College football week 2 is in the books. After every week fans can take away things from what happened on the field. Here are 5 things learned from college football week 5.
Related:Â 5 Things to watch in college football week 5
1. SEC West is Wide Open
One of the more anticipated matchups of the weekend was LSU at Ole Miss. It was a game that featured virtually no defense and Ole Miss was able to secure the win. This was a huge win for the Rebels, as they were coming off the loss to Alabama.
With the win Ole Miss has one conference loss, LSU now has one conference loss as well. Alabama has no conference losses, but there is plenty of concern around Alabama’s offensive line and quarterback play. The Crimson Tide still have a matchup with LSU later in the season, which could really help decide the division.
2. Kentucky Has a Path to Finishing Second in the SEC East
One of the most surprising results was Kentucky handing it to Florida, winning 33-14. Kentucky running back Ray Davis had 288 rushing yards on the game and averaged over 10 yards per carry. The Wildcats had the more physical and more talented team and the win was no fluke.
What the win does for Kentucky is give them a clear path to come in second in the SEC East, which would be a good season for Mark Stoops. Florida has already defeated Tennessee. The Volunteers are still very much in play to finish second, but they have some work to do. For the Wildcats, they could even finish first if they are able to pull off a huge upset over Georgia in week 6.
3. USC’s Defense is Still a Problem
USC did a lot in the transfer portal this offseason to try and improve their defense. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch still doesn’t have the unit playing well. Against Colorado, they couldn’t close the game out without some drama, losing 49-42. They still got the win, but there could be trouble down the road.
The Trojans are allowing 26.3 points per game this season against power five teams. What makes things worse, is that the schedule hasn’t been particularly tough so far. There are plenty of big games left on the schedule and the defense that was largely responsible for the team not making the CFP could be at fault again this season if they don’t fix things quickly.
4. Texas vs. Oklahoma will Decide a lot in the Big 12
In week 5, Texas defeated Kansas in a game featuring undefeated teams. The win sets the Longhorns up well for a run at the Big 12 Championship in their last season in the conference. Oklahoma is also leaving the conference after the season and have been playing impressively. They are undefeated and just walloped Iowa State in week 5.
There is still a lot left to be figured out in conference play, but Texas and Oklahoma look good. The other two undefeated teams in the conference are West Virginia and Kansas State. Kansas State was expected to have a good season, while West Virginia was not. While Kansas could work their way back into the mix too, it seems like the conference does not have many teams who can reach the title game. That makes the Red River Rivalry in week 6 even more important.
5. No Teams are Standing Out
The best seasons in college football are when the unexpected happens. It looks like that could happen this season, as no teams are sticking out as elite through five weeks. Georgia struggled against Auburn and haven’t been tested yet. Michigan has looked good, but they haven’t played anyone else either. Penn State is undefeated, but has had trouble putting a complete game together.
Ohio State has a big win over Notre Dame, but has had some road bumps along the way. Alabama has already lost to Texas. The Longhorns could have issues on defense, which could mean they are in a similar situation to USC last season, and maybe this season. Washington looks good, but still has plenty of tougher matchups coming up. The Pac-12 could knock each other out of contention this season, even while having several good teams. Each week gives teams the chance to stick out, but it hasn’t quite happened yet through five weeks.
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