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I am headed to West Lafayette today in search of pleasant surprises. We are the embarrassing home underdog to a MAC team, but a win over a Northern Illinois team that is very good would actually be a very big step for the program. I think NIU is a better team than the Cincinnati one that drilled Purdue to start the season, so it would be a step forward in that regard.
Purdue also needs this victory going into the bye week. I have a good feeling about today. I will be in section 127 in my regular seats for the first time this season hoping that good feeling plays out.
Also, the good luck charm is there. Purdue is 1-0 all-time when my son is there in person to watch. He is with me today.
Oklahoma's visit to South Bend provides an excellent non-con game, while conference play brings us a full day's worth of compelling football games in Week 5, highlighted by the SEC's trio of quality match ups, as Ole Miss visits Bama, LSU plays between the hedges, and A&M visits the Hogs.
Links of Interest
* SB Nation's Week 5 Viewing Guide
* Dan Rubenstein Picks This Week's Games [Video]
* Week 5 F/+ Picks from Football Study Hall
Week 5 TV Line Up and Game Lines
| Game | Network | Line (Over/Under) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma St. at West Virginia |  | OSU -21 (68) | 12:00 PM |
| Northern Illinois at Purdue |  | UNI -3.5 (61) | 12:00 PM |
| SMU at TCU |  | TCU -18.5 (57) | 12:00 PM |
| Miami (FL) at South Florida |  | MIA -20 (48.5) | 12:00 PM |
| Miami (OH) at Illinois |  | OSU -24.5 (57) | 12:00 PM |
| South Carolina at Central Florida |  | USC -7.5 (48) | 12:00 PM |
| Colorado at Oregon St. |  | OSU -10 (64) | 3:00 PM |
| Oklahoma at Notre Dame |  | OU -3 (48) | 3:30 PM |
| LSU at Georgia |  | UGA -3 (60) | 3:30 PM |
| Iowa at Minnesota | TV MAP | MN -1 (48) | 3:30 PM |
| Florida St. at Boston College | TV MAP | FSU -22.5 (49) | 3:30 PM |
| Wake Forest at Clemson | | CLEM -27.5 (61) | 3:30 PM |
Army vs Louisiana Tech (Dallas, TX) | | LA TECH -1 (52) | 4:00 PM |
| Ole Miss at Alabama | | AL -16.5 (63) | 6:30 PM |
| Arizona at Washington |  | UW -7 (67) | 7:00 PM |
| Texas A&M at Arkansas | | A&M -3 (68) | 7:00 PM |
| Florida at Kentucky | | UF -14 (45.5) | 7:00 PM |
| Wisconsin at Ohio St. | | OSU -7.5 (60) | 8:00 PM |
| Stanford at Washington St. | | STAN -9.5 (52) | 10:00 PM |
| USC at Arizona St. | | ASU -7 (52) | 10:15 PM |
| Southern Miss at Boise St. | | BSU -26 (55) | 10:15 PM |
| Cal at Oregon | | UCLA -34.5 (80) | 10:30 PM |