It’s Week 5 of the college football season and that means we have hit the one-third mark of the 2025 season. There are 15 weeks – 16 if you count the handful of games in Week 0 – in a college football season. Week 15 is, of course, set aside for the conference championship games.

Once you hit Week 4, you typically hit the conference season and teams begin playing their conference opponents. This week, we really begin the conference season. There are a number of great matchups in the Power 4 conferences and our experts at ScoresandStats have a few to preview for this weekend.

It’s not every year you get a Week 5 game featuring two of the best college football programs of the last decade. We get exactly that with a Saturday game between the hedges in Sanford Stadium when Alabama travels to take on SEC rival Georgia.

We also get a rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship game and possibly a prelude to another. No. 6 Oregon travels to Happy Valley to face No. 3 Penn State on Saturday night.

Stay with ScoresandStats throughout the entire 2025 college football season. Our team of NCAAF experts will keep you updated on all the latest news, analysis, and picks and predictions. Each week through the season from Week 0 through the College Football Playoffs, make ScoresandStats your go-to spot for all things college football betting.

College Football Week 5 Schedule

College Football Week 5 Odds

Keep an eye on the latest College Football odds from the top online betting sites and monitor how the lines change throughout the week.

As for the games that we’re looking at this week, the Illinois Fighting Illini are touchdown underdogs at home after they were crushed by Indiana last weekend. The LSU vs. Ole Miss game should be a fun one in the SEC as this game is down to a 1.5 spread.

The two biggest matchups of the week feature field goal spreads that favor the home teams in Georgia Bulldogs over Alabama Crimson Tide and Penn State Nittany Lions over Oregon Ducks. It will be interesting to see if either of these games see late money come in to move the lines.

Make sure you check ScoresandStats top handicappers each week of the college football season. They can help you understand how to approach some of these big point spreads and game totals.

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College Football Week 5 Predictions

Let’s take a look at the featured College Football Week 5 games and make our NCAAF picks for each game.

USC Trojans @ Illinois Fighting Illini Odds

USC and Illinois have only played each other 13 times over the course of college football history. The last meeting was in the 2008 Rose Bowl. USC won the game easily 49-17 and has won 11 of those 13 meetings. The last time Illinois beat USC, we were still two months away from the falling of the Berlin Wall. The Illini scored a 14-13 victory over the Trojans in September of 1989.

Illinois was blown out last week by Indiana, 63-10. The Hoosiers controlled every aspect of the game and Illinois was never in it. It ended the Illini’s three-game winning streak to start the season. That included a big 45-19 win over Duke.

USC comes into this game with four straight wins under its belt. QB Jayden Maiava has been outstanding. He’s leading an offense that is scoring 57 points per game (4th in the nation). The Trojans rank in the top 15 in the nation in both rushing and passing offense. USC beat Michigan State last week and Purdue the week before to go to 2-0 in Big Ten play this season.

USC Trojans @ Illinois Fighting Illini

As mentioned, Maiava leads an offense that is just ripping through opponents. USC is third in the nation in total offense, averaging 583.8 yards per game. Maiava is one of the nation’s top passers (70.8% completion rate, 1,223 yards, 9 TDs), but the Trojans are also effective in the run game. USC averages over 250 rushing yards per game.

Before last week, Illinois was one of the better defenses in the country. Head coach Bret Bielema’s teams are typically strong defensively and lean on the running game on offense. Against Indiana, neither of those were particularly strong.

Illinois rushed for just two yards (yes, two), allowed 579 total yards, and gave up 63 points to Indiana. You can bet Lincoln Riley and his offensive staff are watching what the Hoosiers did to the Illini defense.

The one thing working in the Illini’s favor is the travel and the time difference. I expect Bret Bielema’s team to be prepared and to have forgotten the ugly loss last week.

Bet: ML pass, Illinois +7 (-110), Under 59.5 (-110)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Arkansas Razorbacks Odds

It’s the first-ever game between two programs that share a Hall of Fame head coach – Lou Holtz. The two storied CFB programs meet for the first time in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks enter this after having gone on the road to face Ole Miss and Memphis in Weeks 3 and 4.

On both occasions, the Razorbacks had the ball late in the fourth quarter driving toward what would have been game-winning scores. In both games, Arkansas fumbled away a chance at a win and is now 2-2.

