College football delivered as always in Week 4. From a Tennessee statement and a five-star quarterback benching in Norman to a return to form from Michigan and an answered prayer in Boulder, this is a deep dive into everything you need to know from the weekend that was in college football.

THE BIG TAKEAWAY: TENNESSEE COULD BE A CHAMPIONSHIP-CONTENDING EXCEPTION

There’s a talent baseline required to win a national championship. Whether you choose to follow blue-chip ratio (50%) or 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite (every champion since 2015 ranked in the top 14), there’s a barrier for entry if teams have national title aspirations.

But there are always exceptions. Michigan bucked conventional wisdom a season ago. The Wolverines, an old team built with a singular smash-mouth style, ranked 14th in the Team Talent Composite — the first team ever ranked outside the top 10 to win a national championship. They had just one five-star on the roster. But what they featured was an elite defense, a first-round prospect at quarterback and an offensive line that bullied people.

Looking for your 2024 paradigm breaker? May I present the No. 6 Vols, fresh off a 25-15 road win over No. 15 Oklahoma.

Couple facts to chew on to support that claim:

– Tennessee’s defense didn’t allow an offensive touchdown for 19 straight quarters before surrendering one against Oklahoma in the fourth quarter.

– Tennessee is averaging 54 points per game early this season.

– Tennessee beat Oklahoma and NC State, a pair of AP Top 25 teams to open the year, by a combined score of 76-25.

Does margin of victory or early-season defensive success mean Tennessee will make a championship run? Certainly not. But it lends credence to the idea the Vols are built to get there. Dominance is often a sign of a true contender, and Tennessee is a freaking WAGON early this season.

It should be noted that the Vols failed to meet Bud Elliott’s blue-chip ratio this year. They also rank 16th in the Team Talent Composite. But there are some things about the roster that could allow them to be the rare talent exception.

First, the Vols have a loaded defensive line. You know about projected first-round pick James Pearce at defensive end. Beyond him, however, the Vols entered the week eight different edge players having played at least 20 snaps. Three Vols (Dominic Bailey, Tyre West, Pearce) had at least four pressures. All three of those players are upperclassmen and former four-star prospects. Not only talented but experienced, too.

The Vols have equivalent depth at defensive tackle where seven different players played 25-plus snaps through three games. That group is a mix of former elite prospects (Omari Thomas, a top-100 player in the 2020 class), impact transfers (Omarr Norman-Lott) and upcoming five-star recruits (Daevin Hobbs).

Playing opposite Tennessee’s offensive pace is difficult. The Vols’ defense is on the field more snaps than almost any other team in the country, and they’re often forced to do so with little rest. So Tennessee built its roster to counter that drain. Their D-line, the engine of the defense, can sub at will and not miss a beat. It’s a rotation that allows Tennessee to play fast and aggressive despite the snap volume.

On the other side of the ball, the Vols are what they’ve always been under Josh Heupel: A top-20 offense.

Only this time the Vols, old and experienced on the offensive line (four seniors plus a five-star sophomore) and loaded at receiver, have a different sort of engine under center: Former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava.

If you wanted to call Iamaleava the most naturally gifted quarterback in the country, I don’t think many would argue with you. He’s got a tool box bigger than most Home Depot’s. We’ve yet to see him go nuclear this year (he finished 13 for 21 with 194 yards and one touchdown against Oklahoma), but he’s a first-year starter who will improve as the season goes along. These early games, most of which have been stress-free situations, will matter later in the season.

Tennessee’s schedule is brutal (Alabama and Georgia on deck), and there’s a long way to go. But I can’t help but think of Clemson’s early years of contention when thinking of this Vols team. No, they don’t meet most championship talent metrics. But both orange-clad teams share a similar DNA: Excellent D-line play, a potential superstar QB and weapons that make opposing defenses squirm.

It’s a formula that makes me bullish about Tennessee contention chances in 2024.

REPORT CARD

A. Graham Mertz deserves your respect

For all the pressure that’s been on Billy Napier this season, you could argue nobody’s experienced more of it than Graham Mertz. Not only is he being pushed by a true freshman (DJ Lagway), but he’s giving up multiple series a game to the five-star and potential savior of the program. All of this in a make-or-break season for Mertz’s football future.

That wouldn’t happen in most places. But it’s happening in Gainesville under some of the weirder circumstances in the sport. Florida coach Billy Napier almost has to play Lagway. He’s the future. But as his seat continues to radiate heat, he also needs his senior quarterback, a passer still viewed by NFL scouts as a draftable prospect, to thrive.

Thus, we get the situation Saturday that Florida went with Saturday: Mertz and Lagway rotated with Mertz getting two series before Lagway took over for one.

It’s a bit of a disjointed mess. But both quarterbacks made it work in a 45-28 win, particularly Mertz.

Mertz finished the afternoon 19 for 21 with 203 yards passing and four total scores. He had a near flawless afternoon under some of the more difficult circumstances that you’ll find as a quarterback. (Lagway wasn’t bad, either, going 7 for 7 with 76 yards passing).

Quarterback isn’t really Florida’s problem. A defense that gave up 480 yards to Mississippi State will be under the microscope going into the bye week. But, either way, Mertz should be commended for the way he’s handled things as QB1. He’s been a pro off the field and, at least Saturday, looked like a pro on it, too.

It’ll be interesting to see how Florida handles the rotation moving forward. It’d make a lot of sense for Napier to roll with Mertz as a full-time QB1 and use Lagway, a 6-foot-3, 239-pound bulldozer, in more of a situational role a la Tim Tebow in his debut season.