College football 2017 Week 5 predictions

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

These two teams had an epic finish in last year’s game with two touchdown passes for over 30 yards in the final 10 seconds of the game. It will be hard to top that this year, but with SEC East position on the line, this will be a battle until the end.

Pick: Georgia

Thursday, 8 p.m. ET

The Longhorns got a needed bye week after falling to the USC Trojans in double overtime. However, Texas will find itself in another fight on the road against Iowa State, another team coming off a bye. The Cyclones have one of the more underrated fan bases in the country, and that 12^th man could be the difference for Iowa State. Texas needs to be sharp to take the fans out of the game.

Pick: Texas

Saturday, 9 p.m. ET

Hugh Freeze was Nick Saban’s kryptonite, but with Freeze unceremoniously resigning amid an ongoing investigation of escort service calls, the Rebels may be out of luck against the Crimson Tide. However, Shea Patterson has put up some numbers at quarterback for Ole Miss. His accurate arm and scrambling ability could present some problems for Alabama, even at home.

Pick: Alabama

Saturday, 6 p.m. ET 

Mississippi State was riding high after destroying LSU, but a loss against Georgia brought the team back down to Earth. The Bulldogs face a defensively dominant team in Auburn with a running game that has been difficult to stop. Can the Bulldogs recover from a blowout against one of the best defenses in the nation?

Pick: Auburn

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

Clemson has made top 15 teams its whipping boys this season, beating No. 13 Auburn and No. 14 Louisville so far. The Tigers now travel to Blacksburg, where Virginia Tech is waiting to derail their season. The Hokies haven’t played a ranked team since they defeated West Virginia in their season opener. Freshman quarterback Josh Jackson could be the man to lead Virginia Tech to avenge the ACC championship loss to Clemson last year.

Pick: Clemson

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET

Colorado was unable to get payback for the Pac-12 championship loss against Washington last week. The Buffaloes now travel on the road to the Rose Bowl where UCLA is itching to get the stench off after a 58-34 loss to Stanford. Both of teams are jockeying for favorable position in a highly contested Pac-12 South division. This will be important for both teams.

Pick: Colorado

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph looked uncharacteristically pedestrian in the face of TCU’s pressure last week. The Cowboys were also unable to stop the Horned Frogs on defense and take on a high-octane offense in Texas Tech, who is undefeated heading into this matchup. The Red Raiders have a quarterback in Nic Shimonek who can definitely do some damage against Oklahoma State.

Pick: Oklahoma State

Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET

The USC Trojans started slow against Cal but were able to rattle first-year quarterback Ross Bowers. They may not be able to do that against experienced Washington State quarterback Luke Falk, who has thrown for 14 touchdowns against one interception in four games. With the Trojans going back on the road to Pullman, they could be on upset alert.

Pick: Washington State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Wisconsin breezed through its non-conference schedule and enters Big 10 play undefeated. Northwestern isn’t an easy out coming into the matchup with the Badgers at 2-1. These two teams love to slug it out with defense and rushing attacks. Northwestern won last time it played in Madison. The Wildcats might be able to do it again.

Pick: Wisconsin

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

After a two-week layoff, the Florida State Seminoles couldn’t shake off rust, falling to North Carolina State in their first ACC game. The road doesn’t get easier with their first true road test in Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are undefeated and would love to make a name for themselves by downing mighty Florida State at home.

Pick: Florida State

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Baylor Bears put up an unexpected fight against Oklahoma last week, coming close to pulling off an upset. Baylor now heads to Kansas State with some confidence. The Wildcats are looking to recover from their loss against Vanderbilt that knocked them out of the AP top 25. They are hoping home cooking can get them back on track.

Pick: Baylor

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET

Cal put up a fight against USC for three quarters before melting down in the fourth. The Golden Bears now travel to Oregon, where the Ducks are licking their wounds after losing a shootout to Arizona State on the road. Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert threw three touchdowns in the loss and will be looking to lead Oregon back to the win column in the comfort of Autzen Stadium.

Pick: Oregon

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Penn State continues its march to the College Football Playoff behind the legs of Heisman candidate Saquon Barkley, who leads the Nittany Lions in rushing and receiving yards. He and the rest of the team are hosting an Indiana Hoosiers team that may not be equipped to handle what Barkley is throwing down. Watch this one for the individual brilliance of Penn State’s running back.

Pick: Penn State

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET

The Hawkeyes were one defensive stand away from beating the mighty Penn State Nittany Lions at Kinnick Stadium last week. They head out on the road to Michigan State, who was dominated by Notre Dame at home. The Spartans will be looking to cut down on the turnovers this week to send fans home happy.