The Irish opened the season at Miami with one goal in mind – get back to the national championship game. The Irish went 14-2 last season and lost to Ohio State in the CFP national championship game. Notre Dame lost that opener and then lost to Texas A&M in Week 3 on an Aggies TD pass with 13 seconds left in the game.

The Irish were one of the best defensive teams in the country a year ago. That defense helped the Irish go 13-3 ATS for the season. Notre Dame covered 11 of their final 12 games of the 2024 season. The Irish finally won and covered last week in a 56-30 win over Purdue.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Arkansas Razorbacks Predictions

The Irish were double-digit favorites coming into the season in this game. That number has since dropped all the way down to Notre Dame -4. Last week, the offense really poured it on with Jadarian Price scoring four touchdowns and Jeremiyah Love adding two of his own. QB C.J. Carr was efficient, going 10-for-12 for 223 yards and two touchdown passes.

Arkansas has QB Taylen Green, the former Boise State transfer, back at quarterback. He was the only offensive starter to return to his 2024 position for the Razorbacks. Still, the offense has been awesome, ranking in the nation’s top 20 in both rushing and passing offense. The problem for Arkansas is that they can’t stop anyone and that will be an issue with this Notre Dame offense.

As for Notre Dame’s defense, it has some issues too. Pass defense is a problem and the Irish have two starting corners that didn’t play last week and are questionable this week. Purdue’s Ryan Browne threw for 250 yards and Marcel Reed of Texas A&M had 360 passing yards against Notre Dame’s defense.

This is going to be a shootout and Arkansas has the potential to pull the upset playing at home.

Bet: Arkansas +154, Arkansas +4 (-112), Over 64.5 (-108)

LSU Tigers @ Ole Miss Rebels Odds

It’s one of several key SEC matchups in Week 5. LSU travels to Ole Miss for this old SEC West matchup also known as the Magnolia Bowl. The magnolia is the state flower of both Louisiana and Mississippi. The home team has won each of the past four meetings in this series. LSU leads the series 64-42-4.

Both programs were among those in the preseason Top 25 polls. Most had LSU, fresh off a 9-4 season, in the top 10 and that has held up as the Tigers are currently No. 4 in the nation. Ole Miss, which also has a 4-0 record like LSU, comes in at No. 13.

LSU Tigers @ Ole Miss Rebels Predictions

Ole Miss had just two starters returning on offense and had to replace QB Jaxson Dart. The defense was in the same boat, but transfers have played a big role for the Rebels. Austin Simmons stepped in to replace Dart at the beginning of the season, but he got hurt in Game 2.

Trinidad Chambliss, a transfer from Division II Ferris State, has stepped in and played well. Last week in the win over Tulane, Chambliss hit 17 of his 27 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns and he carried the ball 14 times for another 112 yards. Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin has yet to announce who will start against the Tigers.

LSU had the luxury of returning Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback. Nussmeier picked up where he left off last year. He’s completing nearly 69 percent of his passes. He has 962 yards and six touchdown passes so far.

As always, the Tigers have a number of talented wide receivers. Last year, Nussmeier threw a late TD pass to WR Aaron Anderson to force the game to overtime where the Tigers prevailed 29-26. Anderson leads LSU with 21 receptions and 293 receiving yards.

Early lines have the Rebels favored at home where they went 7-1 SU and 5-3 ATS last season. LSU lost two true road games and one neutral location game last season. It’s tough to win on the road in the SEC, but the Tigers have the better quarterback and an offense that is loaded. They also want some payback for last year’s loss.

Bet: LSU +1.5 (-110)

Auburn Tigers @ Texas A&M Odds

It’s the make or break year for Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. The Tigers got off to a great start this season, starting 3-0 but they did lose their first game of the season last week at Oklahoma.

In Week 5, it’s another tough task for the Tigers. These teams played each other only twice prior to 2012. This annual series began when the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. The two teams have played each other every year since.

Texas A&M won a game way back in 1911 and then beat the Tigers in the 1986 Cotton Bowl. The Aggies now hold an 8-7 advantage in the series. The home team has won each of the last two in the series. Auburn won last year 43-41 in four overtimes.

Auburn Tigers @ Texas A&M Predictions

Auburn’s defense is one of the better units in the SEC and in the country. They were top-35 in both scoring defense and total defense last season and they are right back there this year. Auburn ranks No. 7 in the nation against the run. They are 24th in total defense and 21st in scoring defense.

