College Football Watching Guide: Week 5 features first round of marquee matchups

By Richard Badillo

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Dave Campbell's Texas Football is taking you through all the matchups you need to watch  in Week 5 of the college football season.

Early Window

Marquee Game: Texas vs. TCU, 11 a.m. on FOX

The Longhorns must quickly shake off their dreadful first conference game against Texas Tech and find a way to fix all the holes that quickly appeared in the ship. Sam Ehlinger is the best quarterback in the Big 12, but spotting teams a 15-point lead 57 minutes into the game isn't a recipe for success. 

Gary Patterson's TCU squad is 6-2 against Texas since joining the Big 12, including a shocking 37-27 win over the Longhorns last season in a down year. If the TCU we saw in the second half against Iowa State shows up, the Frogs can ruin Texas' season. 

Second Screen: Baylor at West Virginia, 11 a.m. on ABC

The Bears looked strong in a first game against Kansas, but going on the road to Morgantown – a place they have never won – will be the first real test. Baylor's offense looked like a work in progress in the first game, but the bar for mistakes will be far lower against a dominant WVU defensive line. 

Other games: 

  • UTSA at UAB, 11:30 a.m. on FSN/Stadium: The Roadrunners are 3-0, but are heavy underdogs going to face off against a well-run UAB program. Frank Harris is a gametime decision, but this is a big chance for the program to take an unexpected step forward.

Afternoon Window

Marquee Game: SMU vs. Memphis, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Last season, the Mustangs traveled to the Liberty Bowl and played one of the most exciting games of the year, a 54-48 shootout against the Tigers. Many of the best players from that game are now in the NFL – Xavier Jones, Antonio Gibson – and Kenneth Gainwell opted out. Still, this should be the game of the weekend. 

When the Mustangs lost this game, it ruined their chances of winning an AAC championship and making a Cotton Bowl. This time around, the Mustangs are motivated to get back at Memphis. A strong win on Saturday would thrust SMU right into the middle of the New Year's Six race. 

Second Screen: Texas A&M at Alabama, 2:30 p.m. on CBS

Heading into the season, this looked like it could be a very competitive game. However, the Aggies have a lot of work to do after a miserable 17-12 win over Vanderbilt last week. Can the Ags get back on track and compete against the Tide? Sure. But it'll take a lot of things going right. 

Other Games:

  • Texas Tech at Kansas State, 2:30 p.m. on FS1: The Red Raiders were seconds away from beating Texas a week ago, but crumbled down the stretch. Was that performance a one-time thing or proof that Texas Tech is better than we thought? 

Evening Window

Marquee Game: North Texas vs. Southern Miss, 6:30 p.m. on FSN/Stadium

The Mean Green lost a matchup last week against Houston after UNT had issues fielding a team thanks to contact tracing and injuries. At this point, it's unclear which players will be available, and even which quarterback will start. 

Southern Miss is led by new interim head coach Scotty Walden, who we profiled on TexasFootball.com. Walden is the youngest head man in FBS at just 30 years old. Some think he's a star in the making – will he show that accumen against the Mean Green? 

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