This Weekend’s Big 5
Everett Golson and Notre Dame meet Syracuse at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in one of this weekend’s top college football games.
Week 5 of the college football season got underway Thursday night with a big ranked matchup between No. 11 UCLA and No. 15 Arizona State.
UCLA used the Thursday night showcase to hand a whooping to Arizona State, emerging with a 62-27 victory that, while it might not propel the Bruins high up the rankings, will almost certainly send the Sun Devils hurtling towards the bottom of next week’s poll.
Now our attention turns to the rest of this weekend’s schedule, a schedule which is missing the high-profile likes of No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Oklahoma.
Even without some of the heavy hitters taking to the field, there’s plenty to look forward. Here’s a look at five choice cuts, as selected by Betting Sports.
*****
Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia
Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA (Sat, 12:00 p.m. ET)
As well as being a rivalry game, this one sets itself up as a good yardstick, at least as far as Georgia (2-1, 0-1 SEC) is concerned.
On the road in Norman, Okla., Tennessee (2-1, 0-0 SEC) was thumped by Oklahoma two weekends ago. The 34-10 final score then is one that the Bulldogs will look to emulate, or preferably better, if they’re to be considered in the same class as the Sooners.
With 10 wins in their last 14 head-to-head meetings, including four straight, the Bulldogs will also look to continue their recent dominance over the Volunteers.
*****
Arkansas vs. No. 6 Texas A&M
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (Sat, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0 SEC) passed its first test of the season in the opener against South Carolina. It’ll look to pass its next test on Saturday at AT&T Stadium, a venue in which the Aggies are 0-3.
Little was expected of Arkansas (3-1, 0-1 SEC) this season, illustrated by the fact that the team doesn’t currently appear on bookmakers’ futures lists, but the Razorbacks could have a huge part to play in the SEC standings this year. They’ll look to snap a two-game losing streak against the Aggies on Saturday.
Right now A&M is a 9-point favorite (down from 12.5 at opening) but it was the Razorbacks that left ‘Jerryworld’ with a 42-38 victory when the two schools last played there in 2012.
*****
No. 16 Stanford at Washington
Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA (Sat, 4:15 p.m. ET)
If Oregon is the favorite to win the Pac-12 North, then it’s down to Stanford (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) and Washington (4-0, 0-0 Pac-12) to find a way to upset the applecart. The two schools meet Saturday afternoon in what promises to be a bruising encounter.
Stanford rebounded from a surprise home loss to Southern California by shutting out Army before enjoying a week off. Now the Cardinal faces a tough trip to Husky Stadium, where the school lost in its last visit back in 2012. With a trip to North Bend next weekend, this is a game David Shaw’s side can’t afford to lose.
Meanwhile, the undefeated Huskies will be looking to earn a first noteworthy win of the season after four victories over lesser opposition.
*****
Missouri at No. 13 South Carolina
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC (Sat, 8:00 p.m. ET)
In a battle of teams from towns called Columbia, Missouri (3-1, 0-0 SEC) will look to shrug off last week’s upset loss to Indiana with an upset of its own. Anything less than a win and the Tigers in all likelihood can wave goodbye to any hopes of a division title.
South Carolina (3-1, 2-1 SEC) bounced back from a Week 1 loss to Texas A&M with three straight wins, including a big one over Georgia. You have to think that a win over Mizzou on Saturday and the SEC East title is the Gamecocks to lose (although a Nov. 15 trip to Florida still leaves some room for guessing).
Since joining the SEC, Missouri has dropped both its games with South Carolina, bringing the all-time head-to-head to 2-2. A season ago, just three points separated the two side, and with the spread at just 6, expect this to be a close one.
*****
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. Syracuse
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (Sat, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Thanks to a commitment between Notre Dame (3-0) and the ACC, Saturday’s primetime schedule will feature an intriguing matchup between the Irish and Syracuse (2-1, 0-0 ACC) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
With a pair of wins over Big Ten opposition, Notre Dame will be looking to score another victory over an opponent from the Big Five conferences, improving its standing in the process. With both Stanford and Florida State both on the schedule in the next month, the Irish can’t afford to lose this one.
As for Syracuse, an upset win over Notre Dame would prove to be the perfect response to last week’s disappointing loss to Maryland.
*****
For a comprehensive list of College Football odds, click here.
Up-to-date College Football Futures, courtesy of Bovada, can be found here.
A selection of team prop bets can be found here.
A selection of player prop bets can be found here.
