The Mount: Week 4 Previews and Predictions

As we head into week four of the NCAA gymnastics season, competition is heating up with critical conference matchups, intense rivalries new and old, and top teams looking to solidify their rankings. From powerhouse programs to emerging challengers, this week’s meets offer plenty of opportunities for standout performances and upsets. Whether you’re following for the gymnastics action, setting your fantasy lineups, or tracking your favorite team’s progress, week four promises to be a pivotal moment in the season. Let’s dive into the key meets, predictions, and everything you need to know as we approach another thrilling week of competition.

Must-Watch Meets

Georgia at Florida

Friday, Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET | SECN

Prediction: 92.4% Florida, 7.6% Georgia

Gear up for a classic SEC rivalry meet, as Florida faces Georgia, the only team the Gators have competed against consistently for 53 seasons. Florida is coming off a close battle with LSU, falling just a tenth short of victory in Baton Rouge, but the Gators improved their team score by nearly eight-tenths from their season debut. Selena Harris-Miranda made her all-around debut in style, tying LSU’s Aleah Finnegan with a 39.500—the ninth-highest all-around score this season. If Florida continues its upward trend, it’s in a strong position to come away with the win.

Georgia, meanwhile, is fresh off a win against Boise State, improving its team score by nearly a point from its 195.975 season opener at Denver. While Lily Smith has yet to compete in the all-around this season, she posted 9.9s on beam and floor to claim both titles. Co-head coach Cécile Canqueteau-Landi noted that the win gave the team a significant confidence boost. The question now is whether the GymDogs can maintain that momentum against a surging Florida team. 

Notes about the predictions: Georgia will need to win at least two events to stand a chance of upsetting Florida. If it can take both beam and floor, its chances of winning jump to 64%. The return of Lily Smith to the all-around would also be crucial, increasing Georgia’s win chances to 10%. However, without those elements, Florida remains the heavy favorite.

Oklahoma at Alabama

Friday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET | SECN

Prediction: 99.2% Oklahoma, 0.8% Alabama

Oklahoma’s debut SEC season continues with a tough road test against Alabama, traditionally one of the hardest venues to compete in given the Crimson Tide’s storied legacy. These teams enter with opposite momentum—Oklahoma has been steady atop the rankings while Alabama started strong with one of the few opening 197s, only to stumble with a low 196 last weekend due to beam issues. The Sooners, led by five all-arounders, will be tough to top. Alabama needs standout performances from Lilly Hudson and Gabby Gladieux to make it close.

Notes about the predictions: Oklahoma is such a strong favorite that removing top performers like Lily Pederson or Faith Torrez from the lineup only decreases its win percentage by 1%. Over half of our simulations show Oklahoma winning by more than a full point.

Michigan State at Ohio State

Friday, Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET | B1G+

Prediction: 92.9% Michigan State, 7.1% Ohio State

Both Michigan State and Ohio State have been working to break into the top tier of the Big Ten in recent years. This season, Michigan State has emerged as a powerhouse, most recently defeating in-state rival Michigan with a massive 197.500. Ohio State, meanwhile, has been steady despite missing key all-arounder Payton Harris, but its scoring ceiling appears lower than the Spartans’. While the Buckeyes could challenge, it’ll likely need some help from Spartan stumbles to take the win. Getting Harris back on more events would help.

Notes about the predictions: The two teams are evenly matched on vault and floor, but Michigan State holds a significant advantage on bars and beam. If Ohio State can outscore the Spartans on either of those events, its chances of winning rise to 20%. Winning both could push its chances up to 77%, though that outcome only occurred in 0.1% of simulations.

Utah at BYU

Friday, Jan. 24 at 9 p.m. ET | ESPN+

Prediction: 99.9% Utah, 0.01% BYU

Utah and BYU will face off for the second time in five days, this time in Provo. Despite missing star freshman Avery Neff, Utah tied Oklahoma for the highest score of the season at the Best of Utah meet. The Utes may use this meet to test out additional lineup options, giving newer gymnasts a shot. BYU, meanwhile, found its stride in the latter half of the Best of Utah meet and will aim to build on that momentum. Look for Brynlee Andersen and Kylie Eaquinto to lead the Cougars’ efforts.

