5 College Football Teams On Upset Alert In Week 5

Another Saturday, another weekend to sit on the couch and enjoy what has turned into an exciting 2026 college football season.

There are three top-25 matchups on the table, and in this sport, a shocker is always going to come out of nowhere.

Who is on upset alert in Week 5?

*All odds via FanDuel

No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide

Sep 19, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell (12) calls for the snap during the first quarter against the Florida State Seminoles at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Spread: BAMA -5.5

Alabama has remained perfect through the early stages of the season. The Crimson Tide did struggle in the first half of eventual wins against Kentucky and Florida, but blew South Carolina out of Bryant-Denny Stadium last weekend.

Regardless, the Crimson Tide should expect to be tested on the road at No. 16 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are probably the best all-around team that Alabama has faced to this point. Quarterback Kamario Taylor is proving himself each week.

Most recently, Taylor led Mississippi State past No. 19 Missouri, throwing for 360 yards with 3 touchdowns to 1 interception. He's thrown at least 3 touchdown passes in every game while committing just 2 turnovers.

The Bulldogs have home-field advantage and confidence in a potentially high-scoring SEC matchup. This is one of Mississippi State's most important games in Starkville in recent years.

No. 8 Florida Gators

Spread: UF -5.5

Jon Sumrall has done an impressive job in the opening month of his tenure with the Gators. Florida is 4-0, going from unranked to the top-10 after beating Auburn on the road and handling No. 4 Ole Miss in Gainesville.

With everyone patting the Gators on the back for a week, the team is now away from home and facing a Missouri squad that is coming off a close loss to Mississippi State. It's the perfect opportunity for a letdown game, which Florida has avoided so far.

This will come down to strength on strength. The Gators want to pound the rock behind star running back Jadan Baugh. Meanwhile, the Tigers are only giving up 100.3 rushing yards per game.

Whoever wins that battle has the best chance of winning the war.

No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers

Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) runs against the Texas Longhorns during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Spread: TENN -6.5

Tennessee came up just short of upsetting No. 1 Texas last week. The defensive effort was commendable, but the offense couldn't find any sort of rhythm, as freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon struggled in his first big game.

The Volunteers remain in Knoxville to host the Auburn Tigers, who are led by first-year head coach Alex Golesh. Last season at USF, Golesh went 2-1 against ranked opponents and beat Florida on the road. He's got the same quarterback with him at Auburn who helped him pull off those upsets.

Byrum Brown is a dynamic signal-caller, but he'll have to cut down on the turnovers to lead the Tigers to a win over Tennessee. He's thrown 6 touchdowns to 5 interceptions, after only tossing 7 picks during all of the 2025 season. If he can protect the ball and make plays on the ground, Auburn will be in a position to win.

The Tigers have held three of their four opponents to 16 or fewer points.

No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats

Spread: SC -2.5

How quickly the tide shifts. From unranked to upset alert in 2 weeks. September was a fun month for new Kentucky head coach Will Stein, as the Wildcats took down No. 9 Texas A&M on the road. The program is quickly picking up the attention of the country.

However, it might be too early to anoint Kentucky as a contender in the SEC. The Wildcats lost to Alabama 45-17, and were outscored 32-0 in the second half. Plus, the signature victory against the Aggies doesn't look as great now, with Texas A&M dropping out of the rankings entirely following another loss.

Kentucky is on the road to face South Carolina, which is in the news for the wrong reasons. Head coach Shane Beamer suspended star defender Dylan Stewart indefinitely after a confrontation on the sideline in the loss to Alabama.

The Wildcats will be missing leading receiver DJ Miller.

The Gamecocks are going to pull off an emotionally charged victory, or Beamer is going to get closer to packing his bags. While South Carolina didn't stand much of a chance against the Crimson Tide, it was relatively competitive in a home loss to Mississippi State.

Iowa State Cyclones

Spread: ISU -2.5

What am I missing here? How is Iowa State favored in this game? The Cyclones have lost their only two contests against legitimate competition, and were handled by Utah last week (31-17). They were held to less than 20 points by the Utes and Iowa.

West Virginia might be on the road, but the Mountaineers did beat No. 25 Virginia 38-27 at a neutral site. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has scored multiple touchdowns in every game, and has rushed for 100+ yards in three of his four appearances.

While Hawkins Jr. is inconsistent as a passer, West Virginia should make enough explosive plays to pull this one off. It's hard to trust Iowa State's offense based on what it's displayed lately.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change

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