Historical betting trends and double-digit point spreads define Week 5 of the college football season on October 2, 2026, with several top-ranked teams facing critical road and home tests.
Favorites of 14 points or more have posted a 192-5 straight-up record this season, underlining their dominance.
Ohio State's Road Dominance vs. Iowa's Struggles
Fifth-ranked Ohio State, under head coach Ryan Day, enters its matchup against Iowa with a 26-0 road record when favored by double digits.
In their last nine such games since 2023, the Buckeyes allowed just 8.4 points per game and never conceded more than 16 points.
Iowa, conversely, has lost seven consecutive games as a double-digit underdog, by an average margin of 29.3 points since upsetting Ohio State in 2017.
The Hawkeyes failed to score more than 14 points or cover the spread in any of those seven contests.
A historical shift marks the Alabama versus Mississippi State game, where the Crimson Tide are favored by seven points or fewer in Starkville for the first time since 2007.
That 2007 contest was also the last time Mississippi State defeated Alabama.
Clemson enters its game as more than a four-point home underdog for the first time since a 2013 loss to Florida State.
Under head coach Dabo Swinney, this marks just the sixth time the Tigers are double-digit underdogs, having failed to secure an upset in the previous five instances.
Following a loss to Northern Illinois as a 28.5-point favorite, Notre Dame has secured 15 straight victories when favored by 20 or more points.
The Fighting Irish averaged a 33-point winning margin while limiting opponents to 10.1 points per game during that span.
Additional program trends show Missouri losing nine straight regular-season games against ranked opponents, while head coach Eli Drinkwitz fell to 0-10 in regular-season contests against top-10 teams.
Auburn holds a 1-21 record in its last 22 games against ranked foes, and Colorado has won just two of its last 14 games against Power 4 opponents.
