Week 5 feels like an opportunity to learn about some teams. A few programs have been compiling gaudy records without playing much competition, like USC, Washington, Air Force, Maryland, and Georgia State. A bunch of SEC teams play their competitive peers this week. League play is in full swing across the country.

Maybe we still exit this week without being able to make firm declarations. After all, six different teams received a vote for No. 1 in the AP poll, the most for an in-season poll in almost a decade. But I’m betting we get some separation this week, and some signal amidst all the noise.

Because what a glorious noise it is! Another week chock full of college football. What a treat.

Below, I’ve listed the nationally-televised games, sorted by viewing window for you to keep track. All times are Eastern, because, well, duh. Included is each team’s rank in Bill Connelly’s preseason SP+ rankings to give you a sense of the matchup.

Let’s get it on in Week 5!

Friday:

Columbia (FCS) at Princeton (FCS) – 7 PM on ESPNU

I’ve always wished we had a catchy name for the Friday night ESPNU Ivy League games, in the mold of MACtion or Pac-12 After Dark. Football Study Hall? 

Louisville (29) at NC State (55) – 7 PM on ESPN

Louisiana Tech (111) at UTEP (119) – 9 PM on CBS Sports Network

Utah (18) at Oregon State (20) – 9 PM on FS1

This matchup headlines a pretty crowded Friday night field. What Utah has done without its starting quarterback has been very impressive. The Utes’ defense has been playing at a very high level. What Oregon State has done with a quarterback Clemson deemed wasn’t good enough has also been impressive. 

Cincinnati (49) at BYU (48) – 10:15 PM on ESPN

These teams in the late night Friday slot just screams mid-major college football, but nope! It’s a Big 12 conference game! And SP+ neighbors!

Saturday Noon:

Arkansas (36) vs. Texas A&M (12) (in Arlington, Tex.) – 12 PM on SECN

Bobby Petrino gets another crack at his old program, after taking Arkansas down to the wire last season with Missouri State. Now the talent advantage has flipped in his favor. 

Clemson (16) at Syracuse (30) – 12 PM on ABC

Florida (32) at Kentucky (23) – 12 PM on ESPN

This is the Traditional Unwatchable Big Ten Network Noon Game of the Week. 

Louisiana (67) at Minnesota (54) OR Penn State (10) at Northwestern (93) – 12 PM on BTN

Minnesota allowed one of the worst losses last season, blowing a 31-10 lead to a miserable Northwestern outfit. 

South Alabama (68) at James Madison (62)  – 12 PM on ESPNU

My favorite game of the noon window. The Dukes arrive back home after a three-game road winning streak, and while they must be happy to return home, they can’t be happy about the injuries to some of their best players like left tackle Nick Kidwell and linebackers Taurus Jones and Jailin Walker. 

UAB (104) at Tulane (38) – 12 PM on ESPN2

This is the “do you want to see a dead body?” Game of the Week. 

USC (5) at Colorado (79) – 12 PM on Fox

A 10 a.m. local kick in Boulder as Fox continues to lean all in on Colorado coverage. Neither secondary in this game will provide coverage as thorough as the Buffs get from the media. USC has yet to face a competent offense, yet its analytics are still rough. The Trojans will likely win comfortably, but probably not as emphatic as Oregon’s victory last week. 

Utah State (100) at UConn (132) – 12 PM on CBS Sports Network

Saturday Midday:

Virginia (98) at Boston College (96) – 2 PM on The CW

My god, ACC. There are 69 Power Five teams — that means over half of the Group of Five rates better than these two miserable outfits. When you consider the vast disparity of resources between the two unofficial divisions, that’s embarrassing. Let’s say that the loser gets Charles Huff?

Arizona State (88) at California (65) – 3 PM on Pac-12 Network

Bowling Green (126) at Georgia Tech (74) – 3:30 PM on ACCN

Baylor (66) at UCF (31) – 3:30 PM on FS1

UCF hosts an imminently beatable Baylor team in the first home game as a new Big 12 graduate. 

Georgia (2) at Auburn (35) – 3:30 PM on CBS

This is one of about four games on Georgia’s schedule where it might have to try to break a little bit of a sweat. So impressive.

