Previews of every rivalry game in College Football this weekend

The rivalry games highlighting College Football’s Week 5 schedule feature some of the most important games of the weekend, involving nationally-ranked teams going head-to-head with conference and College Football Playoff implications on the line. Elsewhere there are longstanding in-state clashes as well as rivalries honoring an NFL Hall of Famer and a former Air Force General to be played out.

*All times Eastern

Florida State at Virginia, Friday 7:00 pm

You did not know that Florida State and Virginia were rivals? You are probably not alone. This rivalry actually stems from what transpired on the field not long after the Seminoles joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991. After winning their first 29 games, it was the Virginia Cavaliers who dealt Florida State its first conference loss on Nov. 2, 1995. Following that initial setback, the president of Florida State University proposed a trophy to be given to the game’s annual winner. Although not played annually any more, the Jefferson-Eppes Trophy has been awarded at the conclusion of every Florida State-Virginia game since.

Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, Saturday 1:00 pm

The rivalry between in-state foes Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan is the oldest rivalry in the Mid-American Conference, beginning in 1902 and having been played a total of 102 times in the series. Central Michigan holds a 64-32-6 advantage over the Eagles, but Eastern Michigan has won two of the last three including a 38-34 shootout over the Chippewas last year in Ypsilanti. Eastern Michigan comes into this year’s contest fresh off their first win of the season against Louisiana. Central Michigan’s only losses this year have come from Power Four Conference programs Michigan and Pittsburgh, and the Chippewas are 5.5-point favorites at home.

LSU at Mississippi, Saturday 3:30 pm

LSU will be hoping to hoist the Magnolia Bowl Trophy again on Saturday in Oxford to keep their perfect season alive. | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

The Magnolia Bowl highlights this weekend’s slate of rivalry games, featuring two 4-0 SEC programs looking for a little more respect than they have received thus far considering their perfect records. The rivalry, and the trophy that accompanies it, is named after the magnolia, the state flower of both Louisiana and Mississippi. The two teams first met on the gridiron in 1894 and they have played a total of 113 times since, with LSU holding a 64-42-4 advantage in the series. This is the third straight season these two teams meet with both ranked in the Top 25. LSU currently sits at No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll, while Ole Miss is No. 13. The Rebels, though, are 1.5-point favorites at home ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

Hawaii at Air Force, Saturday 4:00 pm

The relationship between the United States Air Force and the state of Hawaii goes back to 1957, when the Air Force established its Pacific Command at Hickam Field on the island of Oahu, renaming it Hickam Air Force Base, which it is still called today. The first head of the Air Force’s Pacific Command in Hawaii was General Laurence S. Kuter, and the trophy Air Force and Hawaii will play for this Saturday is called the Kuter Trophy. The football relationship between the two institutions started in 1966 and has been played 23 times since. The rivalry has had an on-again, off-again relationship as the two teams have bounced between different conferences, but with Hawaii joining the Mountain West full-time next year, the two teams should see each other more often.

New Mexico St. at New Mexico, Saturday 4:00 pm

New Mexico's Dorian Thomas has proven to be one of the top tight ends in all of college football this season. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The next edition of the Rio Grande Rivalry goes down in Albuquerque on Saturday, featuring two 2-1 teams ready to battle for the 115th time in their series. As the only two Division 1 programs in the state of New Mexico, these universities count each other as rivals in pretty much every sport. Since 1919 the two schools have met on the football field every year, with two exceptions: the first was due to World War II in the 1940s and the second was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first meeting between the New Mexico and New Mexico State, then known as New Mexico A&M, was in 1894, before the state had even been admitted to the Union. The Lobos are a 14-point favorite at home for this Saturday’s matchup.

Alabama at Georgia, Saturday 7:30 pm

If LSU-Ole Miss is not the marquee rivalry game of the weekend, then you would have to count this matchup between No. 5 Georgia and No. 17 Alabama as the one to watch. Not only do these two teams battle seemingly every year for the SEC title, but lately the winner often goes on to be the best team in football. In fact, Alabama and Georgia have combined to win five of the last ten national championships. If that history was not enough to spark a rivalry, then consider these two schools from border states first met on the gridiron in 1895. Saturday will mark their 75th meeting, with Alabama holding a 44-26-4 all-time lead in the series.

San Jose State at Stanford, Saturday 7:30 pm

The rivalry between San Jose State and Stanford is named after the legendary Bill Walsh, who has connections to both programs. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

California Bay Area schools Stanford and San Jose State date their football rivalry back to 1900, when two games between the teams were contested - one at Stanford and the other at San Jose State. The Cardinal would win both of those games, and 27 of the first 30 matchups in the series before they battled to a tie in the 1974 contest. Today, the rivalry is officially known as the Bill Walsh Legacy Game, paying homage to the NFL Hall of Fame coach who was a player at San Jose State and a head coach at Stanford before he took over the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. This game does not have any national implications, as the two programs come in a combined 2-5, but San Jose State could make it two in a row in the series with a win Saturday night.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.