Week 5 College Football Schedule Features Three Top-25 Matchups and Multiple Road Games

Week 5 of the Football Bowl Subdivision offers a mix of high-profile matchups and opportunities for teams with open dates to rest before conference play intensifies. Seven top-10 teams are on the road, and three games involve ranked opponents.

Alabama (No. 7, 4-0) visits Mississippi State (No. 16, 4-0) at noon ET, with analysts projecting a 34-24 win for the Crimson Tide despite Mississippi State’s recent defensive lapses. Ohio State (No. 5, 3-1) travels to Iowa (No. 14, 4-0) at 3:30 p.m., where a 30-13 victory for the Buckeyes is expected after a 55-24 loss at Kinnick in 2017.

Florida (No. 8, 4-0) faces Missouri (No. 25, 3-1) later that afternoon, with a 36-24 score favored for the Gators if Missouri’s run defense does not improve. In the ACC, Miami (No. 4, 4-0) meets Clemson (3-1) at 7:30 p.m., and a 30-20 win for Miami is projected despite Clemson’s recent offensive struggles.

Other notable games include Notre Dame (No. 3, 4-0) versus North Carolina at noon ET, where a 41-10 victory for the Fighting Irish is anticipated, and Georgia (No. 2, 4-0) hosting Vanderbilt, with a 42-13 result predicted.

Weekday contests feature Pitt at Virginia Tech and several Group of Five matchups, while Saturday’s early slate includes UCF at Houston and several conference battles across the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and others. The afternoon schedule continues with Auburn at Tennessee, Kentucky at South Carolina, and a series of mid-tier games across the country.

Overall, the week presents a blend of marquee road trips for elite programs and pivotal non-conference clashes that could shape the early season landscape.