Following impressive series of six matchups featuring teams ranked in the AP Top 25, college football will get a Week 5 schedule that looks tame by comparison. However, these often are the types of weeks when surprise upsets that shake the foundation of seasons occur --particularly given many top teams will be playing just their second conference games of the season.
The Big Ten is the lone conference without a marquee game as the only ranked teams in action are favorites of 18 points or more in their respective games. Meanwhile, No. 22 Florida visits Kentucky as an extremely rare underdog int his SEC East battle before the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry goes down with No. 1 Georgia sitting as a two-touchdown road favorite at Auburn.
Colorado, which fell from the ranks of the unbeaten and the top 25 rankings themselves last weekend, faces a second significant test when it hosts No. 8 USC. Will the Buffaloes' suddenly powerful homefield advantage be enough to overcome the firepower offered by Caleb Williams and the Trojans offense?
No. 3 Texas seek to continue its hot start to the season as 16.5-point road favorites against a similarly undefeated No. 24 Kansas, and No. 11 Notre Dame looks to bounce back from its heartbreaking last-second loss last week when it visits No. 17 Duke in the nightcap.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let's take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 5.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 17 Duke
7:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) -- I lean toward Notre Dame to win given the way these ACC matchups tend to go, particularly because the Fighting Irish are just as strong in the trenches as they have been throughout their current 29-game winning streak vs. ACC opponents. But the spread is a little too large for a game that I think is going to be low scoring, which is why I favor the total. Pick: Under 54 -- Chip Patterson
No. 22 Florida at Kentucky
Noon | ESPN, fubo (Try for free) -- These two teams are way too evenly matched -- on paper, at least -- to confidently make a pick either straight up or against the spread. Florida has the more impressive win by beating Tennessee, but it also struggled to finish drives against one of the FBS's worst teams in Charlotte. Kentucky hasn't really played anyone of note to this point (sorry, Vanderbilt), so it's hard to get a read on where this team actually is. One thing is for sure, though: It's going to be a battle for either team to move the ball. The under seems like a smart bet, given each team's defensive strength and slow, methodical approach to offense. Pick: Under 44 (-110) -- Will Backus
No. 8 USC at Colorado
Noon | Fox, fubo (Try for free) -- Yes, it's a lot of points, but we should get there. USC's offense is one of the most potent in the country, and Colorado has not shown an ability to stop anybody. The pass rush is nonexistent, and if you give Caleb Williams and these USC wide receivers time, they're going to hit big plays against you. As for USC's defense, it has improved in a lot of areas but is better described as average than good. The Trojans continue to be one of the worst-tackling teams in the country, and that leads to big plays for opponents. Look for the Buffaloes to generate a lot more success on offense this week than they did on the road against Oregon. Pick: Over 73.5 -- Tom Fornelli
No. 1 Georgia at Auburn
3:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App -- Georgia is catching Auburn at exactly the right time. The Tigers offense would have trouble moving the ball against air, much less 11 ultra-talented Bulldogs. Kirby Smart won't feel threatened by anything Auburn does on offense, so expect offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to be extremely conservative in order to prevent Auburn's defense from making big plays that can keep the Tigers in the game. The Bulldogs will wear down that defense and then pad some stats in the fourth quarter. Pick: Georgia -14.5 -- Barrett Sallee
No. 3 Texas at No. 24 Kansas
3:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) -- Texas has proven itself a legitimate national contender, but Kansas provides a unique challenge. The entire game plan is built around compensating for line play and the defense has been opportunistic. In wins against Rice and Wyoming, the Longhorns faced small deficits in the second half before the floodgates opened. Kansas is stout enough offensively to keep things closer than a three-score line, even when Texas goes on its inevitable run. Pick: Kansas +16.5 -- Shehan Jeyarajah
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 5, and which underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $2,500 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.
