms, the well-pedigreed son of New York Giants legend Phil Simms. For the next three years, Simms and Applewhite both had their high points, and both served as co-starters. How do you manage that situation?

“Obviously you don’t live in a vacuum,” according to Davis, offensive coordinator under Mack Brown. “You’re aware of what they say in the grocery store.” Davis has ties to the Mannings himself. He recruited Eli alongside Simms, recruited Peyton at Arkansas and offered Arch’s dad, Cooper, when he was coaching at Tulane.

Davis said the pressure inside the building doesn’t come from attention or fans in the grocery store. It comes from picking the player who had the best chance to win. For Dodge, there’s no question, especially after seeing Ewers beat Oklahoma, then Alabama and Michigan in huge road victories.

“Gosh, all of us Texas fans are fired up about what Arch did the other day,” Dodge said. “But in the big picture, there’s a reason why Quinn Ewers is the starter. When you start having to face Georgia and people like that, well, it doesn’t mean that Arch Manning can’t have a bang-up game against a Georgia or an Alabama. It’s just that Quinn Ewers has already done it.” — Dave Wilson

Illinois’ Bryant dreams big after being molded through tragedy

Tattoos are filling up Pat Bryant’s body, memorializing those whose lives once ran parallel to his but diverged and ended far too soon.

Bryant, the star senior wide receiver for No. 24 Illinois, now has four tattoos honoring his friends from Jacksonville, Florida, who have died in recent years. One of the most painful came only two days after Bryant and the Illini played in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, when Bryant’s best friend, Alim Denson, nicknamed “Twin,” died while in prison.

“A lot of those guys, I grew up playing sports with, we all had the same dream,” Bryant said. “Being able to reach my dream, knowing they’re looking down on me, they’re very, very proud. Also, for the kids of the community, I want to show them that there’s more to life than gun violence, drugs. I just want to be a great role model for my community.”

Bryant, who leads Illinois with 235 receiving yards and four touchdowns this season, has contributed to a new community, far from home. He was named a team captain last month, as he prepared for his third season as a starter.

The 6-foot-3 Bryant received 33 scholarship offers in high school, including all the in-state schools, except the one he truly wanted, Florida, where both of his parents attended. Bryant committed to Illinois in June 2020, essentially sight unseen, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in mid-December, just before the end of a delayed and shortened season, Illinois fired coach Lovie Smith. The first high school signing day was just three days away. Wide receivers coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker called Bryant and encouraged him to sign anyway, which he did. Three days later, Illinois hired Bret Bielema to replace Smith.

When Bryant finally visited Champaign, there was some confusion.

“I flew in, thinking the University of Illinois was in Chicago,” Bryant said. “I get off the plane, we get in an Uber, they’re taking us to the dorm, and I’m just waiting to see the big skyline. And I see corn field after corn field. I was like, ‘There’s no way,’ but I adapted to where I was. Great college town.”

Bryant has built a strong connection to Champaign. Earlier this month, he and two teammates pooled their NIL earnings to donate backpacks and school supplies to local children. Bryant’s desire to give back stems in part from his father, Patrick, the athletic director of the Police Athletic League of Jacksonville, which places officers to help with youth sports programs around the city. Pat Jr. played basketball and flag football in the league.

“He’s been nothing but a class example of everything we believe in here,” Bielema said.

After seven touchdown catches in 2023, Bryant is on pace for a breakout season, which continues Friday night at No. 22 Nebraska. Bielema has received good reviews from NFL scouts on Bryant, who also excels with run blocking. Bryant’s path reminds Bielema of the Atlanta Falcons’ Casey Washington.

At a morning meeting after Illinois’ second win, Bielema recognized Bryant as the team’s top overall performer.

“He lives a routine every day that gives him an advantage,” Bielema said. “We talked about how he’s in the building by 5:15 a.m., he doesn’t have to be checked in by 6:30. It’s just an awesome thing to witness. He knows where he’s at, he knows how to take care of himself. Unfortunately, he’s had some tragedy in his life and it helps motivate him for the future.”

