The fifth full weekend of the college football season may be the best one yet. Cupcake season is just about over, and most of the nation’s best teams are now playing against conference foes.

Saturday brings us four intriguing games between ranked opponents as well as many other competitive matchups. Army and Temple kick off the week on Thursday night, and ACC contenders Virginia Tech and Miami will clash on Friday.

Last week’s featured picks went 3-1. There will be four more games to highlight this week, and we’ll also provide a list of picks for every game featuring a ranked team.

Without further ado, here are the picks:

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

20 Oklahoma State at 23 Kansas State (-5)

The Cowboys will travel to Manhattan for what is likely a playoff eliminator after both teams suffered a loss in Week 4. Oklahoma State fell to No. 12 Utah 22-19 at home in a game that wasn’t as close as the scoreboard suggests. The Utes, without starting quarterback Cam Rising, took a 22-3 lead early in the fourth quarter on Brant Kuithe’s 45-yard reception. The Cowboys rallied, but it was too late.

Kansas State’s loss was much more embarrassing. The Wildcats closed as 7.5-point favorites against BYU and proceeded to get steamrolled 38-9. They outgained the Cougars by 126 yards but only scored three field goals. Quarterback Avery Johnson threw two interceptions after having looked unstoppable the previous week against Arizona.

I still think Kansas State is a good team, and I can’t get behind Oklahoma State. Avery Johnson is going to be special, and he’ll use the road loss to BYU as a learning experience. Unless the Cowboys can figure out how to get Ollie Gordon going, they’re a one-dimensional team that doesn’t stand a chance in Manhattan.

Pick: Kansas State -5

15 Louisville at 16 Notre Dame (-6.5)

Louisville has flown under the radar, winning their first three games by a combined 109 points. Granted, their competition hasn’t been great, but they took care of business against a decent Georgia Tech squad. Quarterback Tyler Shough threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 completions. He now has eight touchdowns and zero interceptions on the season.

Notre Dame has been playing inspired football after their upset loss to Northern Illinois. The Irish beat Purdue by 59 on the road in Week 3 and defeated Miami (OH) by 25 last week. Riley Leonard is a great leader and has been an outstanding addition to the team. Last week, he accounted for 297 total yards and three scores. Against Purdue, he rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns.

The Irish have played significantly better competition than the Cardinals, and without a conference championship game, they know they need to win out in order to make the College Football Playoff. I expect Notre Dame to cover quite easily.

Pick: Notre Dame -6.5

2 Georgia (-2) at 4 Alabama

College football fans have been waiting for this matchup all season. The Bulldogs will be heading to Tuscaloosa for the first time since 2020. Georgia is just 1-8 in their last nine games against the Crimson Tide, but they did dethrone Alabama in the 2022 National Championship. The bye week came at the right time for Georgia as they barely escaped with a 13-12 win over Kentucky two weeks ago. The extra preparation time may come in handy.

Alabama was also on bye last week, though, so these two teams should be healthy and ready to rock. Jalen Milroe has been sensational this season, accounting for 14 total touchdowns. He has two rushing scores in each of his three games. In last season’s SEC Championship, Milroe totaled 221 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over. It will be interesting to see if he can find the same success against this year’s Georgia defense that held Clemson to 188 total yards and three points.

Georgia’s close call against Kentucky will serve them well in the long run. The Bulldogs’ defense is arguably the best in college football, and I anticipate the offense looking much sharper. Both of these teams will make the playoff, but Saturday night will belong to Georgia.

Pick: Georgia -2

19 Illinois at 9 Penn State (-18)

Not many people expected the Illini to start 4-0 with two wins over ranked opponents. Luke Altmyer has made impressive strides since last season, already tossing 10 touchdown passes in four games after throwing 13 in nine starts in 2023. The one concern for Illinois is the ground game, and they’ll need Kaden Feagin and company to contribute against a stout Penn State front.

The Nittany Lions are once again off to an excellent start, but it seems like we say the same things every year. Can they do it in a big game? Illinois isn’t Ohio State or Michigan, but a win over a ranked opponent may be what gets Penn State over the hump. If they lose this one, their playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy.

Penn State is likely going to win this game, but they won’t cover. Illinois is better than people think, and Bret Bielema will have his guys ready to compete on Saturday night. I’m looking forward to this one.

Pick: Illinois +18

Other Notable Games

Virginia Tech at 7 Miami (-19.5)

Pick: Miami -19.5

22 BYU at Baylor (-3.5)

Pick: BYU +3.5

Kentucky at 6 Ole Miss (-17.5)

Pick: Ole Miss -17.5

Minnesota at 12 Michigan (-9.5)

Pick: Michigan -9.5

Arkansas at 20 Texas A&M (-4)

Pick: Arkansas +4

21 Oklahoma (-2) at Auburn

Pick: Oklahoma -2

Wisconsin at 13 USC (-15.5)

Pick: USC -15.5

Mississippi State at 1 Texas (-38.5)

Pick: Texas -38.5

18 Iowa State (-14) at Houston

Pick: Iowa State -14

Stanford at 17 Clemson (-22)

Pick: Clemson -22

3 Ohio State (-23.5) at Michigan State

Pick: Ohio State -23.5

South Alabama at 14 LSU (-21.5)

Pick: LSU -21.5

Washington State at 25 Boise State (-7.5)

Pick: Washington State +7.5

Arizona at 10 Utah (-11)

Pick: Utah -11

8 Oregon (-25.5) at UCLA

Pick: Oregon -25.5