College football is now in full swing. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 5.
Duke is known as a basketball school, but Mike Elko is quickly changing the football program. The team finished the 2022 season with nine wins. This season the team has already defeated Clemson and now have a 4-0 record. If they continue to play well, they could compete for the ACC Championship.
In week 5, they will be hosting Notre Dame, which has ESPN’s College Game Day going to their campus. The Fighting Irish are coming off a tough loss to Ohio State and are looking to bounce back. They will rely on Sam Hartman to get the passing attack going a little better in this game. Duke has a great quarterback of their own in Riley Leonard, who can make NFL-level throws. It will be a much different matchup than most people expect and Duke could come out with a win.
So far this season, Utah has past some pretty tough tests. They have defeated Florida, Baylor and UCLA. To make their start even more impressive, Utah has been undefeated through four games without their starting quarterback Cam Rising, as he recovers from injury. It is unknown whether Rising will be able to return in week 5, but things don’t get easier, as the Utes take on Oregon State on the road Friday Night.
The short week will make things tough for Utah, but so too will Oregon State’s defense. They are allowing 17.8 points per game and it took an amazing effort from Washington State to hang 38 on them in week 5. It will likely be a low-scoring game, whether Rising can play or not. A win on the road for Utah can really help them keep traction in the Pac-12 Championship Game race.
Texas won one of the biggest games of the season so far when they upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Since that point, they have pushed their record to 4-0 with wins over Wyoming and Baylor. While they have played well, they certainly haven’t played up to their potential in those games. They will hope to reach that level of play this weekend when Kansas goes to Austin.
Kansas is 4-0 themselves with impressive wins over Illinois and BYU. Jalon Daniels has returned from injury to impress at quarterback for the Jayhawks. They have a pretty good offense, which averages 37.8 points per game. Their defense has struggled at times and they will have their work cut out for them against Texas and their good wide-receiving core. The winner of this game will take a step ahead in the Big 12 standings.
Two SEC West teams will meet in week 5 with some interesting implications. Last week, Ole Miss lost to Alabama. It was the Rebels’ first loss of the season. With how some other teams have fared to start the season, it looks like the SEC West could be wide open. The Ole Miss offense was slowed down a lot by Aalabama’s defense and they need to get back on track. If they can right the ship they could notch a big win.
Ole Miss is hosting LSU in week 5. LSU lost in the first week of the season to Florida State. Since that point they have won three games. They have had more success offensively, especially when quarterback Jayden Daniels pushes the ball downfield. If the Tigers win the game on the road, they remain undefeated in the SEC, which is very important, considering Alabama also has just one loss that came out of conference. The Tigers’ offense will put up points and the question will be whether Ole Miss can keep up.
Georgia is the heavy favorite to win the SEC East. Who could come in second place? Florida started off the season not looking great against Utah. They rebounded and defeated Tennessee, who was projected to be the second best team in the SEC East. The Gators have been winning behind great defensive play, as they have allowed just 13.5 points per game.
In week 5 the Gators will travel to Kentucky to take on the undefeated Wildcats. Kentucky has won games, but has struggled to find their offensive footing. They are scoring 38 points per game, but have had some droughts during games that are head-scratching. Their defense has been great this season, as they have given up just 15.5 points per game themselves. If the Wildcats can get the win, they will put themselves in good position to be the second-best team in the SEC East.
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