It’s not too early to call Week 5 of the college football season “Separation Saturday” considering the matchups on tap. The slate is highlighted by the biggest game yet and also serves up a trio of top-25 clashes along with a handful of intriguing first-time conference pairings. The epicenter for the weekend will be Tuscaloosa as Georgia and Alabama renew their rivalry.
Even with an expanded College Football Playoff field, there’s no mistaking the importance of this game, especially considering five SEC teams rank among the top six in both polls. Advertisement The one non-SEC team in that top tier is Ohio State , which heads to East Lansing to open Big Ten play against Michigan State . But the game to watch in the Big Ten is Illinois taking on Penn State in Happy Valley.
Both teams are undefeated, two of the 26 remaining in FBS. Louisville is among that group, and they will be in South Bend to face a Notre Dame team that seems to have straightened things out after its stunning Week 2 home loss to Northern Illinois. The other top-25 contest on the docket is in the Big 12 between Oklahoma State and Kansas State .
And if you’re a fan of conference realignment, then Week 5 will definitely bring a smile to your face. The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC will all feature first-time conference pairings. There’s also a pair of Pac-12 reunions between Arizona and Utah as well as Oregon and UCLA , but those games will instead count in the Big 12 and Big Ten standings, respectiv.