Seven of the Nation’s Top 10 Teams Are On The Road, And College Football’s Week 5 Is Going To Be Wild

Forget any talk about a “breather” weekend in college football, because Week 5 is set to explode with chaos. Seven of the nation’s top 10 teams are hitting the road, and some are even facing other unbeaten squads. You think the schedule looks light? Think again, because CBS Sports experts Brad Crawford and Chris Hummer are ringing the alarm, sorting through the games worth watching and the favorites who should be nervous. They’re telling us to believe in the “light Top 25 schedule” only once the weekend’s over, and honestly, with this much talent playing away from home, who can blame them?

The Chaos Meter Is Redlining: What the Experts Are Seeing

Crawford and Hummer have been crushing it this season, so when they predict nationwide chaos, you listen up. Crawford’s sitting at 28-5 straight up and 19-13-1 ATS, even picking up another game last week by nailing Florida’s win over Ole Miss. The Rebels’ defense just couldn’t handle the Gators, who straight up rushed for 302 yards and dropped a 50-burger at home. Hummer’s not far behind at 27-6 straight up and 15-17-1 ATS. He’s also been watching teams like Mississippi State and Iowa make massive shake-ups and climb the power rankings. With so many top squads heading into hostile territory, these guys see the formulaic script getting tossed right out the window.

Northwestern’s New Digs vs. Penn State’s Bounce-Back

One of the most intriguing matchups is Penn State (-2.5) heading to Northwestern. This is a massive game for the Wildcats, who are opening their brand-new, $875 million state-of-the-art stadium on national TV. Hummer is feeling a Northwestern upset (+2.5), saying if their first half last week was legitimate, they’ll be trouble for Penn State. He gives a nod to the Nittany Lions’ excellent defense, which is ranked eighth nationally in yards allowed per play, but he calls out their lack of explosive playmakers on offense. Northwestern, he argues, has enough talent up front on both sides to be competitive, and he’s giving Aidan Chiles the edge to make more plays down the stretch. He’s got Northwestern winning 24-23.

Crawford sees it differently, taking Penn State (-2.5). He agrees the Wildcats will be hyped for their new stadium but thinks they’re catching Matt Campbell’s team at the wrong time, right after a loss to Wisconsin. He’s sensing a bounce-back from the Nittany Lions as a small road favorite, though he admits it’s not his strongest lean of the week. Still, he’s taking Penn State to edge it out 23-20. You gotta wonder if that new stadium energy is enough to overcome a hungry Penn State squad looking to get back on track.

Michigan On The Road To Minnesota

Then there’s Michigan (-6.5) making the trip to Minnesota, and Hummer’s got thoughts on this one too. He’s looking at where the real value is in this game, and he thinks it’s with Minnesota. The Gophers are sitting pretty at 3-1, with a quality road win over Washington already in their pocket. Meanwhile, he points out that three of Michigan’s four games this season have been decided by incredibly tight margins.

The experts are calling for chaos, and with so many top teams playing away from home, you know someone’s getting blindsided. Get ready for Saturday, because Week 5 is going to be pure fire.

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Originally reported by CBS Sports.