Weekend Watch Guide: An Oklahoma State Fan’s Guide to Week 5 of the College Football Season

The opening four weeks of the college football season were wild, but Week 5 brings an opportunity for some teams to take a step forward as contenders for their conferences and spots in the College Football Playoff.

Here is a look at the Big 12 schedule for the weekend, as well as some games that have high stakes nationally (or at the very least include teams from the state of Oklahoma).

Big 12 Schedule

No. 20 Oklahoma State (3-1) at No. 23 Kansas State (3-1) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN
No. 22 BYU (4-0) at Baylor (2-2) — 11 a.m. Saturday on FS1
TCU (2-2) at Kansas (1-3) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Colorado (3-1) at UCF (3-0) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX
No. 18 Iowa State (3-0) at Houston (1-3) — 6 p.m. Saturday on FS1
Cincinnati (3-1) at Texas Tech (3-1) — 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
Arizona (2-1) at No. 10 Utah (4-0) — 9:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN

The Cowboys’ trip to Manhattan feels like the game of the week in the conference, but a few other programs have a chance Saturday to solidify themselves as Big 12 title contenders.

BYU, for example, is still unbeaten after clobbering K-State last weekend. The Cougars also have a win over an SMU team that beat TCU last week. BYU has a tough stretch upcoming, so taking care of business in Waco feels paramount.

Colorado and UCF could both be title contenders. UCF leads the league in offense, averaging 45.7 points a game, while Colorado has played big game after big game to this point and still has a 3-1 record.

Cincy and Tech have mirrored records after each started conference play with a win. The winner of this game could be a dark horse if chaos continues to reign.

Saturday Selections

No. 15 Louisville (3-0) at No. 16 Notre Dame (3-1) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on Peacock
No. 21 Oklahoma (3-1) at Auburn (2-2) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC
Arkansas (3-1) at No. 24 Texas A&M (3-1) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
Fresno State (3-1) at UNLV (3-0) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FS1
North Carolina (3-1) at Duke (4-0) — 3 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
No. 3 Ohio State (3-0) at Michigan State (3-1) — 6 p.m. Saturday on Peacock
Tulsa (2-2) at North Texas (3-1) — 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
No. 2 Georgia (3-0) at No. 4 Alabama (3-0) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC
Washington State (4-0) at No. 25 Boise State (2-1) — 9 p.m. Saturday on FS1

Still carrying a loss to Northern Illinois and with no potential conference championship to save them, the Fighting Irish are walking on thin ice as it pertains to a potential berth in the College Football Playoff. Louisville, meanwhile, could be an ACC contender, especially considering Florida State’s struggles.

After falling in Stillwater, Arkansas has rattled off consecutive wins to advance to 3-1 on the year. Texas A&M is also 3-1, having won three in a row after a season-opening loss to Notre Dame.

The UNLV situation is … well … wild? The Rebels are 3-0 and a frontrunner to claim the Group of Five’s spot in the playoff, but quarterback Matt Sluka left the team this week over NIL disputes. Will that mark the end to the Rebels’ hopes or can they still push forward?

Georgia and Alabama is the national game of the week. The higher ranked team, Georgia is coming off a 13-12 win in Kentucky, while Alabama has outscored its first three opponents of the season by a combined score of 147-26.

Boise State is another team after that Group of Five bid to the playoff. The Broncos’ lone loss was to Oregon on the road. Boise State will get the chance for another resume-booster, as Washington State is unbeaten (including wins against Texas Tech and Washington).