The Auburn offense ranks in the top 35 in rushing averaging nearly 200 yards per game. Texas A&M has had some issues defending the run and they gave up 293 yards passing to Notre Dame in their last game.

The big advantage the Aggies have coming into this one is having a week off. Auburn had to travel to Oklahoma where they lost 24-17. Now, they have a second straight road game at a ranked opponent.

Last year, the Aggies had a bye before facing South Carolina on the road. They ended up losing that game 44-20. The Aggies offense continues to pile up points. They’ve scored 41 or more in all three games this season. This week, it will be a much tougher task. The difference will likely come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes. At home, that’s Texas A&M.

Bet: Texas A&M -245, Texas A&M -6.5 (-108), Over 52.5 (-112)

Ohio State Buckeyes @ Washington Huskies Odds

The defending national champions are trying to get back to the College Football Playoff. Head coach Ryan Day would also like to win the Big Ten Conference title in 2025. After the season opener with Texas, the Buckeyes played FCS Grambling and the MAC’s Ohio. Plus, they had a bye week last week to prepare for this one.

The Buckeyes have not played Washington since 2019. Ohio State beat the Huskies in the 2019 Rose Bowl in a game that was not as close as the score indicates. The Buckeyes were up 28-3 until Washington finally scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. They added two late touchdowns to set the final score at 28-23.

Ohio State holds a 9-3 advantage over Washington in 12 games. The two teams have only played four times since 1995. The Buckeyes won all four games. In the three games prior to the 2019 Rose Bowl, Ohio State beat Washington by 19, 19, and 10 points.

Ohio State Buckeyes @ Washington Huskies Predictions

The Buckeyes opened as two touchdown favorites, but the line has dropped in favor of Washington and now sits at Ohio State -8.5. The Huskies have started the 2025 season 3-0 led by sophomore QB Demond Williams.

While the offensive line was a question mark coming into the new season, they have stepped up and the Huskies are second in the nation in scoring, averaging 55.7 points per game. RB Jonah Coleman leads a ground attack that is ninth in the nation, averaging 260 yards per game. Coleman has nine rushing touchdowns.

This will be the first big test for head coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies. Their three wins are against rival Washington State, Colorado State, and FCS UC-Davis. Ohio State beat then No. 1 Texas in Week 1 and has dominated its last two opponents. Since 2022, Ryan Day and Ohio State are 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS coming off a bye.

Washington may still be a year away. When Fisch turned around Arizona, it was Year 3 when the double-digit wins came. That said, a double-digit spread on the road in the Big Ten is a difficult number to cover. In true road games in Big Ten play last year, Ohio State was 2-2 ATS, failing to cover lines of -3.5 and -28.

Bet: ML pass, Ohio State -8.5 (-110), Over 51.5 (-115)

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Georgia Bulldogs Odds

It has become one of the biggest rivalries in college football. Alabama and Georgia have played each other 74 times. The Crimson Tide holds a 44-26-4 advantage in the series. Alabama has actually won nine of the last ten meetings. Two of those occurred in the national championship game.

Alabama beat the Bulldogs in the 2018 national title game in overtime. Georgia recorded its only win over the Tide in the last 15 years in the 2022 national championship game. Both teams must replace starting quarterbacks, but both will simply reload.

Both defenses should be outstanding again. Alabama, in its first year under head coach Kaleb DeBoer, was 10th in the nation in scoring defense holding opponents to 17.4 points per game. Georgia was 23rd (20.6 ppg).

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Georgia Bulldogs Predictions

Georgia opened as a 4-point favorite and the number has since dropped to -3. Some of that surely has to do with playing at home between the hedges at Sanford Stadium. Over the last four seasons under head coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are 53-5 with two national championships to boot.

Both Georgia and Alabama had a bye week prior to this Week 5 clash. Both teams have their eyes set on an SEC title and the CFP playoffs. The Tide missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2013. Alabama took an ugly 31-17 loss to Florida State in Week 1. Still, all of the Crimson Tide’s goals are still achievable.

Only one of the last six games in the series has been decided by less than a touchdown. With two talented defenses, this game could come down to a field goal. That said, four of the last six games in the series have featured a combined final score of 60 points or more.

Bet: Georgia -155, Alabama +3 (-110), Over 52.5 (-110)

Oregon Ducks @ Penn State Nittany Lions Odds

These two teams were projected to contend once again for the Big Ten title. Remember, the two met last year in the Big Ten championship game. The Ducks prevailed 45-37, holding off a late Penn State comeback to win and earn the No. 1 seed in last season’s playoffs.

