Football is a grind. By the time we hit the week 4 football schedule, the early-season "new car smell" has basically faded. We’ve stopped guessing who might be good and started seeing who actually is. Honestly, this is the week where the pretenders get exposed and the contenders start making their move. Whether you’re tracking the NFL’s first international flight of the year or a massive Top 25 college showdown, the calendar for the weekend of September 25-29 is absolutely packed.
The NFL Goes Global and Personal
The biggest headline for the pro slate has to be the game in Dublin. Yeah, you read that right. Ireland. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings are taking their rivalry across the pond for a Sunday morning kickoff at Croke Park.
If you’re in the States, you’re looking at a 9:30 a.m. ET start on NFL Network. Grab your coffee early. It’s the first time the NFL has touched down in Dublin for a regular-season game, and the atmosphere is expected to be electric, even if your internal clock is still screaming for sleep.
Back on the mainland, the 1 p.m. ET window is a bit of a chaotic mess. We’ve got seven games happening at once.
- Philadelphia Eagles head to Tampa to face the Buccaneers (FOX).
- New Orleans Saints travel to Buffalo to deal with the Bills Mafia (CBS).
- Cleveland Browns are in Detroit to face the Lions (FOX).
Then things get spicy in the afternoon. The Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens at 4:25 p.m. ET is the game everyone is circling. It’s become the definitive AFC rivalry of this era. Mahomes vs. Jackson. Arrowhead Stadium. It doesn't get much better than that for a late September afternoon.
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And don't overlook the Sunday Night Football matchup. The Green Bay Packers travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. There’s a lot of history here, but the biggest storyline is the fallout from the Micah Parsons trade that shook the league over the summer. Seeing him in that different uniform—or how Dallas handles his absence—adds a layer of drama you just can't script.
Double the Monday Night Action
Monday night isn't just one game; it's a doubleheader.
First, the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins kick off at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Divisional games this early are brutal because nobody wants to be 0-2 in the AFC East. Then, the Cincinnati Bengals visit the Denver Broncos at 8:15 p.m. ET on ABC. Staggered starts are kinda great because you can flip back and forth during commercials and never actually see a punt if you time it right.
College Football: The Rivalry Week We Needed
Saturday, September 20, is when the college world goes nuts. If you’re looking at the week 4 football schedule for the NCAA, there’s one game that stands above the rest: Florida at Miami.
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The Hurricanes absolutely humiliated the Gators in Gainesville last season. This year, the game is in Miami, and the stakes feel even higher. Carson Beck is leading the Canes, while the Gators are leaning on DJ Lagway. It’s a make-or-break game for both coaching staffs. Honestly, the loser of this game is going to have a very long, very loud week of radio call-ins to deal with.
Big Ten and SEC Showdowns
The Big Ten is looking a little different these days with the expansion, but some things never change.
- Michigan at Nebraska (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): The Big House meets the Sea of Red.
- Illinois at Indiana (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC): This is the "breakout" bowl. Both teams are trying to prove they belong in the College Football Playoff conversation.
- Michigan State at USC (11 p.m. ET, FOX): A late-night treat for the West Coast (and the insomniacs on the East Coast).
Over in the SEC, the Auburn Tigers are heading to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. It's only the fourth time these programs have ever played. Brent Venables and Hugh Freeze are both under a microscope right now, so expect a lot of "desperation" play-calling.
Then there’s South Carolina at Missouri. They play for something called "The Mayor's Cup" because both schools are in cities named Columbia. It’s one of those weird, niche trophies that makes college football the best sport on earth.
How to Actually Watch Everything
Streaming has made this a nightmare, hasn't it? You basically need a spreadsheet to keep track of where the games are.
If you’re trying to catch the NFL games, Amazon Prime Video has the Thursday night game between the Seahawks and Cardinals. For the Sunday slate, a basic antenna gets you CBS, FOX, and NBC. But if you want the international game or the Monday night doubleheader, you’re going to need NFL Network and ESPN.
For the college side, it’s even more fragmented. The Big Ten Network (BTN), SEC Network, and ACC Network handle the conference matchups, while the big games stay on ABC and FOX. If you’re a fan of a smaller school, you’re probably looking at ESPN+ or Peacock.
Week 4 Football Schedule Checklist
- Check your subscriptions: Make sure your Prime and Peacock accounts are active before kickoff.
- Adjust your clocks: The Dublin game starts at 9:30 a.m. ET. Don't be the person who wakes up at noon and misses the whole thing.
- Fantasy rosters: Week 4 is often when the first major injuries start to pile up. Check the Friday injury reports before locking in your lineup.
- Local listings: Remember that "in-market" rules still apply for NFL games on CBS and FOX. If your local team is playing, that's the game you're getting.
This weekend is the bridge between "early season optimism" and "mid-season reality." By Monday night, we’ll know which teams are actually going to be playing for something in January.
The best way to handle this massive schedule is to prioritize the big rivalry games on Saturday and the AFC heavyweight bout on Sunday afternoon. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Make sure your DVR is set for those overlapping windows, especially with the Monday night doubleheader. You don't want to miss a divisional upset just because you were watching a blowout in Denver.