Ranking the 10 Best College Football Games in Week 5

Week 5 is here, and the schedule is absolutely loaded. Some of these games have conference title implications, some have College Football Playoff chances on the line, and some should be really entertaining showdowns. Here are the ten best!

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1. Oregon at Penn State – Saturday at 7:30

Outside of the annual clash between bitter foes Ohio State and Michigan, the game of the year in the Big Ten could be this Saturday night in State College as Penn State hosts Oregon in a top-ten showdown on NBC. 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. Which head coach do you have more faith in? Dan Lanning and James Franklin are both among the best in the sport, and this has all the makings of a classic with huge stakes on the line.

Oregon at Penn State (-3.5)

2. Alabama at Georgia – Saturday at 7:30

Get your multiview screen ready for the afternoon and primetime windows! Alabama at Georgia kicks off at the same time as Oregon at Penn State. The Crimson Tide already has a loss, and Kalen DeBoer is feeling the heat in Tuscaloosa. However, his team did knock off Kirby Smart the last time these two schools met (in 2024), and Alabama has looked much better since losing to Florida State. Georgia already has a massive win at Tennessee, and a victory over Alabama would put them firmly in the driver’s seat to return to the SEC Championship Game.

Alabama at Georgia (-2.5)

3. LSU at Ole Miss – Saturday at 3:30

The clash between Alabama and Georgia in Athens is getting all of the headlines, but don’t overlook the 3:30 meeting between LSU and Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin posted “take the over" on social media, and offensive fireworks are promised, but Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers might have something to say about that. LSU has dramatically improved on defense under Blake Baker, and this will be the stiffest test for breakout star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss thus far. 

LSU at Ole Miss (-1.5) | Total of 55.5

4. Ohio State at Washington – Saturday at 3:30

Who’s ready to go “sailgating"? A beautiful backdrop will be the setting as the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes embark on their first road test, traveling to Seattle to take on the high-powered Washington Huskies. Jedd Fisch’s squad probably doesn’t have a defense strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the Ohio State Buckeyes for 60 minutes. Still, the rush defense is only allowing 2.38 yards per attempt, and they could make OSU at least somewhat one-dimensional. If they can slow down the Buckeyes at all, the Huskies do have an offense that can hang around. UW is scoring 55.7 points per game, and quarterback Demond Williams is ready for his breakout star performance with a huge home game in Seattle.

Ohio State (-8.5) at Washington

5. Indiana at Iowa – Saturday at 3:30

The Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday night in Bloomington, improving to 4-0 on the season. IU now plays on the road for the first time, presenting a completely new challenge for the Hoosiers. Iowa is going to do whatever it can to keep IU’s explosive offense on the sidelines and control the tempo, and Kinnick Stadium is a difficult place to play. In fact, IU has lost its last four games in Iowa City, doing so by an average of 20.5 points per game. Of course, it must be said that Curt Cignetti was not coaching IU for any of those contests. Will the Hawkeyes have Kinnick magic on their side? Will Indiana be able to take their explosive offense on the road?

Indiana (-7.5) at Iowa

6. USC at Illinois – Saturday at Noon

Everyone saw the Illinois Fighting Illini exposed on national television as they were obliterated by the Indiana Hoosiers 63-10. The natural next move is to take the USC Trojans as Lincoln Riley’s undefeated team travels to Illinois to play the Fighting Illini in Champaign as touchdown favorites. However, USC doesn’t have the same level of defensive line that IU has, so Luke Altmyer might have some time to throw, and the Illini will be absolutely desperate to put the season back on track. Add to that the 9:00 am kickoff time for the USC players, and the Trojans need to be very aware of the potential for an upset here.

USC (-6.5) at Illinois

7. Auburn at Texas A&M – Saturday at 3:30

The 3:30 window does not feature the same headliners as the primetime slot, but it does include many exciting games that should not be missed. Auburn travelling to College Station is one of them, and Kyle Field should be absolutely rocking as the Aggies return home after a monumental win at Notre Dame. Mike Elko’s team now gets to host the Auburn Tigers, and I think Hugh Freeze’s team just gave up another sack to Oklahoma. Can Auburn rally and get up for another very physical opponent? How has Texas A&M utilized the two weeks it’s had to prepare for the Tigers? 

Auburn at Texas A&M (-6.5)

8. Notre Dame at Arkansas – Saturday at Noon

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. For a few weeks, we have observed that both teams are struggling on defense, yet 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 cannot afford a third loss, and every game they play now feels like a College Football Playoff elimination game. The spread on this game has dropped to Notre Dame being favored by only 4.5 points.

Notre Dame (-4.5) at Arkansas | Total of 64.5

9. Tennessee at Mississippi State – Saturday at 4:15

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have shown significant improvement, and Jeff Lebby has the program moving in the right direction. However, I believe the Tennessee Volunteers are one of the most underrated teams in the country. They’ll need to prove it on Saturday as they will get all the cowbell they can handle 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 this is a very dangerous offense that will really test the Mississippi State defense.

Tennessee (-7.5) at Mississippi State

10. TCU at Arizona State – Friday at 9:00

North Carolina is putrid, so the TCU Horned Frogs don’t get all that much credit for embarrassing them during the season’s opening week, but Josh Hoover and the Horned Frogs’ offense is very much for real. TCU is a Big 12 contender, and they travel to Tempe to play the Arizona State Sun Devils in what should be an entertaining Friday night showdown. Arizona State is now the second-favorite to win the Big 12 at +500, and TCU is right behind them as the third-favorite at +600. This is a critical under-the-radar game, and it should be an excellent appetizer for the smorgasbord of football on Saturday.

TCU at Arizona State (-2.5)

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