Bryant plays for Denson and the other friends he has lost, but he’s also focused on his current teammates.

“I feel like I have a powerful voice, I can relate to everyone on the team,” he said. “I feel people respect me, not only because of my game but because of the kind of person I am.” — Adam Rittenberg

What teams need to capitalize on to win

Utah: Any sort of analysis about this game for the Utes has to begin with the status of quarterback Cam Rising. There hasn’t been an official update about whether he will play, but it’s hard not to interpret the fact that he spoke to reporters this week about the game as an indicator he will be available — unless it’s an elaborate form of gamesmanship, which cannot be ruled out. After falling behind 14-3 to Utah State last week, the Utes were able to come back and win comfortably, but it’s important the Utes don’t follow that script again. Independent of whether Rising plays, the Utes are at their best when the running game does the heavy lifting, and it does not suit their strengths to go into catch-up mode. This is especially true against an explosive offense like Oklahoma State. The best-case scenario here for the Utes is if Rising plays, they establish Micah Bernard early and neutralize Ollie Gordon II to a reasonable degree. — Kyle Bonagura

Oklahoma State: With back-to-back games against Utah and Kansas State to begin the 2024 Big 12 slate, Oklahoma State is about to enter a season-defining stretch. What better way for the Cowboys to make a statement in the Big 12 title hunt than by figuring out the running game and unleashing reigning Doak Walker Award winner Gordon in Week 4?

Coach Mike Gundy says he’s “not concerned” about Oklahoma State’s start on the ground this seasos. But through Week 3, the Cowboys rank 105th in rushing among FBS offenses and Gordon is averaging 3.5 yards per carry, down from 6.1 in 2023 when Gordon finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting. Oklahoma State leaned on its passing game to storm past Tulsa last Saturday when Gordon carried 17 times for just 41 yards. Relying so heavily on quarterback Alan Bowman won’t be as easy this weekend against Utah’s 26th-ranked pass defense. The Cowboys’ broader College Football Playoff aspirations probably hinge on finding a way to get Gordon and the run game going. Saturday against Utah is a good place for them to start. — Eli Lederman

With so much anticipation heading into this season about the new West Coast additions of the Big Ten playing matchups like this one, it’s hard to believe how much USC and Michigan have already switched roles.

The defending national champion has not looked the part after losing its head coach in Jim Harbaugh, but also plenty of talent on the field such as quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum, among several others. After losing 31-12 to Texas at home and struggling on offense last week against Arkansas State, this isn’t exactly looking like the encore Wolverines fans envisioned.

Now, USC comes to town for its first marquee Big Ten game, looking far removed from the bitter end it had to the Caleb Williams era last year. After firing defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, Lincoln Riley revamped the defensive staff with former UCLA coordinator D’Anton Lynn, and after a statement win over LSU in the opener and a shutout of Utah State at home, the Trojans are coming off a bye week and look to be on the way up.

Despite any momentum USC might have, the concept of playing — and winning — a road game in the Big House looms large on any opponent, especially one that hasn’t been there since 1958. Though USC players keep harping on their improved physicality in the trenches being the deciding factor in this game, Riley has remained adamant over the past week that despite its struggles, Michigan is a really good team with NFL-caliber players. You can see how much he is trying to will his team to not view itself as the favorites, even if the odds say so.

“Everybody wants to write the story after a couple of games in the season for everyone,” Riley said this week. “And it’s a long season, man. That’s a good football team that we have a lot of respect for. To have anything less would be a mistake on our part.” — Paolo Uggetti

Quotes of the week

• “Yeah, there’s an old quarterback from Muleshoe, Texas that’s going to come out of retirement, can see if his legs still got it,” Lincoln Riley, smiling, when asked if USC has someone on the scout team that can replicate what Michigan QB Alex Orji does on the ground. “No, we got a couple of guys that we’re trying to use a little bit. But he’s a really good athlete. I told people last night I was familiar with him. We recruited him a little bit coming out of high school, remember, I have a lot of respect for him as a player and an athlete.”

