A closer look at the top games in a loaded Week 5

Oct 2, 2026 at 5:02 pm ET • 4 min read

We may see a fast riser emerge in the Heisman Trophy race after this week's college football slate.

No. 5 Ohio State plays its first Big Ten road game at No. 14 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are flying sky-high after Hank Brown's last-second touchdown pass defeated Michigan in the Big House last week. The task is tougher this week. Legendary Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz called Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith one of the best players of the last 20 years this week.

In the SEC, No. 7 Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State hook up in Starkville for a noon ET kickoff featuring two quarterbacks who have captured the nation's attention in just a few short weeks. Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor, who already owns two road wins and a 2-0 SEC start with a victory over top-25 Missouri, has risen to third in the Heisman odds. Nipping at his heels is Alabama's Keelon Russell, who leads the nation's fourth-best scoring offense at 48 points per game. The winner Saturday might solidify himself as the third-best player in the odds.

Meanwhile, No. 8 Florida travels to No. 25 Missouri. The Gators have been among the more physical teams in the country, but how do they respond after thrashing top-10 Ole Miss last week? Mizzou has notoriously struggled against ranked opponents, even at home.

Auburn heads to Knoxville to face No. 17 Tennessee following a chaotic week marked by the arrest of an Auburn staff member accused of leaking recruiting materials to rival programs. Amid the off-field controversy, Auburn coach Alex Golesh will aim to beat his former mentor, Volunteers coach Josh Heupel. No. 11 BYU hits the road for its first Big 12 road game against TCU, with whispers about Sonny Dykes' future in Fort Worth in the background. Bill Belichick gets another chance to build on his progress against No. 3 Notre Dame as the Irish come to North Carolina for a noon kickoff Saturday.

Then there are the coaches on the hot seat needing big wins. South Carolina's Shane Beamer hosts No. 24 Kentucky in perhaps the biggest game of his career (and without pass rusher Dylan Stewart, whom he suspended for insubordination). No. 6 Indiana hits the road for the first time at Rutgers after struggling to put away Northwestern last week, but are Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights equipped to challenge the Hoosiers?

The Future vs. The Past matchup between Mario Cristobal's Miami and Dabo Swinney's Clemson is another of the week's more interesting narratives. Clemson has never been this large of an underdog in Swinney's tenure.

Here are the picks from our CBS Sports experts.

No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 16 Mississippi State 

Noon on ABC, Fubo (try free): Mississippi State is ready for this moment, and there's a lot to like about the Bulldogs. Davis Wade Stadium will be packed. The Bulldogs have a better running game to surround Kamario Taylor. They've played more competitive games to build resilience. But like so many Alabama games before, the Tide will just find a way to pull away at the end in perhaps the best quarterback battle of the season. Pick: Alabama -6 -- Shehan Jeyarajah

Navy vs. Air Force prediction, picks

Noon on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App Paramount+ Premium: Is there any question about what the pick will be here? As I'm sure my colleague Tom Fornelli will point out on the "Cover 3 Podcast," the under is 56-15-4 in service academy matchups since 2001. These two teams love to run the football, and that clock will be winding all afternoon. Take the under and hope we don't get too many explosive plays or defensive touchdowns. Pick: Under 46.5 -- Austin Nivison

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Iowa 

3:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App Paramount+ Premium: Ohio State's defense is suspect enough that Iowa's offense -- on track to be the program's best in years -- may actually put up some points. However, the Hawkeyes aren't quite as stingy on defense as usual, which means slowing the Buckeyes down enough to keep the game within two touchdowns could be hard. Look for Iowa to make this a competitive game until Ohio State's superior skill talent (see: Jeremiah Smith) creates separation down the stretch. But it's close enough of a call that bettors seeing Ohio State -14.5 should consider the Iowa side. Pick: Ohio State -13.5 -- David Cobb

No. 4 Miami vs. Clemson 

7:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try free): While Dabo Swinney gets skewered for his lack of transfer portal activity compared to his peers, it should be noted that key pieces of an improving pass defense have come via transfer pickups. Clemson has allowed fewer than 150 passing yards in each of the past two games, including an impressive showing against talented California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. I think that group can hold the Hurricanes in check just enough to keep this game lower scoring than the total suggests. Pick: Under 47.5 -- Chip Patterson

SportsLine's proven computer model has simulated every Week 5 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that's on a 32-24 run on top-rated CFB picks this season.