Football Friday Fives: College Edition for October 22nd From the Sports Mac

Top 5 Games To Watch This Weekend

1.  No. 6 Louisiana State (7-0) at No. 5 Auburn (7-0), 3:30 PM, CBS

The start of the showdowns in the SEC West begins with the matchup of Tigers in Alabama.

2.  No. 3 Oklahoma (6-0) at No. 18 Missouri (6-0), 8:00 PM, ABC

The No. 1 team in the BCS standings goes on the road to Columbia to face a Tigers team looking to establish themselves as a Big 12 contender.

3.  No. 10 Wisconsin (6-1) at No. 13 Iowa (5-1), 3:30 PM, ABC

Points may be at a premium as two of the best defenses in the Big 10 look to establish their dominance.

4.  No. 14 Nebraska (5-1) at No. 17 Oklahoma State (6-0), 3:30 PM, ABC

The Cornhuskers try to rebound after the loss to Texas while the Cowboys look to keep pace with the Sooners in the Big 12 South.

5.  No. 8 Michigan State (7-0) at Northwestern (5-1), 12:00 PM, ESPN

The Spartans hope to keep their magical season rolling with a trip to Evanston to face the Wildcats.

5 Games Under the Radar This Weekend

1.  Purdue (4-2) at No. 11 Ohio State (6-1), 12:00 PM, Big Ten Network

The Buckeyes hope to get back to their winning ways against an upstart Boilermaker team that is having a solid season.

2.  Syracuse (4-2) at No. 20 West Virginia (5-1), 12:00 PM, ESPN2

The surprising Orange look to take a major step forward on the road at the Big East conference leader.

3.  Kansas State (5-1) at Baylor (5-2), 3:30 PM

Both teams look to become bowl-eligible, which would be a major accomplishment for the Bears, something they haven’t done since 1994.

4.  North Carolina (4-2) at No. 25 Miami (Fla.) (4-2), 7:30 PM, ESPN2

Despite all of the problems off the field, the Tar Heels have played well and can take a big step forward in the conference race with a road win in South Florida.

5.  Air Force (5-2) at No. 4 Texas Christian (7-0), 8:00 PM, CBS College Sports

The Horned Frogs better not be looking ahead a couple of weeks to Utah as they get a visit from an always dangerous Falcon ball club.

5 Games To Just Get the Final Score on Gameday Final

1.  Duke (1-5) at No. 23 Virginia Tech (5-2), 12:00 PM, ESPN3.com

The Hokies have recovered nicely since their shaky start and should have no problem with the Blue Devils.

2.  Florida Atlantic (1-4) at Arkansas State (2-5), 1:00 PM

The two teams have only three wins combined and only one of those wins came out of conference this season.

3.  Wyoming (2-5) at Brigham Young (2-5), 2:00 PM

The Cowboys' record can’t be a surprise, but the Cougars have been a big disappointment, especially after the season-opening win over Washington.

4.  Western Michigan (2-4) at Akron (0-7), 3:30 PM, ESPN3.com

Both teams have been left behind in the MAC race and might be playing out the string at this point.

5.  San Diego State (4-2) at New Mexico (0-6), 10:00 PM

The Aztecs are getting closer to a bowl berth this season and should take another step against the winless Lobos.

5 Players To Watch This Weekend

1.  Blaine Gabbert, Missouri QB vs. Oklahoma

He is the key to the Tigers offense and must have a very productive game to give the Tigers a chance at the upset.

2.  Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee, LSU QBs vs. Auburn

This has been the heart of the Tigers offensive problems so far this year and it might take a combination of both of them to help the LSU offense produce on the road.

3.  John Clay, Wisconsin RB vs. Iowa

He had a big game in the Badgers' win over the Buckeyes last week and will need to run effectively against a stout Hawkeye front seven.

4.  Taylor Martinez, Nebraska QB vs. Oklahoma State

The freshman had his first taste of defeat last week against Texas; how will he respond going on the road?

5.  Robert Griffin, Baylor QB vs. Kansas State

He has the Bears on the verge of a bowl berth for the first time in a long time and just needs to continue being the key cog in the Baylor offense.

5 Teams Who Have To Have a Big Week

1.  Notre Dame facing Navy at the Meadowlands

The Fighting Irish can still qualify for a BCS bowl game, but they have no margin for error and must win against a more than capable Midshipman team.

2.  Penn State on the road at Minnesota

The Nittany Lions have had a week off to get ready for the second half of their season. They need a huge effort, or they may be home for the holidays this year.

3.  Washington on the road at No. 15 Arizona

The Huskies start a tough stretch in conference play in Tucson, where the Wildcats will have to start backup Matt Scott at QB.

4.  Texas A&M on the road at Kansas

The Aggies have lost three in a row and have given up at least 24 points in each contest. This week is almost a must win for a potential bowl berth.

5.  Kentucky at home against Georgia

The Wildcats are coming off their upset of the Gamecocks last week and need to keep it going against a Bulldogs team that is starting to find itself.