We are a month into the college football season, which means we are fully into conference play. As much fun as some of the big non-con matchups can be, the full slate of games tends to be lacking, as there are lots of tune-up games and buy games on the schedule. Now, we start to get Saturdays full of intriguing matchups, with more traditional showdowns and some new conference rivalries.
The headliner of Week 5 is a top-5 matchup between Georgia and Alabama, but the primetime showdown in Tuscaloosa isn’t the only important game on the schedule this week. There are some fascinating games across the country, from the expanded SEC and Big Ten, to the Sun Belt and Mountain West, as teams in those conferences are vying not only for a chance at a conference title, but the lone Playoff spot held open for a Group of 5 team. Here, we’ll dive into what we have an eye on for the Week 5 slate as well as a best bet and look back at last week’s top individual performance.
The Game Of The Year (Of The Week): No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 4 Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
The first major test (and the first SEC game) of the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa is the program that has battled with the Crimson Tide for superiority at the top of the conference in recent years — and really, we wouldn’t have wanted it to be any other way. This game is the sort of heavyweight fight that this new era of superconferences should produce more frequently, and I, for one, cannot think of a better way to ring in that new era than the Dawgs and the Tide throwing haymakers at one another for 60 minutes.
Georgia’s offense has had a week off to lick its wounds after Kentucky dragged them into the mud in their SEC opener — the Bulldogs won, 13-12, but they just did not have a way to consistently move the ball. Alabama’s defense has been awesome this year, but teams have been able to move the ball a little bit on the ground. Not much, mind you, but it’s been a much better bet than throwing it. Now, Carson Beck is the best signal-caller they’ll have gone against, but Kirby Smart likes taking the air out of games like these, especially on the road. I expect tons of Trevor Etienne and Nate Frazier, but if Beck has to throw, he needs to be the potential top-10 pick we know he can be and keep tabs of Keon Sabb, the Michigan safety transfer who is a monster.
Unsurprisingly, DeBoer has the Tide’s offense absolutely rolling. Jalen Milroe looks unbelievable throwing the ball, and he’s always going to be dangerous with his legs. Jam Miller and Justice Haynes have combined for 48 carries for 430 yards, which is a tidy 8.95 yards per carry. Ryan Williams is one of the most dynamic receivers in America, and he doesn’t turn 18 until February. Having said this, Georgia’s defense is a different animal than what they’ve faced this season, and even though they’re not the clear-cut best defense in America, it’s a unit with NFL guys all over the place. Plus when you give Smart a few weeks to gameplan, good things tend to happen.
We might be able to drop (Of The Week) on the title of this section. This has a legitimate chance of being game of the year in college football. I can’t wait.
Lock Into This One: No. 19 Illinois vs. No. 9 Penn State (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Your remote might be pretty busy flipping back and forth between the above game and what should be a really fun one in Happy Valley, as the Nittany Lions are hosting the Illini under the lights in Beaver Stadium. Illinois is one of the biggest surprises in America to start the year, as Bret Bielema’s bunch have gutted out one-possession wins over Kansas and Nebraska, the latter of which happened in overtime in front of the fans in Lincoln. Their secondary is nasty, while Luke Altmyer looks like a completely different quarterback than he was last year and his top-2 targets in the passing game — Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin — have been very productive. If they can run the ball, play keep away, and not ask Altmyer to do too much against a stout Nittany Lion defense, they’re going to have a shot.
Speaking of QBs who look completely different: Drew Allar has gotten off to an incredible start for the Nittany Lions this year, as the team has found big plays in bunches on the offensive side of the football. The chess match between that Illini secondary and Allar’s favorite target, standout tight end Tyler Warren, is going to be a blast, and their top running back, Nick Singleton, is as good as anyone in the country. Their defense didn’t look great against the best passing offense they’ve played so far this year (Bowling Green), but if that was just a weird game against a MAC team and they are one of the best defenses in America, Illinois could be in for a long day.
Under-The-Radar Banger: Maryland at Indiana (12:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
The Hoosiers should probably be ranked, but since the polls haven’t quite caught up to the Curt Cignetti wagon, I want to make sure people are aware of what’s happening out in Bloomington. Indiana isn’t just winning games, they’re beating the brakes off teams, and while the level of competition hasn’t been super high, they’re doing what they’re supposed to with lesser competition. This week they get a little test in the form of Maryland, as the Terps can put points on the board in a way none of Indiana’s opponents to this point have been able to. This will be a nice litmus test, because if Indiana mashes Maryland, we might have to start considering them part of the second tier of the Big Ten.
Message Board Meltdown Game Of The Week: No. 21 Oklahoma vs. Auburn (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Hugh Freeze is morally opposed to, like, having a job where things go normally and no one gets mad at him. He cannot get enough of people getting mad at him. This time, he threw his QBs under the bus after a loss to Arkansas, which led to a former QB of his coming to their defense. It’s a tenuous time on the plains, especially with road trips to Georgia and Mizzou on the horizon. As for the Sooners, well, their offense was just flat-out non-competitive against Tennessee last week and if they can’t win this week, it’s very easy to see this season play out with them missing a bowl game. I do not want to be the team that loses this game, is the point.
Who Won The Heisman Last Week?: Alonza Barnett III, QB, James Madison
THE DUKES. My god, did they firebomb UNC last week. Their signal caller, Barnett, was at the center of it all, as the leaky Tar Heel defense had absolutely nothing for him. Barnett was 22-for-34 for 388 yards and five touchdowns, with 13 carries for 99 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. All of the attention after the game was on how UNC was a catastrophe — and, let’s be clear, understandably so — but let’s give Barnett a little love for a monster game.
Best Bet (2-2): Georgia vs. Alabama 1H UNDER 24.5
Georgia has not gone over the first half total yet this season, and I’m pretty sure that’s by design. Since Kirby Smart took over in Athens, the Dawgs tend to ease into the game and lean on the running game and their defense, wearing down opponents before pouring it on late. As such, Georgia first half unders are a principle of mine and now that this has crept up over a key number at 24.5, I like it even more. Alabama certainly can score in bunches, but this isn’t Western Kentucky rolling into Tuscaloosa. I like both teams to start the biggest game of the year out leaning on their excellent defenses and trying not to make a catastrophic mistake early on offense, and if that plays out I like us to go into the locker rooms at half under this total.