Week 4 of the college football season was filled with close games.
Michigan battled USC, Utah hung on to Oklahoma State, Missouri needed overtime to beat Vanderbilt, Tennessee beat Oklahoma on the road and Colorado pulled off some heroics to win.
But there were a few teams and players that stood out the most over the past week.
Read below for this week's list of winners and losers.
Award Winners
University of Michigan quarterback Alex Orji throws a pass against the University of Southern California during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
Michigan: It's unclear what USC's defense was doing in the second half, but they couldn't stop the Wolverines' rushing attack. Michigan didn't get a great performance from quarterback Alex Orji, gaining only 32 yards, but the Wolverines played great defense and sent the Trojans home with a tough loss, especially considering we all witnessed what Texas did to this team a few weeks ago.
Josh Heupel: The former national champion Oklahoma quarterback returned home to Norman on Saturday, and his team did not disappoint on defense. Heupel may be considered an offensive guru, but he is also one of the best defenders in college football and could lead his team to victory in the College Football Playoffs. This game was very important for Oklahoma considering their head coach was fired by the University of Oklahoma 10 years ago. On Saturday night, his football team made sure to give back to their former team by handing him the game ball after the win.
Utah: Not having Cam Rising at quarterback didn't hurt Utah in Saturday's game against Oklahoma State, where Micah Bernard rushed for 182 yards in a 22-19 victory. It was a huge win for Utah in Big 12 contention, and quarterback Isaac Wilson did enough at the end to push his team over the finish line. The excitement seems to have died down for the Cowboys, and Utah is hurtling toward the College Football Playoff, but Cam Rising isn't even playing. Watch out for Utah. This team is coming together, and they'll be even more excited with Rising back, especially.
Alex Orji: Alex Orji had to wait his turn, but he finally made his first start at Michigan. It was a special day for the junior, with the school's first conference game, a 27-24 win over USC. Orji was shadowed this week by Tom Brady's patient journey at Michigan.
Shedul Sanders: The classic game in Boulder came thanks to Sanders' magic on the final play of the game against Baylor University. Sanders threw a Hail Mary pass to LaJontae Wester in a rainstorm and scored a touchdown after the extra point to send the game into overtime. Sanders didn't have the best passing percentage, but he completed 25 of 41 passes for 341 yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown of his own. The Buffaloes are 3-1 this year, a great start for Coach Prime's Buffaloes.
ClemsonWith the score at 1-1, Dabo Swinney's team took on the 2-1 North Carolina State Wolfpack. Despite having one unranked opponent against the No. 21 Tigers, they came away with a commanding 59-35 victory. Cade Klubnick was comfortable under center the entire game, giving Clemson 101 first-half points in its past two games. The Tigers took a 28-0 lead into the game and went 2-1 to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel (center) and defensive lineman James Pierce Jr. (27) celebrate with their team after defeating Oklahoma State in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Norman, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
James MadisonThe Dukes went to Tar Heels' soil and poured on UNC for 70 points en route to a 70-50 victory. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III was responsible for seven Dukes touchdowns, catching five passes for 388 yards and rushing twice for 99 yards. As a team, JMU, which is 3-0, racked up 611 yards of total offense.
MonmouthThe Hawks pulled off a surprising victory over Florida International, 45-42. Florida International had a goal-line fumble in the final seconds of the game, and Monmouth kicker Michael Culton Jr. kicked a 43-yard game-winning field goal. It was Monmouth's first win against an FBS opponent and improved to 2-1 all-time in the Sunshine State.
Gus Johnson's role in Quincy Judkins' transfer to Ohio State
loser
North Carolina: Are we seeing the last game of the Mack Brown era in college football? It certainly seems that way after James Madison collected a huge check and pitched 70 points for the Tar Heels in a 70-50 win at North Carolina. This is a football program that seems to have lost its direction. The main talking point is Mack Brown's post-game comments that suggested his future may be over sooner than expected. I think Brown is on his way to retirement. The Tar Heels program has taken a big step back in the ACC.
Oklahoma: Now, the Sooners have a quarterback situation. Five-star Jackson Arnold had struggled in his last four games and didn't live up to expectations against Tennessee, leading to him being benched before halftime in the loss to the Vols. Freshman Michael Hawkins entered the game and provided the best spark for Oklahoma's offense against a tough Tennessee defense. One of the most memorable moments came late in the fourth quarter when Jackson Arnold had to enter the game on a two-point conversion after Hawkins had to take a timeout with an injury. When he entered, the Oklahoma crowd filled the stadium with boos, showing their thoughts on how this game was going to go.
Rutgers University's Ian Strong runs after the catch against Virginia Tech's Jaeden Keller during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Blacksburg, Virginia. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)
BaylorDid the Bears allow Colorado a Hail Mary touchdown as time expired? Yes, they did. Not only did they blow a 31-24 lead, they also forced Colorado to win in overtime, dropping Deion Sanders to 3-1 this season, which was a bad look for Baylor coach Dave Aranda.
NebraskaA tough loss to Illinois blew a promising start for Matt Lue and the Cornhuskers. To make matters worse, multiple missed scoring opportunities not only put Illinois in a difficult position, but also ill-timed plays and poor game management seriously hindered their chances to make it to the Big Ten title game.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies were hoping to end an 11-game losing streak in non-conference games and make it 12. Rutgers took the field and came away with a 26-23 win on the road. It didn't look close early on as the Scarlet Knights opened the game with a 14-0 run.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson hands the ball to running back DJ Giddens during an NCAA football game against Brigham Young University, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
KansasLast week, Avery Johnson and the Wildcats showed off their team's rushing attack against Arizona. This week, they didn't seem to show it against BYU. The Cougars beat Kansas State 38-9. Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw two touchdown passes in the win. Johnson threw two interceptions in the loss. At this point, Kansas State is a favorite to win the national title.
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Fox News Digital Sports' college football winners and losers are announced by Fox News Digital Sports staff and OutKick.com Staff
