Week four is where early-season impressions start to harden into real narratives, and this weekend’s slate delivers no shortage of statement opportunities. From heavyweight SEC showdowns and a resurgent Georgia testing Oklahoma in Norman, to pivotal road tests for national contenders and simmering upset potential across multiple conferences, the Mount is packed with meets that will shape rankings, résumés, and expectations moving forward. Whether it’s top-10 clashes, postseason bubble jockeying, or individual stars pushing the envelope, this week offers a little bit of everything—and plenty to keep an eye on as January momentum continues to build.
Must-Watch Meets
Georgia at Oklahoma
Friday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. ET | SECN
Prediction: 95.0% Oklahoma, 5.0% Georgia
A few years ago, this matchup wouldn’t have registered as a must-watch, but Georgia’s resurgence, paired with Oklahoma’s comparatively shaky (by its own lofty standards) start to the season, has elevated it into one of the weekend’s marquee meets. The GymDogs are coming off a statement upset of LSU, fueled by another standout floor rotation that produced their second consecutive 49.475, and now head to Norman hunting for an even bigger road shocker. Oklahoma has won its last two meets, but early-season inconsistencies have kept the Sooners from fully hitting their stride. Senior Faith Torrez has been everything advertised, while freshman Mackenzie Estep has wasted no time making an impact, posting 9.900-plus scores on four of her six routines so far. With little margin for error on either side, this is the kind of meet where capitalizing on small mistakes could decide the outcome—and shape the narrative of the season ahead.
Notes about the Predictions: Five percent may not seem like much, but it represents a massive jump for Georgia. Prior to last weekend, the GymDogs had just a 0.5% chance of pulling off the win. After Georgia’s statement upset of LSU and Oklahoma’s comparatively shaky outing, that probability increased tenfold, reflecting just how much momentum has shifted in the GymDogs’ favor.
Florida at Auburn
Friday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. ET | SECN
Prediction: 96.7% Florida, 3.3% Auburn
Florida’s trip to Auburn offers an early litmus test for the rest of the season, as the No. 1–ranked Gators compete away from home for the first time in 2026. Florida has flashed its ceiling through two meets but still has plenty to prove against a capable SEC opponent. Last week’s showdown with Alabama featured a stellar bars rotation, with every counting score at 9.900 or better, as well as another strong showing on beam, highlighted by a 9.950 from the nation’s top beam worker, Selena Harris-Miranda. Vault and floor, however, were less polished, with several uncharacteristic errors. Sharper landings on vault and improved consistency on floor will be key if Florida wants to maintain its grip on the top spot in the national rankings, and this road test in Auburn provides the perfect proving ground.
Auburn returns to Neville Arena looking to rebound after a disappointing outing against Arkansas, where its team total dropped by more than a point from the season opener. The Tigers’ biggest issues came on bars, where two scores of 9.650 or lower proved costly. Cleaning up that rotation will be essential if Jeff Graba’s squad hopes to challenge the surging Gators. Still, there were bright spots despite the result: Alex Irvine and Sophia Bell each posted 9.900-plus scores across all of their competitive routines against the Razorbacks. Also worth watching is Katelyn Jong, who appeared in Auburn’s pre-meet top eight on bars last weekend; a return to her signature event following a long Achilles recovery could provide a much-needed boost for the Tigers.
Notes about the predictions: It will be tough for Auburn to beat Florida this weekend, but being at home does help. If this meet were in Gainesville, Auburn’s win chances would drop another percentage point. The Tigers are likely going to need a few mistakes from the Gators to win this one. Even with Florida counting a fall, Auburn’s win chances only increase to 34%.
UCLA at Michigan State
Sunday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. ET | FOX
Prediction: 89.1% UCLA, 10.9% Michigan State
Michigan State is coming off a road loss at Iowa in one of week three’s many upsets, with bars proving to be the Spartans’ undoing after having to count a low score. Beam was steadier—no falls—but lacked the big numbers needed to stay competitive. That stands in contrast to UCLA, for whom beam has quietly been a strength this season. While the Bruins are traditionally defined by their floor work, last week’s beam rotation mirrored Michigan State’s floor: solid and controlled, but short of its usual scoring punch. Expect UCLA stars Katelyn Rosen and Jordan Chiles to be motivated for bounce-back performances after uncharacteristically muted routines. On the Michigan State side, Nikki Smith will be one to watch as she looks to reset on bars after being one of the counted falls and still searching for her first fully hit routine on the event this season.
Notes about the Predictions: Beam has been UCLA’s secret weapon so far this season, with two out of three scores above 49.500. Michigan State is going to want to get the event win on beam to increase its chances to 37%. However, we only see this outcome occurring in 12% of our simulations.
Clemson at Stanford
Sunday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. ET | ACCNx
Prediction: 88.2% Stanford, 11.8% Clemson
The ACC’s opening weekend delivered plenty of drama, and that momentum should carry into this matchup as Clemson heads west to Palo Alto. Stanford has opened the season in impressive fashion, with back-to-back wins and a place in the top eight nationally on three of four events, with vault as the lone outlier. That fast start is no fluke; it reflects contributions up and down the lineup. Senior Anna Roberts shone in her first all-around appearance of the year, posting 9.900-plus scores on bars and beam and narrowly missing perfection with a 9.975 on floor. She’s joined atop the ACC beam rankings by junior Sienna Robinson, who has quickly become a linchpin as the Cardinal look to establish themselves as a conference frontrunner.
