Top 5 matchups for Week 4 of the 2024 college football season
2. No. 11 USC vs. No. 18 Michigan – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
USC and Michigan have played some terrific games through the years and Saturday will mark their first contest as Big Ten opponents. Eight of the 10 matchups between the Trojans and Wolverines have come in the Rose Bowl, with five being one-score games. USC has six wins against Michigan overall and is a 5.5-point favorite to take down the Wolverines again in its first appearance in Ann Arbor since 1958.
USC has only played two games in 2024 with an early bye week this past weekend, but Lincoln Riley鈥檚 squad has been highly impressive in both contests, coming back to earn an upset win over LSU in Week 1 while dominating Utah State 48-0 in Week 2. The post-Caleb Williams era has started well as the Trojans are the nation鈥檚 seventh-best passing offense and are a top-20 offensive unit overall behind Miller Moss who has thrown for over 600 yards in two games. Running backs Woody Marks and Quentin Joyner have also performed well while replacing MarShawn Lloyd.
USC鈥檚 offense will face a stiff test on Saturday against a stout Michigan defense, albeit one that has looked more vulnerable under Sherrone Moore following the Wolverines鈥� national championship season. However, the biggest headline for Michigan this weekend comes offensively as Alex Orji will take over for Davis Warren at quarterback, hoping to spark a unit that looked average at best in wins over Fresno State and Arkansas State, and struggled against Texas. Michigan could pull a home upset if Orji provides that spark, while a win for USC would further cement it as a playoff contender.
