Five College Football Games to Watch: Week Five
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#16 Georgia Tech at Wake Forest - 9:00 AM PST on ESPN
The Yellow Jackets are an ACC sleeper. Two weeks ago, a last second blast off the foot of kicker Aidan Birr helped the Ramblin’ Wreck upset conference favorites Clemson.
Now, Tech is a conference favorite. With it comes new expectations: win games like this one. Wake Forest are nearly two-touchdown underdogs leading up to kickoff, but they'll have nothing to lose, while Georgia Tech must conquer the pressure of knowing exactly what they have to lose: pole position in the ACC standings.
Utah State at #18 Vanderbilt - 9:45 AM PST on SEC Network
Some coaches like to schedule easy non-conference games, but Oregon State alum Bronco Mendenhall is not just some coach.
Two weeks removed from a difficult challenge at Texas A&M, who are now ranked in the top ten, Mendenhall's Utah State Aggies prepare for a Saturday morning skirmish in Nashville against an SEC dark horse.
Behind Diego Pavia's unparalleled experience - the Commodores quarterback is in his sixth year of college football - Vanderbilt are defying expectations. The home team will be expected to win this game comfortably, but Utah State passer Bryson Barnes - who has scored ten touchdowns in the past two weeks - gives the Aggies a chance for an upset Saturday.
MORE: How Did Former Beavs Fare In Week 3 Of The NFL Season?
#4 LSU at #13 Ole Miss - 12:30 PM PST on ABC
To all the men reading this, I pose two questions. First, did you date in your teens & twenties? If you answered yes, what was the dynamic between you and your girlfriend's father?
The tension between an elder parent and young boyfriend is a classic trope, and one that will be played out Saturday in Oxford.
LSU's first team all conference linebacker Whit Weeks isn't simply worried about winning, he is surely mulling how to stay in the good graces of his girlfriend's father: Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
Win or lose, the dining room conversations between Dad and the boyfriend will offer a real life example of this well-known SEC creed: “It just matters more”.
#6 Oregon at #3 Penn State - 4:30 PM PST on NBC
This week's big game in Happy Valley has all the makings of a heavyweight title fight: two of last season's College Football Playoff teams, two current top ten teams, and two programs with aspirations far beyond a win on Saturday. If you only watch one game this weekend, pick this one.
Washington State at Colorado State - 4:30 PM PST on CBS Sports Network
So far this season, Washington State has redefined what “Coug'in it” means. An ugly win over regional rivals Idaho - historically an underwhelming FCS program - and a pair of roughshod routs at North Texas and Washington have the Cougar faithful doubting their devotion to first year coach Jimmy Rogers.
Frankly, a “get back” game - a win over future conference foes Colorado State - might be just what the doctor ordered to calm an anxious fanbase. I'm rooting for Wazzu fans to take their medicine on Saturday.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.