Dan Mullen has six picks in Week 5, including SEC upset

The 2024 college football season has produced results so far, but with conference play in full bloom, the matchups are only going to get better. That’s certainly the case in Week 5, and Dan Mullen is getting in on the action.

Mullen made six predictions on Friday, even recording a surprising SEC upset. Here’s who the former SEC coach turned ESPN analyst is bringing this week.

REMARK: Daring team indicates Mullen’s predicted winner.

• No. 19 Illinois (+19.5) op No. 9 Penn State
• No. 23 State of Kansas (-5) vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State
• No. 16 Notre-Dame (-7) vs. No. 15 Louisville
• UCF (-14) vs. Colorado
• Arkansas (+6) at No. 24 Texas A&M
• No. 2 Georgia (-1) at No. 4 Alabama

Mullen thinks Penn State will stop Illinois at Beaver Stadium, but he takes the points. Mullen believes the Fighting Illini, who are off to just their second 4-0 start since 1951, will be enough. Quarterback Lucas Altmyer has posted a 10-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and the Illini have already knocked off two ranked opponents this season.

Mullen has Kansas State rebounding from last week’s 38-9 loss at BYU and providing cover against Oklahoma State. The Wildcats-Cowboys head-to-head matchup has major implications for the Big 12 race, as Oklahoma State also suffered a loss last week, a 22-19 setback to now No. 1. 10 Utah.

Notre Dame and Louisville will face off in a game that could also have implications for the College Football Playoff. With how relatively easy the Fighting Irish’s schedule is as of now, and how Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois in Week 2, Saturday’s game at Notre Dame Stadium could be a must-win for head coach’s team Marcus Freeman. Mullen picks the Irish to win, and he expects them to provide cover against the ACC Championship hopeful Cardinals.

Colorado is coming off a dramatic win over Baylor, except Mullen picks UCF to beat the Buffaloes, covering the spread. The Knights remain undefeated with early season wins over New Hampshire, Sam Houston and TCU.

The pick that stands out the most in Mullen’s group is his selection of Arkansas over Texas A&M. Mullen hands the Aggies their second loss of the year, this time against a Razorbacks squad he believes will improve to 4-1 on the road with an upset win in College Station.

Mullen helped Georgia win the game of the week, a top-five showdown between Georgia and Alabama. He also picks the Bulldogs to cover the narrow one-point spread. The Bulldogs have defeated the Crimson Tide just once since 2007, and that was in the league title game at the end of the 2021 season.