Houston (70) at Texas Tech (37) – 3:30 PM on FS2

This is the afternoon Petros Papadakis Game.

Indiana (85) at Maryland (33) OR Wagner (FCS) at Rutgers (69) – 3:30 PM on BTN

Kansas (40) at Texas (7) – 3:30 PM on ABC

The last time the Jayhawks went to Austin, the moribund program showed its first signs of life under new coach Lance Leipold when it stunned the Longhorns (You’ll remember this was one of the first major stories of the nascent NIL era, when Applebee’s signed KU tight end Jared Casey to a national commercial deal to sell appetizers by celebrating his game-winning two-point conversion).

A lot has changed since then: Kansas has continued to grow into a competent outfit, especially on offense, where the Jayhawks are downright dangerous. Texas has grown into a legitimate title contender. 

Michigan (1) at Nebraska (59) – 3:30 PM on Fox

It’s kind of annoying what Michigan (and Georgia) are doing with this season, like an NBA juggernaut just cruising until April. We only get 12-15 chances to see our teams play. Can we try a little bit? The total in this game is 39.5, because no one thinks Nebraska will score on Michigan, but also because no one thinks Michigan will try very hard to score on Nebraska. 

Northern Illinois (121) at Toledo (58) – 3:30 PM on ESPNU

South Florida (105) at Navy (108) – 3:30 PM on CBS Sports Network

Talk about a contrast in styles: USF is now a veer-and-shoot team with Alex Golesh, former Josh Heupel first mate, at the helm. Navy is still piloting the triple option offense. 

Boise State (61) at Memphis (41) – 4 PM on ESPN2

A fun matchup between two of the better remaining Group of Five programs. Their identities have swapped from what you knew of them at their peaks: Memphis is now the sling-it-around team, and Boise State has evolved into a run-heavy offense with a pair of talented tailbacks. 

Missouri (34) at Vanderbilt (81) – 4 PM on SECN

The official team of MOYCFW puts its undefeated record on the line as it tackles its first true road game of the season. Speaking of tackling, that task will need to improve this Saturday in Nashville, or else the Tigers will be tested by Vanderbilt’s quality receivers. Mizzou has its own quality receiver; Luther Burden III is one of the best players in the country, and he is all that and a bag of chips. 

Saturday Primetime:

LSU (21) at Ole Miss (22) – 6 PM on ESPN

This one should be pointsy, as both offenses can get after it and the secondaries leave a good bit to be desired. 

Oregon (6) at Stanford (94) – 6:30 PM on Pac-12 Network

Iowa State (47) at Oklahoma (8) – 7 PM on FS1

Charlotte (127) at SMU (57) – 7:30 PM on ESPNU

Michigan State (63) at Iowa (39) – 7:30 PM on NBC

Notre Dame (11) at Duke (24)  – 7:30 PM on ABC

This night slate could be good, but there’s also a chance it gets dreadful. If Notre Dame grinds Duke into a paste we could be looking at a sleepy evening. Hopefully Riley Leonard, Duke’s excellent quarterback, is up to the task. 

South Carolina (43) at Tennessee (14) – 7:30 PM on SECN

Pittsburgh (53) at Virginia Tech (80) – 8 PM on ACCN

San Diego State (87) at Air Force (42) – 8 PM on CBS Sports Network

Air Force has looked fantastic this year, with Mountain West champion sprinter Zac Larrier taking over for Haaziq Daniels at quarterback. San Diego State’s defense has regressed tremendously from the highs of a few years ago. 

West Virginia (56) at TCU (26) – 8 PM on ESPN2

Saturday Late Night:

Alabama (9) at Mississippi State (45) – 9 PM on ESPN

Washington (4) at Arizona (46) – 10 PM on Pac-12 Network

The Huskies have been absolutely gangbusters on offense this year, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. now sports the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. Their defense has yet to be tested, and Arizona, without quarterback Jayden de Laura, is probably not the group to give them trouble. 

Nevada (131) at Fresno State (44) – 10:30 PM on FS1

This is the late night Petros Papadakis Game.