Picks, odds for all top 25 games
Key Points:
- Week 5 of the 2026 college football season features a marquee matchup in Starkville, Mississippi, where No. 7 Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State, both undefeated, will face off with standout quarterbacks Keelon Russell and Kamario Taylor leading their teams.
- Other key games include No. 14 Iowa hosting No. 6 Ohio State during a rare "College GameDay" visit, and No. 8 Florida visiting No. 25 Missouri, with experts predicting competitive and high-stakes contests.
- Expert predictions favor dominant performances by top-ranked teams such as No. 2 Georgia over Vanderbilt, No. 3 Notre Dame over North Carolina, and No. 4 Miami over Clemson, highlighting strong offenses and defenses.
- Several games are expected to be close battles, including Alabama vs. Mississippi State, Ohio State vs. Iowa, and Tennessee vs. Auburn, with experts noting the impact of key players and recent team performances.
- Upset potential is noted in matchups like Penn State at Northwestern and Michigan at Minnesota, where home-field advantage and recent momentum could influence outcomes despite odds favoring the higher-ranked teams.