Week 5 College Football Games to Watch

The 2024-25 College Football season is here. As mentioned, Full Press Media on Substack is the new home for the Games of the Week. We will also preview each of the four conferences heading into the season. Heading Week 5 of the season, the Texas Longhorns are the number-one team in the nation. You can see this in the AP Top 25 rankings.

Week 5 of the College Football season features four Top 25 matchups, highlighted by a battle in the SEC between Georgia and Alabama. That game will determine who is a lock for the 12-team playoff. These two teams always give us a great game. 

We have entered conference play with a lot of key matchups on the schedule. Let's Dive into Week 5 College Football Games to Watch

Week 5 College Football Games To Watch

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(2) Georgia vs. (4) Alabama

This is the game of the weekend. It is a battle of SEC foes between the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide. Remember last year, Alabama beat Georgia in the SEC Championship to deny the Bulldogs of a three-peat. Georgia has not looked great this season, especially in their win against Kentucky. The Bulldogs have not faired well on the road during the run through being undefeated in the regular season. This is an early matchup between these two rivals as there are no more divisions, only conference games, and the teams with the best records meet in the Championship Game. 

Carson Beck has not looked strong leading that offense. Georgia's defense is still one of the best in the nation. However, Alabama has an explosive offense with Jalen Milroe at the quarterback helm and their young wide receiver Ryan Williams, who is only 17. Kalen DeBoer is showing he is capable of coaching in a tough division. No one expects Bama to win here, but if Georgia does not come out strong, the Crimson Tide offense can exploit them as they did in the SEC Championship Game. And Alabama's defence is not too shabby, either. 

(20) Oklahoma State vs. (23) Kansas State

It is a Top 25 team in the Big 12. Both the Cowboys and Wildcats are coming off losses last week. Oklahoma State lost to Utah at home last week. Meanwhile, Kansas State got blasted by BYU. The Cowboys need to get running back Ollie Gordon II going if they want to play for the Big 12 Championship. Gordon only has 258 yards and four scores through four games. Gordon's first game was great, but he has not done much since then.

The Wildcats have been better rushing the ball this season, led by D.J. Giddens with 417 yards on 68 carries. QB Avery Johnson has rushed for 261 yards and has not passed the ball effectively. The Wildcats are more one-dimensional. They need to mix it up. 

(15) Louisville vs. (14) Notre Dame

This is a big game for the Fighting Irish. If they lose to Louisville this week, they can kiss goodbye to the college football playoff. Marcus Freeman is coaching for his job. Riley Leonard has not looked great for Notre Dame this season. Meanwhile, their running game was led by Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Throw Leonard into that mix. Leonard has rushed for six scores, while his passing numbers are not great. He has thrown for 587 yards, one TD, and two interceptions. 

The Cardinals won a statement game over the Irish at home a season ago. It feels like Louisville is better than its team was last year. QB Tyler Shough has been good, with a 68 percent completion rate. He has eight touchdowns and no interceptions. If their quarterback can stay healthy and get this win, Louisville can hang with Miami and Clemson. 

(19) Illinois vs. (9) Penn State

What a huge game in the Big Ten. The Illini went on the road last week and beat Nebraska. The question is, can they do it again and go to Happy Valley? Illinois has won their first four games for the first time since 1951. Luke Altmyer has done a phenomenal job as a quarterback. He has already thrown for 862 yards through the air with 10 TDs. He is closing in on his 2023 numbers of 1883 yards and 13 TDs. He has yet to throw an interception.

The Nittany Lions defense is only giving up 144 yards per game. Penn State's QB Drew Allar is playing much better than he did last year. Not only can Penn State pass, but they can also run the ball. However, the Illini can get the Nittany Lions on penalties. Penn State has already been flagged 22 times this season. 

Washington vs. Rutgers

This is another big game between newcomer Washington and Rutgers in the Big Ten. It's a Friday night duel between the Huskies and Scarlet Knights. Washington is coming off a win over Northwestern, while Rutgers went on the road to defeat Virginia Tech to move to 3-0. Rutgers has a more dynamic offense under Greg Schiano this season, led by running Kyle Monangai. The New Jersey native has 457 rushing yards along with five scores. He is averaging 152.3 rushing yards per game.

Washington can still pass the ball. They are averaging 291.8 yards through the air and 27 points per game. QB Will Rogers has completed 75 percent of his throws with 1,048 passing yards and eight TDs. They can also run the ball with Jonah Coleman, who has rushed for 373 yards and four scores. This will be a fun game on a Friday Night. 

Other games on the schedule will be worth watching, including Washington State taking on (25) Boise State, Minnesota vs. Michigan, BYU vs. Baylor, Northern Illinois vs. NC State, Oklahoma vs. Auburn, Arizona vs. Utah, and Oregon vs. UCLA.