College football’s Week 5 slate brings a full Saturday of ranked matchups, highlighted by a visit from ESPN College GameDay to Iowa City for No. 14 Iowa’s showdown with No. 5 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes are the biggest draw of the day, but they’re far from the only AP Top 25 teams in action. Saturday’s schedule is loaded from noon all the way into the night, with ranked teams scattered across nearly every major window.
The day starts at 12 p.m. ET with No.
3 Notre Dame at North Carolina on ESPN, No. 7 Alabama at No.
16 Mississippi State on ABC, UCF at No. 20 Houston on ESPN2, Boston College at No.
21 SMU on the CW, and Vanderbilt at No. 2 Georgia on SEC Network at 12:45 p.m.
The afternoon features No. 5 Ohio State at No.
14 Iowa at 3:30 p.m. on CBS, followed by No. 8 Florida at No.
25 Missouri on ABC and Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee on ESPN.
Later, No. 24 Kentucky visits South Carolina at 4:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
The evening stretch is just as busy. No.
10 BYU plays at TCU at 7 p.m. on ESPN, then No. 4 Miami (Fla.) visits Clemson at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Also at 7:30 p.m., No. 12 Texas Tech is at Colorado on FOX, Washington travels to No.
18 USC on NBC, and Utah State takes on No. 22 Boise State on CBSSN.
The late window wraps with McNeese at No. 11 LSU at 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network and No. 6 Indiana at Rutgers at 8 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
In Other News...
Ryan Day, Ohio State Accused Of Creating An Ugly Fox Standoff
Dave Portnoy says the buildup to Ohio States trip through FOXs Big Noon Kickoff orbit turned into something far messier than a standard TV disagreement. The Barstool Sports founder claimed the Buckeyes and Ryan Day objected to his presence from the start, with complaints reportedly made to the Big Ten and FOX as the network tried to manage a pregame-show situation that was never especially subtle to begin with.
Portnoy also said he was blocked from accessing Ohio States stadium and later told by FOX to stay home from a scheduled appearance because the Buckeyes would not cooperate if he showed up. For Ohio State, the episode adds another awkward layer to an already closely watched relationship with one of college footballs biggest media partners, even as the full chain of decisions behind the standoff remains the part everyone is still talking around. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Can Turn Homecoming Into A Bigger Big Ten Problem
Ohio State comes into homecoming weekend in a familiar spot, riding a convincing 31-14 win over Iowa and setting up another Big Ten test against Maryland. The Buckeyes have already handled one physical conference opponent, and now they return home with the kind of matchup that usually asks more about focus than talent. Maryland arrives with plenty of pressure attached, and Ohio State is favored to keep its strong start rolling.
Mike Locksleys situation adds another layer to a game that already matters in the standings. The Terrapins uneven season, along with the broader body of work under their coach, has made his position a talking point, and another lopsided result would only intensify that conversation. For Ohio State, the task is straightforward enough: take care of business and avoid giving a struggling league opponent any kind of foothold on a weekend meant to feel festive. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Won But These Buckeye Mistakes Wont Fly Much Longer
Ohio State handled Iowa 31-14 and kept its Big Ten footing secure, but the win came with enough sloppiness to leave the Buckeyes looking less polished than the final score suggested. False start penalties on Gabe VanSickle and Austin Siereveld broke up drives, and the pass defense drew scrutiny again with interference flags involving Devin Sanchez and others, a reminder that even in a comfortable result the details still matter for a team with bigger goals ahead.
The same was true on special teams, where Connor Hawkins missed a field goal and added to a night that had more frustration than the scoreboard would indicate. Coaching choices and some inconsistent officiating also became part of the conversation, but the broader point was hard to miss: Ohio State can keep winning this way for a while, yet the margin for cleaning up those recurring mistakes is shrinking. [Read more 🡒]