Notes about the predictions: It would take major mistakes from Utah for BYU to have a chance of winning. Utah is projected to come out on top by more than a point in 97% of simulations. BYU’s bars lineup has been volatile, with simulated scores ranging from 46.225 to 49.250. A solid bar rotation will be key for BYU’s hopes of moving up in the rankings.

Illinois at UCLA

Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. ET | B1G+

Prediction: 99.5% UCLA, 0.5% Illinois

Both UCLA and Illinois are coming off wins in their Big Ten duals last week. UCLA posted a 197.550 for the second week in a row in a victory over Maryland while Illinois put up a respectable 196.275 against Nebraska. While UCLA is favored, its shaky week one 195.250 is a score Illinois could surpass on a good day. Last week, Jordan Chiles scored a 10.0 and will be looking for another standout performance in front of the home crowd. For Illinois, freshman Chloe Cho has been vital in the all-around, and her performance will be key to improving on last week’s score.

Notes about the predictions: Despite its week one struggles, UCLA is back to being a 99% favorite to win after consecutive 197-plus scores. Illinois will need UCLA to count two or more falls to have a chance, which would raise its win chances to 15%.

Upset Alert

Oregon State at Auburn

Friday, Jan. 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2

Prediction: 51.6% Oregon State, 48.4% Auburn

It’s shaping up to be a tight match-up between Oregon State and Auburn, with both teams showing marked improvements after modest starts to the season in the high-195s. Auburn is fresh off a 196.700 at its home opener against Arkansas, where Katelyn Jong led the Tigers in the all-around with a 39.475. Meanwhile, Oregon State posted a massive 197.600 in its dual meet against San Jose State—the third-highest team score this season. Jade Carey, currently the top all-arounder in the country, delivered a stellar 39.800, the highest all-around score in 2025. Carey, along with Sage Thompson and Sophia Esposito, could guide the Beavers to what would be an upset victory against Auburn on its home turf.  

Notes about the predictions: This meet could go either way, with a slight edge for Oregon State due to consistently higher simulated scores on bars. Auburn’s home advantage is a key factor, but if this meet were held in Corvallis, Auburn’s win chances would drop to just 27%.

Arizona at Arizona State

Sunday, Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. ET | ESPN2

Prediction: 57.6% Arizona, 42.3% Arizona State

Former Pac-12 opponents Arizona and Arizona State bring their rivalry to the Big 12 in this in-state showdown. Arizona has been a quiet contender in recent years, but with the help of steady all-arounders Emily Mueller and Alysen Fears,it has the potential to make waves in the conference this season. Arizona State is coming off a narrow victory at the Wasatch Classic, where the big story was the return of Jada Mangahas to the vault lineup after missing the preseason and opening meet. Mangahas’ continued recovery will be a key factor for the Sun Devils. Kimberly Smith and Emily White have stepped up in her absence.

Notes about the predictions: This meet is expected to be close. Jada Mangahas’ status will be critical—if she is not at full strength, Arizona State’s win chances drop to 30%. Both teams are evenly matched on vault and floor, but Arizona State has an edge on bars, while Arizona is stronger on beam. If either team can outperform the other on their opponent’s best event, their chances of winning jump to 75%.

Boise State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis at San Jose State

Sunday, Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. ET | Free live stream

Prediction: 59.6% Boise State, 35.0% San Jose State, 3.3% Sacramento State, 2.1% UC Davis

This quad meet features familiar foes, as Boise State takes on three Northern California teams in San Jose State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis. While Boise State is favored, the Broncos will need to be sharp, with any of these teams able to capitalize on mistakes. San Jose State is riding positive momentum from its Monday meet but will need to shore up its bar rotation to stay competitive. Sacramento State is off to a solid start, having upset UC Davis earlier in the season and scoring in the high 194s twice. While the Hornets have struggled on bars, they’ve excelled on beam, which could be the key to pulling off another upset. 

