Under-the-radar college football games in Week 5
Week 5 of the college football slate gets a jump start Thursday as No. 7 Houston looks to avenge its only loss of 2015 against Connecticut (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). Cougars’ QB Greg Ward was slowed by an ankle injury in last year’s encounter, so he should be eager to show what he can do at full speed against the Huskies. Assuming he is able to do so, Houston should still be very much in the playoff discussion for at least another week.
Cougars’ fans as well as followers of other programs will be interested in some other results on Saturday to see how much value their prior wins or losses might be affected. Then, there are some games on the schedule that are just downright interesting, playoff impact or not. Here are a handful.
No. 14 Miami (Fla.) at Georgia Tech
Saturday, noon ET, ESPN | Pregame.com odds: Miami by 7
Georgia Tech’s option attack never threatened to spring a trap last week against Clemson. The Hurricanes face a similar challenge of trap avoidance in Atlanta with a date with Florida State on deck. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, need to rebound quickly to have any hope of staying in the ACC Coastal hunt.
No. 18 Utah at California
Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, Pac-12 | Pregame.com odds: California by 2½
The Utes haven’t been flashy, but they’ve been sound in all phases of the game during their 4-0 start. The Golden Bears, offensively potent but defensively porous, will provide in interesting puzzle.
Oklahoma at No. 19 TCU
Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, Fox | Pregame.com line: Oklahoma by 3½
A few weeks ago, it would have been hard to envision this early Big 12 showdown relegated to the undercard. Unfortunately for these usual contenders, both tested themselves in non-conference play and came up short. But as the Sooners make their way through the league, they’ll have folks with rooting interest from Houston to Columbus send them positive vibes. The Horned Frogs, who might have some new fans in Arkansas, will try to extend OU’s misery.
Kansas State at West Virginia
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 | Pregmane.com line: West Virginia by 3½
Elsewhere in Big 12 territory, we have this early meeting of teams generally picked around the middle of the pack that could nonetheless spring a few surprises. The Wildcats haven’t been pushed since their opening encounter with Stanford, and the Mountaineers might get more mileage from their triumph over Missouri than observers first believed.
Navy at Air Force
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network | Pregame.com line: Air Force by 7½
The opening bid for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is always worth a look, especially since all three academies began the season well this year with just one loss in 10 games. In addition to having the home-field advantage, the Falcons also appear to have the edge in experience with many underclassmen playing key roles for the Midshipmen. But both programs have been doing what they do for a long time, so anything other than a close game in the fourth quarter would be a surprise.
TOP 10 GAMES IN WEEK 5