The two programs have met five times total and Penn State owns a 3-2 advantage. They will likely meet more often now that Oregon is a member of the Big Ten. The Ducks were one of a few schools that were ranked in the top 25 in total offense and defense as well as scoring offense and defense last season.

Both teams are off to great starts in 2025. Oregon replaced starting QB Dillon Gabriel with Dante Moore. The offense ranks seventh in scoring, averaging 50.7 points per game. The running game has been unstoppable, averaging 255.2 yards per game. That’s tenth nationally.

On the other end, the Ducks are one of the top defenses in the country once again. They rank tenth in scoring defense (9.2 ppg) and tenth against the pass (120 ypg).

Oregon Ducks @ Penn State Nittany Lions Predictions

Most college football experts picked Penn State to win the Big Ten in 2025. Much of the preseason hype was related to the return of QB Drew Allar and a pair of future NFL running backs in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. All three could find themselves in the Heisman Trophy race. The Nittany Lions also brought in former Syracuse WR Trebor Pena and the offense should continue to shine under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.

Like Oregon, the Nittany Lions are scoring points by the bunches. They are averaging 44 points per game (14th), but it’s the defense that has been eye-opening. Penn State ranks No. 3 in scoring defense allowing just 5.67 points per game. They rank No. 12 against the pass and they are going to have to slow down Oregon QB Dante Moore in this one.

Penn State finished in the top 30 in scoring offense and defense and total offense and defense. The Nittany Lions returned five starters but coordinator Tom Allen left for Clemson. Enter former Ohio State DC Jim Knowles and PSU isn’t missing a beat.

Oregon played four true road conference games in 2024. They went 4-0 SU but just 2-2 ATS. Beaver Stadium is one of the toughest places in the country to play. As good as these defenses are, don’t be surprised when the two offenses go off in the first half as they did last year.

Bet: Penn State -175, Penn State -3.5 (-110), Over 52.5 (-110)

Kentucky Wildcats @ South Carolina Gamecocks Odds

South Carolina has won three straight in this SEC rivalry. The Gamecocks won last year in Lexington 31-6. The Kentucky offense was awful as it was much of the 2024 season.

Kentucky’s last win over South Carolina came at home in 2021. The Wildcats prevailed in a low-scoring 16-10 game. That’s been the bread and butter for Kentucky under head coach Mark Stoops. Play great defense and special teams and do just enough on offense to win games. The problem, of course, is the Wildcats offense hasn’t been very good recently.

The Gamecocks had a great season last year and are on the rise under head coach Shane Beamer. They finished 9-4 last season and went 5-2 at home. South Carolina is off to a 2-2 start as they enter this game after consecutive losses to Vanderbilt and Missouri.

Kentucky Wildcats @ South Carolina Gamecocks Predictions

The Gamecocks entered the season among the top five or six teams in the SEC. In order to stay in that range, Beamer and the Gamecocks need to win the games they are supposed to win. This is one of them.

Kentucky plays solid defense, especially against the run. The problem for Stoops and his Wildcats is that they rank 125th in pass defense through three games this season. You can bet Beamer and QB LaNorris Sellers are going to take advantage.

The Wildcats, which were picked to finish 15th in the SEC, are going to have some issues against a sound Gamecocks defense that allows 20.2 points per game. Kentucky is just 3-7 SU in its last 10 games and has lost 6 straight SEC games. They lost to Ole Miss 30-23 in Week 2.

At home and in need of a bounce-back win, the Gamecocks get it.

Bet: South Carolina -265, South Carolina -6.5 (-112), Under 45.5 (-110)

Best College Football Week 5 Bets

Here are our favorite bets this week:

• LSU +1.5 (-110)
• Notre Dame -12.5 (-110)
• Alabama-Georgia Over 52.5 (-110)
• Penn State -166

We’re really high on Penn State and Notre Dame this week. Additionally, with those offenses in the SEC, that Alabama vs. Georgia game should easily go over 52.5 total points. LSU as an underdog is sneaky, but offers plenty of upside for our bets.

If you want to place all three of these Week 5 picks into an NCAAF parlay, then you would win a staggering $1,051 on a $100 wager. That’s a 10x on your investment. If you want more parlay action, check out our best College Football parlays of the week.