College Football Predictions: Picking Winners in Each Ranked Matchup

With Week 5 of the college football season already under way, which ranked teams will prevail and which will fail?

There are upsets every week in college football, and this week should be no exception with four pairs of ranked teams matching up head-to-head.

The top five teams in the rankings are especially susceptible to a shakeup.

The top-ranked LSU Tigers will be taking on the Wildcats of Kentucky, so no team in the SEC will be a cakewalk for Les Miles.

Secondly, Alabama will be traveling to Florida to take on the Gators in the matchup of the week. Anything can happen when those two teams face off, so it should make for an entertaining game.

Lastly, fourth-ranked Boise State will be inviting the Nevada Wolf Pack to play in Boise. While Nevada is not nearly the same team they were last year, it will still be interesting to see how Kellen Moore and the rest of the Broncos seek revenge from last year's upset.

Without further adieu, here's a list of the predicted outcomes for Top-25 teams this weekend.

Oregon State vs. No. 25 Arizona State

It is Week 5, and the Oregon State Beavers are still looking for their first victory of the season. Sorry Beaver fans, but you will have to wait at least one more week to pick up that much needed win.

Oregon State will be traveling to Frank Kush Field, a stadium where the climate and fans tend to not be friendly to visiting teams. 

Arizona State's stifling defense, led by Vontaze Burfict, will simply be too much for Oregon State to handle. Expect the Beavers' offense to struggle finding a rhythm throughout the game.

Arizona State over Oregon State 38-12

Northwestern vs. No. 24 Illinois

Surprise, surprise. The Illinois Fighting Illini have crept into the Top-25, and they have done it with solid defense and running the ball.

Illinois has rushed for an average of 241.8 yards per game thus far, which is good enough to rank them 14th in the country. They have also beaten a Top-25 team in Arizona State, as they held them to only 14 points in a Week 3 matchup.

The Fighting Illini have a well-rounded team this year, so don't expect them to falter at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats.

Illinois over Northwestern 31-10

Bowling Green vs. No. 22 West Virginia

The West Virginia Volunteers are fresh off a disappointing loss to the second-ranked LSU Tigers.

Quarterback Geno Smith played an impressive game, but the four turnovers on offense were too much to overcome in the end.

This week, the Mountaineers will get to take out their frustration on an inferior Bowling Green. Expect the Volunteers to roll to 4-1 with ease.

West Virginia over Bowling Green 51-13

No. 21 Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina State

There hasn't been a more impressive offensive team in the country than the Georgia Tech offense.

The Yellow Jackets rank second in the country in rushing with nearly 400 yards per game. They also rank first in scoring with an average of 53.3 points per game.

They are fresh off a game where they scored 35 points against a very impressive North Carolina defense, so look for their offensive output to continue.

The North Carolina State defense has struggled in 2011, allowing nearly 28 points per game. They are also coming off a game where they allowed 44 points to the Cincinnati Bearcats offense.

With a powerful Georgia Tech offense lining up against a subpar North Carolina State defense, don't hold your breath expecting an upset here.

Georgia Tech over North Carolina State 59-17

SMU vs. No. 20 TCU

It will be an intriguing matchup when the SMU Mustangs take on the TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, Texas.

The 2011 TCU team hasn't been the same as the 2010 team, and you can't blame that on the loss of quarterback Andy Dalton to the NFL. Replacement starter Casey Pachall has played brilliantly thus far by throwing for 875 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Horned Frogs have looked sluggish their past two games but have managed to turn on the jets in the second half.

This SMU team is no joke, especially their defense, which has allowed a total of seven points in the past two games.

This should be the first upset of the week.

SMU over TCU 21-17

Minnesota vs. No. 19 Michigan

If you haven't gotten a chance to see Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson yet, I strongly suggest you do so.

Robinson has accumulated 1,176 yards of total offense, including 11 total touchdowns.

With Michigan playing at home, this one won't be close.

Michigan over Minnesota 33-13

No. 17 Texas vs. Iowa State

It was only last year when the Iowa State Cyclones upset the Texas Longhorns in a 28-21 shocker.

This year, both teams will be coming in with a 3-0 record, but the Longhorns will be hungry for revenge. Texas' defense hasn't allowed much of anything this season and will be looking to continue their success against the mediocre Iowa State offense.

QB Case McCoy, the younger brother of ex-Texas great Colt McCoy, was impressive in his first start. However, he wasn't asked to do much except manage the game and let the running attack lead the Longhorns to victory.

This game shall make for an interesting matchup, but expect the Longhorns to hold nothing back against the team that embarrassed them a year ago.

Texas over Iowa State 34-20

No. 15 Baylor vs. Kansas State

There aren't many players in the country who are more fun to watch than Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. He has thrown for 982 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 176 yards and a score.

However, the potential Heisman candidate will have his hands full this week as he takes on the seventh-ranked Kansas State defense in Manhattan, Kansas.

The Wildcats are fresh off a win against the Hurricanes in Miami, so you know they are excited for this game.

