Can you believe the first month of the college football season is already over?
Don't worry, things are just starting to heat up.
There could be as many as five games between ranked teams heading into the final week of September, including the first top-10 Big Ten showdown. No. 6 Oregon travels to No. 2 Penn State for a "Whiteout” at 7:30 p.m. on NBC. It's a rematch of last year's Big Ten championship game, which the Ducks won 45-37.
The same goes for No. 14 Alabama and No. 5 Georgia. That's also a prime-time matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Week 5 also features No. 3 LSU at No. 13 Ole Miss and several other key conference matchups across the Power. It's loaded, and there will be separation heading into October.
Week 5 best college football games
No. 3 LSU at No. 13 Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m., ABC
LSU and Ole Miss take matching 4-0 records into Vaught Hemingway Stadium. When these teams met there on Sept. 30, 2023, the Rebels won a wild 55-49 shootout with Lane Kiffin. The Tigers are still 2-1 against Ole Miss under Brian Kelly, and this one has quarterback intrigue.
Through two starts, Trinidad Chambliss, a Ferris State transfer, averages 330 passing yards and 87 rushing yards with five total TDs and no interceptions. Will he start again ahead of Austin Simmons, who has missed the last two games because of an ankle injury?
LSU's defense allows a mere 9.3 points per game. Garrett Nussmeier averaged 226 passing yards with two TDs and one interception through victories against Clemson and Florida. This is shaping up to be an instant classic.
MORE: College football playoff picture heading into Week 5
No. 6 Oregon at No. 2 Penn State, 7:30 p.m., NBC
Penn State ranks third in the FBS in scoring defense (5.5 ppg.) and 10th in total defense (224 ypg.). The Nittany Lions dominated a soft non-conference schedule, and now coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar have the chance to silence the critics together.
Since taking over as starting QB in 2023, Allar and Penn State are just 2-7 against top-10 teams. That includes an 0-6 mark against Big Ten top-10 teams. Will that history continue?
Meanwhile, Oregon can make an even louder statement. A win against PSU could put the Ducks at No. 2 in the rankings. Dante Moore racked up 305 passing yards, 53 rushing yards and four TDs in a 41-7 victory against Oregon State.
MORE: Meet Fernando Mendoza, Heisman dark horse
No. 14 Alabama at No. 5 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Last year, these teams closed September with an epic top-five showdown. No. 4 Alabama beat No. 2 Georgia 41-34, but the fallout wasn't what was expected. The Crimson Tide did not make the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs did not advance past the CFP quarterfinals.
Who faces more pressure here? The Bulldogs are 1-6 against the Crimson Tide under Kirby Smart. Georgia had a week to decompress after the dramatic 44-41 victory at Tennessee, and this would solidify their top-five ranking in a crowded CFP playoff race. Three of the Bulldogs' four remaining games against ranked teams are at home.
The Crimson Tide are trying to avoid a second loss under second-year coach Kalen DeBoer. Alabama will look to atone from the 31-17 loss in the opener – and it's a chance for DeBoer to score a signature road victory. Ty Simpson has a 71.9% completion percentage with 862 yards, 9 TDs and no interceptions through three games.
Other Week 5 schedule highlights
That is not all that is on the schedule. Here are a few more games worth watching in Week 5:
-No. 22 Auburn likely will not be ranked after Jackson Arnold took 10 sacks in a 24-17 loss to No. 11 Oklahoma heading into a matchup against No. 10 Texas A&M, but that will be another hidden gem on the SEC schedule. Auburn beat the Aggies 43-41 in a wild four-overtime showdown in the last meeting on Nov. 23, 2024.
-Will No. 19 Indiana keep it rolling after a 63-10 victory against No. 9 Illinois on Saturday. The Hoosiers play at Iowa. The Hawkeyes have won the last four meetings in the series. Speaking of the Illini, they will try to bounce back at 12 p.m. ET against No. 25 USC, which will try to fare better in two time-zone travel after finishing 0-3 on two time-zone trips in the Big Ten last season.
MORE: Curt Cignetti has Indiana rolling again
-No. 24 Notre Dame travels to Arkansas for yet another tricky matchup on the schedule in the "Lou Holtz Bowl.” Holtz, 88, was 60-21-2 at Arkansas from 1977-83 and 100-30-2 at Notre Dame – including a national championship run in 1988 – from 1986-96. The Irish got their first win in a 56-30 blowout against Purdue. Memphis beat Arkansas 32-31 in Week 4.
-No. 1 Ohio State will get its first road test at Washington. The Buckeyes are 4-2 all time at Washington, with the last meeting a 33-14 victory on Sept. 15, 2007.