10 Bold Predictions for Week 5 of College Football

10. BYU Handles Colorado in Boulder

No one has paid attention to the BYU Cougars thus far, which is understandable given the competition they have faced. The Cougars lost quarterback Jake Retzlaff and replaced him with Bear Bachmeier, but they don't appear to have missed a beat. Bachmeier has been excellent, but the reason I'm confident in the Cougars to dominate Colorado is due to their fantastic defense. BYU is giving up only 5.3 points per game and just 1.6 yards per carry. Their opponents are only gaining 3.48 yards per play and converting just 21.95% of third-down attempts. Colorado is struggling on offense, and BYU is definitely not the remedy they are seeking.

BYU (-6.5) vs. Colorado - Saturday at 10:15 pm

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2. Notre Dame and Arkansas Combine for 80+ Points

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish got in the win column on Saturday as they handled the Purdue Boilermakers. Arkansas lost a second-straight heartbreaker as they again fumbled the ball while going in for what could have been the game-winning touchdown. After a few weeks, we have seen that both teams are struggling on defense, and both appear to have dynamic offenses. They meet in Fayetteville on Saturday, and I am expecting an offensive explosion in which the two teams combine for more than 80 points.

Notre Dame (-5.5) at Arkansas | Total of 64.5

3. Louisville Makes a Statement at Pittsburgh

The Louisville Cardinals are not perfect, but I am absolutely in on them as a sleeper candidate to make the ACC Championship Game with an 11-1 record. The Cardinals are 3-0 after beating Bowling Green, and the offense still has plenty of room for growth. They will take on a Pittsburgh defense that is very vulnerable, and I think the Cardinals will have a field day and waltz away from Pat Narduzzi with a 4-0 record.

Louisville (-3.5) at Pittsburgh - Saturday at Noon

4. Ole Miss Beats LSU in Oxford

An injury to starting quarterback Austin Simmons could have been a real problem. Still, Lane Kiffin appears to have walked right into a star with transfer Trinidad Chambliss taking over and seemingly making the Rebels even more dangerous. This Saturday, Ole Miss gets a chance for a marquee win, and I think they'll take it. They host the LSU Tigers, and I don't trust LSU's offense to keep up with Kiffin and the explosive Rebels. I like Ole Miss to win this game outright and cover the short spread as they push into the top ten.

LSU at Ole Miss (-2.5) - Saturday at 3:30

6. West Virginia Stuns Utah

The Utah Utes were expected to beat Texas Tech at home and take the mantle as the clear favorite in the Big 12. Instead, the offense looked dreadful, and Utah lost its fifth straight conference home game, dropping to 1-8 in its last nine Big 12 contests. That isn't very good, and the Utes now travel cross-country to play Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia Mountaineers. WVU is 2-2 after getting blown out at Kansas, but they are 2-0 in Morgantown, and I think that moves to 3-0 with a surprise upset of Utah on Saturday.

Utah at West Virginia (+10.5) - Saturday at 3:30

6. Texas A&M Routes Auburn

I'm not hiding it. Going back to before the 2025 season, I have always liked this Texas A&M team, and that remains unchanged. The Aggies are now in the top ten, and Auburn is coming off a tough loss at Oklahoma in a very physical game. This falls into the "body blow" theory as Auburn is asked to get up for a big road game for a second straight week, and I don't trust the Auburn offensive line against Texas A&M after Mike Elko has two weeks to prepare for them. College Station is going to be rocking, and the Aggies will give them plenty to cheer about.

Auburn at Texas A&M (-6.5) - Saturday at 3:30

7. Tennessee Gets Big Win in Starkville

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are much improved, and Jeff Lebby has that program moving in the right direction. However, I think the Tennessee Volunteers are one of the most underrated teams in the country, and they will show it on Saturday afternoon in Starkville. Joey Aguilar has been terrific, and the vertical passing game for the Volunteers is miles ahead of what it was at any point in 2024. The Vols don't run it quite as well as you'd like, but they are going to attack a vulnerable Mississippi State secondary for a big win and cover.

Tennessee (-8.5) at Mississippi State - Saturday at 4:15

8. Oregon Makes Happy Valley Upset

The Oregon Ducks and Penn State Nittany Lions met in the Big Ten Championship Game last season in Indianapolis, where the Ducks won the conference title in their inaugural season in the league. To put it simply, I have far more faith in Dan Lanning than I do in James Franklin in huge games. The Ducks have been very efficient on offense, and their ability for the offensive line to block at the point of attack and the receivers to block downfield really stands out. Penn State has gotten off to slow starts this season, which will cost them against the Ducks as Oregon wins outright in State College.

Oregon (+3.5) at Penn State - 7:30 pm

9. Georgia Beats Alabama In Between the Hedges

The Georgia Bulldogs live for big games like this. Kirby Smart's crew often seems to sleepwalk in matchups against teams like Marshall, but they get up for big games, and there are none bigger than when the Alabama Crimson Tide comes to town. Alabama beat UGA last season, and you can absolutely bet that Smart wants revenge for that loss to Kalen DeBoer. I was impressed with Georgia's offense against Tennessee, and I think the pass rush can have some success against Alabama's offensive line. The last time we saw the Crimson Tide against a team with similar athletes, they were outclassed by Florida State.

Georgia (-3) vs. Alabama - 7:30 pm

10. BYU Handles Colorado in Boulder

No one has paid attention to the BYU Cougars thus far, which is understandable given the competition they have faced. The Cougars lost quarterback Jake Retzlaff and replaced him with Bear Bachmeier, but they don't appear to have missed a beat. Bachmeier has been excellent, but the reason I'm confident in the Cougars to dominate Colorado is due to their fantastic defense. BYU is giving up only 5.3 points per game and just 1.6 yards per carry. Their opponents are only gaining 3.48 yards per play and converting just 21.95% of third-down attempts. Colorado is struggling on offense, and BYU is definitely not the remedy they are seeking.

BYU (-6.5) vs. Colorado - Saturday at 10:15 pm

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