• “I thought that they were trying to make it hard on us, to be honest with you,” Mike Gundy said Monday with Oklahoma State staring down back-to-back meetings against conference favorites Utah and Kansas State to open Big 12 play. “Commissioner [Brett Yormark] is my buddy, but he doesn’t do the scheduling. So, I’ve sent the wrong guy pecans for Christmas. I should’ve sent the scheduling guy pecans for Christmas.”

• “Should be a great crowd. It’s a passionate fan base. I’m expecting them to be extremely quiet for us, out of respect to me and our program, too.” — Former Sooners quarterback and coach Josh Heupel, with a slight smile, on returning to Oklahoma as the coach at Tennessee.

MIAMI — Shohei Ohtani remained stoic as he rounded the bases in Thursday’s ninth inning, after another prodigious home run that merely piled on to what had already been one of the most memorable performances in baseball history. But he cracked moments later, while making his way through the usual parade of dugout high-fives. He smiled sheepishly, gritted his teeth, rhythmically slumped his shoulders, as if to convey amazement — embarrassment, even — by his unrelenting dominance.

That home run, off a position player inserted into a game that was thoroughly out of hand, was his third of the night and 51st of the season. It drove in his 10th run, a Los Angeles Dodgers record. And it provided an emphatic conclusion to a game that saw Ohtani become the first 50/50 player in baseball history while clinching his first ever trip to Major League Baseball’s postseason.

Twenty-seven days ago, Ohtani reached the 40/40 club with a walk-off grand slam. He then set a new benchmark, while on his way to becoming the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP, with a six-hit, three-homer, two-steal performance amid the Dodgers’ 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins. A Dodgers team that has spent an entire summer praising Ohtani’s exploits is running out of ways to explain them.

“I almost cried, to be honest with you,” veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “It was a lot of emotion, because of everything that happens behind the scenes that we get to witness every single day. It’s a pretty cool moment. We all know what he’s capable of doing, but for him to reach that mark — it’s pretty amazing.”

Ohtani began the Dodgers’ seven-game road trip three home runs and two stolen bases away from 50/50, then added only one homer and one steal over the next six. When the series finale from LoanDepot Park arrived on Thursday, it seemed a safe bet that Ohtani’s milestone would wait until the Dodgers returned home. But Ohtani opened with a line-drive double off the wall in right-center field, then picked up his 50th steal by sneaking his foot underneath the tag of Marlins third baseman Connor Norby.

A second-inning single was followed by stolen base No. 51. Ohtani then added a two-run double in the third — before getting thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple — and followed with a 438-foot home run into LoanDepot Park’s second deck in the sixth for his 49th home run. When he came to bat again in the seventh, the Dodgers had runners on second and third with two outs. First base was open, and Dodgers players began to look into the opposing dugout to see if the Marlins would intentionally walk Ohtani.

“F— that,” a camera caught Marlins manager Skip Shumaker saying in his dugout. “I’ve got too much respect for this guy for that s— to happen.”

Ohtani took a couple of mighty hacks, but then he locked back in. The count was 1-2 when Marlins right-hander Mike Baumann went to his knuckle-curve for the second straight time, leaving it near the middle of the strike zone. Ohtani stayed back and dumped the offering into the Recess Sports Lounge located just beyond the left-center field fence, 391 feet away, for home run No. 50, setting a new career high.

“For him knowing that he’s right there on the edge of history,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said, “and to somehow stay inside a pitch and hit it on a line to left-center and not try to get too big — you know he’s thinking about hitting a home run, and he hits it 111 mph on a line the other way. It’s just incredible.”

The fan who secured the baseball left the ballpark with it in-hand, denying Ohtani a well-earned piece of memorabilia but not of the joy it brought him. Ohtani roared as he left the batter’s box, emphatically slapping hands with first-base coach Clayton McCullough as he made the turn. Afterward, while speaking through an interpreter, he said he was “happy” and “relieved” to finally get the 50/50 milestone done with.

