College Football Official Week 5 Thread

[Butter]

Three de facto playoff games this week:

#7 Stanford v. #10 Washington - Friday, 9 PM
#8 Wisconsin v. #4 Michigan - Saturday, 3:30
#3 Louisville v. #5 Clemson - Saturday, 8 PM

Other games of interest:
UConn v. #6 Houston - Thursday, 8 PM
Kentucky v. #1 Alabama - 7 PM
Rutgers v. #2 Ohio State - Noon
Toledo v. BYU - Friday, 10:15
#22 Texas v. Oklahoma St. - Noon
#14 Miami v. Georgia Tech - Noon
Navy v. Air Force - 3:30
#11 Tennessee v. #25 Georgia - 3:30
North Carolina v. #12 Florida St. - 3:30
Oklahoma v. #21 TCU - 5 PM
Arizona St. v. USC - 8:30
#18 Utah v. Cal - 6 PM
Memphis v. #16 Ole Miss - 7 PM
Western Michigan v. Central Michigan - 7 PM
Missouri v. LSU - 7:30 PM
#19 San Diego St. v. South Alabama - 8 PM


Texas, are they for real or was Notre Dame just that bad when we all went nuts after that game?

Miami is 4-0, this is a typical game where they would lose pre-Richt.

Navy / Air Force are both 3-0 going into that one, which will probably decide the winner of the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.

Can Georgia bounce back from that embarrassment? Can Florida State, even though they are one week removed from it?

Oklahoma is staring 1-3 in the face. USC looking at 1-4.

Is Utah for real?

Ole Miss getting revenge for losing in Memphis last year? Without Paxton Lynch, I imagine they will.

Probably the 2 best teams in the MAC outside of Toledo squaring off.

LSU moves on without Les Miles.

San Diego State, playoff sleeper team? Probably not, but they could certainly end up in a New Year's Six bowl with their schedule.

[bob]

Originally Posted by Butter

#14 Miami v. Georgia Tech - Noon

Richt has the benefit of having coached against Tech for many years now and knowing the offense and CPJ's philosophy / whatever it is that goes on in his head.

Uncertain he has the defense to stop the option. Equally unsure Tech has the offense to actually run it.

Outside of a shellacking one way or the other, I think it will be hard to draw long terms conclusions about the state of either program after this game.

[tarcone]

Wow. Some heavyweight games out there this week.

Iowa hosts NW for homecoming this week.

Go Hawks!

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Butter

Three de facto
Toledo v. BYU - Friday, 10:15
#18 Utah v. Cal - 6 PM


Is Utah for real?

I think BYU pulls the win and slows down the "fast" Toledo offense, and we pull this one off. Toledo is a bit of a misnomer looking at who they have played.

Utah I think has a decent QB. I have always said, if they can get a QB that can make the plays in the passing game and not rely 80% on the run game, they will be very dangerous.

I think they will shock some folks.

[PackerFanatic]

I didn't think the Badgers had much of a chance against MSU and they proved me wrong there. Hoping they can do the same this week. Michigan is quite a bit better than MSU, but that Badgers defense is for real. Should be a much closer game than the 10-point spread on it right now.

[tarcone]

That Wiscy team is looking like the Wiscy of old. Tough defense. Consistent, confident offense.

[MrBug708]

@LombardiESPN

David Shaw asked about LSU job opening: "Are you serious? The answer is no."

[TroyF]

CU with a massive game this weekend. It's "only" Oregon St. Yet they come home and tank it against them, it'll take away everything they did last week against Oregon.

Really looking forward to the Clemson/Louisville and Stanford/Washington games.

[dawgfan]

Pretty amazing to me that Friday's game is the first time Husky Stadium has hosted a pair of top-10 teams since 1997 (vs. Nebraska). Really illustrates just how much the program cratered in the time since then, and the long road back.

