Top 10 games to watch Week 5 of college football season

Week 5 of the 2025 college football season proves to have the best slate of games to this point. Penn State welcomes Oregon, while Alabama has a chance to make a statement when it visits Georgia.

More than five top-25 matchups are on the books in Week 5. On3 is breaking down the top 10 games of Week 5 with College Football Playoff implications across the board.

1. Oregon at Penn State

Location: State College
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC

The first real test for both Penn State and Oregon comes Saturday night in Happy Valley. With College GameDay in town and the annual Penn State White Out, it has all the makings of a primetime top-five matchup. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 and coming off a bye week, while Oregon is 4-0 after a blowout win over Oregon State. Drew Allar has yet to deliver a Heisman-caliber performance as Penn State’s offense has sputtered early. For the Ducks, it will be the first significant test for quarterback Dante Moore.

2. Alabama at Georgia

Location: Athens
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC

A year ago, this game marked the first signature win of the Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama. Since then, the Crimson Tide are 6-5, highlighted by a season-opening loss to Florida State. If the Tide are going to get back on track and contend for the College Football Playoff, it will have to start with a win at Georgia. Both teams are coming off a bye. Georgia survived Tennessee in overtime two weeks ago.

3. LSU at Ole Miss

Location: Oxford
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC

The Tigers opened the season with a win at Clemson, which at the time appeared to be a quality victory. But Clemson has since regressed, punctuated by a home loss to Syracuse on Saturday. LSU now travels to Ole Miss for a battle of unbeatens and a chance to see where both teams stack up in the SEC. The Rebels are facing a quarterback question, as backup Trinidad Chambliss continues to impress while Austin Simmons works through an ankle injury.

4. Texas A&M at Auburn

Location: Auburn
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN

The Aggies are coming off a bye after picking up a statement win at Notre Dame, giving Mike Elko the signature victory he had been searching for in Year 2. Auburn, meanwhile, suffered its first loss of the season on the road at Oklahoma last weekend. Jackson Arnold was under constant pressure as the Sooners recorded a school-record 10 sacks.

5. Ohio State at Washington

Location: Seattle
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS

Ohio State opened the year with a win over Texas. Since then, the Buckeyes have handled Ohio and Grambling State. Now they’ll face their first true road test with a trip to Seattle against a trending Washington team. The Huskies rolled in the Apple Cup on Saturday, powered by quarterback Demond Williams’ five total touchdowns.

6. Tennessee at Mississippi State

Location: Starkville
Time: 4:15 p.m. ET
Channel: SEC Network

It’s Mississippi State that enters Week 5 unbeaten in its matchup with Tennessee. The Bulldogs finished nonconference play perfectly and now open SEC competition with the Volunteers coming to Starkville. Tennessee bounced back with a win over UAB on Saturday after losing to Georgia in overtime. Quarterback Joey Aguilar continues to look comfortable in the offense, throwing for 1,124 yards with 12 touchdowns against just three interceptions.

7. Florida State at Virginia

Location: Charlottesville
Time: Friday, 7 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN

While Florida State has not faced elite competition since its Week 1 win over Alabama, the Seminoles continue to impress. FSU is the first team to post 700 yards of offense in back-to-back games since TCU and Baylor in 2015. Virginia enters Friday night at 3-1, with wins over Coastal Carolina, William & Mary, and Stanford. Its lone setback was a four-point road loss at NC State.

8. Notre Dame at Arkansas

Location: Fayetteville
Time: Noon ET
Channel: ABC

A late fourth-quarter fumble sealed Arkansas’ loss to Memphis on Saturday. The Razorbacks have now dropped two straight one-score games, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier for Sam Pittman’s program. Notre Dame visits Fayetteville in Week 5, coming off a win over Purdue. The Fighting Irish’s only losses this season were by a combined four points to Miami and Texas A&M.

9. TCU at Arizona State

Location: Tempe
Time: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX

Despite a loss at Mississippi State earlier this season, Arizona State still controls its path in the Big 12 and remains in the CFP hunt. The Sun Devils secured a last-second win at Baylor on Saturday night and will look to move to 2-0 in league play when TCU comes to Tempe. The Horned Frogs are 3-0 behind quarterback Josh Hoover, who has thrown for 1,000 yards with 11 touchdowns to just two interceptions.

10. USC at Illinois

Location: Champaign
Time: Noon ET
Channel: FOX

Illinois was embarrassed Saturday night at Indiana. To keep their CFP hopes alive, the Illini must bounce back against USC. The Trojans are a perfect 4-0, fresh off a win over Michigan State in their first true test of the season. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava has yet to throw an interception as the Trojans are already 2-0 in Big Ten play.