- Utah State faces No. 18 Vanderbilt in Nashville for their second SEC matchup.
- No. 4 LSU battles No. 13 Ole Miss in a key SEC showdown.
- No. 6 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State clash in a top-10 Big Ten matchup.
SALT LAKE CITY — Week 5 of the college football season delivers a loaded slate of games with national stakes.
From Utah State's SEC test at Vanderbilt to a top-10 clash between Oregon and Penn State, plus BYU's Big 12 opener in Boulder, here's a preview of this week's games.
Utah State (3-1) vs. No. 18 Vanderbilt (4-0)
Saturday, Sept. 27, 10:45 a.m. MDT – FirstBank Stadium (SEC Network)
The Aggies travel to Nashville to take on the undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores in their second SEC matchup of the season.
Why Utah State will win:
This will be a tough matchup for Utah State, but the Aggies have already played an undefeated and ranked SEC team on the road this season when they played Texas A&M. Vanderbilt may not be as good as A&M but they have impressed thus far.
Having taken on an SEC foe earlier this season could help the Aggies in this one as Kyle Field is one of the toughest places to play in the country. They had much to clean up after that loss, but Utah State has looked better in their last two games, scoring 49 and 48 points, respectively, in those two wins.
The offense will need to score a lot of points to keep up with a Commodores offense that is led by quarterback Diego Pavia. Vanderbilt is coming off a 70-21 win against Georgia State, so Bryson Barnes and the Aggies offense will have to keep up, while the Utah State defense will need to get key stops to give their offense a chance in this one.
Why Vanderbilt will win:
The Commodores have looked great in 2025, with their biggest win coming on the road against No. 11 South Carolina two weeks ago. Vanderbilt may not be one of the top programs in the SEC, historically, but head coach Clark Lea has his team looking to make noise, once again, like they did last season, culminating in a huge upset over Alabama.
Pavia has been the perfect quarterback to lead the team, and after the Commodores' start to the season, it shouldn't be a surprise that Pavia's name is in Heisman talks. The underdog mentality that he brings has helped Vanderbilt against top competition, but he has been a gamer ever since he stepped foot on campus.
Utah State is allowing 24.8 points per game, with the most points they allowed coming on the road against Texas A&M. The Commodores can score at will, totaling 40 or more points in three of their four games this year. If that trend continues, look for Vanderbilt to be 5-0 entering a rematch against the Crimson Tide.
Line: VAN -22.5
Over/Under: 59.5
No. 4 LSU (4-0) vs. No. 13 Ole Miss (4-0)
Saturday, Sept. 27, 1:30 p.m. MDT – Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (ABC)
A pair of undefeated SEC teams battle it out in a key matchup that could have late-season implications.
Why LSU will win:
The story entering 2025 was the talent that LSU had on offense, led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. But four games into the season, the Tigers defense has become the talking point of the team.
Allowing 10 or less points in every game this season, LSU's defense has been picking up the slack, as the offense has gotten out to a slow start to begin the season. This will be the team's toughest challenge since Ole Miss can put up points no matter who is starting at quarterback.
Nussmeier and the Tigers offense, however, will have to start to play much better if they are going to hold onto championship expectations, especially with the teams they will have to face in the SEC.
If LSU wants to leave Oxford with a win on Saturday, they will likely need another great performance from their defense but if their offense can showcase what many expected heading into the season, then Brian Kelly's Tigers should be looking at 5-0.
Why Ole Miss will win:
Despite losing quarterback Austin Simmons to injury, Trinidad Chambliss has filled in nicely, throwing for 719 yards and four touchdowns in the Rebels' last two games. As stated earlier, LSU's defense is one of the best in the country, which should make things much tougher for Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and his offense.
The Rebels are coming off a 45-10 demolishing of Tulane, a team that is a contender for this year's group of five College Football Playoff spot. Kiffin's teams are typically known for their offense, but this Rebels defense completely shutdown Tulane and has some great players, including defensive lineman Princewill Umanmielen.
With the Tiger's offense sputtering at the moment, Ole Miss has the chance to pull of a huge upset that could change the landscape of the SEC.
Line: MISS -1.5
Over/Under: 54.5
Utah (3-1) vs. West Virginia (2-2)
Saturday, Sept. 27, 1:30 p.m. MDT – Milan Puskar Stadium (FOX)
The Utes and Mountaineers both look to bounce back from ugly Week 4 losses in this Big 12 matchup.
Why Utah will win:
Utah looks to move on after a disappointing home loss where they surrendered 24 points in the fourth quarter to Texas Tech. Devon Dampier and the Utes offense looked lifeless for much of the game against the Red Raiders, but this game against West Virginia could be the perfect opportunity to have a better showing.
