Clear your schedules, this upcoming Saturday’s college football slate is one for the books.
As Week 5 of the college football season creeps ever closer, the ever-anticipated games that follow become more and more daunting.
From conference rivals to rematches of past conference championships, especially with playoff hopes on the line, it’s something to be excited about.
Before the games start, I wanted to host a mini college game day, as someone who has been up at 7 a.m. for each one this year. I’ll be predicting who will take away the win in Week 5 and potentially change the playoff and Heisman standings moving forward.
USC at Illinois
A Big Ten slugfest between two highly anticipated teams with strong rosters, or so we thought. Indiana absolutely destroyed the Fighting Illini last week with a massive 63-10 victory over the away team, knocking them down from No. 9 to No. 23 in the AP polls.
Do not be fooled, this matchup will be a great one, as Illinois will attempt to make up for lost ground in another conference matchup against the powerful Trojan offense, which is ranked No. 3 in the league in average yards per game.
USC’s defense is a cause for concern, as many teams, including the former FCS team Georgia Southern, have scored 20 points against them, leaving the door open for an upset by the Illini.
This game should still swing in the Trojans’ favor, though, with too many options for early Heisman candidate Jayden Maiava to hit, and Jakobi Lane potentially returning for the game, the Trojans look to outshoot the Illini in another Big Ten shootout. They also should be able to cover the spread of -6.5.
Notre Dame at Arkansas
Poor Arkansas. Last week, the game was dead and buried against Memphis before a surprise fumble, putting them 2-2 on the season. The line between the Razorbacks and Fighting Irish is only -3.5, as critics know they can’t count out a squad that came close within one score in both losses against a program with only one win against a sloppy Purdue team.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman looks to rectify the poor defense from last week. Arkansas is led by dual-threat quarterback Tayleen Green, who leads his team in both rushing yards and passing yards, being able to force long conversations at will.
The Razorbacks are looking to eye a win to help sway the momentum in their favor after two losses in a row. However, I will take the Fighting Irish in a gritty victory over Arkansas due to their close showings, as well as Freeman’s ability to recover.
LSU at Ole Miss
This SEC blood feud takes on a whole new meaning after recent events surface regarding Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin’s family life, posting on X to “take the over” for this game.
This is going to be a good one. Based on past showings from LSU and their wins, they should be very afraid. Ole Miss has dominated their opponents.
At the same time, LSU’s once-seen “quality wins” have faded after Clemson nosedived following their 17-10 loss to LSU and a very choppy 20-10 victory over the Florida Gators, who threw five interceptions. How do you not get more points off that?
Of course, this is a conference rivalry, so these analytics don’t matter too much, but with Kiffin’s latest post. Knowing Kiffin, Ole Miss is looking to upset. Take the over (54.5), and take Ole Miss -1.5
Auburn vs. Texas A&M
This one is close. Texas A&M, fresh off a bye week, exiting a close 41-40 victory over Notre Dame, hails them as a tough contender. However, Auburn kept it close in a one-score loss to the Oklahoma Sooners and early Heisman candidate John Mateer.
Auburn finds itself in a very similar situation to Arkansas, coming off a close loss and entering a very tough string of games. This game could doom their chances of making the tournament.
The odds are not in their favor (-6.5 Texas A&M), but that doesn’t mean a Jackson Arnold-led offense, which contested Mateer’s, can’t outshoot the Aggies, who need to lock down their defense on must-convert plays, and reduce penalties. I still think the Aggies win this, but I do not think they cover their spread.
Oregon vs. Penn State
Oregon at Penn State (-3.5) is the location for College Gameday this week and for good reason.
The rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship is slated for redemption for the Nittany Lions after falling short last year, 41-35. Both teams’ previous games this year have been fairly lackluster, meaning this game will demonstrate the full strength of these two powerhouses.
Penn State is slightly favored, most likely due to a more substantial win margin and the strength of their defense compared to the Ducks, but this possible new Big Ten rivalry leaves much to be seen on the field.
It is a toss-up, but I will take head coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks with their hardened mentality and past experience with quarterback Drew Allar. Also, a little Pac-12 bias for the ex-conference rival.
Alabama at Georgia
This is a game on everyone’s radar whenever these two meet. Georgia Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart has only won one game against Alabama in the seven times they have met, which was in the National Championship.
Head coach Kalen Deboer and the Crimson Tide, who beat Smart last year 41-34, are looking to reassert themselves after an upset loss to Florida State in Week 1. Their previous wins weren’t impressive, so they find themselves in a do-or-die position early in the season.
Georgia, on the other hand, just barely scraped a 44-41 comeback win at Tennessee after their kicker swung wide right. Alabama will be the toughest defense team Georgia will face, potentially giving Deboer the edge in an SEC rivalry game that could go either way. Although in my opinion, this year has shown the fall of the Alabama dynasty. I see Georgia winning this one and easily covering their spread of (-3.5).
Regardless of what happens, the best thing we can hope for is that the games are entertaining to watch.
USC needs to win, though.