As much as I'd like to think the Huskies get the win, I'm not sure they're quite ready for the moment. I have great belief in Coach Petersen, and this is a talented team, but Stanford has been playing games like this for the last several seasons. At the very least the stadium should be rocking like I haven't seen in a long, long time. Looking forward to being there and my son experiencing that kind of atmosphere.

[tarcone]

This is going to be a life time memory for your son. Have fun.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by tarcone

This is going to be a life time memory for your son. Have fun.

Yeah, hopefully. He's been to quite a few games now, but this will be the biggest and should be the most hyped crowd he's experienced. He's only 6 and still doesn't have more than a cursory understanding of the game, but he likes being there with his dad. We'll see how well he holds up since the game will end more than an hour past his bedtime...

[Logan]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Yeah, hopefully. He's been to quite a few games now, but this will be the biggest and should be the most hyped crowd he's experienced. He's only 6 and still doesn't have more than a cursory understanding of the game, but he likes being there with his dad. We'll see how well he holds up since the game will end more than an hour past his bedtime...

Aren't you guys known for your coffee? Problem solved.

[cartman]

Will be interesting to see how the week off helped the Longhorns shore up things on the defensive side of the ball. Davis Webb was the kind of quarterback they will see nearly every week in conference play. If they got things going better, then 8-10 wins is a real possibility. If not, then 6 or 7 will be the ceiling, with a lot of basketball style scores along the way.

[Logan]

Rutgers is in for some serious hurt this week @ OSU. Not that there was anything resembling a chance going in, but losing Janarion Grant for the year is enormous.

Don't worry though...big break coming up with Michigan next week

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by Logan

Rutgers is in for some serious hurt this week @ OSU. Not that there was anything resembling a chance going in, but losing Janarion Grant for the year is enormous.

Don't worry though...big break coming up with Michigan next week

Sorry we broke your WR.

[General Mike]

Rutgers goes into Ohio State, comes out with a win.

[mckerney]

Alabama's Tim Williams was found with a gun in his car and a bag of marijuana. Thankfully he was only arrested for having a gun with no permit and no drug charge thanks to the pot belonging to Brandon Chicken.

Where Did Alabama Linebacker Tim Williams Get That Weed? He Got It From, Uh, Brandon Chicken

[CrescentMoonie]

Midway through the 3rd, Kansas has switched QBs and is starting to come back against Texas Tech. Trailing 28-19.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

Uncertain he has the defense to stop the option. Equally unsure Tech has the offense to actually run it.

QFT

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Alabama's Tim Williams was found with a gun in his car and a bag of marijuana. Thankfully he was only arrested for having a gun with no permit and no drug charge thanks to the pot belonging to Brandon Chicken.

Where Did Alabama Linebacker Tim Williams Get That Weed? He Got It From, Uh, Brandon Chicken

I wish I could say this was unbelievable, but it isn't.

[bob]

Jon, what are you expecting for Tennessee - UGA?

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by bob

Richt has the benefit of having coached against Tech for many years now and knowing the offense and CPJ's philosophy / whatever it is that goes on in his head.

Uncertain he has the defense to stop the option. Equally unsure Tech has the offense to actually run it.

Outside of a shellacking one way or the other, I think it will be hard to draw long terms conclusions about the state of either program after this game.

Miami has a bunch of Athletes...that is one of the best ways to neutralize the option ...or to get exposed by it.

I think this may be Tech's best Offense in a while and think they are easily headed to 8 wins this year with 9 a distinct possibility

[CU Tiger]

I cant wait for tomorrow night.
Work today has been a joke of an attempt.

Prime Time games in Death Valley go down amongst many of my favorite memories. We had 2 opportunities last year, and while both were electric (ND ad FSU) both were rain filled endurance marathons for fans.

Tomorrow night should be beautiful weather. Both my kids are coming with me which is a touch unusual in itself they frequently rotate and bring a friend...with my daughter mostly just skipping night games.

