We’ve already made it a third of the way through college football’s regular season, and it still feels like there’s still a lot of story to be told.
Who are the real contenders to knock Georgia off its throne? Are any of this year’s surprise teams for real, or will they start to drop like flies when the competition gets tougher?
This week conference play seems to be in full effect, and we’ll see some huge games that could have playoff implications already for all the major conferences. Which games are worth tuning in for?
Here’s our ranking of the week’s most watchable matchups.
5
Arkansas vs. Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS)
Favorite: Alabama (-17)
A few weeks ago, America watched as Texas nearly took down a shaky-looking Alabama. After surviving that near-miss, Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide have looked more like themselves, albeit against much weaker opponents.
Arkansas pushed Alabama to the brink last season and now gets the Tide in Fayetteville, but the Razorbacks are coming off a brutally disappointing loss to Texas A&M. Can they shake off their heartbreak and finally break their 15-year losing streak to the big bad boss of the SEC West?
4
Auburn vs. LSU (7 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Favorite: LSU (-9)
What is this game doing on a “most watchable” list, you might reasonably ask? Listen, this is 2022, and we don’t judge the weird things that bring us joy anymore.
Auburn participated in what was perhaps the least watchable game in recent memory last week, somehow managing to not lose against Missouri. LSU is… honestly, I have no idea what LSU is at this point, and I don’t think Brian Kelly does either.
Bryan Harsin can feel the Auburn boosters breathing down his neck and sometimes that can cause an otherwise conservative coach to do some unpredictable things. With both teams missing key pieces due to injury and the fanbases desperate to see something positive, this feels like the week’s most volatile game.
3
Baylor vs. Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. ET on Fox)
Favorite: Baylor (-1.5)
The highly anticipated rematch of last year’s fantastic Big 12 title game is already shaping up to be another classic with Oklahoma State bringing one of the nation’s best offenses to face off against Baylor’s elite defense. This game is becoming one of the most underrated rivalries in the sport thanks to a clash of opposing styles of play that you just can’t find outside of college football.
2
Ole Miss vs. Kentucky (Noon ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Ole Miss (-6.5)
This SEC showdown features two teams knocking on the door of the upper echelon of college football. Lane Kiffin and Mark Stoops have built their programs up from perennial doormats into teams capable of regularly challenging the league’s blue bloods. While challenging for a division title may be a bit of a lofty goal for either program, reaching that next level as a program requires winning tough cross-division games like this.
With both teams featuring high-powered offenses and quarterbacks that could have pro careers ahead of them, this one promises to be great early Saturday action for college football fans.
1
Clemson vs. N.C. State (7:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
Favorite: Clemson (-7)
A top-10 matchup! Neither team has been flawless so far, with N.C. State surviving a scare in the opener against East Carolina and Clemson needing overtime last week to handle Wake Forest. But here they are now in Week 5 undefeated and squaring off under the lights in one of the biggest ACC games in recent years.
Clemson has the edge when it comes to talent on both sides of the ball but NC State’s defense has been nothing short of impressive so far this season and Clemson won’t have an easy time operating against it, even at home. The winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat for the ACC Championship and a potential playoff berth.
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