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2021 College Football Viewing Guide: Week 5

A crucial weekend across college football is upcoming, here is a look at what is on tap for this weekend.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 18 South Carolina at Georgia Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

College football is back, and that means our college football viewing guide is back to help you navigate the busy schedule ahead.

Each week we will do the heavy lifting, and figure out the top games that will be playing during each television window across college football. Already in Week 5, more teams are entering conference play, which is sure to add intrigue to a very full slate of games.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 13 Wisconsin at Michigan
Paul Chryst and the Badgers have their third ranked opponent of the season with Michigan coming to town.

Thursday, September 30

Virginia (2-2) at Miami (2-2) —> 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN

Each sitting at .500 through four games, this is a big game for both Virginia and Miami. The Cavaliers have lost their last two ACC contests, while Miami is playing in their first conference game of the season. With how wide-open their division is, Miami could still be a contender to watch in the ACC.

Friday, October 1

No. 5 Iowa (4-0) at Maryland (4-0) —> 7 p.m. CST on FS1

In a battle of unbeatens, a top-five Iowa heads to Maryland on Friday night. This is a really good clash that features Iowa’s great offensive line and defense, while Maryland has a high-powered offense. Taulia Tagovailoa has played really well this season, and has the Terrapins looking to upset the Hawkeyes on FS1.

Other Friday night games of interest:

  • Houston at Tulsa, 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN
  • No. 13 BYU at Utah State, 8 p.m. CST on CBSSN

Saturday, October 2

Morning games

No. 8 Arkansas (4-0) at No. 2 Georgia (4-0) —> 11 a.m. CST on ESPN

Arguably the game of the day takes place during the same time as the Badgers game. Georgia has a marquee win over Clemson to begin the season, and has dominated in their first two conference games against South Carolina and Vanderbilt. The surprise team of the year so far has to be Arkansas though. The Razorbacks are playing great football under Sam Pittman and already have wins over Texas and Texas A&M. This should be a really fun watch to kickoff the day.

No. 14 Michigan (4-0) at Wisconsin (1-2) —> 11 a.m. CST on FOX

Also taking place during the morning window, Wisconsin hosts Michigan. This could wind up being a rock fight with poor weather conditions and question marks on offense for both teams. As a Badgers dedicated blog this is the priority game of the day, but nationally it certainly isn’t the best game going on.

Other morning games of interest:

  • Texas at TCU, 11 a.m. CST on ABC
  • Minnesota at Purdue, 11 a.m. CST on BTN
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 25 Southwest Classic - Texas A&M v Arkansas
Arkansas will look to knock off another top-10 team this weekend against Georgia.
Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Afternoon games

No. 7 Cincinnati (3-0) at No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0) —> 1:30 p.m. CST on NBC

Another top-10 matchup features Cincinnati and Notre Dame. The Bearcats are coming off of a bye week, but with how wide-open the college football landscape is this year they have a chance at a playoff spot. The Fighting Irish are no strangers to the playoff, and this game appears to be the biggest test remaining on their schedule. I would expect a great game on NBC.

No. 12 Ole Miss (3-0) at No. 1 Alabama (4-0) —> 2:30 p.m. CST on CBS

The No. 1 team in the country versus the current Heisman favorite. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin taking on his former team. There are are plenty of storylines in this game, and all signs point toward it being a shootout. Matt Corral is extremely talented for the Rebels, but can he keep pace with Alabama’s offense under Bryce Young?

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 06 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game - Louisville v Ole Miss
Matt Corral leads a high-powered Mississippi offense into Tuscaloosa.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Other afternoon games of interest:

  • No. 3 Oregon at Stanford, 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC
  • No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas State, 2:30 p.m. CST on FOX
  • No. 11 Ohio State at Rutgers, 2:30 p.m. CST on BTN

Primetime games

No. 21 Baylor (4-0) at No. 19 Oklahomas State (4-0) —> 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN2

This game will likely be overshadowed by some of the earlier games on the schedule, but it is a sneaky good matchup. Both teams come into this contest undefeated and the winner will have an early inside track for getting to the Big-12 Championship Game.

Indiana (2-2) at No. 4 Penn State (4-0) —> 6:30 p.m. CST on ABC

Indiana has dropped both of their games against ranked opponents, and does not appear to have the same magic as they did a year ago. However, the Hoosiers did manage to knock off Penn State last year. There is a massive revenge factor in this game which definitely favors Penn State, but it will be interesting to see if Michael Penix can get back on track and make it interesting.

NCAA Football: Penn State at Indiana
Indiana beat Penn State in thrilling fashion a year ago.
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Other primetime games of interest:

  • Boston College at No. 25 Clemson, 6:30 p.m. CST on ACCN
  • Northwestern at Nebraska, 6:30 p.m. CST on BTN

After dark

No. 22 Auburn (3-1) at LSU (3-1) —> 8 p.m. CST on ESPN

Technically this game could fit inside the primetime window or the “after dark” space, but with so few other late night games this one gets my vote. Neither team has looked amazing this year, but they are each still 3-1 with their only losses occurring in non-conference play. It is hard to know what to expect out of this game, but the atmosphere in Baton Rouge should be electric.

Other late-night games of interest: