Looking to defend the No. 1 ranking for the fourth consecutive week, Ohio State hits the road for the first time in the 2025 college football season in its Big Ten opener against Washington. Ahead of the Week 5 college football matchup, we will make our Ohio State-Washington predictions.
Both teams have gotten off to 3-0 starts to the season, setting the table for a potentially electric Big Ten opening matchup. Although Washington's overall numbers have been much better, they came against inferior competition, whilst the Buckeyes opened the year with a win over then-No. 1-ranked Texas.
Since then, Ohio State has collected dominant wins over Grambling and Ohio. Freshman quarterback Julian Sayin has looked more impressive with each performance, surpassing 300 passing yards in each of the Buckeyes' last two games.
Washington has been equally as dominant, beating Colorado State, UC Davis and Washington State by an average of 37.3 points. The Huskies simply took care of business in Week 1 and Week 2, but turned heads with their 35-point blowout of the Cougars in their in-state rivalry game. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has since emerged as a dark horse Heisman candidate, boasting a perfect 6-0 touchdown-interception ratio through three games.
Ohio State travels to Seattle off a bye while Washington rides the momentum of its Week 4 win over Washington State directly into the matchup. The Buckeyes opened as two-touchdown favorites, but the betting lines have since shifted slightly toward the Huskies.
With Penn State welcoming Oregon to State College, most of the focus within the Big Ten will be on Happy Valley. However, the matchup in Seattle could carry just as much weight by the end of the year, even if it is getting overlooked. Before they meet on the field, we will break down our Ohio State-Washington Week 5 college football predictions.
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Demond Williams Jr. torches Matt Patricia's defense
Ohio State knows that Demond Williams Jr. will be a handful on Saturday night. Ryan Day and his coaching staff have acknowledged as much, comparing the sophomore to Kyler Murray ahead of the matchup.
The Buckeyes have had two weeks to prepare for Williams and Washington's offense, which is currently averaging the second-most points per game in the country. Williams, however, is unlike any quarterback Ohio State has faced thus far in 2025.
Although Ohio State has yet to be beaten by any quarterback, it remains there for the taking. Texas had multiple openings to exploit in Week 1 that Arch Manning was simply unable to capitalize on early. Once he settled in, Manning had a relatively successful second half against the Buckeyes.
Three games into the year, Williams is fully settled in with the Huskies. He has increased his yard totals in each of Washington's first three games, culminating in a 298-yard, four-touchdown performance in Week 4 against Washington State. Williams enters the matchup as arguably the second-hottest quarterback in the Big Ten, behind Heisman Trophy frontrunner Fernando Mendoza.
Denzel Boston strikes first for @UW_Football! pic.twitter.com/OXyWDe06x6
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 20, 2025
As efficient as Williams is through the air, averaging a stellar 11.4 yards per attempt on the year, he is even more dangerous on the ground. His dual-threat dominance was on full display against Washington State, against whom he racked up a season-high 88 rushing yards and reached the end zone once.
Ohio State wants to pressure Williams, but it also wants to keep him contained in the pocket. Williams has all the momentum in the world heading into this matchup and will shock the world against the top team in the nation.
Ohio State, Washington combine for 70+ points
Since its 14-7 win over Texas in Week 1, Ohio State's offense has been operating in cruise control. Despite a few minor hiccups against Ohio, they have done enough to hold firm atop the AP poll, averaging 53.5 points per game in their last two games.
While Ohio State has steadily improved, Washington has been one of the best offenses in the country all season. Some fans expected a grace period for Williams, but he has hit the ground running from the start.
Although both teams will be facing much better defenses than they have over the last two weeks, both are still driven by their offensive output. Ohio State's defense is the better of the two, but Washington has not even attempted a punt since the first half of Week 1.
In similar games, the underdog often sets the tone. Washington is going to come out firing on all cylinders and attempt to get ahead of the Buckeyes early. The Huskies will force Ohio State to keep pace if it wishes to avoid the upset. They will not have another 50-point game, but both teams will surpass 30.
Many fans expected a shootout in Ohio State's Week 1 game, but instead got a surprisingly rigid defensive battle. Washington will be the team to force that side out of the Buckeyes in Week 5.
Washington hands Ohio State its first loss
Despite blowing past Washington State, Washington remains unranked heading into Week 5. They might not admit it outright, but the snubbing seems to be causing the Huskies to enter this matchup with a chip on their shoulders.
The AP poll might be overlooking it, but Las Vegas oddsmakers are not sleeping on Washington. Ohio State opened as a two-touchdown favorite, but the betting line has come careening in toward Washington. Come kickoff, the top-ranked Buckeyes will only be eight-point favorites over the unranked Huskies.
It will not come easy, but everything is aligning for Washington to clinch a monumental victory in Week 5. The Huskies are riding a 22-game home winning streak, something the program is taking sincere pride in. They went 6-7 last season, the team's first in the Big Ten, with all six victories coming in Husky Stadium.
As good as Ohio State has looked thus far, it does not have nearly as much all-around firepower as it did a year ago. Against inferior competition, the Buckeyes can look like an elite offense, like they did against Grambling. But against legitimate opposition, they want a slow-paced game, like their win over Texas.
If Washington can find the end zone early, it will be up to Ohio State to keep up. While that is certainly within reason, the Buckeyes showed their deficiencies in that aspect late against Texas, and even struggled a bit when they sped up against Ohio.
Husky Nation is going to show out for their team, as they always do. This is a much-improved version of Washington from its 2024 team, and the college football world will be forced to recognize that in Week 5 when it beats Ohio State.
