Week 5 • 2026
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Seeing him like that shook the whole team. But at the same time, we knew that he was our brother, and we were gonna fight for him.” - Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola on teammate Dante Moore following the Ducks’ 41-27 victory over then-No.12 USC
TEAM TO WATCH
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Florida made a statement with a decisive 52-28 victory over then-No. 4 Ole Miss in Gainesville and climbed 13 spots to No. 8 in this week’s AP Poll as a result. The win gave the Gators their first 4-0 start since 2019 and their first win over an AP Top 10 opponent since defeating No. 5 Georgia in 2020.
After trailing by 10 at halftime, Wisconsin rallied behind an exceptional defensive performance in the second half to defeat No. 13 Penn State, 24-20, at Beaver Stadium. The 17-point comeback was the Badgers’ largest road comeback since 2001 and marked the program’s first win over an AP Top 15 opponent since defeating No. 9 Iowa in 2021. Wisconsin improved to 3-1 on the season with the win, its best start since Luke Fickell’s first full season as head coach in 2023.
FLORIDA
Florida chomped through the Ole Miss defense with an elite rushing attack from Jadan Baugh and Duke Clark, who combined for 268 yards and four touchdowns. Baugh continued his historic start to the season with 29 carries for 142 yards and three touchdowns to become the third Gator in history to rush for at least 100 yards in five straight games, joining Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor. Clark recorded 12 carries for 126 yards (10.5 ypc) and a score. Holding a 31-21 lead after three quarters, Florida separated with a 21-point fourth quarter, where the defense allowed just one touchdown, followed by a three-and-out and an interception to secure the victory. The Gators face another test Saturday when they travel to No. 25 Missouri at 12:30 p.m. PHX on ABC.
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WISCONSIN
With 1:25 left in the game, Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph connected with tight end Jacob Harris who was wide open over the middle of the field for a 72-yard catch-and-run touchdown to take the 24-20 lead. Penn State drove into Wisconsin territory on the ensuing possession, but the Badgers defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs to seal the win. Wisconsin allowed just three points in the second half, forcing four punts and recording an interception. The Badgers look to extend their winning streak to four when they face Michigan State on Saturday, October 3, at 9:30 a.m. PHX on Big Ten Network.
Week 5
GAMES TO WATCH PITT AT VIRGINIA TECH
10.2 // 4:00 P.M. // ESPN
#7 ALABAMA AT #16 MISSISSIPPI STATE
AP WEEK 5 RANKINGS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Texas Georgia Notre Dame Miami (+2) Ohio State (+2)
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Indiana (-1) Alabama (+1) Florida (+13) Ole Miss (-5) BYU (-1)
For a full AP Top 25 Rankings, click here.
10.3 // 9:00 A.M. // ABC
#8 FLORIDA AT #25 MISSOURI
10.3 // 12:30 P.M. // ABC
#24 KENTUCKY AT SOUTH CAROLINA
GAME OF THE WEEK #5 OHIO STATE AT #14 IOWA
The push for the College Football Playoff continues, as No. 5 Ohio State faces a hot No. 14 Iowa team at
10.3 // 1:15 P.M. // SEC NETWORK
Kinnick Stadium. Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz — the
#4 MIAMI AT CLEMSON
against Ohio State since 2000. The Hawkeyes seek their first
10.3 // 4:30 P.M. // ABC
For a full schedule of Week 5 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
longest tenured FBS head coach at 28 seasons — is 2-8 win over the Buckeyes since 2017, while Ohio State looks to claim its first win over an AP Top 25 team this season. A key matchup to watch is Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith versus Iowa’s secondary. Smith ranks first in the country with 617 yards and seven touchdowns and has posted at least 150 yards and a score in three games this season. The Hawkeyes will lean on cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Deshaun Lee to defend Smith. Watson has allowed just five catches on 12 targets for 83 yards, while Lee has surrendered only three catches for 28 yards with two interceptions. Kickoff at Kinnick Stadium is set for Saturday, October 3, at
2026 BOWL PREDICTIONS
12:30 p.m. PHX on CBS.
CFP QUARTERFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
CACTUS BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Miami
ESPN Schlabach – Northwestern vs. Baylor
Sports Illustrated – No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 Texas
Sports Illustrated – Nebraska vs. UCF
CBS Sports – No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
CBS Sports – Minnesota vs. West Virginia
USA Today – No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 Texas
USA Today – Wisconsin vs. Baylor
Pro Football Network – Texas vs. BYU
Pro Football Network – Wisconsin vs. UCF
Athlon Sports – No. 4 Ole Miss vs. No. 5 Indiana
Athlon Sports – Nebraska vs. Kansas State
Week 5
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
MARCUS MARIOTA The Commanders shocked the NFL on Sunday, as Marcus Mariota stepped in for the injured Jayden Daniels and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, 33-31, handing Seattle its first loss of the season. Mariota dissected one of the league’s best defenses, completing 19-of-31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers. Mariota got Washington on the board first with a six-yard touchdown to running back Rachaad White on the team’s second drive and threw another touchdown in the second quarter to wide receiver Treylon Burks to give the Commanders a 14-7 advantage. The Commanders’ early lead allowed them to dictate the game the rest of the way and they never trailed at any point. In the 2012-13 Fiesta Bowl, Mariota was named Offensive MVP, throwing for 166 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 62 yards and a score on the ground. His efficient performance led No. 4 Oregon to a 35-17 victory over No. 5 Kansas State, and the Ducks finished the year 12-1. With Daniels questionable to return, Mariota could start for a second consecutive week, as Washington travels to London to face Indianapolis on Sunday, October 4, at 6:30 a.m. PHX on NFL Network.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
JEREMIAH SMITH OHIO STATE
COLIN SIMMONS TEXAS
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith strengthened his Heisman Trophy case with a career-best performance in a 42-19 win over Illinois. Smith posted 12 receptions for 217 yards and tied a program record with four touchdowns. He became just the third Power Four receiver since 2015 to record at least 150 yards and two touchdowns in one half, joining former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith and Ja’Marr Chase. Smith was recognized as the AP National Player of the Week, Maxwell and Walter Camp National Player of the Week and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
Edge rusher Colin Simmons was unstoppable in No. 1 Texas’ 20-17 victory over No. 14 Tennessee, recording an SEC and program record 5.5 sacks for 55 yards. He also posted nine tackles and a forced fumble. Simmons became the first FBS player in the last 20 years to tally at least five sacks against a ranked opponent and leads the nation with 7.5 sacks. His dominant performance earned him the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors.
