Week 5 Top-25 College Football Matchups and Expert Picks

Week 5 of the 2026 college football season features several high-profile top-25 matchups. In Starkville, No. 7 Alabama meets No. 16 Mississippi State, with both teams entering the game undefeated. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has thrown for 1,129 yards with eight touchdowns and added 168 rushing yards, while Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor leads the nation with 14 passing touchdowns and 185 rushing yards.

No. 6 Ohio State travels to No. 14 Iowa for a game that will be the third College GameDay visit to Iowa City. Iowa comes off a last-second win over Michigan, while Ohio State looks to capitalize on a record-setting performance from receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Other notable contests include No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri, No. 2 Georgia versus Vanderbilt, and No. 3 Notre Dame at North Carolina. Betting odds from BetMGM are listed for each game, and USA Today Sports analysts provide projected scores.

"Alabama-Mississippi State has a chance to be one of the most fun quarterback matchups of the season between Keelon Russell and Kamario Taylor, two young Heisman Trophy contenders," said analyst Austin Curtright.

"Despite being the home to college football's most heartwarming in-stadium tradition, Kinnick Stadium has historically been a place where Big Ten championship dreams go up in smoke. Expect a feisty Hawkeyes team to keep this close after their thrilling, last-second win against Michigan," noted Craig Meyer.

"There hasn’t been a more dominant team in the country on both ends of the ball than Georgia to start the season. That continues against Vanderbilt," observed John Leuzzi.

Analysts also highlighted the offensive strengths of Miami, the defensive challenges facing Clemson, and the potential for upsets in games such as Penn State at Northwestern and Michigan at Minnesota. The compiled predictions offer a snapshot of expectations heading into the weekend’s top-25 contests.