College football scores, rankings, highlights in Week 5: Texas A&M, Tennessee, Indiana avoid upset losses

FINAL: No. 14 Iowa State 39, Arizona 14

No. 14 Iowa State cruised to a 39-14 win over Arizona at home on Saturday to move to 5-0. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht completed 14 of 20 attempts for 243 yards and ran for three scores on the ground. Most importantly, the Cyclones are now tied at the top of the Big 12 standings with Arizona State after the victory.

Looking ahead, Iowa State will play BYU, Arizona State and TCU in Big 12 play. Notably, the Cyclones will not play Utah or Texas Tech — two teams projected to compete for a berth to the Big 12 title game. Iowa State faces Cincinnati on the road next weekend before facing Colorado on Oct. 11.

HALF: No. 17 Alabama 24, No. 5 Georgia 14

Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is in his bag right now. On first-and-10, Grubb lined Alabama star offensive tackle Kaydn Proctor out wide. Ty Simpson threw it to him, and he bulldozed his way to the 2-yard line for an 11-yard gain. It technically was a run by Proctor because the pass from Simpson was thrown behind the line of scrimmage. Alabama was able to score on the next play when Simpson ran it in for a 2-yard touchdown. 

Final (OT): No. 15 Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34 

The Cardiac Vols strike again. Both of Tennessee’s SEC games in the early part of the 2025 season have gone to overtime. This one actually went in Tennessee’s favor after it suffered a crushing defeat against Georgia in Week 3. 

The Vols, who fell behind 34-27 with less than eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter, tied the game late thanks to some heroics from quarterback Joey Aguilar. He completed all six of his passes on a 13-play, 65-yard drive and helped Tennessee draw even with the Bulldogs with his 6-yard rushing touchdown. Tennessee’s defense then forced a quick three-and-out and got the ball with just over a minute to play, but some poor clock management sent the game to overtime. 

There, Tennessee struck quickly thanks to a 25-yard rushing touchdown from running back DeSean Bishop on the first play of scrimmage. Mississippi State nearly answered with a big passing play that got the ball to Tennessee’s 5-yard line. 

The Vols didn’t break. Linebacker Arion Carter disrupted Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen’s fourth-down pass to save Tennessee from starting 0-2 in SEC play for the first time since 2019. 

Aguilar was far from perfect — he had two interceptions, though both were the result of drops — but he did extend his FBS-leading streak to 29 straight games with at least 200 yards passing. 

FINAL: No. 11 Indiana 20, Iowa 15

No. 11 Indiana was pushed to the brink by Iowa in a showdown between Big Ten foes on Saturday, but the Hoosiers were able to escape with a 20-15 win over the Hawkeyes. After Iowa missed a short field goal attempt late into the fourth quarter, Indiana put together a 5-play, 76-yard drive that was capped with a 49-yard touchdown from Fernando Mendoza to Elijah Sarratt.

Mendoza finished 13 of 23 for 233 yards and two touchdowns.

Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski exited in the second half with an injury and did not return. He was replaced by backup Hank Brown.

Indiana was coming off a statement win over Illinois last week, and surviving an upset bid from Iowa was critical for its potential CFP hopes down the line. The Hoosiers have a bye week before playing No. 6 Oregon on the road.

HALF: No. 9 Texas A&M 13, Auburn 3 

Fans that packed Texas A&M’s Kyle Field expecting a football game are being treated to a field goal kicking contest instead. Neither offense has entirely found their footing thus far and, as a result, both kickers have been busy. As the score reflects, Texas A&M has done a better job getting into field goal distance, even if Randy Bond missed a 50-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. 

Bond did hit on kicks of 33 and 49 yards in the second quarter. Alex McPherson made his lone kick from 32 yards out the one time Auburn’s offense got anywhere close to scoring distance. Otherwise, it was a very sleepy first half for the Tigers. 

They went three-and-out on four of their seven drives over the first 30 minutes. Quarterback Jackson Arnold is averaging 4.4 yards per attempt as he tossed 75 yards through the air. Auburn punter Hudson Kaak had more yards punting (270) than Auburn had total yards of offense (105). 