Lamar Jackson looks so incredible. Ive had the joy of watching Cam Newton, Peter Warrick, Jameis Winston, Phillip Rivers, Mike Vic, Ndomiunkong Suh, Calvin Johnson, Russell Wilson, Luke Kuechly, Matt Ryan, Charlie Ward, Todd Gurley, Nic Fairley, Jadaveon Clowney and many more visiting players play in person against my beloved Tigers.

If the hype is to be believed this cat is better than all of them.

Regardless of who they play for, friend or foe, I love to see greatness. Memories that you'll never forget either way.

And tomorrow night should be no different. I suspect the Clemson defense will present the stiffest challenge Jackson has faced to date. But I have no delusions of shutting him out. He is too dynamic. Too good. Heck his team is AVERAGING 60+ points per game. So if we could only hold him to, gosh, 40 points below his average we might have a shot.

That's the narrative. That's the belief. Outside.

Inside Clemson the message has been very simple. Jackson will be very likely be the 2nd best QB that Clemson's defense will face all season. Be very prepared.

Jackson is at his most dynamic on the move and with his legs. What scares me more, much more in fact, is the match up of Louisville's big tall WR against Clemson's young unproven secondary. Injuries, defectors, and early draft entrants have left the Clemson Secondary full of very game but lesser talented options. Career backups are being counted on to start 3 of the 4 DBs positions. Clemson's most versatile LB is out after tearing his MCL against GT.

It's going to be fun either way. I just hope we have a downtown after party.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by bob

Jon, what are you expecting for Tennessee - UGA?

A strong urge to drink heavily.

Honestly, it feels like a perfect setup for disaster. Vols come in having accomplished something, against a hostile wounded animal on the road. I can easily see Georgia doing to UT pretty much what Ole Miss to the Georgia.

If both play to their ability, Georgia wins by low double digits, that's how big the talent gap seems to be IMO. Since neither has shown much tendency to actually play to that level for four quarters, this could be anything from a 40 point win by either to a last-second nailbiting instant classic.

That's no help I'm sure, but it's all I got.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Pretty amazing to me that Friday's game is the first time Husky Stadium has hosted a pair of top-10 teams since 1997 (vs. Nebraska). Really illustrates just how much the program cratered in the time since then, and the long road back.

Those UW/Miami games back in '01 or whatever weren't?

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

That's the narrative. That's the belief. Outside.

Inside Clemson the message has been very simple. Jackson will be very likely be the 2nd best QB that Clemson's defense will face all season. Be very prepared.

#1 being the guy they see in practice every day?

Enjoy guys, both should be amazing atmospheres.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

#1 being the guy they see in practice every day?

[HomerSimpson98]

Great post CU and I am jealous. Nothing beats the big-game atmosphere of college football. Nothing.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Those UW/Miami games back in '01 or whatever weren't?

Washington was #15 when they beat #4 Miami in 2000 and #12 when they lost to #2 Miami in 2001.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Washington was #15 when they beat #4 Miami in 2000 and #12 when they lost to #2 Miami in 2001.

That 2000 game is probably the closest to tonight's match-up since the 1997 game against Nebraska, although the 2001 game with Michigan also made for a very hyped-up home crowd.

I'm hoping for some parallels to the 1990 season. That year they had a pair of close, ho-hum wins over San Jose State (20-17) and Purdue (20-14) before obliterating USC 31-0 at Husky Stadium. The current Huskies smashed Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State as you'd expect but had to go to OT to beat a mediocre Arizona team on the road. Can they bust out with a big game against Stanford? I wouldn't bet on it, but the Cardinal are beat-up enough - and Washington is talented enough - that I could see something similar to the 2012 game when the Huskies stacked the box to stymie a Stanford offense that leaned heavily on their running attack (Stepfan Taylor) while breaking in a new QB (Josh Nunes). Now, McCaffrey is better than Taylor, and Burns is probably better than Nunes, but this Husky defense is better than that 2012 crew by a longshot.

Should be fun.

[tarcone]

Thats awesome, CU. Enjoy your night.

I remember watching #1 Iowa play #2 Michigan on TV and I was jazzed. I can only imagine what the atmosphere is in the stadium.

