2018 Look Ahead: Week 5

[ELA]

Reminder I'm using SN's composite ranking of the preseason mags for a Top 25

RANKED MATCHUPS
7:30 - #13 Stanford at #14 Notre Dame (NBC)
#3 Ohio State at #9 Penn State

OTHER TOP 25 GAMES
8:00 (Thu) - North Carolina at #8 Miami (ESPN)
7:00 - #19 Boise State at Wyoming (CBSSN)
UL Lafayette at #1 Alabama
Syracuse at #2 Clemson
Tennessee at #4 Georgia
Baylor at #6 Oklahoma
BYU at #7 Washington
Central Michigan at #10 Michigan State
Southern Miss at #11 Auburn
#12 Michigan at Northwestern
#15 Virginia Tech at Duke
Florida at #16 Mississippi State
#17 West Virginia at Texas Tech
#18 USC at Arizona
#20 Texas at Kansas State
Pittsburgh at #21 Central Florida
#22 Florida State at Louisville
Ole Miss at #23 LSU
Iowa State at #24 TCU
#25 Oregon at California

POWER FIVE MATCHUPS
9:00 (Fri) - UCLA at Colorado (FS1)
Indiana at Rutgers
Oklahoma State at Kansas
Oregon State at Arizona State
Purdue at Nebraska
South Carolina at Kentucky
Texas A&M vs. Arkansas @ Dallas
Utah at Washington State
Virginia at NC State

[ELA]

Two ranked matchups, including a major one in the Big Ten, but absolutely zero depth to the week.  After that, Mullen returning to Starkville is probably (easily?) the most interesting game.  Not only is the rest of the top 11 beyond OSU-PSU playing meh opponents, they are all getting them at home.

[bayareabadger]

Iowa State-TCU has potential, and I’ll talk myself into K-State-Texas/FSU-Louisville. 

Interesting games not on the list
Pitt-UCF
Toledo-Fresno State
FAU-MTSU maybe 

[FearlessF]

doesn't draw much interest nationally, but for a couple new coaches in the Big Ten

important game in Lincoln for Jeff Brohm and Scott Frost

[Brutus Buckeye]

OSU-PSU "should" be for the B1G East. Although MSU might have something to say about that.

[FearlessF]

counting out Harbaugh so early?

[Brutus Buckeye]

counting out Harbaugh so early?

Yes.

[ELA]

Iowa State-TCU has potential, and I’ll talk myself into K-State-Texas/FSU-Louisville.

Interesting games not on the list
Pitt-UCF
Toledo-Fresno State
FAU-MTSU maybe

This one is because UCF is ranked

[bayareabadger]

This one is because UCF is ranked

D’oh
Reading too fast. 

[medinabuckeye1]

It looks like the gameday crew will be in Happy Valley.  Both should be undefeated.  Prior to the game they have:

Ohio State:

• vs OrSU
• vs RU
• vs TCU (neutral site)
• vs Tulane

Penn State:

• vs ApSt
• @ Pitt
• vs Kent
• @ Illinois

Since none of the rest of the top 12 are playing opponents reasonably likely to be ranked the tOSU/PSU game is almost a lock for Gameday.  The only reason for the "almost" is that it seems possible that an unranked ND vs an unranked Stanford could get the nod.  Prior to the 5th week those teams have:

Stanford:

• vs SDSU
• vs USC
• vs UC-Davis
• @ Oregon

Notre Dame:

• vs Michigan
• vs Ball State
• vs Vanderbilt
• @ Wake

Neither the Buckeyes nor the Nittany Lions have an opportunity to pick up a nationally significant victory before week #5 while Stanford hosts USC (#18 USC) and Notre Dame hosts Michigan (#12).  However, even if Stanford and Notre Dame are both undefeated heading into this matchup they probably wouldn't be ranked ahead of tOSU and only about even with PSU unless either tOSU or PSU loses a game first.  Even then, tOSU/PSU seems more meaningful because it will probably be a factor in the B1G-E race while ND/Stanford is obviously non-conference.