Texas A&M was a bit more efficient, though it left some points on the board. The Aggies are averaging 6.1 yards per carry and scored a touchdown on their opening drive thanks to a 1-yard plunge from running back Le’Veon Moss. 

HALF: No. 11 Indiana 10, Iowa 10

Fresh off Indiana’s statement win over Illinois last weekend, the Hoosiers are in a fight with Big Ten foe Iowa at halftime. Indiana kicked a field goal during the final moments of the first half to tie the game at 10. Mark Gronowski, who has struggled since transferring from South Dakota State to Iowa, completed 14 of 17 attempts for 106 yards in the first half. Indiana is slightly outgaining Iowa (152-149) in total offense through the first 30 minutes.

Should be an interesting final 30 minutes from Iowa City.

Final (OT): No. 16 Georgia Tech 30, Wake Forest 29

After falling behind 17-3 at halftime, Georgia Tech erased the deficit, forced overtime and made a late stand to avoid an upset loss to Wake Forest. The Yellow Jackets got the ball first in overtime and scored a touchdown on a 2-yard keeper from quarterback Haynes King. 

It didn’t take long for Wake Forest to respond. On their first offensive play of overtime, the Demon Deacons handed the ball to star running back Demond Claiborne, who rewarded them with a 25-yard touchdown. Instead of tying the game with an extra point, though, Wake Forest tried to curtail some of Georgia Tech’s momentum — The Yellow Jackets outscored the Demon Deacons 20-6 in the second half to force the extra period — and went for two. 

Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford’s 2-point pass attempt was intercepted by E.J. Lightsey, slamming the door on Wake Forest’s upset bid. Georgia Tech relied on another heroic effort from quarterback Haynes King to avoid the letdown. He led all passers with 28 completions for 243 yards and one touchdown and led his team in rushing with 106 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. 

Illinois stuns USC in walk-off win

FINAL: Illinois 34, USC 32

David Olano’s 41-yard field goal as time expired lifting Illinois to a victory over No. 21 USC in thrilling fashion as the Illini bounced back from their first loss of the season against Indiana. Jayden Maiava’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Makai Lemon put the Trojans ahead with 1:55 remaining before the Illini marched 51 yards in nine plays to set up Olano’s winning boot.

“There’s two things money can’t buy — time and your reputation, and our reputation was put on the field and I think we answered it,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “We’ll enjoy today and next week will be a great opportunity.”

No. 22 Notre Dame humiliates Arkansas

FINAL: Notre Dame 56, Arkansas 13

Behind a 35-point first half that included four touchdown passes from C.J. Carr and four total scores by Jeremiyah Love, the Irish torched the Razorbacks on the road to win their second straight after opening the season with consecutive losses to ranked teams. “Fire Pittman” chants echoed throughout the first half as Notre Dame scored on all six possessions in what amounted to another frustrating performance for Arkansas under its sixth-year coach. 

The Razorbacks have lost three straight since opening wins over Alabama A&M and Arkansas State, laying down defensively in the process. Notre Dame managed 641 total yards, marking the third straight weekend that Arkansas was beaten at the line of scrimmage and through the air by the opposition.

The top of the Heisman Trophy odds sheet has undergone a makeover in the first month of the season after college football’s projected star quarterbacks struggled through early problems. 

Of the preseason top-five in the FanDuel Sportsbook Heisman odds, only Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is still there. At +1100, he is the only receiver with Heisman odds of better than 100-to-1 entering Week 5 and the only non-quarterback with odds of better than 50-to-1.

No. 1 Ohio State at Washington has the makings of Jeremiah Smith’s loud introduction to 2025’s Heisman party

David Cobb

What a turnaround in Winston-Salem. After trailing 20-3 in the third quarter, No. 16 Georgia Tech has stormed back to tie it 20-20 midway through the fourth against Wake Forest — and quarterback Haynes King is the catalyst.

King, who managed just 85 total yards in the first half, has flipped the script with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Eric River and a 5-yard rushing score. That rushing touchdown also set a school record: King now has 13 career games with both a passing and rushing touchdown — the most in Yellow Jackets history.

