College football is back 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.
One of the biggest games of the season will happen this weekend when Georgia travels to Alabama to take on the Crimson Tide. Georgia was off in week 4, but their offense has struggled so far by their standards. They scored just 13 points against Kentucky. Fortunately, their defense has been lights out, while the offense tries to find their way. Either way, they are one of the favorites to win it all this season.
Alabama has a new head coach in Kalen DeBoer and the offense seems to be finding their footing. They are averaging 49 points per game behind the good play from quarterback Jalen Milroe. Their defense has also been great, allowing just 8.7 points per game. A win in this game could really build the hype for Alabama and their chances to win the SEC.
Last season, Louisville beat Notre Dame at home and now they will be trying to do it on the road. Louisville has started the season undefeated, although they haven’t played great competition yet. They have done solidly both offensively (scoring 49.3 points per game) and defensively (allowing 11 points per game). Quarterback Tyler Shough has bounced around to different colleges, but looks to have found a fit at Louisville.
Notre Dame has rebounded from their loss to Northern Illinois by beating Purdue and Miami (Ohio). They have had success running the football, but have struggled to pass. Their defense has been great, allowing just 9.8 points per game. The Fighting Irish can still make the CFP despite their bad loss, but they likely have to go undefeated, making this game important.
Illinois has surprised many by being undefeated and ranked through four weeks of the season. They have some talent on offense, but their defense has really impressed. The Fighting Illini have allowed just 12.5 points per game. That makes things interesting for a matchup against Penn State this week.
Penn State has averaged 41.3 points per game under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. They have had their ups and downs, as they struggled with Bowling Green, but have also defeated West Virginia by scoring 34 points in each contest. If Penn State’s offense really is going to take a step forward that helps them make the CFP, this game will be a good indication that it is happening.
There are several quarterback controversies in the SEC right now. The most notable is Oklahoma. Jackson Arnold was benched for Michael Hawkins during their game against Tennessee. Arnold is a former prized-recruit, but Hawkins played better during the game. Seeing who takes that job could have implications for the next few seasons. The Sooners play Auburn this weekend.
Auburn has switched quarterbacks a few times this year between Hank Brown and Payton Thorne. So it is worth watching what they do as well. Some other notable quarterback controversies are happening at Florida and Texas A&M. Florida is off, while Texas A&M plays Arkansas this week. In addition to that Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen is out for the year with an injury. They’ll have to match up with Texas this week. There could be a lot of faces we didn’t expect starting games in the SEC by the end of the season.
There is a key Mountain West game this weekend that could have MWC Championship and CFP implications. Fresno State travels to Las Vegas to take on UNLV. The Bulldogs have only lost to Michigan so far this season. Mikey Keene has led the offense to 35.5 points per game, while the defense has allowed 20.3 points per game. They are a threat in the MWC and could spoil UNLV’s perfect season.
UNLV had a week off, but have had a good season so far. They have two power four wins over Houston and Kansas. The Go-Go offense has had some ups and downs behind quarterback Matthew Sluka, but they have done enough to win. Their defense allows just 13.7 points per game, which is impressive given that two of their three games have been against power four teams. A win this week really helps make a case for UNLV to be the early favorite as the group of five representative in the CFP.
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