The Mountaineers were blown out 41-10 in a loss to Kansas last week and have been a bipolar team, but Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels and Dampier have similar play styles, which should benefit Utah in this matchup.
Why West Virginia will win:
West Virginia may be 2-2 but both wins have come at home, including an upset win against Pitt. The fans in Morgantown will be excited for this one as this will be the first trip the Utes have taken to West Virginia to face the Mountaineers.
For the first time in a long time, a Kyle Whittingham team was bullied on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. It might be time to acknowledge that this might not be the same Utah anymore and West Virginia will have a chance to see if that is true or not.
With Utah's offense struggling all game against Texas Tech, this is a great opportunity for the Mountaineers to take advantage of a team still trying to figure it out.
Line: UTAH -12.5
Over/Under: 47.5
No. 6 Oregon (4-0) vs. No. 3 Penn State (3-0)
Saturday, Sept. 27, 5:30 p.m. MDT – Beaver Stadium (NBC)
Two of the top teams in the nation face off in a primetime Big Ten matchup.
Why Oregon will win:
The Ducks have completely dominated their opponents this season — although it hasn't been the best competition. On the flip side, Penn State hasn't flexed their muscle the same Oregon has in nonconference games.
Quarterback Dante Moore has looked really good in a Ducks uniform, tossing 962 yards and 11 touchdowns in the team's first four games. It would be crazy to not think Moore is the most talented quarterback head coach Dan Lanning has had in his time in Eugene. Yes, that means more talented than Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.
If Moore is going to prove himself and be the first Oregon quarterbacks to lead the Ducks to a national championship, he will have an early test in one of the toughest environments in college football.
The Ducks have many offensive weapons for Moore to choose from, including a running back room that has four capable backs — Jayden Limar and Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes. The run game will be important as Oregon faces a stout Nittany Lion pass rush that has already racked up nine sacks this season.
Why Penn State will win:
Penn State was on a bye this past week, providing James Franklin and company extra time to prepare for this matchup. These two teams meet for the first time since last season's Big Ten Championship game. The Nittany Lions held strong in that game losing 37-45 but showing they could hang with this Ducks offense.
With both teams not facing much competition to begin the season, it will be interesting to see how both teams handle increased pressure but Penn State may have the biggest advantage of all.
The Nittany Lions are hosting their annual white-out game in this primetime slot. College football fans know all about the Beaver Stadium atmosphere in these type of games and now make it a top-10 matchup and it could be scary hours for the Ducks.
Penn State will still need a good game from quarterback Drew Allar and the defense will have it's hands full with the Oregon offense but their home field advantage gives them huge upside in this one.
Line: PSU -3.5
Over/Under: 52.5
No. 25 BYU (3-0) vs. Colorado (2-2)
Saturday, Sept. 27, 8:15 p.m. MDT – Folsom Field (ESPN)
The Cougars take on the Buffaloes in a rematch of last season's Alamo Bowl in BYU's Big 12 opener.
Why BYU will win:
The Cougars put to rest any doubt regarding their secondary in a win over East Carolina on Saturday, holding the Pirates offense to 13 points. Colorado doesn't have Travis Hunter or Sheduer Sanders anymore, but BYU still needs to treat the offense with as much attention as their last meeting.
Bear Bachmeier impressed in his first road start last week and he will have the chance to do it once again in Boulder. Bachmeier was cerebral on Saturday, completing 18-of-25 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 26 yards and a score. Bachmeier's ability to keep the football safe and avoid turnovers might be the most underrated parts to his game.
It is fair to say that with the way the defense is playing along the strong rushing attack led by LJ Martin, if Bachmeier can have a repeat performance like the one seen against ECU, the Cougars should be leaving Boulder with a 4-0 record.
Why Colorado will win:
The Buffaloes have been up and down in 2025, but they may have finally settled on their starting quarterback. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter led the way in a Colorado win over Wyoming last week, passing for 304 and three touchdowns. After playing three quarterbacks in the first three games, Coach Prime looks to have their guy.
Salter faces a tough challenge with the BYU defense coming to town, but Colorado still has offensive playmakers despite losing their Heisman winner to the NFL. Their run game is also much improved with Simeon Price and Micah Welch rushing for 143 yards each and Salter leading the way with 153 yards.
The Buffaloes' defense will have to stop the run and force Bachmeier to make longer throws in order to extend drives. With Martin averaging 8.6 yards per carry, the attention will be on slowing him down in order to prevent the Cougars from long scoring drives, taking the ball away from this high-tempo offense.
Line: BYU -6.5
Over/Under: 47.5
