College football week 5 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 8.
Related:Â 5 Things to watch in college football week 8
1. Georgia is Back
Georgia had some doubters earlier this season, mostly due to their offense not being consistent. They put some of that talk to rest against Texas on Saturday, as they defeated the Texas Longhorns on the road 30-15. The game puts Georgia back up near the top of the rankings this week.
The encouraging thing to see for Georgia was that the offense looked a little bit better and more consistent this week against a good Texas defense. What might be bigger news for the Bulldogs is that their defense played extremely well. They tallied seven sacks and made a good Texas offensive line look bad. Now that Georgia won a big game and looks good, they are back in a good position to possibly win their third title in four years.
2. Alabama isn’t the Same Without Nick Saban
Things felt different after Alabama lost to Vanderbilt a few weeks ago. They then survived against South Carolina. This week, they lost on the road to Tennessee in a game that they could’ve won. There was a lack of discipline and execution that really limited Alabama’s chances in the second half specifically.
Kalen DeBoer has been a good head coach during his career, but this season hasn’t gone as planned. Alabama players aren’t disciplined and the defense has been disappointing. Going from one good coach to another doesn’t mean that things will be fine immediately. There is going to be a rebuilding time period for Alabama, as they just are a different team than they were under Nick Saban.
3. Coach Cig is One of the Best in the Country
Indiana was undefeated heading into the week, but critics noted that they hadn’t played anyone. A 5-1 Nebraska team traveled to Bloomington this week and Indiana proved their might by winning 56-7. That wasn’t just a decent win for Indiana, it was a statement.
Coach Cignetti did a good job at James Madison, but his fast turnaround at Indiana has made him one of the best coaches in the country. Last season, Indiana won three games and they have already more than doubled that total with seven wins. Indiana will likely win a few more games this season at the very least, which really helps show that coach Cig is one of the best in the country.
4. It is Only a Matter of Time for Miami
Miami has been winning games by a slim margin the last few weeks. This week, they defeated Louisville 52-45 in a shootout. There have been some close calls that have helped Miami notch these big wins, but the Hurricanes have to start playing better if they wish to make the CFP.
While the Hurricanes are undefeated, the close calls will eventually catch up to them. They have three out of their five remaining regular season games against teams who are over .500. If they can go undefeated in the regular season, they can afford a loss in the ACC Championship, but if they take a loss before that, nothing is guaranteed.
5. Big 12 is More Interesting Than Originally Thought
The Big 12 was seen as the conference that was the most wide open at the start of the season. It has been more interesting than originally thought. First off, the a few of the favorites in the conference, Oklahoma State and Utah, both have losing records in conference. So too does Arizona, a team that had a great season in 2023.
Iowa State and BYU remain undefeated through week 8. They sit atop the standings, but Kansas State has just one loss and is right in the thick of things. Texas Tech, Cincinnati and Colorado each have one loss in conference as well. None of those teams were expected to be in the thick of the Big 12 competition this season. The next few weeks of Big 12 football will be fun to watch.
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