Week Five of the college football season is rolling along. And as we get deeper into the season, this week has several pivotal matchups that could have big implications on who will make the College Football Playoff.
Big College Football Weekend Ahead
Week Four was an absolute calamity as six ranked teams suffered losses. And Week 5 could deliver the same level of drama.
Here are the storylines to know for one of the most pivotal weekends of the young college football season.
No 20. Oklahoma State Cowboys at No. 23. Kansas State Wildcats (noon EST on ESPN)
Don’t be fooled by the rankings. Despite both Kansas State and Oklahoma State being ranked in the 20’s this game is among the most important of the weekend.
Both the Cowboys and the Wildcats suffered losses in Week 4. The Cowboys lost to twelfth-ranked Utah in a 22-19 nailbiter. However, Kansas State’s loss was much more lopsided as they were destroyed by unranked BYU 38-9. But regardless it’s a mark in the loss column for both squads.
With both teams looking to overtake supremacy in a Big 12 conference that is there for the taking this will be a key matchup this weekend.
No 15 Louisville Cardinals vs No 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3:30 PM EST on Peacock)
Notre Dame is still trying to shake off the loss to Northern Illinois this season. And because they are not tied to a conference and thus cannot win a division title, their path to a College Football Playoff Berth Will be even more difficult. After their matchup with the Cardinals on Saturday, they will have only two more matchups against ranked opponents. So their opportunities the make a statement are few and far between from here on out.
Winning against Louisville won’t be an easy task. The Irish rely heavily on the run game and the Cardinals have the third-best best defense in the country. To make things even more grim for Notre Dame they have one of the weakest passing games in the Nation.
It will be interesting to see how they adjust.
Colorado Buffaloes vs. UCF Knights (3:30 EST on Fox)
This may be the battle of two unranked teams, however, it is still one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend.
Since arriving in Boulder last season, everything involving head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes has been a spectacle. And each opponent they have faced has been on a mission to dim their light.
After a dramatic overtime victory overtime victory over Baylor last week this will be a key matchup for Colorado. All of their wins this season have come against non-FBS teams or FBS opponents that rank outside of the top 80.
The one semi-formidable team they have faced, 57th-ranked Nebraska, torched them by 18 points when they matched up.
UCF ranks 57th in the power rankings. This is a good measuring stick game for Shedeur Sanders and company.
No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs vs No. 4. Alabama
This is not only the biggest game of the weekend, but quite possibly the biggest game of the college football season.
Georgia and Alabama both have serious championship hopes, and depending on how the game goes a loss could knock one of these teams out of the College Football Playoff Picture.
This will be the first game since the Nick Saban era, that Alabama will come in as the underdog in the matchup. But that won’t mean much in this clash between two top-five teams who are equally formidable.
With two of college football’s best coaches Kirby Smart and Saban’s successor Kalen DeBoer at the helm, this is sure to be a dandy.
No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State
Both Penn State and Illinois are undefeated as they head into a key matchup. The much higher-ranked Nittany Lions are the only team in this game with semi-realistic hopes for the College Football Playoff. But with Illinois being a division rival, they would relish the opportunity to play spoiler to Penn State.
Nittany Lions fans also have to be feeling uneasy about the matchup. This game could mimic the same old story in the James Franklin era. Having a strong start to the season and then crumble as soon as their playoff hopes start to pick up steam.
And the Fighting Illini have the perfect profile to play upset. They are 4-0 for the first time since 2011 after being projected to have just 5.5 wins this season. They also have two wins over top-25 ranked teams this season after victories over Nebraska and Kansas.
It will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