“I think he was just feeling good, feeling sexy and just knew, like, ‘I’m about to do this today,'” fellow Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts said. “I mean, he could’ve had four homers today. I’m at a loss for words.”

A crowd of 15,548 was on hand to witness Ohtani’s historic feat and serenaded him with a standing ovation, prompting him to spill out of the dugout for a curtain call. Ohtani acknowledged the fans, the pitcher who served up the home run, and then the Marlins’ dugout — including Shumaker, who didn’t want to get in the way of history.

“I think that’s a bad move — baseball-wise, karma-wise, baseball-gods-wise,” Shumaker said of intentionally walking Ohtani. “You go after him and see if you can get him out. I think out of respect for the game we were going to go after him. He hit the home run. That’s just part of the deal. He’s hit 50 of them. He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen. He is doing things I’ve never seen done in the game before, and if he has another couple more of these peak years he might be the best ever to play the game.”

Shortly after the game, the Dodgers boarded a flight back home to prepare for a weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. Their postgame celebration was confined to a champagne toast. Dave Roberts acknowledged that they had clinched a playoff spot but reminded them the goal was to once again take the National League West, there they hold a four-game lead on the San Diego Padres, and ultimately win the World Series.

He also praised Ohtani, both for making it to his first postseason — he has played in 866 career regular-season games without reaching the playoffs, the most among active players — and for doing what no player had ever done. Many of those in the room wore black, commemorative 50/50 T-shirts that had been printed in advance.

“If I’m being honest,” Ohtani said later, “it was something I wanted to get over [with] as soon as possible because the balls were being exchanged every time I was up to bat.”

Ohtani became the first player ever with three home runs and two stolen bases in the same game, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He’s the second player since at least 1901 with six hits in a game, including five for extra bases — joining another Dodger, Shawn Green, who homered four times in 2002. He’s also the first player since RBIs became official in 1920 with 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in the same game and just the sixth to amass 17 total bases.

“That has to be the greatest baseball game of all time,” Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux said. “It has to be. There’s no way. It’s ridiculous. I’ve never seen anybody do that even in little leagues, so it’s crazy that he’s doing that at the highest level.”

It was solidified in the top of the ninth, with the Dodgers already leading by 11 runs. The Marlins summoned Vidal Brujan, a 26-year-old super-utility player, and watched him lob 70-mph pitches in an effort to get them to the end of the game. As Ohtani came to bat again, one of his best friends on the team, Teoscar Hernandez, implored him to hit the ball into the right-center-field gap to secure a cycle.

“He said to hit a triple,” Ohtani, speaking in English, clarified from the neighboring locker.

“Instead he hit it upper deck,” Hernandez said of a ball that ultimately traveled 440 feet at 114 mph. “That’s why we’re not friends anymore.”

One day after clinching a postseason berth, the New York Yankees received a major scare Thursday after star outfielder Juan Soto banged his left knee while sliding into the short wall in foul territory on a highlight-reel catch.

Soto slid into the wall in foul territory down the right-field line in the seventh inning of a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners. After a lengthy visit from Yankees manager Aaron Boone, athletic trainers and seemingly every one of his teammates, Soto remained in the game and was shaking out his left leg.

“I was really worried,” Soto said. “I went straight into the concrete, and when I threw the ball, I just felt a lot of pain in my kneecap. Definitely, with time, [the pain] started going down and feeling better. Definitely, it was a little scary right there.”

Boone said Soto “banged his knee pretty good” and will get X-rays “just to make sure.”

The play was initially ruled a foul ball, but it was overturned to a catch on replay.

“I think him sliding the way he did served him well,” Boone said. “My biggest fear was that he twisted something, and I think sliding like that preserved him a little bit.

“… As of now looks like he’ll be OK.”

The 26-year-old Soto, a four-time All-Star and former batting champion whose free agency after this season is expected to spark a bidding war starting at $500 million, is hitting .286 this season with 40 home runs, 120 runs scored and 103 RBIs.

With the loss, the Yankees’ lead in the American League East was cut to four games over the Baltimore Orioles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.