College football Week 5 preview: Five best games to watch this weekend

College Football

Published Sep. 27, 2024 12:12 p.m. ET

Week 5 is here with plenty of exciting matchups between ranked opponents. There’s the SEC championship rematch from last season between No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama, there’s a critical Big 12 showdown between No. 20 Oklahoma State and No. 23 Kansas State, and there’s an intriguing meeting in the Big Ten when No. 19 Illinois visits No. 9 Penn State.

This is the last weekend of September, which means that the season is really only just heating up. And we’re going to learn a lot more about which teams are legitimate College Football Playoff contenders as October approaches.

Here are the top five games to watch this weekend:

Minnesota at No. 12 Michigan (Noon ET on FOX)

There won’t be any surprises here. Michigan is going to run the ball, so Minnesota needs to shut it down to have any hope of leaving Ann Arbor with a win.

As we learned last week, first-year Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore is going to ride with QB Alex Orji over Davis Warren for the foreseeable future. Orji doesn’t throw the ball very much, but he and Michigan’s running backs can move the chains with their legs. Last week, Kalel Mullings got hot and had 17 carries for 159 yards with two touchdowns in a huge win over USC. That seems to be Moore’s offensive game plan, and he’s sticking to it.

The Gophers have the nation’s No. 2 passing defense, but that’s not going to matter much here. They’re giving up nearly 125 ypg on the ground and allowed four rushing touchdowns in last week’s 31-14 loss to Iowa. Transfer QB Max Brosmer gives Minnesota an edge in the passing game, but it might not be enough to overcome the talent Michigan has on its defense.

No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State (12 p.m. ET on ESPN)

Both teams are still very much in the hunt to win the Big 12 despite entering this game fresh off losses. Oklahoma State is coming off a tough 22-19 result vs. Utah, while Kansas State fell short on the road at BYU, losing 38-9.

A key matchup will be Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson against the Cowboys’ defense. Johnson had a poor performance last week, throwing for 130 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. OSU has one of the worst defenses in the country, though, allowing more than 460 yards per game, so this would be an opportunity for the young QB to get back on track.

Mike Gundy said his offense was “awful” vs. Utah. Veteran QB Alan Bowman finished with 206 yards and two interceptions, and was benched for the third quarter and part of the fourth before returning for the final 10 minutes to help his team try and rally. Running back Ollie Gordon II, who won the Doak Walker Award last season, hasn’t been able to get going, rushing for less than 50 yards in each of the last three games. This week, he faces another top-25 run defense, so those struggles could continue.

No. 15 Louisville at No. 12 Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock)

Notre Dame is trying to do everything in its power to stay alive in the CFP race. After a stunning 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois at home in Week 2, the Fighting Irish must rack up wins to stay in the selection committee’s good graces, and prove to fans why they should cheer for this team instead of boo them (as was the case last week).

A year ago, Notre Dame was in a similar position entering its matchup vs. Louisville. The Irish had one loss, but went on the road and were upset by the Cardinals, 33-20. That one probably still hurts a little bit in South Bend, especially since the Irish were expected to win. This year’s matchup pits one of the top scoring offenses in Louisville (47.3 ppg) vs. one of the top scoring defenses in Notre Dame (9.8 ppg). Cardinals QB Tyler Shough, a transfer by way of Texas Tech and Oregon, has eight passing touchdowns and zero interceptions so far this season.

Irish QB Riley Leonard, meanwhile, is coming off a stellar performance against Miami (Ohio). He passed for 154 yards with one touchdown and ran for 143 yards with two rushing scores, including a 50-yard sprint up the middle of the field in the final minutes of the game.

No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)

The most highly anticipated game of the week. Last year, Alabama beat Georgia 27-24 in the SEC title game, clinching a spot in the CFP and ending the Bulldogs’ hope of winning three straight national championships. Since then, Nick Saban has retired and Kalen DeBoer has been hired to sustain the winning culture in Tuscaloosa. This is DeBoer’s first major test as Saban’s replacement, and it’s probably a bit unfair that his SEC debut has to come against Kirby Smart and the Dawgs.

Off-field story lines aside, the game itself promises to be entertaining, as it always is. QB Jalen Milroe is running even more under DeBoer, so Georgia’s defense is going to need to get pressure early and often and limit explosive plays. Alabama has the nation’s fifth-best scoring offense right now, averaging 49.0 ppg, while Georgia has the nation’s second-best scoring defense and hasn’t allowed a touchdown in three games. However, the Bulldogs will need QB Carson Beck, whose only loss as a starter was to Alabama last year, to get into a rhythm quickly. The Bulldogs have not scored touchdowns in the first half of two of their first three games this season, but they have a chance to succeed here against an unproven Bama secondary.

No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State (7:30 p.m. on NBC)

James Franklin has called for “White Out energy” ahead of Penn State’s first conference clash of the season, a Saturday night matchup against 19th-ranked Illinois. The last time the Fighting Illini paid a visit to Beaver Stadium in 2021, they upset the then-No. 7 Nittany Lions 20-18 in an unprecedented nine overtimes.

Three years later, both teams enter this showdown undefeated, ranked in the top 20 with their CFP hopes intact. Illinois has already knocked off two ranked teams in the first four weeks of the season, first beating then-No. 19 Kansas 23-17 in Week 2, and then edging then-No. 22 Nebraska 31-24 last Friday night in Lincoln. The Illini aren’t intimidated by rowdy environments, even though Penn State fans will try their hardest to impact the game.

Penn State, meanwhile, is looking for its first quality win of the season. After taking care of West Virginia in Week 1, James Franklin’s team struggled to put Bowling Green away in Week 2. Following an idle week, the Nittany Lions crushed Kent State 56-0 at home last Saturday. If PSU can get past this weekend unscathed, it will only have two top 25 teams left on the schedule: at No. 13 USC (Oct. 12) and vs. No. 3 Ohio State (Nov. 2).

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

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