San Jose State freshman Madison Gustitus was seen in a boot last week, so the Spartans will likely be without her steady contributions on at least beam and floor. UC Davis’s Keanna Abraham returned to floor last week but fell on her final pass—having her back at full strength could add a couple of tenths to the Aggies’ total there. Sacramento State’s sophomore Rose Wilson missed last weekend’s meet after injuring herself in touch warm-up the week prior, meaning the Hornets may need to rely on their depth on bars and vault if she’s out long-term.

Notes about the predictions: San Jose State tied Boise State on Monday, largely thanks to its strong performance on floor, which played a key role in the outcome. The Spartans will be aiming to repeat their floor dominance this week, as winning that event increases their chances of victory to 66%. However, this meet is expected to be tightly contested, with 10% of our simulations showing a margin of half a point or less separating the top three teams. It’s shaping up to be a nail-biter.

Wondering how we came up with the predictions for each meet? Read more about our methodology.

There’s Other Stuff Happening Too

We’d be remiss to let a preview for week four go by without bringing up these additional areas of interest.

• Michigan travels to Seattle to meet Washington on Saturday night. Washington’s injury woes have put a damper on its welcome to the Big Ten, resulting in a loss at reeling Rutgers last week. The Huskies will need to be healthier to turn it out against the Wolverines, a team that typically has injury issues of its own but has been surging in recent weeks score-wise. 
• It will be a battle of star Canadian freshmen when Minnesota travels to Iowa on Sunday. Aurélie Tran earned the Hawkeyes’ first 9.9-plus of the season on bars last week, and Olympic teammate Ava Stewart has been cruising for the Gophers, turning in a 9.925 of her with a stuck vault last week. The 2024 Olympic reunion should make for an exciting meet. 

Fantasy Corner

If you’re playing fantasy gymnastics this year, you want to do the best you can, right? We have you covered with tips and tricks all season long in Fantasy Central. Managing editor Emily Minehart and data editor Dara Tan will be bringing you the latest updates on injuries, scoring statistics, sneaky waiver wire targets, and more.

CGN Pick’em

Brandis (Last Week: 4-1; Overall: 10-5)

• Oklahoma at Alabama: Oklahoma
• Michigan State at Ohio State: Michigan State
• Oregon State at Auburn: Oregon State
• Arizona at Arizona State: Arizona State
• Boise State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis at San Jose State: San Jose State

Elizabeth (Last Week: 5-0; Overall: 13-2)

• Oklahoma at Alabama: Oklahoma
• Michigan State at Ohio State: Michigan State
• Oregon State at Auburn: Oregon State
• Arizona at Arizona State: Arizona
• Boise State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis at San Jose State: San Jose State

Emily M (Last Week: 5-0; Overall: 10-5)

• Oklahoma at Alabama: Oklahoma
• Michigan State at Ohio State: Michigan State
• Oregon State at Auburn: Auburn
• Arizona at Arizona State: Arizona State
• Boise State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis at San Jose State: Boise State

Jenna (Last Week: 4-1; Overall: 12-3)

• Oklahoma at Alabama: Oklahoma
• Michigan State at Ohio State: Michigan State
• Oregon State at Auburn: Oregon State
• Arizona at Arizona State: Arizona State
• Boise State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis at San Jose State: San Jose State

Rebecca (Last Week: 4-1; Overall: 11-4)

• Oklahoma at Alabama: Oklahoma
• Michigan State at Ohio State: Michigan State
• Oregon State at Auburn: Auburn
• Arizona at Arizona State: Arizona State
• Boise State, Sacramento State, and UC Davis at San Jose State: Boise State

Want to join in on the predictions? Tag us on social media with your picks then tune into the meets to see how well you do!

How to Watch

Looking for more info on how to watch your favorite gymnasts and teams in action? Head to our master schedule for all the scoring, video, and live blog links, or head to our annual “How to Watch” article to see what platforms you have access to with various streaming services.

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Article by the editors of College Gym News