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Week 5
BIG NEWS The Cactus Bowl enters an exciting new era with a fresh rebranding rooted in its Arizona heritage. The game will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup and is set for 5:30 p.m. MST on Saturday, December 26, in its grand return to Mountain America Stadium. As we eagerly await kickoff in Tempe, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news heading into Week 5:
BIG TEN •
Iowa pulled off a miracle at the Big House as quarterback Hank Brown delivered a perfect 16-yard back-shoulder pass to wide receiver Reece Vander Zee as time expired to defeat then-No. 18 Michigan, 20-19, and remain unbeaten at 4-0. The Hawkeyes drove 91 yards on the game-winning drive, including an improbable 27-yard reception by tight end Addison Ostrenga with :02 left to set up the game-winning touchdown
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Quarterback Dylan Raiola rallied Oregon to a 41-27 win over then-No. 12 USC after Dante Moore exited with an injury. Despite a slow start to the season, Oregon finds itself back in the CFP discussion, rising five spots to No. 15 in this week’s AP poll. The Ducks return from their bye to face No. 23 UCLA on Saturday, October 10
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UCLA (4-0) is ranked No. 23 in the AP poll, making its first appearance since 2023. The Bruins average 44.8 points per game, which ranks seventh nationally, and have defeated each of their opponents by at least two scores. Head Coach Bob Chesney has immediately changed the outlook of UCLA football and is further proving his value as a coach after leading James Madison to the CFP a season ago
BIG 12 •
Oklahoma State reenters the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2024 at No. 19 after a 3-1 start to the season. Overcoming a season-opening loss to Tulsa, the Cowboys reignited their season with a 39-31 upset of then-No. 6 Oregon, followed by wins against Murray State and West Virginia. Oklahoma State has outscored its opponents 139-55 during its three-game winning streak
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Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors and ranks fourth nationally with 1,271 passing yards. West Virginia running back Cam Cook’s 510 rushing yards ranks fifth in the country, while quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has rushed for 425 yards which ranks 10th overall and first among FBS quarterbacks.
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Cincinnati has quietly opened the season at 4-0 behind one of the nation’s top rushing attacks, ranking third nationally with 16 rushing touchdowns and fourth with 1,080 rushing yards (270.0 ypg). This marks Cincinnati’s first 4-0 start since 2021, which led to an undefeated regular season and CFP berth.
HOT TAKES “Boise State will make the CFP. After almost beating Oregon Week 1, the Broncos have been holding it down and I believe we will see another CFP appearance by the Broncos this year.” – Teddy Sinal, Indiana “Bear with me but Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons could join Travis Hunter and Charles Woodson and become the third true defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy if he can explode with 20 sacks on a top-10 defense.” – Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle CLICK HERE to submit your hot takes for a chance to be featured in next week’s edition!
Week 5
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NEWS IN THE FOUNDATION CHARITY SPOTLIGHT FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION AND ARIZONA MILK PRODUCERS TEAM UP FOR “MOO & BOO” DAIRY DRIVE BENEFITING UNITED FOOD BANK
TEACHER FEATURE: WISHES FOR TEACHERS RECIPIENT PATTY MESSNER INSPIRES RURAL STUDENTS THROUGH WRITING AND ART When new picture frames went up around the Pearce Elementary School cafeteria, Patty Messner’s students noticed their artwork right away. “The first week in there, the kids were like, ‘Oh, look at the frames! Wow, this is so cool,’” Messner said. The enthusiastic reaction from Messner’s fifth through eighth grade students was exactly what she had hoped for when hanging their work just days earlier, in frames purchased through Fiesta Sports Foundation Wishes for Teachers. She wanted her students to see that her projects aren’t just another assignment to turn in, but something worth displaying and celebrating. “Their work is valued beyond taping to a window,” Messner said. “Now, it looks like a museum.”
Fiesta Sports Foundation and Arizona Milk Producers are teaming up to help put milk on the tables of Arizona families facing food insecurity. The organizations are coming together to collect online donations through the “Moo & Boo” Dairy Drive, a Halloween-themed campaign benefiting United Food Bank that runs from October 1-30. During the monthlong Dairy Drive, community members are encouraged to give online at give.unitedfoodbank.org/dairy. Donations help United Food Bank provide milk and other highly requested dairy products to the 140,000+ individuals it serves every month. The drive concludes with a volunteer event on Friday, October 30, from 8:30-11:00 a.m. at the United Food Bank Volunteer Center (358 E. Javelina Ave., Mesa, AZ 85210). Volunteers will pack emergency food boxes and stock the center’s refrigerators with gallons of milk, which will be distributed along with the boxes and other donated dairy products.
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Week 5
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL DECEMBER 30, 2026
CACTUS BOWL
DECEMBER 26, 2026
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Week 5
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