The Big Ten has one last day to impress, the Big 12 just missed when K-State blew what should have been a win over the SEC but Oklahoma still passed Alabama for second, and BYU gets a surprise chance to boost national title hopes Saturday. All projected scores are below, including a sudden huge bump in the road in the ACC’s big season.

Conferences move up or down in the weekly conference ratings based on if they exceed their projected wins and margin of victory (which is capped at 25 points per game).

The Big Ten borders on falling out of the five Power Conferences and into competition with the smaller conference ratings, and after today their only chance for a somewhat big non-conference win is when Cincinnati brings their high-powered offense to Ohio State as Tommy Tuberville tries to improve to 3-0 against Urban Meyer.

Saturday the Big Ten is projected to win just over half (6.8 of 13) of their games by a combined +10 points. The conference desperately needs its third best-team in the Pythagorean Ratings (Nebraska at #36) to win at home against Miami. Michigan could help with an upset in the big house over Utah, and Minnesota is only a slight favorite over San Jose State in another one the conference cannot afford to lose. As an indication of how bad the conference has been, five Big Ten teams are double digit underdogs–but a couple of big upsets from those teams would dramatically improve the conference rating. 

Two non-Power Conference teams have among the biggest games Saturday. East Carolina is winning a two-way race for the top team from any of the non-Power conferences (which goes to a New Year Bowl), rising to No. 34 after almost winning at South Carolina and then stunning Virginia Tech. Now they get UNC at home with a huge opportunity to increase their margin over No. 40 Louisiana Tech, who faces a non-FBS opponent.

Brigham Young is at No. 21 and they have a suddenly important game at home against a surprising Virginia team that stunned Louisville after only doing the same to UCLA. If BYU can run up the score against UVa like they did against Texas two years ago the playoffs are not out of the question.

Week 4 started with the Big 12 missing a golden opportunity to close the gap with the SEC when K-State gave away a game against Auburn Thursday, bobbling a touchdown into an interception and missing three field goals in a 20-14 loss. However, Oklahoma passed Alabama for No. 2 in the ratings after beating up on a much improved Tennessee team. Sooners must have been asking why they were not already ahead of Bama after blowing them out in last year’s Sugar Bowl. If Oklahoma can win by a solid margin at West Virginia Saturday–a team that threatened Alabama–the Sooners would solidify their case for No. 2 or even No. 1 if …

No. 1 Florida State absent their starting quarterback loses to Clemson. The game could be a nightmare for the ACC, as a Clemson win would make them the top team in the conference despite getting destroyed by Georgia—the 7th best team in the SEC in these ratings. Yes, the SEC has a ridiculous seven teams in the top 11 in this week’s ratings, and while they will slip a little with Auburn’s weak showing against K-State, the best chance for an upset Saturday would be a good Northern Illinois team winning in Arkansas.

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Rank Teams by Conference Pred Marg Chance Venue Opponent Time
53 Cincinnati 25 99% Home Miami OH 7:00pm
111 Connecticut -3 41% Away South Florida Friday
34 East Carolina 8 65% Home North Carolina 3:30pm
66 Houston 18 90% Home UNLV 8:00pm
84 Memphis -3 44% Home MTSU 7:00pm
96 SMU -25 6% Home Texas A&M 3:30pm
112 South Florida 3 59% Home Connecticut Friday
73 Temple 25 100% Home Delaware St 1:00pm
91 Tulane -22 9% Away Duke 12:30pm
93 Tulsa 0 0% Idle    
55 UCF 24 98% Home Bethune-Cookman 6:00pm
  AAC Margin, Wins 50 6.1      
             
31 Boston College 25 98% Home Maine 1:00pm
17 Clemson -20 21% Away Florida St 8:00pm
37 Duke 22 91% Home Tulane 12:30pm
1 Florida St 20 79% Home Clemson 8:00pm
43 Georgia Tech -7 35% Away Virginia Tech 12:00pm
18 Louisville 25 92% Away Florida Intl 3:30pm
33 Miami FL -2 47% Away Nebraska 8:00pm
59 NC State 25 100% Home Presbyterian 6:00pm
45 North Carolina -8 35% Away East Carolina 3:30pm
24 Pittsburgh 21 92% Home Iowa 12:00pm
39 Syracuse 12 82% Home Maryland 12:30pm
42 Virginia -12 28% Away BYU 3:30pm
23 Virginia Tech 7 65% Home Georgia Tech 12:00pm
103 Wake Forest 4 62% Home Army 3:30pm
  ACC Margin, Wins 112 9.3      
             
87 Illinois 13 79% Home Texas St 4:00pm
67 Indiana -25 8% Away Missouri 4:00pm
76 Iowa -21 8% Away Pittsburgh 12:00pm
63 Maryland -12 18% Away Syracuse 12:30pm
71 Michigan -6 36% Home Utah 3:30pm
16 Michigan St 25 100% Home E Michigan 12:00pm
75 Minnesota 4 60% Home San Jose St 4:00pm
36 Nebraska 2 53% Home Miami FL 8:00pm
100 Northwestern 11 84% Home W Illinois 12:00pm
28 Ohio St 0 0% Idle    
58 Penn St 25 97% Home Massachusetts 4:00pm
118 Purdue -11 20% Home S Illinois 12:00pm
81 Rutgers -16 17% Away Navy 3:30pm
25 Wisconsin 21 98% Home Bowling Green 12:00pm
  Big Ten Margin, Wins 10 6.8      
             