However, Griffin III is a very special talent who should have no problem adapting to the Kansas State defense.

Baylor over Kansas State 31-16

No. 14 Texas A&M vs. No. 18 Arkansas

It's the first head-to-head matchup between ranked teams on the list, and both teams are coming off tough losses in the week prior.

Texas A&M blew a 20-3 halftime lead to Oklahoma State, while Arkansas lost to a superior Alabama team.

Texas A&M's loss to Oklahoma State was their first real test of the season, and their offense looked horrific in the second half. Now, they will have to play an Arkansas defense that has allowed under 20 points a contest in 2011.

Oklahoma State was also able to exploit some holes in the Texas A&M's defense, so expect the high-powered Arkansas offense to come prepared this Saturday.

Arkansas over Texas A&M 31-25

No. 13 Clemson vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech

Let the season officially begin for the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Yes they are 4-0 right now, but the teams they have beaten have put a damper on their current record. Wins over teams like Appalachian State, East Carolina, Arkansas State and Marshall don't really seem impressive.

The Clemson Tigers will be the first test for Virginia Tech in 2011, and a win should catapult them into the top 10. However, it won't be that easy since Clemson has been one of the most impressive teams in 2011. 

In the past two weeks, the 13th-ranked Tigers have wins over Auburn and Florida State, both of which were ranked at the time of their defeats.

The Tigers' defense isn't completely in sync, but an offense led by freshman sensation Sammy Watkins at wide receiver is one of the most explosive in the nation.

The Hokies will struggle in their first test of the season and will fall to the visiting Tigers on Saturday.

Clemson over Virginia Tech 35-17

Auburn vs. No. 10 South Carolina

There isn't an offense in the country that has more star power on it than the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Even though Stephen Garcia struggled last week against Vanderbilt by throwing four interceptions, running back Marcus Lattimore and an impressive South Carolina defense did enough to overcome his struggles. 

South Carolina is a team built to win, and that's exactly what they have been doing by going 4-0 thus far. And they've done that without utilizing perhaps their best player, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.

The Auburn Tigers are nowhere near the same team they were in 2010, so expect them to struggle when they travel to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks.

South Carolina over Auburn 34-17

No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Wisconsin

This game will be decided by who wins the matchup between the Wisconsin running attack and the Nebraska's rush defense.

Even though Nebraska has given up an average of 22 points this season, they have underperformed up to his point. Still, with a defense led by Jared Crick, Nebraska has the potential to shut down an offense at any given time.

However, that will not happen this week due to the multifaceted offense that the Wisconsin Badgers possess.

With the triple-headed attack of Russel Wilson, Montee Ball and Nick Toon, the Cornhuskers will simply not be able to stop the Badgers' offense. Wisconsin ranks 13th in the country in points, averaging 42.8 per game.

It should be an entertaining game, but the Badgers will come out on top.

Wisconsin over Nebraska 33-21

UCLA vs. No. 6 Stanford

Don't expect any team to challenge Stanford until the Oregon Ducks come to town in mid-November.

Stanford is one of the most balanced teams in the nation, and they are built in a way that should prevent these types of games from getting out of hand.

Expect Stanford to win this one easily.

Stanford over UCLA 48-11

Nevada vs. No. 4 Boise State

Yes, the Nevada Wolf Pack did upset Boise St. last year, but it is a completely different situation in 2011.

Nevada lost a few of its best players to the NFL, and they will now have to take on the Broncos on the infamous Smurf Turf in Boise.

Quarterback Kellen Moore prepares for games better than anyone in the country, so expect him to come into this game lusting for revenge.

This one shouldn't be close, either.

Boise State over Nevada 53-6

No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 12 Florida

This will be the most anticipated matchup of Week 5. The third-ranked Crimson Tide will be traveling to the "The Swamp" to take on the 12th-ranked Florida Gators.

Florida has been impressive in 2011, but they have yet to face the SEC's elite.

In steps Alabama, who is fresh off of a victory against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Alabama's defense has been astounding this year by allowing an average of only eight points a contest.

And an offense led by running back Trent Richardson allows Alabama to play the type of game that they love to play—run the ball and play smash-mouth defense.

Anything can happen when these two teams match up against each other, but Alabama's defense should be too much for Florida to overcome. Alabama will win this one in typical fashion.

Alabama over Florida 16-6

Ball State vs. No. 2 Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners lost out on the top spot in the country without even losing a game.

It could be due to the "soft" schedule they have played or simply because the LSU Tigers are clearly the best team in the country.

Either way, Oklahoma shouldn't be tested in their matchup against Ball State. The Sooners will win this one easily.

Oklahoma over Ball State 47-9

Kentucky vs. No. 1 LSU

The LSU Tigers are the best team in the nation.

They have already defeated three top teams and did so quite handily at that. Despite playing against offenses like Oregon and West Virginia, their defense is still ranked 14th in the country, allowing just over 14 points a game.

With Kentucky traveling to Tiger Stadium, the Wildcats don't really stand a chance in this one. 

LSU over Kentucky 28-3