Arkansas wide receiver Jalen Brown was carted off the field on a stretcher after appearing to suffer a severe lower body injury against No. 22 Notre Dame. Brown was targeted in the end zone for a touchdown and jumped to receive the pass, but his left leg buckled underneath him as he caught the pass. He immediately took his helmet off and grabbed his leg. 

The redshirt sophomore transferred to Arkansas from Florida State and has caught 11 passes for 156 yards. He had an 11-yard reception against Notre Dame before the injury. 

LSU running back Caden Durham, the fourth-ranked Tigers’ leading rusher this season, was listed as out on LSU’s final availability report before it kicks off against No. 13 Ole Miss Saturday afternoon. Durham’s absence is notable for the Tigers, since they have struggled to run the ball this season even with a full complement of weapons in the backfield. 

Durham, who has carried the ball 52 times for 213 yards and two touchdowns, is the only player on LSU’s roster with at least 100 yards rushing this season. No other running back has carried the ball more than 15 times. LSU’s 116.8 yards rushing per game ranks second-to-last in the SEC. 

Without Durham, the Tigers could give freshman running back Harlem Berry a healthy dose of carries. Berry, the No. 1 running back in the class of 2025, currently leads all LSU running backs with 5.8 yards per carry, but he’s only touched the ball 15 times. LSU also has second-year back Ju’Juan Johnson, who’s tied with Durham for a team-high two touchdowns rushing. 

HALF: Notre Dame 42, Arkansas 13

During an embarrassing first half that did nothing to silence Sam Pittman’s critics, the 22nd-ranked Irish scored touchdowns on all six possessions to take a dominating lead into intermission on the road against the defenseless Razorbacks. Jeremiyah Love has three total touchdowns for Notre Dame while quarterback C.J. Carr tossed four touchdown passes, completing 16 of 22 throws for 295 yards, including a fourth-down conversion late in the second quarter with the Irish inside the red zone. 

Arkansas has lost consecutive games to Ole Miss and Memphis and Pittman’s days could be numbered as coach as chants of “Fire Pittman” erupted from the crowd during the second quarter. Notre Dame is coming off its first win of the season against Purdue after falling to nationally-ranked Miami and Texas A&M over its first couple of contests.

No. 16 Georgia Tech heads to halftime in trouble — trailing Wake Forest 17-3 in Winston-Salem. It’s the first time all season the Yellow Jackets have been behind at the break, and it comes just two weeks after their statement win over then-No. 12 Clemson.

The Demon Deacons grabbed a 14-3 midway into the second quarter when running back Demond Claiborne broke loose for a 27-yard touchdown run, handing Georgia Tech its largest deficit of the season.

Quarterback Haynes King has struggled to get going, managing just 50 passing yards and 35 rushing yards on five carries in the first half. Meanwhile, Wake Forest already has 255 total yards, including 116 on the ground, thus far. The Demon Deacons get the ball to start the third quarter.

With Florida State stunned on Friday night, the door swung wide open for the Yellow Jackets to seize control in the ACC race. Instead, they’ll need a second-half rally to stay unbeaten in league play. Louisville and Miami were the only other unbeatens entering Saturday — and the Cardinals are tied with Pittsburgh in the second quarter.

Danger zone for Sam Pittman, Hogs against Notre Dame

2Q: Notre Dame 14, Arkansas 3

The 22nd-ranked Fighting Irish scored touchdowns on their two first-quarter possessions after lengthy drives capped by scores from Jeremiyah Love to quiet a capacity crowd early at Arkansas. Following consecutive close losses to Ole Miss and Memphis this season thanks to late-game fumbles, Sam Pittman’s future as coach of the Razorbacks is in doubt with Saturday’s matchup against Notre Dame shaping up as another barometer opportunity. Notre Dame lost its first two games of the season to nationally-ranked Miami and Texas A&M before bouncing back against Purdue.

Late 1Q: Pittsburgh 10, Louisville 

The ball is, quite literally, bouncing Pittsburgh’s way early in its ACC opener against Louisville. The Panthers opened the game with a field goal and then forced a three-and-out on Louisville’s first drive, regaining possession at its own 47-yard line. Two plays into its second drive, Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein loaded up a deep ball to wide receiver Blue Hicks. 

