It may be common in college football for the biggest schools to schedule inferior opponents in hopes of padding their records, but the first four weeks of the regular season – three in the books, including zero week, and the week ahead of us – is showing that teams aren’t shying away from each other as they have in years past.

To wit:

• Totino-Grace needed a last-minute touchdown and two-point conversion to beat Hopkins of the vaunted Lake Conference Friday. The Eagles have road contests at Spring Lake Park and Maple Grove sandwiched around a home game against Wayzata to close out September.

• Speaking of Wayzata, the Trojans’ first two games looked to be the easiest part of their schedule. But after falling to Eagan 17-16 Friday, things need to improve quickly as they host Maple Grove before traveling to Totino-Grace.

• Cretin-Derham Hall had better regroup quickly after losing East Ridge Friday. The Raiders host rugged Mounds View this week.

• Edina will get little time to breathe after its rally fell short at DeLaSalle, hosting Rosemount Friday night.

• It looked like coach Derrin Lamker’s Osseo Orioles were primed to surprise a lot of people after routing Irondale in Week 1. After a fourth-quarter collapse in a loss to Minnetonka and with road games at Eden Prairie and Spring Lake Park next on the docket, Osseo’s future is looking decidedly less bright.

• Even Eden Prairie, with its three straight titles, needed a fourth-quarter touchdown from Will Rains to hold off upset-minded Eastview 19-15.

So far, the matchups, upsets and near-upsets have shown that 2014 is shaping up to be a season in which there is no sure thing.

The Week Ahead

Boys’ soccer: Edina (No. 7, 2A) at Minnetonka (No. 1, 2A), Tuesday, 5 p.m.: The undefeated Skippers look stacked, having outscored opponents 32-5 through seven games.

Girls’ soccer: Eagan (No. 2, 2A) at Prior Lake (No. 1, 2A). Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Prior Lake (7-0) has given up just one goal through its first seven games. Eagan, similarly 7-0, has scored 23 goals. Can the Wildcats break through the Lakers’ defensive shell?

Volleyball: Eden Prairie (No. 2, 3A) at Wayzata, Thursday, 7 p.m. Expect the Eagles (6-0) to move into the No. 1-spot in the Class 3A state polls as both Eagan and Chaska suffered recent defeats. Wayzata is playing well, having made it to the finals of the Southwest Minnesota Challenge in Marshall over the weekend.