College football Week 5: The most intriguing game in each conference

Each week, On3 takes a look at the most intriguing matchup in each Power 5 conference, along with a Group of 5 game worth keeping an eye on.

Here’s our Week 5 edition, excluding our game of the week — No. 12 Ole Miss at No. 1 Alabama — and the other huge SEC matchup — No. 8 Arkansas at No. 2 Georgia. On3 gathered and published anonymous feedback from SEC coaches and personnel staffers on both games.

All games are Saturday and all times are Eastern.

ACC: Boston College (4-0) at No. 25 Clemson (2-2)

TV: 7:30 p.m., ACC Network

In only two of Clemson’s 10 regular-season games last season did an opponent hold a lead over the Tigers. Once was against BC, which led 28-13 at halftime and 28-26 early in the fourth quarter before eventually falling 34-28. Now, the Eagles get another shot at ending their losing streak to Clemson, which has reached 10. In his first start since replacing injured star QB Phil Jurkovec, Dennis Grosel threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns while helping Boston College beat Missouri 41-34 last week. This is the first time since 2014 that Clemson, which fell to NC State last week, has lost multiple regular-season games. Still, the Tigers enter as a 14.5-point favorite.

Big 12: Texas (3-1) at TCU (2-1)

TV: Noon, ABC

Since switching to Casey Thompson as its starting quarterback, Texas has won two in a row and outscored those two opponents — Rice and Texas Tech — by a combined 128-35. The Longhorns’ 70-35 win over Texas Tech last week was the team’s first 70-point performance since Vince Young led Texas to a 70-3 win over Colorado in the 2005 Big 12 championship game. After being limited to 73 scrimmage yards during a Week 2 loss to Arkansas, Longhorns star RB Bijan Robinson has produced a combined 332 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns in the wins over Rice and Texas Tech. In this matchup, he’ll be going up against another one of the Big 12’s top running backs, TCU’s Zach Evans. Evans, also a former five-star recruit, has run for 303 yards and averaged 8.2 yards per carry in the Horned Frogs’ past two games — a 34-32 win over California and a 42-34 loss to SMU. Texas is a five-point favorite in its first Big 12 road game since announcing it would be leaving the conference.

Big Ten: No. 14 Michigan (4-0) at Wisconsin (1-2)

TV: Noon, Fox

It will be the nation’s fifth-best rushing offense (Michigan) against the nation’s top rushing defense (Wisconsin). Led by rising star sophomore RB Blake Corum, the Wolverines average 290.8 rushing yards per game and are tied for first nationally with 17 rushing touchdowns. Wisconsin needs better play from QB Graham Mertz. In the Badgers’ past seven games against Power 5 teams, Mertz has 11 interceptions and only three touchdown passes. Wisconsin is 2-5 in those games. That includes a 41-13 loss to Notre Dame last week in which Mertz finished with four interceptions, including two pick-sixes. The Badgers are a two-point favorite.

Pac 12: Arizona State (3-1) at No. 20 UCLA (3-1)

TV: 10:30 p.m., FS1

Despite both losing in Week 3, these remain two of the top contenders in the Pac-12. Arizona State bounced back from a loss to BYU with last week’s 35-13 win over Colorado, getting 311 yards (236 passing, 75 rushing) and two touchdowns from QB Jayden Daniels. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and UCLA are coming off a 35-24 win at Stanford. Bruins RB Zach Charbonnet, a Michigan transfer, posted 118 rushing yards, 57 receiving yards and a touchdown in the win. Charbonnet has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the Bruins’ first four games. UCLA is a three-point favorite.

SEC: No. 10 Florida (3-1) at Kentucky (4-0)

TV: 6 p.m., ESPN

It’s been an uninspiring past few weeks for Kentucky, a 28-23 win over an FCS program (Chattanooga) and a 16-10 victory over one of the worst teams in the SEC (South Carolina). Nevertheless, there remains a lot of respect around the SEC for Kentucky. This Week 5 game will be telling, though. Florida went toe-to-toe with No. 1 Alabama in a 31-29 loss in Week 3, then beat Tennessee 38-14 last week. Making the Gators even more dangerous is improved play from QB Emory Jones, who threw for 209 yards, ran for 144 yards and had two passing touchdowns against Tennessee. Florida is a 7.5-point favorite.

Group of 5: No. 7 Cincinnati (3-0) at No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0)

TV: 2:30 p.m., NBC

Here’s Cincinnati’s shot to show it’s a true College Football Playoff contender. The Bearcats’ last game was a 38-24 win over Indiana in Week 3, a somewhat underwhelming showing during which Cincinnati trailed 24-23 entering the fourth quarter. The belief around the football world is that the Bearcats are better than they showed versus Indiana. Notre Dame, which is coming off the 41-13 win over Wisconsin, is a 1.5-point underdog. Fighting Irish QB Jack Coan suffered an ankle injury he suffered against Wisconsin and Brian Kelly is hopeful he can play.