Friday, October 02, 2026
Alabama opens the road tests; Iowa gets Ohio State next
No. 7 Alabama visits No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday, opening a day that also sends Ohio State to Iowa and Florida to Missouri. All three games pair ranked teams, according to CollegeFootballData's Week 5 AP poll.
The lede
Starkville gets the first of those matchups at noon ET on ABC. CBS Sports previews Keelon Russell versus Kamario Taylor at quarterback in a matchup of unbeaten SEC opponents. The Bulldogs have a chance to attach a home win over Alabama to their September start.
No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa follows at 3:30 ET on CBS. Iowa comes off its final-play win at Michigan, as FOX Sports recounts, and the Buckeyes return to Kinnick for the first time since 2017, per Yahoo's game preview. The other ranked matchup in that window is No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri on ABC.
Scoreboard
Thursday gave the weekend an overtime finish before the marquee games even arrived.
- North Texas 45, Tulsa 44, OT. A replay controversy accompanied the finish, reports Underdog Dynasty.
- New Mexico State 34, Western Kentucky 13. The Aggies won their Conference USA opener, per Underdog Dynasty.
Both finals are confirmed by CollegeFootballData.
Quick hits
- Tonight: Pitt visits Virginia Tech at 7 ET on ESPN, followed by Penn State at Northwestern at 8 on FOX. James Franklin and Pat Narduzzi renew their coaching matchup with Franklin now at Virginia Tech, reports Yahoo Sports. TV listings.
- Florida's next step: Jon Sumrall's start in Gainesville is the subject of The Athletic's latest profile, which examines the buy-in he's earned from players. Saturday takes that team on the road to Missouri.
- Recruiting: Wisconsin landed a commitment from five-star edge prospect Jalanie George in the 2028 class, per Saturday Tradition.
Weekend watch list
Saturday, October 3. All times ET; rankings are the AP poll, via CollegeFootballData. ESPN's schedule and Ohio State's schedule confirm these windows.
| Game | Kickoff | TV |
|---|---|---|
| No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State | Noon | ABC |
| No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| No. 10 BYU at TCU | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| No. 4 Miami at Clemson | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
Also in the night window: Washington at No. 18 USC, 7:30 ET on NBC/Peacock. Both teams are coming off their first losses, per College Football News. TV listing.
Fan pulse
The North Texas–Tulsa postgame thread made the r/CFB daily digest, alongside a clip of Tulsa's deflected touchdown catch. The weeknight games have already supplied something for fans to replay.
The Observer's Call
I'd start with Alabama–Mississippi State, then give Iowa–Ohio State the big screen at 3:30. Iowa's win at Michigan makes this more interesting because the Hawkeyes now get to show what carries over against Ohio State. Florida–Missouri deserves a second screen in the same window, especially after the Gators' September. Miami–Clemson has the prime-time name recognition, but those earlier ranked matchups are where I'd spend most of my attention. Which game would you move to the top of that list?
Friday football starts at 7 ET. Saturday's first ranked showdown is at noon.