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Brant's best college football predictions and upset picks for Week 5 of the 2025 season. His top CFB underdogs and favorites on upset watch, including Ohio State, Texas A&M, and more.
College football slates like the one we have coming up this weekend are why the game takes up most of America’s entire Saturday for three months of the year. We have four top 25 matchups, with another nine games featuring ranked teams that have a spread of under 10 points.
When you have a slate like this, mayhem is sure to happen. Two weeks ago, we saw an insane finish in every single time frame of the day, featuring several big-name programs. This weekend should be more of the same.
With huge matchups like Penn State-Oregon and Alabama-Georgia dominating the headlines, these five games cannot go overlooked this weekend. Underappreciated and underrespected underdogs will be on the hunt, and we are bound for a slew of potential upsets.
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Jacksonville State Gamecocks (at Southern Miss)
Starting with a G5 matchup, Charles Huff’s Southern Miss squad has looked solid through two games. Composed of many of his players from last year’s Marshall team, they have fallen twice this season, most recently last weekend against Louisiana Tech. Now back home, they will be searching for a win.
Jacksonville State, on the other hand, has been a force since entering the FBS in 2023. It has lost just three conference games in that time span, and while Rich Rodriguez is no longer on the sidelines, this team has the same firepower that previous Gamecocks teams have had.
Former Rutgers and Kentucky quarterback Gavin Wimsatt and former TCU running back Cam Cook have formed a great duo on the ground and will match up well with the Southern Miss run defense.
This is a big-time non-conference matchup between two of the stronger G5 teams, and I like Jacksonville State to continue its program’s momentum that Rodriguez built with a huge road win.
No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (vs. No. 21 USC)
They were in my column last week, and that went about as poorly as it possibly could have. However, instead of fading the Illini this week, I like Bret Bielema to get his team back on track after the humiliating loss.
I think last week’s game says more about Indiana than it does about Illinois. The Hoosiers are a playoff and a national title contender, and Illinois just doesn’t have that level of firepower. Illinois also lost star safety Xavier Scott for the season on Saturday, which is a blow to its defense.
Coming into town, USC has not faced a team with nearly this level of talent thus far. The Trojans are ranked purely from beating the brakes off bad teams. While Lincoln Riley’s offense has looked great thus far, it is hard to judge how it will look against what is supposedly a stronger defense.
#illini Bret Bielema
"We had a tie for the longest win streak in college football. It sucks when it ends."
"I want it to hurt. I was very happy to see as many guys as I saw pissed in the locker room afterwards."
Illinois looks to rebound quick vs USC Trojans, who are 7.5… pic.twitter.com/PUac4pWs2I
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) September 22, 2025
Two weeks ago, Illinois would have been favored here. Coming off the 63-10 beatdown that it suffered a week ago, this game is all about how it responds to adversity. Bielema is a coach I trust in this position, and while the world sits back expecting a dominant USC victory, I think Illinois punches back and keeps the season afloat.
UCF Golden Knights (at Kansas State)
“Central” was unfazed by Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels, winning 34-9 in its final non-conference game to enter Big 12 play undefeated. Scott Frost is back, and UCF is back. Indiana transfer quarterback Tayven Jackson, the brother of Trayce Jackson-Davis, has looked the part thus far.
Scott Frost makes it 16 straight at UCF with a 34-9 win over Belichick's Tar Heels 😤 pic.twitter.com/92Yb3juNNU
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 20, 2025
On the flip side, Kansas State has come far, far short of all preseason expectations. The Wildcats have looked purely awful, yet are somehow still favored here, likely due to the perceived talent gap and the thought that they could bounce back. I am out on that notion. This team looks defeated, and at 1-3, the season is over.
A rejuvenated team with a whole season ahead of it against a team with no pulse is a no-brainer. UCF continues its resurgence this week with a big road win in the conference opener.
Auburn Tigers (at No. 9 Texas A&M)
Auburn was in this column last weekend, and while it did not win or cover the 6.5-point spread, it showed a lot more fight than it has anytime recently. This Tigers team is for real; they are talented, and they are going to fight for Hugh Freeze to keep him in town.
The Tigers are faced with another tough test this weekend as they travel to Kyle Field to take on ninth-ranked Texas A&M, which holds one of the season’s most impressive wins with its victory over Notre Dame in Week 3.
Quarterback Marcel Reed has looked great, and has a fantastic one-two punch at receiver between KC Concepcion and Mario Craver. The defense, however, seems to have taken a big step back from where last season’s SEC-leading unit was.
Auburn’s offense has talent at every level. While Jackson Arnold has not looked great throwing the ball, his decision-making is much improved, and he is a threat on the ground. Jeremiah Cobb and Damari Alston form a formidable running back duo, and Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. form one of the nation’s best receiver duos.
This may be a high-scoring affair in College Station. After nearly knocking off Oklahoma on the road a week ago, I think Auburn can get this one against a softer A&M defense.
Washington Huskies (vs. No. 1 Ohio State)
I don’t know about a win here for Washington, but this game is flying severely under the radar in a weekend jam-packed with huge football games. Big Ten teams traveling across the country have historically not fared well since adding the West Coast teams, and the Huskies play infinitely better at home than they do on the road.
B1G performance from Demond Williams Jr. earns him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week 🏆 pic.twitter.com/kVC5si5mJH
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) September 22, 2025
They haven’t been tested this season, but Washington’s offense looks like a wagon as it averages 55.6 points per game. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is electric, and Jonah Coleman has made the case to be the best running back in college football.
Julian Sayin will be making both his first road and his first Big Ten start, and it will come in a hostile environment. Ohio State’s defense will certainly help the young signal-caller out, but do not overlook this test for the Buckeyes. The spread on the game is currently at 8.5, and that is not a spot where you want to comfortably hit the Buckeyes.
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