13 Baylor 0 0% Idle    
56 Iowa St 0 0% Idle    
107 Kansas 5 63% Home C Michigan 3:30pm
27 Kansas St -14 21% Home Auburn Thursday
2 Oklahoma 15 74% Away West Virginia 7:30pm
7 Oklahoma St 0 0% Idle    
22 TCU 0 0% Idle    
35 Texas 0 0% Idle    
68 Texas Tech 0 0% Idle    
41 West Virginia -15 26% Home Oklahoma 7:30pm
  Big 12 Margin, Wins -9 1.8      
             
79 FL Atlantic 8 68% Away Wyoming 4:00pm
97 Florida Intl -25 8% Home Louisville 3:30pm
40 Louisiana Tech 25 97% Home Northwestern LA 7:00pm
50 Marshall 20 84% Away Akron 2:00pm
61 Middle Tenn St 3 56% Away Memphis 7:00pm
60 North Texas 25 100% Home Nicholls St 3:30pm
94 Old Dominion -13 29% Away Rice 12:00pm
74 Rice 13 71% Home Old Dominion 12:00pm
119 Southern Miss 7 65% Home Appalachian St 7:00pm
62 UAB 0 0% Idle    
51 UT San Antonio 0 0% Idle    
77 UTEP 0 0% Idle    
57 W Kentucky 0 0% Idle    
  CUSA Margin, Wins 63 5.8      
             
90 Army -4 38% Away Wake Forest 3:30pm
21 BYU 12 72% Home Virginia 3:30pm
47 Navy 16 83% Home Rutgers 3:30pm
14 Notre Dame 0 0% Idle    
  Ind Margin, Wins 24 1.9      
             
110 Akron -20 16% Home Marshall 2:00pm
89 Ball St -1 49% Away Toledo 7:00pm
92 Bowling Green -21 2% Away Wisconsin 12:00pm
122 Buffalo 21 98% Home Norfolk St 3:30pm
102 C Michigan -5 37% Away Kansas 3:30pm
124 E Michigan -25 0% Away Michigan St 12:00pm
123 Kent 0 0% Idle    
117 Massachusetts -25 3% Away Penn St 4:00pm
128 Miami OH -25 1% Away Cincinnati 7:00pm
64 N Illinois -15 21% Away Arkansas 7:00pm
108 Ohio 19 86% Home Idaho 7:00pm
101 Toledo 1 51% Home Ball St 7:00pm
121 W Michigan 7 65% Home Murray St 7:00pm
  MAC Margin, Wins -88 4.3      
             
99 Air Force 0 0% Idle    
54 Boise St 24 94% Home ULL 10:30pm
80 Colorado St 0 0% Idle    
85 Fresno St 22 91% Home Southern Utah 10:00pm
78 Hawaii -1 49% Away Colorado 2:00pm
65 Nevada 0 0% Idle    
116 New Mexico -5 40% Away New Mexico St 8:00pm
69 San Diego St -10 28% Away Oregon St 10:30pm
72 San Jose St -4 40% Away Minnesota 4:00pm
106 UNLV -18 10% Away Houston 8:00pm
82 Utah St -1 47% Away Arkansas St 7:00pm
105 Wyoming -8 32% Home FL Atlantic 4:00pm
  MWC Margin, Wins 0 4.3      
             
48 Arizona 12 74% Home California 10:00pm
30 Arizona St 0 0% Idle    
70 California -12 26% Away Arizona 10:00pm
95 Colorado 1 51% Home Hawaii 2:00pm
6 Oregon 25 93% Away Washington St 10:30pm
52 Oregon St 10 72% Home San Diego St 10:30pm
15 Stanford 0 0% Idle    
38 UCLA 0 0% Idle    
19 USC 0 0% Idle    
44 Utah 6 64% Away Michigan 3:30pm
26 Washington 25 100% Home Georgia St 6:00pm
83 Washington St -25 7% Home Oregon 10:30pm
  Pac-12 Margin, Wins 42 4.9      
             
126 Appalachian St -7 35% Away Southern Miss 7:00pm
86 Arkansas St 1 53% Home Utah St 7:00pm
113 Ga Southern -9 28% Away South Alabama 7:30pm
127 Georgia St -25 0% Away Washington 6:00pm
125 Idaho -19 14% Away Ohio 7:00pm
114 New Mexico St 5 60% Home New Mexico 8:00pm
98 South Alabama 9 72% Home Ga Southern 7:30pm
115 Texas St -13 21% Away Illinois 4:00pm
120 Troy -25 0% Away Georgia 12:00pm
109 ULL -24 6% Away Boise St 10:30pm
104 ULM 0 0% Idle    
  SBC Margin, Wins -107 2.9      
             
3 Alabama 24 99% Home Florida 3:30pm
32 Arkansas 15 79% Home N Illinois 7:00pm
5 Auburn 14 79% Away Kansas St Thursday
49 Florida -24 1% Away Alabama 3:30pm
11 Georgia 25 100% Home Troy 12:00pm
46 Kentucky 0 0% Idle    
8 LSU 13 79% Home Mississippi St 7:00pm
9 Mississippi 0 0% Idle    
20 Mississippi St -13 21% Away LSU 7:00pm
4 Missouri 25 92% Home Indiana 4:00pm
12 South Carolina 21 95% Away Vanderbilt 7:30pm
29 Tennessee 0 0% Idle    
10 Texas A&M 25 94% Away SMU 3:30pm
88 Vanderbilt -21 5% Home South Carolina 7:30pm
  SEC Margin, Wins 104 7.4