2025 College Football Week 5

Boy oh boy. Every week, it feels like massive shifts are happening in college football.

It felt like Illinois had every right to argue they should be ahead of programs like Texas entering Week 4, only to be blown out the water 63-10 by Indiana. The Hoosiers were just four-point favorites.

Then, Clemson, an AP top five team in the preseason, had its playoff hopes torpedoed by a +17.5 underdog Syracuse.

It appears that NIL policies have given a boost to underdog or marginalized programs. The days of basing your bets on Power 5 pedigree or AP rankings are dead. Keep that in mind when you check out the biggest NCAAF Week 5 odds coming this weekend.

NCAAF Odds

View the latest NCAAF odds at Bovada

Main Event Matchups

No. 21 USC Trojans (4-0) at No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (3-1)

• Odds: USC -6.5
• Total: 58.5
• Time: 12 p.m. ET
• FOX

Two programs heading in completely different directions kick off College Football on Saturday. Illinois was embarrassed with a 53-point loss to Indiana in Week 4. Illinois couldn’t run, couldn’t throw, and couldn’t defend. Now they face a USC squad that had its offense rolling in a 45-31 Week 4 win against Michigan State. The Trojans totaled 517 yards last weekend, marking the fourth straight game they’ve surpassed at least 460 yards. 

But Illinois shouldn’t feel as stifled on offense when it hosts the Trojans. USC’s defense made numerous mistakes against Michigan State, letting the Spartans hang around despite not even punting until the final minute.

No. 4 LSU Tigers (4-0) at No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels (4-0)

• Odds: Ole Miss -2.5
• Total: 55.5
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• ABC

The Tigers have a chance to prove they aren’t College Football Playoff (CFP) pretenders when they visit Ole Miss. Oddsmakers aren’t as confident, making them an underdog for the first time since their 2025 opener against Clemson.

LSU’s issues can mainly be attributed to its offense. While it last dropped 56 points against a Subdivision squad in SE Louisiana, they’ve averaged just 20 points per game and 345.7 total yards in weeks 1-3. Ole Miss isn’t considered a defensive force, giving up 28 first-half points to Arkansas in Week 3; LSU needs to display offensive dominance to maintain its spot as a CFP contender.

Auburn Tigers (3-1) at No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (3-0)

• Odds: Texas A&M -6
• Total: 52
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• ESPN

Though they’ve been off for a week, the No. 10 Aggies come into this contest against Auburn with momentum. In Week 3, they upset a CFP contender in Notre Dame 41-40, outpacing the Fighting Irish behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed and wideout Mario Craver.

Auburn isn’t riding as high. They fought hard to contain Heisman candidate John Mateer and the Sooners, but faded in the fourth quarter. The defense was strong, forcing a fumble and recording six tackles for loss. But outside of QB Jackson Arnold, the offense managed only 1.9 yards per rush.

No. 6 Oregon Ducks (4-0) at No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0)

• Odds: Penn State -3.5
• Total: 52.5
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• NBC

Penn State might boast an NFL-caliber QB in Drew Allar, but the story is the defense: the Nittany Lions are allowing just 5.7 points and 224 total yards per game.

They face a stiff test in the Oregon Ducks, one of seven AP-ranked schools that average 500 total yards on offense. 

Unfortunately, when examining the opponents of both teams, it’s difficult to determine who has the advantage on game day. Neither the Ducks nor the Nittany Lions have faced a ranked opponent, dominating “lesser” programs like Villanova and Oregon State. 

With a draft prospect at QB and a No. 2 AP ranking, oddsmakers have decided to give the 3.5-point handicap to Penn State.

No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-1) at No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0)

• Odds: Georgia -3
• Total: 53
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• ABC

Alabama’s best shot at creeping into the CFP runs through Sanford Stadium. That Week 1 loss to Florida State left zero margin for error – there’s too much traffic in the AP top 10 to survive a second loss.

Having sophomore receiver Ryan Williams at 100% should give the Tide life on Saturday.  After suffering a Week 1 concussion against Florida State, Williams exploded for 165 receiving yards in his Week 3 return. They’ll need another star-making performance against a Georgia secondary that allowed Tennessee to post 371 passing yards in Week 3.

*Odds subject to change