Week 4 of the college football season is in the books and now it’s time for things to get interesting. We are officially in the fall season and now it feels like football season moving forward. Tennessee made the jump to number 5 in the new rankings after defeating Oklahoma on the road. Missouri needed overtime to beat Vanderbilt and they dropped in the rankings as a result. My record was 3-3 with my Week 4 picks and my overall mark dropped to 12-4. My winning percentage is now at 75% heading into this weekend. Illinois went on the road to Nebraska and defeated the Huskers in a tight game. Michigan showed a lot of heart on defense en route to their win over USC. Utah went on the road to Oklahoma State and shutdown their offense for the most part in their win.

This week we will have four games that put ranked teams against one another. The second ranked Georgia Bulldogs heading to Tuscaloosa to face the 4^th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide is the big game of the week. This week I’ll be predicting nine games in total. Check out Trav’s Week 5 college football picks below.

We start things off on Friday night with a key Big Ten matchup. The Washington Huskies will be making that cross country trip to Rutgers to face the Scarlet Knights. Washington lost a lot of talent from last year’s team that made the playoffs. They began their new season 3-1 with their only loss being to in-state rival Washington State. The Huskies have benefitted from a couple of easy opponents. How will they fare against the undefeated Rutgers on the road? Rutgers is coming off a tough win against Virginia Tech on the road. The Scarlet Knights possess one of the best run offenses in the league. The 255 yards a game on the ground puts them in the top 10 in the nation. Can they continue that against Washington? I’m going with them to leave still undefeated after this game. Rutgers Win 31-20

We have a critical Big 12 matchup as the 20^th ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys head to Manhattan to meet the 23^rd ranked Kansas State Wildcats. Oklahoma State is coming off a tough home loss against Utah. The offense was shut down throughout the game, but almost made a miraculous comeback in the end. The Cowboys are having issues with their running game. They are averaging just a little over 96 yards a game, which is towards the bottom of the rankings. Kansas State is coming off a humiliating loss on the road to BYU last weekend. The Wildcats will need to start the game running the ball to wear down the Cowboys defense. Both teams are coming off tough losses and can’t afford to have two conference defeats. I think the Cowboys are the better team and will win on the road. Oklahoma State Win 27-24

The Wisconsin Badgers will head to California to face the 13^th ranked USC Trojans. The Badgers are coming off their bye week after being blown out by Alabama. Wisconsin scored only 10 points against the stingy Tide defense. The two games prior to that one, they only amassed 55 points against inferior defenses. The Badgers will need to get Chez Mellusi going on the ground to slow down the Trojans. Can they accomplish that in a hostile environment on the road? USC lost their first Big Ten game on the road in Michigan last week. The offensive line couldn’t keep Miller Moss upright throughout the game. The Trojans will need to get their running game on track against Wisconsin. Can the Trojans rebound before hitting the road next weekend in Minnesota? I’m going with the Trojans rebounding and winning this one. USC Win 30-20

We have a great matchup between two top 20 teams. The 15^th ranked Louisville Cardinal will head to Notre Dame to face the 16^th ranked Fighting Irish. The Cardinal is coming off an impressive win against Georgia Tech to remain undefeated. The Irish will be their toughest test to date. Tyler Shough has made great decisions from the quarterback position thus far. The ground game is putting up almost 200 yards per game. Can this continue against the stout Irish defense? We don’t know what Notre Dame team will show up week after week. One thing for sure is that the defense is one of the best in the country. The Irish are giving up less than 10 points a game. The rushing attack is ranked in the top 20. In a close game I’m going with the Irish to win. Notre Dame Win 31-20

We have a SEC battle as the Arkansas Razorbacks head to Texas to face the 24^th ranked Texas A&M Aggies. This game will take place in Arlington at the AT&T Stadium. The only blemish on the Razorbacks record is their tough loss at Oklahoma State. Arkansas ranks in the top 20 in rush offense top 30 for passing. They just picked up a tough road win in Auburn, but can they keep that momentum? Will the defense slow down the Aggies offense? Texas A&M dropped their first game of the season against Notre Dame. Ever since, they have won three games in a row and that includes one in Gainesville against Florida. Both teams need this game seeing they have more difficult upcoming games. In a tough one, I’m going with the Aggies and their rush offense to win. Texas A&M Win 34-30

The Stanford Cardinal will head to Clemson to face the 17^th ranked Tigers in their second ACC game. Stanford just pulled off a great win at Syracuse on a game winning field goal. Despite being 3-1, the offense or defense really stands out for Stanford. The only loss came in the first game against TCU. Can the Cardinal go into Clemson against a tough Tigers team and pull off the upset? Clemson started their season off on the wrong foot by being blown out by Georgia. They scored 3 points in that game but have a total of 125 points in their last two games. Will Clemson continue this type of play against the Cardinal? It feels like Clemson is starting to hit their stride as a team. I’m picking the Tigers and Cade Klubnik to have a good game and win. Clemson Win 35-21

We have the top game of the week and one of the top games of the season. The 2^nd ranked Georgia Bulldogs will head to Alabama to face the 4^th ranked Crimson Tide. Georgia seemed like they were on a mission in the first two games of the season. The game in Kentucky was an eye opener seeing they walked away with a one point win. The Bulldogs should be healthier for this matchup in Alabama. Can Carson Beck and the offense do a 360 against this Crimson Tide defense? Alabama is a top 6 team in the nation for points scored and allowed. Jalen Milroe will look to kickstart a potential Heisman Trophy campaign. Alabama has owned Georgia the last times they visited Tuscaloosa. This is a tough one to pick, but I’m going with the home team. Alabama Win 26-24

This is a top 20 matchup between two of the better teams in the Big Ten Conference. The 19^th ranked Illinois Fighting Illini head to Penn State to face the 9^th ranked Nittany Lions. Illinois is coming off a very impressive road win in Nebraska last Friday Night. In their second game of the season, they defeated then 19^th ranked Kansas. Having wins over two ranked teams is a good look for the Illini and it proves their battle tested. Penn State opened the season with wins where they scored at least 34 points. The Nittany Lions haven’t beaten a good team, but they’re expected to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten. Can Drew Allar and the offense have the same success against a tough team? This will be a tough one, but I’m riding with the home team. Penn State Win 31-27

The final game of the week will put two Big 12 teams against each other. The Arizona Wildcats will make that trip to Utah to battle the 10^th ranked Utes. Arizona experienced their first loss in their game against Kansas State a couple weeks ago. Arizona only scored 7 points, and scoring will be hard against this Utes defense. Will the Wildcats find a way to get the ball to their talented WR Tetairoa McMillan? The defense is allowing almost 27 points a game this season. Utah is coming off an impressive road win against previously 14^th ranked Oklahoma State. The defense gave the Cowboys offense fits all day. Will the Utes defense continue their dominance against this Arizona offense? The Utes are one of the best teams in the country and could see them in the playoffs. I’m riding with the Utes to win. Utah Win 27-13

What do you think about my Week 5 college football picks? Any upsets happening? Leave some feedback below about anything related to my Week 5 college football picks.

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