After a week of heavyweight matchups, Week 5 looks a little more low-key. At the same time, those are sometimes the weeks that blow up beyond expectations. 

The headliners are obvious, with Ohio State traveling to Iowa after the latter stunned Michigan on the last play, and Mississippi State hosting Alabama in one of the biggest games in Starkville history. Down the board, though, there are sneaky good games featuring the likes of Northwestern and North Carolina. 

With that in mind, here are early lines on the biggest and best games of college football's Week 5. All odds are provided by FanDuel. 

The big games

Ohio State (-13.5) at Iowa: The Buckeyes travel to Iowa City for the first time since the historic 55-24 drubbing against the Hawkeyes in 2017. Ohio State has built itself into a behemoth in the following years, and the Buckeyes are still 15-2 against Iowa in their past 17. But after Iowa pulled an upset against Michigan in Week 4, is anything truly off the table? The Hawkeyes haven't lost a game by two touchdowns since 2024, and never at home since 2021. 

Miami (-16.5) at Clemson: The Hurricanes travel to face the reeling Tigers after exploding their way to 4-0 by 33.7 points per game against FBS competition. Miami hasn't won in Death Valley since 2010, but this is perhaps the best Hurricanes squad since joining the ACC. Clemson has a big line to make up, but they hope that an improving defense can give them a chance. 

Alabama (-4.5) at Mississippi State: The biggest Mississippi State game in a decade takes place this weekend, and Vegas senses mayhem in the air. The Crimson Tide boast one of the top rosters in the sport in recruiting talent, but Mississippi State is a stone's throw away. The quarterback battle of Kamario Taylor vs. Keelon Russell will be dynamic, and we could see it repeated at the next level. 

Florida (-4.5) at Missouri: The Gators are riding high after upsetting No. 4 Ole Miss over the weekend, but Vegas is right not to get too excited. Despite a loss at Mississippi State, the Tigers looked the part and got nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns from star quarterback Austin Simmons. It's a shame that Ahmad Hardy is still recovering from his offseason scare. Otherwise, this would be one of the best running back battles in recent memory. As is, it's a potential letdown spot for Florida after a strong start to 2026. 

Penn State (-3.5) at Northwestern: Who would have thought a week ago that this would be a big game, but the Wildcats have made us all believers. It took a late charge for Indiana to survive the Wildcats, and now Northwestern is set to open the beautiful new Ryan Stadium with a Penn State squad reeling after blowing a lead against Wisconsin. Things could get awfully spicy. 

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