It’s a special weekend in the sports world and Week 5 of the 2025 college football season is a big reason why. Saturday’s slate is loaded with major games that will have an impact not just at the conference level but on the national landscape as well.
Week 5 is host to a season-high four games featuring ranked opponents. Two of those are top-15 clashes, as No. 6 Oregon travels to No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 LSU hits the road to face No. 13 Ole Miss.
Elsewhere, teams that already have playoff hopes hanging by a thread — like No. 23 Illinois — get a chance to reverse their fortunes at home against a ranked team. There’s a lot of ground to cover for a packed schedule of games.
Here’s a look at the Week 5 games that matter in the playoff race, and what it means for both teams involved.
College football rankings: Oklahoma, Indiana vault into top 10 in CBS Sports 136 after notable Week 4 wins
Chip Patterson
No. 21 USC at No. 23 Illinois
USC has flown under the radar a bit this season in spite of its AP Top 25 ranking and its sterling 4-0 record thus far. Granted, those four wins came in games that the Trojans should have won, but it’s the first time they’ve started 4-0 under Lincoln Riley since 2023. If they go on the road and beat a ranked Illinois team — one that entered the year in the top 10 — they’ll start to creep their way into the College Football Playoff conversation.
It’s hard to call anything a “must win” this early, but Illinois really needs this win. As previously mentioned, Illinois entered the 2025 season with massive expectations. Those expectations slammed into a crimson and cream-colored brick wall in Week 4 when the Illini lost 63-10 to Indiana. As the final score may indicate, nothing went right. Illinois’ vaunted defense got eviscerated by Heisman Trophy hopeful Fernando Mendoza and its previously explosive offense was missing in action. Illinois now has to prove it belongs without the benefit of poll momentum.
No. 4 LSU at No. 13 Ole Miss
In spite of its lofty ranking, LSU hasn’t looked entirely impressive this season. Its huge season-opening win against Clemson is aging worse by the week, though that isn’t LSU’s fault, and the offense struggled to get going against overmatched competition like Louisiana Tech and Florida. The Tigers scored just 20 points against the Gators in spite of the fact that LSU’s defense intercepted Florida quarterback DJ Lagway five times. The defense has shown tremendous progress under second-year coordinator Blake Baker, but it will have its hands full against Ole Miss. A road win here would dispel some doubts and make for a nice resume piece, especially with the Clemson victory losing luster.
Ole Miss’ quarterback situation is worth monitoring. The Rebels were humming with Trinidad Chambliss leading the way in lieu of an injured Austin Simmons, but it seems like Simmons (if coach Lane Kiffin is to be believed) could make his return against LSU. If Simmons struggles at all — he has been turnover prone — it will be interesting to see how long his leash is. Ole Miss may be a more legitimate playoff team with Chambliss leading the way.
No. 6 Oregon at No. 3 Penn State
Oregon lost quite a bit off of last year’s roster that won the Big Ten and snagged the top overall seed in the College Football Playoff, but it hasn’t lost a step. New quarterback Dante Moore has the offense humming and the defense has allowed just 37 points through four games. Not to put the cart before the horse, but a win here almost guarantees Oregon a return to the playoff. Penn State is the only top-10 opponent left on the Ducks’ schedule (for now) and they get their two biggest remaining tests — No. 11 Indiana and No. 21 USC — at home.
Oregon hasn’t played a team like Penn State this season, and Penn State hasn’t played a team like Oregon. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 with wins against an FCS program and two Group of Six schools (Nevada and FIU) with a combined record of 3-5. The point is, we don’t know a whole lot about this Penn State team. It should be really good, and it has looked really good thus far, but Saturday will be a huge learning experience for everyone.
Reports of Alabama’s demise were greatly exaggerated. The Crimson Tide have totally moved on from their season-opening loss to Florida State with back-to-back dominant performances against ULM and Wisconsin. Not the best of teams to beat, but Alabama looked angry and motivated in each game. Quarterback Ty Simpson has settled in, and Kalen DeBoer’s squad is getting healthy at the right time. Core defensive lineman Tim Keenan III and running back Jam Miller are expected to return from injury against Georgia. Alabama’s still walking a tightrope when it comes to the playoff, though beating Georgia would add some leeway down the stretch.
There were some major questions about Georgia early in the season, especially after a sleepy Week 2 performance against Austin Peay. The Bulldogs dispelled any concerns by going on the road and beating Tennessee in overtime. Quarterback Gunner Stockton grew a lot in that game and the running attack hit its stride. The defense had a surprising amount of issues while allowing 41 points, but there’s enough talent there that it should return to the norm. Alabama will be another big challenge.
Dark Horse Game of the Week
No. 1 Ohio State at Washington
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Streaming on Paramount+ Premium
Ohio State is Ohio State. It doesn’t look as if the Buckeyes have lost a step after winning a national title last season, and they’re rightfully the early favorites to repeat. They cannot sleep on Washington, though. The Huskies look a lot better in their second year under coach Jedd Fisch thanks to a revitalized offense led by quarterback Demond Williams Jr..
Williams is the tip of a potent offensive trio for Washington. Running back Jonah Coleman currently leads the Big Ten with nine touchdowns rushing while wide receiver Denzel Boston, Williams’ top target, is averaging 15.6 yards per catch as a big-play threat at 6-foot-4. They’ll need to be at their absolute best to hang with Ohio State. The implications of an upset are obvious for Washington, which is less than two years removed from its own appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
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