Pick: Iowa

Saturday, 5 p.m. ET

Four games into the season and no one seems to know what to make of Notre Dame. The Irish lost against Georgia but beat up on Michigan State. Fighting Irish running back Josh Adams has been leading the way with nearly 500 yards in four games. Notre Dame hosts Miami of Ohio with quarterback Gus Ragland throwing for 881 yards and eight touchdowns in four games. It will be tough sledding for him under the watchful eyes of Touchdown Jesus.

Pick: Notre Dame

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

After losing a heartbreaker against UCLA, Texas A&M has reeled off three straight wins, including a nail-biter against rival Arkansas last week. The Aggies return home to host South Carolina, who has been stingy this season. In this SEC interdivisional clash, a valuable win is on the line for a favorable position in their respective divisions.

Pick: Texas A&M

Friday, 7 p.m. ET

Miami shook off the rust as the Hurricanes rolled over Toledo in the second half after a two-week layoff due to Hurricane Irma. They are riding the hot arm of Malik Rosier and powerful legs of Mark Walton. The Canes now hit the road to Durham, N.C., where an undefeated Duke team is waiting for them. The Blue Devils have ridden solid defense and the steady hand of quarterback Daniel Jones to a great start and can make a statement with a win against Miami.

Pick: Duke

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET

These two Pac-12 teams got back on track with big conference wins last week. Arizona State won in a thrilling shootout against Oregon, while Stanford recovered from a two-game losing streak by beating UCLA at home. Arizona State’s defense has had some trouble stopping the run, and Stanford’s Bryce Love is ready to take advantage.

Pick: Stanford

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET

A year after they lost Donnel Pumphrey, the San Diego State Aztecs have another incredible running back making noise nationally. Rashaad Penny has gained 716 yards in four games with seven touchdowns. San Diego State made a big jump to the AP top 20 on his back. Northern Illinois is coming off a shocking win in Lincoln against Nebraska, and it would love to shock college football again.

Pick: San Diego State

Friday, 8 p.m. ET

Everyone wants to the talk about the Holy War between Utah and BYU, but don’t forget about Utah State. The Old Wagon Wheel is on the line when the Aggies of Utah State host the Cougars of BYU. Both of these Latter-day Saints institutions love to get together to play football. BYU has taken the last two games against Utah State but dropped its last three games this season. The Aggies would love to keep the Cougars down in the dumps one more week.

Pick: BYU

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

Washington hasn’t looked amazing to start the season, but the Huskies have done enough to stay in the hunt for playoff spot in the winter. Jake Browning has led the way, completing 69.7 percent of his passes for 958 yards. He will enter hostile territory at Oregon State where the Beavers come in struggling at 1-3. Still, Oregon State loves to be the spoiler, and it will have the opportunity to do just that.

Pick: Washington

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET 

After getting rolled by Oklahoma at home, the Ohio State Buckeyes have dominated their opponents behind the efforts of J.T. Barrett and J.K. Dobbins. But are they a playoff team? Rutgers may not be the ranked team the Buckeyes need to prove themselves, but a good team still needs to win the games it’s supposed to win. The Buckeyes need this road win to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. 

Pick: Ohio State

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET

Two undefeated AAC teams will meet Saturday; one will stay that way. Memphis has made some noise defeating UCLA behind the solid quarterbacking of Riley Ferguson. UCF didn’t let a long layoff deter it from playing good football, beating Maryland handily 38-10. Hurricane Irma prevented these two teams from facing off earlier in the season, but now these conference opponents can battle for a coveted position at the top of their divisions. 

Pick: Memphis

Saturday, 12:20 p.m. ET

Despite beating Florida State last week, N.C. State remains out of the AP top 25. The Wolfpack has been riding its stellar defense to wins, along with the continued maturation of quarterback Ryan Finley. Syracuse is not a traditional football school, but it has been scrappy this season, giving LSU a scare last week. Who wins in this ACC battle?

Pick: N.C. State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

After getting shut out against Alabama, 59-0, the Commodores are who we thought they were. Vanderbilt was helpless against the Crimson Tide and plays another ranked SEC team in Florida. After a Hail Mary win against Tennessee and a comeback victory against Kentucky, the Gators are hoping to avoid any difficulties this week. But with the distraction of multiple players facing potential felony charges and a quarterback change, it may be too much for Florida to overcome.

Pick: Florida