If you took the first month off from football, you obviously missed some things (upsets and injuries and big plays and the like), but you could still catch up quick. We’re a quarter of the way through, and essentially all we’ve learned are some teams are better than we thought they were, and some teams are worse. Simply put, it’s a college football season.
And Week 5 is the beginning of Act II. The exposition is out of the way, we know which characters we should be following (although there’s still a chance for late-entering heroes and villains to arrive), and there are storylines in place. This is when the real fun starts.
Grab your popcorn and giant sodas and settle in. This is going to be fun. (All times are Eastern, and I shouldn’t have to keep reminding you of that by now.)
The Early Slate
FRONT AND CENTER
Noon: West Virginia at Oklahoma (-7) (Fox Sports 1)
Big 12 football is fun and good. We should watch more of it. It is part of a complete and balanced sports diet, and our health is important.
Noon: Iowa at Wisconsin (-7) (ESPN)
Look at Iowa go! Kirk Ferentz has basically said he’s going bizarro Kirk Ferentz and doing things just a little bit differently than he normally would this season. It’s led to good results thus far, as the Hawkeyes are 4-0, are taking more risks and generally seem to be having more fun. A win over Wisconsin would keep things rolling, but it’s easier said than done, as the Badgers have allowed three total points since playing Alabama in Week 1.
SECOND SCREEN SPECIAL
Noon: Texas at TCU (-14.5) (ABC)
Texas has shown it can be competitive *and* be in a position in to win games over good opponents. The problem is, Texas has also shown it can Hans Moleman its way into screwing up in oh, so many ways.
Will the Longhorns finally break through against a feisty, but reeling (and injured) TCU team, or will Texas get an interception and return for a potential game-winner before a falcon picks up the ball out of the defender’s hands and carries it Mexico, leaving the Longhorns with another L?
Dog Day Afternoon
FRONT AND CENTER
3:30 p.m.: Alabama at Georgia (-1.5) (CBS)
Apparently, this is a pretty big game or something. I’ve never heard of either of these teams. They must be indie artists that all the cool kids are listening to these days.
3:30 p.m.: Ohio State (-21.5) at Indiana (ABC/ESPN2)
So the Hoosiers didn’t get GameDay, even if it would have been really fun. But they still have an incredible chance to put up one of the biggest upsets of the season and convince everyone their 4-0 start isn’t just the result of a beneficial schedule. Are the Buckeyes going to get right in Big Ten play and put their stumbles behind them? Or could they get caught in a trap in Bloomington?
SECOND SCREEN SPECIAL
3:30 p.m.: Texas Tech at Baylor (-17) (ABC/ESPN2)
The Red Raiders almost pulled it out against TCU last week, and they’ll have another chance to get a huge win against a highly ranked Baylor team on Saturday. If you aren’t already exhausted from all the points you’ll see in West Virginia-Oklahoma, you’ll get plenty more and then some in this one. (And if points aren’t your style, but you still want to see more Big 12 ball, you can watch Kansas State play Oklahoma State on Fox Sports 1 at 4 p.m.)
Under The Lights
FRONT AND CENTER
8 p.m.: Notre Dame at Clemson (-2) (ABC)
Here you go. Notre Dame has weathered its early season injuries as well as anyone possibly could have asked for, but things get a little bit tougher in Death Valley. While Clemson’s offense hasn’t yet come together the way everyone hoped it would after former offensive coordinator Chad Morris departed for SMU, the Tigers could (and should) break through any moment with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. And the defense has performed admirably to keep Clemson undefeated thus far. Will this be the week the Tigers make it happen, with all eyes on them?
7:30 p.m.: Mississippi State at Texas A&M (-7) (SEC Network)
I have had multiple dreams about this game, and was already convinced Mississippi State blew out Texas A&M because that’s what happened in the dreams and they were so benign and banal that there was no way my mind would go out of its way to have these dreams in the first place. I have no idea if that’s going to happen, but if it does, I probably need to listen to my brain more and use it to win money and impress my friends. (Watch Texas A&M win by like three scores now.)
SECOND SCREEN SPECIAL
7:30 p.m.: Ole Miss (-7.5) at Florida (ESPN)
Hey, kudos to Florida for finding a way to win over Tennessee. Ole Miss seems like a huge test, even in The Swamp, and on paper (and after the Rebs looked so good in that win over Bama), it seems like Florida is in for a long day. Stranger things have happened, though, and these night SEC games are always worth keeping an eye on.
The Late Show
FRONT AND CENTER
10:30 p.m.: Arizona at Stanford (Pac-12 Network)
Slim pickings on this fine Saturday evening, so if you’re not in full-on hurricane watch mode, go ahead and watch some #Pac12AfterDark. You could do worse.
