We’ve been served with four weeks of action-packed college football games but the best ones are yet to come. In Week 5, some teams open up their conference campaigns, including the Missouri Tigers, who’ll take on the surging South Carolina Gamecocks in a tasty SEC matchup. You can read a full preview of that contest here.
But before that game, the UCLA Bruins meet the Arizona Sun Devils for the first time since a hotly contested game last season which won the Sun Devils the Pac-12 South title. We also have a complete breakdown of that game, which you can read in full here. Otherwise, read on for our takes on the best games to watch this week in college football.
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Top Five Games to Watch in Week 5 of College Football
UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (Thursday, September 25, 10:00 PM ET)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Bruins will likely head into this matchup without star quarterback Brett Hundley who is dealing with an elbow injury he suffered in UCLA’s win over the Texas Longhorns. If Hundley can’t go, backup QB Jerry Neuheisel will step in for the Bruins, something he was able to do well when he subbed in for Hundley against the Longhorns, passing 23-of-30 for 178 yards with two touchdowns.
Hundley will be in a duel with another backup QB in Sun Devil junior Mike Bercovici. Bercovici has completed 9-of-17 passes for 79 yards and one touchdown so far this season.
Writer’s prediction: Arizona State wins.
Stanford Cardinal vs. Washington Huskies (Saturday, September 27, 4:15 PM ET)
The Cardinal had it easy last week, pulverizing the Army Black Knights 35-0 for their second win of the season. It’s unlikely, though, that the 16th-ranked Cardinal will have that kind of a cakewalk again when they take on the undefeated Washington Huskies, who are scoring a healthy 41.25 points per game. Stanford, though, appears to have what it takes to halt the free-wheeling Huskies. The Cardinal are the best in the FBS in scoring defense, holding down foes to a very low 3.3 points per game.
Writer’s prediction: Stanford wins.
Missouri Tigers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (Saturday, September 27, 7:00 PM ET)
Missouri is coming off a deflating 31-27 loss at the hands of the Indiana Hoosiers, and will visit the Gamecocks for a showdown between two major powers in the SEC. The Tigers are looking to take advantage of South Carolina’s sloppy defense that is worst in the conference, giving up an average of 480.0 yards per game. However, Missouri’s defense will also have to be in fine form, as the Gamecocks are scoring 36.8 points a game thus far this season.
This isn’t basketball, but the Tar Heels’ football team is scoring as if they’re playing inside the Dean E. Smith Center. North Carolina is averaging 42.7 PPG in three games, albeit against some run-of-the-mill teams like the Liberty Flames and San Diego Aztecs. How their offense will fare against a ranked opposition will be interesting to see when the Tar Heels take on the 22nd-ranked Clemson Tigers.
Clemson nearly beat no. 1 and Jameis-Winston-less Florida State Seminoles in Week 4, dropping a 23-17 overtime loss to the defending champions. The Tigers are 3-1 ATS in four games thus far this season. Read our complete preview and prediction for this game here.
Writer’s prediction: Clemson wins.
Oregon State Beavers vs. USC Trojans (Saturday, September 27, 10:30 PM ET)
Beavers QB Sean Mannion isn’t sweating the departure of Brandin Cooks to the NFL. Not with a talented receiving duo of wideout Victor Bolden and tight end Connor Hamlett, who are finding sweet spots down the field. Mannion is no. 2 in the Pac-12 in passing yards per game with a clip of 314.0.
Mannion will be locked up in a tight battle of one-upmanship with Trojans’ QB Cody Kessler, who is averaging 282.0 passing yards per game with eight touchdowns. Oregon State is 5-1 in its last six road games, while USC is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games. Find our breakdown of this game here.
