College football's best games today: Week 5 schedule, what you should watch

What you should be watching as the Week 5 college football schedule kicks off today.

Your look at the Week 5 college football schedule and the best games you should be watching today. / USA Today Sports | IMAGN

Conference action gets underway across the country as the Week 5 college football schedule kicks off today with several important games that will play a direct role in how the selection committee ultimately sees things as they create the 12-team rankings that form the race for the national title.

Here’s a rundown of the most important games that you should be watching as the Week 5 schedule helps sort out some of the contenders from the pretenders all day today.

College football’s best games today: Week 5 schedule, what you should watch

All times Eastern

Oklahoma State at Kansas State

Why watch? Two teams already down a game in the Big 12 and both needing a win to more firmly get back in the early race to Arlington and stay in the hunt. Ollie Gordon has been missing in action this season and needs to get going now, but will the Wildcats let him?

12 p.m. on ESPN

• Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State prediction
• Score prediction by expert football model

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Louisville at Notre Dame

Why watch? Louisville is trying to elbow its way into the ACC title race and has the offense to make a little run, but the superb Irish defense stands in its way here. Notre Dame lost to the Cardinals a year ago and is still in must-win mode already with one ugly loss on its resume.

3:30 p.m. on Peacock

• Louisville vs. Notre Dame prediction
• Score prediction by expert football model

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Illinois at Penn State

Why watch? Happy Valley under the lights is always appointment viewing on the college football schedule, and there’s plenty on the line in this one. Illinois owns a road win at a ranked Big Ten foe after beating Nebraska, but if it can hang with Penn State, that’s something worth taking notice of.

7:30 p.m. on NBC

• Penn State vs. Illinois prediction
• Score prediction by expert football model

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Georgia at Alabama

Why watch? Two top-five ranked SEC contenders in one of college football’s best environments, both jockeying for position in the early playoff chase, with Kirby Smart looking to end a losing streak against the Tide and Kalen DeBoer hoping to prove he’s worthy of Nick Saban’s job in his first big test.

7:30 p.m. on ABC

• Georgia vs. Alabama prediction
• 3 ways Georgia beats Alabama
• 3 ways Alabama beats Georgia
• Score prediction by expert football model

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