Hicks, who had a step on the Louisville defender, had to slow up to allow the ball to reach him. That meant the defensive back was able to get a hand on the pass, but that didn’t matter. As it was deflected into the air, Hicks fell to the ground and snagged the carom for a 39-yard touchdown. 

Every season, we are blessed with a few weekends featuring incredible football games everywhere you look. We had it in Week 1, and while Weeks 2, 3, and 4 had their moments, and a big game here and there, they all pale in comparison to what we get this week.

Not only do we have four matchups between ranked teams, but two of them are the kinds of matchups you can imagine seeing in a College Football Playoff semifinal. There are also matchups between teams that will not only impact conference races but could be deciding factors in at-large berths. There’s another Big 12 matchup that could springboard the winner to the front of the line in the race for the Big 12, much like Texas Tech’s win over Utah did last week.

The Six Pack: Picks for Penn State vs. Oregon, Alabama vs. Georgia and Tom Fornelli’s lock for Week 5

Tom Fornelli

It’s a special weekend in the sports world and Week 5 of the 2025 college footballseason is a big reason why. Saturday’s slate is loaded with major games that will have an impact not just at the conference level but on the national landscape as well.

Week 5 is host to a season-high four games featuring ranked opponents. Two of those are top-15 clashes, as No. 6 Oregon travels to No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 LSUhits the road to face No. 13 Ole Miss. 

Elsewhere, teams that already have playoff hopes hanging by a thread — like No. 23 Illinois — get a chance to reverse their fortunes at home against a ranked team. There’s a lot of ground to cover for a packed schedule of games. 

Here’s a look at the Week 5 games that matter in the playoff race, and what it means for both teams involved. 

College Football Playoff race 2025: Penn State vs. Oregon, Alabama vs. Georgia lead monster Week 5 schedule

Will Backus

Notre Dame will be without its top cornerback for its game at Arkansas, according to ESPN. Leonard Moore was initially considered a game-time decision and was unable to participate fully in warmups, leading the Fighting Irish to rule him out for the noon ET kick. He sustained an ankle injury in the Week 3 loss to Texas A&M and missed last week’s win over Purdue during his recovery.

Moore was a Preseason All-American and is the heart and soul of the Notre Dame secondary. His absence could be critical in a matchup against one of college football’s most explosive offenses, as Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green has one less standout defender to worry about in his high-octane passing attack, which ranks 14th nationally at 324.2 points per game.

Moore already has an interception and two pass breakups on his 2025 ledger after an outstanding freshman campaign in which he racked up two picks, two forced fumbles and 11 breakups.

Stock on Big Ten quarterbacks is surging entering the final week of September after a series of big performances from the league’s signal-callers in Week 4. While the headliner is Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who rises from No. 30 to No. 1 in this week’s quarterback power rankings, there are plenty of others from around the conference shining as well.

A total of eight Big Ten quarterbacks are up five or more spots entering a consequential Saturday of conference action. Budding stars such as Washington’sDemond Williams, USC’s Jayden Maiava and Oregon’s Dante Moore each face significant Week 5 challenges that will determine whether they keep rising or crash back to earth.

The No. 21 Trojans travel to face No. 23 Illinois in the day’s early window before the Huskies host No. 1 Ohio State in an afternoon battle on CBS. Last but not least, the evening window is highlighted by the No. 6 Ducks facing their toughest test yet on the road against No. 3 Penn State.

College Football QB Power Rankings: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore lead surging Big Ten crop

David Cobb

The decision-makers behind whether the College Football Playoff expands or not are “comfortable” with staying at the current 12-team format.

As part of the CCA meetings at the Big Ten’s headquarters in Chicago, the College Football Playoff management committee of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua didn’t spend much time on playoff format discussions despite a looming Dec. 1 deadline on next year’s format, according to CFP executive director Rich Clark.

Clark said that the CFP leaders only devoted about 20 minutes of a meeting that lasted more than four hours to the topic many around college athletics are so interested in. There isn’t another large group meeting scheduled before that Dec. 1 deadline — and no eagerness to schedule one at this moment, it seems — which is another example why maintaining the status quo of 12 teams for 2026 has gained steam. 