Clemson, meanwhile, hit a small snag in its first road test, where a shaky beam rotation opened the door for an N.C. State upset. The Tigers will be eager to clean that up and show greater consistency away from home. Last week also brought notable lineup adjustments from Justin Howell and Liz Crandall-Howell, including the return of transfer Ella Cesario’s Yurchenko full and the collegiate debut of German elite Emma Malewski. Redshirt senior Brie Clark remains Clemson’s ace, currently ranked eighth nationally on floor, and another hit routine from her would provide a crucial scoring anchor. Ultimately, Clemson enters this meet seeking a strong road total and a statement performance that it belongs among the ACC’s top contenders—an attainable goal as the Tigers make the trip to the Bay Area.
Notes about the Predictions: Clemson needs to figure out beam if it wants a chance of winning at Stanford this weekend. While Stanford is slightly favored on all four events, it is only favored on average by one-tenth on the other three events. On beam, however, Stanford is favored by three-tenths on average. If Clemson can put up the higher beam score, its win chances increase to 38%.
Upset Alert
Missouri at Alabama
Friday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET | SECN+
Prediction: 77.8% Alabama, 22.2% Missouri
Amid a slate of SEC showdowns on Friday night, Missouri and Alabama will square off in a top-10 matchup that could have significant postseason implications. Last year’s Cinderella run made Missouri one of the stories of the NCAA tournament, and while the Tigers have opened 2026 solidly, they haven’t quite matched the pace they set a season ago. Hannah Horton and Addison Lawrence have taken on leadership roles and provided steady scores week to week, but a trip to Tuscaloosa will demand consistency across all four events—and a miss-free performance—if Missouri hopes to pull the upset.
That’s a tall task against an Alabama squad that has surged early behind a dynamic freshman class. Azaraya Ra-Akbar and Jasmine Cawley have quickly become some of the Tide’s most reliable contributors, while veteran Gabby Gladieux continues to deliver with her trademark consistency. It may not carry the flash of some other SEC headliners, but don’t overlook this one: The ingredients are there for a tightly contested, telling matchup as the conference race begins to take shape.
Notes about the predictions: Missouri’s second sub-197 score paired with Alabama’s second 197+ last weekend gave the Crimson Tide a 10% increase in its win chances going into this weekend’s matchup. Freshman Azaraya Ra-Akbar has quickly become the most impactful team member for Alabama. Without her at full strength, Alabama’s win chances drop all the way to 60%.
N.C. State at California
Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. ET | ACCNx
Prediction: 81.7% California, 18.3% N.C. State
N.C. State is coming off an impressive home-opening win over No. 14 Clemson, posting a 196.125 in a tightly contested ACC matchup. The victory was sealed by Syniya Thomas’ clutch 9.900 on floor, which ultimately gave the Wolfpack the edge. N.C. State turned in multiple scores above 9.800, claimed three of the four event titles, and secured its first conference win of the season—along with its first ACC season-opening victory since 2024.
California began its ACC slate on the road at Pittsburgh, earning its first dual-meet win of the season with a 195.550. The Bears also showed scoring depth, particularly on bars, where all six routines went 9.800 or higher. California captured three event titles as well, with Annalise Newman-Achee taking home the all-around crown. While the Bears are 2-0 all-time against N.C. State, the Wolfpack enter this meet brimming with confidence and coming off a higher team total last weekend. All signs point to a tightly fought contest and an ACC showdown worth tuning in for.
Notes about the predictions: N.C. State is favored on vault and floor at this meet, but not by as much as California is favored on bars and beam, giving the Golden Bears the edge going in. Reaching 49+ on both bars and beam for the first time this season would give the Wolfpack a 64% chance of winning the meet.
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 two go by without bringing up these additional areas of interest.
- Iowa travels to Michigan after upsetting Michigan State last weekend at home. Michigan is also coming off an upset at Minnesota, which knocked the wind out of the Wolverines’ sails after their program beam record at the Collegiate Quad week two. The Wolverines’ home opener will be the perfect opportunity to prove the momentum shift under new head coach Maile’ana Kanewa-Hermelyn is real—and for the Hawkeyes to potentially play spoiler once again.
- Ohio State head coach Meredith Paulicivic turned heads with her criticism of the judging at the Buckeyes’ meet at Rutgers last weekend. This week, her team is back home against Illinois, where big scores were thrown last weekend, with Chloe Cho’s 9.950 on bars. After the team was offered as a microcosm of the issue, the age-old judging narrative will likely be on full display at this meet.
Fantasy Corner
If you’re diving into fantasy gymnastics this year, you’re aiming to crush it—right? Fantasy Central has you covered with smart tips and strategic insights all season long. Tara Graeve and data editor Dara Tan will keep you up to speed on injuries, scoring trends, under-the-radar waiver wire gems, and everything else you need to stay ahead of the competition.
CGN Pick’em
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 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.
Loading...
READ THIS NEXT:
Article by the editors of College Gym News
