College Football Picks Week 5: Odds, Predictions, Schedule, Rankings for Top 25
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have to find a way to bounce back after their heartbreaking home loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 4.
Sam Hartman and Co. hit the road to face the Duke Blue Devils in a game that carries much more significance that it did at the start of the season.
Duke can make an argument that it is the second-best team in the ACC behind the Florida State Seminoles.
The Blue Devils beat the Clemson Tigers at home in Week 1 and they earned the right to host College GameDay for the first time in Durham.
Duke's campus should be buzzing on Saturday, and that environment could help the Blue Devils pick up another big home victory.
However, Notre Dame has plenty of motivation of their own in one of Week 5's four Top 25 matchups.
Notre Dame needs a win to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive ahead of its October 8 showdown with the USC Trojans in South Bend.
All Times ET; For the latest lines on these games, go to DraftKings.
Friday, September 29
No. 10 Utah at No. 19 Oregon State (-2) (9 p.m., FS1)
Saturday, September 30
No. 6 Penn State (-25.5) at Northwestern (Noon, BTN)
No. 8 USC (-23) at Colorado (Noon, Fox)
No. 22 Florida at Kentucky (-3) (Noon, ESPN)
No. 1 Georgia (-15.5) at Auburn (3:30 p.m., CBS)
No. 2 Michigan (-18) at Nebraska (3:30 p.m., Fox)
No. 24 Kansas at No. 3 Texas (-17) (3:30 p.m., ABC)
No. 23 Missouri (-12) at Vanderbilt (4 p.m., SEC Network)
No. 13 LSU (-2.5) at No. 20 Ole Miss (6 p.m., ESPN)
No. 9 Oregon (-26.5) at Stanford (6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network)
Iowa State at No. 14 Oklahoma (-20) (7 p.m., FS1)
No. 11 Notre Dame (-5.5) at No. 17 Duke (7:30 p.m., ABC)
South Carolina at No. 21 Tennessee (-11.5) (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)
No. 12 Alabama (-14.5) at Mississippi State (9 p.m., ESPN)
No. 7 Washington (-18) at Arizona (10 p.m., Pac-12 Network)
Nevada at No. 25 Fresno State (-24.5) (10:30 p.m., FS1)
Notre Dame needs a bounce-back win more than any team in the country in Week 5.
The Fighting Irish are on the brink of being eliminated from the CFB Playoff conversation with a second straight loss.
Duke will put up a tough test inside Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils have held all four of their opponents to 14 points or fewer.
However, Duke has not faced an offense that is as in sync as Notre Dame's unit. Sam Hartman comes into Durham with 14 touchdown passes.
Hartman's experience from playing in the ACC with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons should help him settle into the raucous environment on Saturday. He had 347 passing yards and three touchdowns against Duke last season with Wake.
Notre Dame's offense produced 40 or more points in each of the first four weeks, and if it returns to that form, Duke could have trouble keeping up.
Riley Leonard turned in a strong showing in the home upset of the Clemson Tigers in Week 1, but he does not have the explosive arm that Hartman possesses. Leonard does not have a passing performance over 250 yards this season. He does have two 90-yard rushing games, but he may struggle in that part of his game against a Notre Dame defense that contained Ohio State to 126 rushing yards.
If Notre Dame can break down the Duke defense, Leonard may have trouble dissecting an Irish defense that held four of its five opponents under 20 points.
Notre Dame may be playing desperate because of its playoff situation, and that could be dangerous for Duke, even with a lot of things going in the home team's favor.
The Kansas Jayhawks have played the Texas Longhorns tough in recent seasons.
Kansas upset Texas in 2016 and 2021 and the two Big 12 foes tend to play in high-scoring games.
For example, Texas blew out Kansas with a 55-point performance in 2022. The last three head-to-head matchups featured at least one team in the 50s.
Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns are best equipped to continue that trend on Saturday afternoon and they should avoid a third upset loss to Kansas in the last seven years.
The Longhorns cruised to a pair of double-digit wins in which their offense scored over 30 points in the two weeks after their road triumph over the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Kansas' offense got over the 30-point mark in each of its four victories, but it may face a tougher time against a Texas defense that limited three opponents to 10 or fewer points.
A year ago, Texas outgained Kansas by 193 total yards and ran all over the Jayhawks defense with Bijan Robinson.
The Longhorns could hurt the Kansas defense through the air with their two stars, Ewers and Xavier Worthy, this time around.
Kansas can come into Austin with some confidence that it is 4-0 and has played Texas tight in recent years, but this version of the Longhorns is better than any team of the last decade and they will use Kansas as a stepping stone to loftier goals.
The first Top 25 matchup of Week 5 will sort out the top of the Pac-12.
Four of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 reside in the Pac-12. The Utah Utes are the last team in that hierarchy at the moment at No. 10.
Utah just went about its business in Week 4 against the UCLA Bruins, as it held Chip Kelly's team to 10 points, while the USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies were busy putting up a ton of points.
Utah's defense gives it the edge against the Oregon State Beavers, who concede 64 more total yards per game.
Oregon State's defense was gashed for 38 points by the Washington State Cougars last week, and if that unit does not improve, it could have trouble dealing with whomever plays quarterback for Utah.
The spread should move in favor of the Utes if Cameron Rising is declared fit to play. He has been held out so far this season as he recovers from a leg injury suffered in the Rose Bowl back in January.
Utah proved it can win without Rising because of its incredible defense. The defense should challenge D.J. Uiagelelei, who will have to win the game through the air.
Both teams are among the best in the FBS in stopping the run, so whichever defense creates more turnovers through the air could win. Utah holds that advantage against Uiagelelei, who has three interceptions so far this season. The Utes defense has 14 sacks and five interceptions. Do not be surprised if a key turnover, or a defensive score, wins the contest for the visitors.
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