College Football Playoff leaders ‘comfortable’ with 12-team format, not in rush to decide on 2026 expansion

John Talty

Washington cornerback Tacario Davis, who has been out since Week 2 with an injury, is doubtful to play Saturday against Ohio State, according to ESPN. Davis’ extended absence is a blow to the Huskies, who host the Buckeyes at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+ in both teams’ Big Ten opener. Defending Ohio State superstar Jeremiah Smith is difficult enough already, but Washington could have an even tougher time slowing down the Buckeyes wide receiver because of its health, or lack thereof, in the secondary.

Davis left Washington’s Sept. 6 win over UC Davis after taking a hard landing on an interception. He spent the Huskies’ first bye week on the mend and missed last week’s Apple Cup win at Washington State, and despite reportedly moving well in practice, the two-time all-conference pass defender is unlikely to return to the lineup against Ohio State.

Washington CB Tacario Davis doubtful vs. Ohio State, per report: Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate to test Huskies

Carter Bahns

Read on below for more: 

Anyone else ready for chaos in Week 5? We’re going to see mass changes reflected in Sunday’s new rankings once this epic slate of games inside the top 25 are over — and we’ve got final picks and predictions for all of them.

Alabama-Georgia highlights the schedule in a primetime SEC showdown, while Oregon-Penn State, LSU-Ole Miss, Ohio State-Washington represent a trio of matchups involving at least one elite team with College Football Playoff aspirations.

College football predictions, odds, picks: Alabama vs. Georgia, Penn State vs. Oregon lead loaded Week 5

Brad Crawford

As one of Ole Miss‘ opponents prepped for the Rebels, a coach from that staff made a comment to fellow coaches about the Rebels’ quarterback situation.

“If they play Simmons, they’re doing us a favor,” he said.

It speaks to just how impressive Trinidad Chambliss has been these last two weeks starting for Ole Miss in place of Austin Simmons, who has been working back from an ankle injury. Heading into his third start — a matchup against No. 4 LSU — the transfer from Division II Ferris State is coming off back-to-back 400-yard performances, including his latest standout showing last week during Ole Miss’ 45-10 win over Tulane. He finished with 307 yards and two touchdowns through the air, along with 112 yards on 14 carries.

College football week 5 insider’s notebook: Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss drawing Kyler Murray comparisons

Matt Zenitz

A year ago, Kalen DeBoer looked like the perfect replacement to fill Nick Saban’s huge shoes and keep Alabama atop college football.

A year ago, Ryan Williams looked like one of college football’s top new stars when he turned in a dazzling six-catch, 177-yard, two-touchdown performance that included an acrobatic 75-yard game-winning score, one of the best plays of the season.

A year ago, the future of Alabama football looked so bright, the transition from college football’s greatest coach to his successor was as seamless as possible.

A lot can, and has, happened in the year since Alabama beat Georgia 41-34 in a thriller inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. In the last 365 days, DeBoer has lost five games — all away from Tuscaloosa — to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan and Florida State.

College football Week 5 storylines: Early ‘must-win’ for Alabama vs. Georgia; get over it and move on, Auburn

John Talty

On paper, Week 5 of the 2025 college football season is the most exciting slate of games yet. Saturday alone is home to a season-high four ranked matchups, two of which pit top-15 teams against one another. 

The highlight of the weekend is No. 6 Oregon’s trip to No. 3 Penn State in a 2024 Big Ten Championship Game rematch. The Ducks are eyeing a second consecutive conference title while the Nittany Lions are trying to break through and win the league for the first time in almost a decade. 

Elsewhere, the SEC will see a couple of very impactful matchups as No. 13 Ole Misshosts longtime rival No. 4 LSU and No. 5 Georgia seeks revenge against No. 17 Alabama. Even ranked teams like No. 1 Ohio State and No. 22 Notre Dame have tough road trips ahead of them against opponents outside of the top 25. 

College football schedule, games 2025: What to watch in Week 5, TV channels, streaming, Saturday kickoff times

Will Backus