[HomerSimpson98]

Good post Kirk! Not sure what to expect out of U-Dub/Stanford either. On first glance, the Huskies remind me of Tennessee - lots of hype and havent really shown much. Stanford will be a good test for them, but after watching them dick around with UCLA, Im not sure how solid they actually are. They do have a solid D tho. SHould be fun.

What a great weekend coming up

[HomerSimpson98]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

A strong urge to drink heavily.

Honestly, it feels like a perfect setup for disaster. Vols come in having accomplished something, against a hostile wounded animal on the road. I can easily see Georgia doing to UT pretty much what Ole Miss to the Georgia.

If both play to their ability, Georgia wins by low double digits, that's how big the talent gap seems to be IMO. Since neither has shown much tendency to actually play to that level for four quarters, this could be anything from a 40 point win by either to a last-second nailbiting instant classic.

That's no help I'm sure, but it's all I got.

Just saw where Chubb is likely out. That is good news for orange teams.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by HomerSimpson98

Just saw where Chubb is likely out. That is good news for orange teams.

That's been the indications locally for several days but I'll believe it when I see the clock hit 0:00 after four quarters. A little gamesmanship does not seem out of the question.

And, honestly, they're so deep at running back I'm not sure just how much difference it should make. If they get the line play, they've got at least three (and possibly more) backs that could hang 150 easily enough.

[bhlloy]

If you watch a WR get interfered with by two separate defenders on the same play and tackled to the ground and don't throw a flag.... You might be a Pac12 ref

[bronconick]

ESPN's going to have to redo a lot of CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY graphics if Stanford keeps shitting the bed

[tarcone]

Wow. Washington is just rolling Stanford. This is becoming a brutal beat down.

[CrescentMoonie]

Toledo-BYU making an argument for game of the year.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

Toledo-BYU making an argument for game of the year.

Unless you like defense

[Thomkal]

Coastal Carolina looks to build on its strong win against Furman by visiting old Big South (funny to say that now) rival Charleston Southern. Both teams have been ranked the past two years, and Coastal lost to them last season. 8-5 record overall. Charleston took defending national champion North Dakota State to overtime in week 1 before losing, so they will be no pushovers. Would not surprise me to see Coastal lose here.

[lungs]

Getting pumped up for Wisconsin-Michigan. I expected one win out of three for the gauntlet games (MSU, UM, OSU) so they've already matched my expectations.

A guy can be little greedy can't he?

[CrescentMoonie]

Notre Dame should have kept their defensive coordinator.

[larrymcg421]

Miami made that last drive look really, really easy.

[larrymcg421]

And then GA Tech spotted Miami two scores with fumbles in their own red zone.

[cartman]

Longhorns should just got for two here on out. Three blocked extra points in the first half.

[CrescentMoonie]

The Al Groh era at Baylor may be even shorter than expected.

[Atocep]

Rutgers should try running an offense without a quarterback. It's not like it'd be worse than Laviano.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

The Al Groh era at Baylor may be even shorter than expected.

There's a reason they were slow to fire Briles and kept the assistants that were doing the ground work in covering up what was going on.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by cartman

Longhorns should just got for two here on out. Three blocked extra points in the first half.

Just a strange game. The score should be 35-31 right now. I've never seen a team get such dominant pressure on FG's in all the years I've watched football. Between the C and G every single time.

Then you have your secondary tackling worse than some junior high school teams. (Not bashing my team here, OSU has some very fine WR, but cmon, a lot of that was ridiculous)

Mason Rudolph is looking like Johnny Unitas out there. Some NFL team is going to be excited to draft Mason Rudolph. He makes some throws that are unreal (like the beauty on the sideline today) And then he makes some easy throws look painfully hard. I don't see how he succeeds in the NFL.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

Notre Dame should have kept their defensive coordinator.

Yeah Kelly should start updating his resume for end of season.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Rutgers should try running an offense without a quarterback. It's not like it'd be worse than Laviano.

The black knight from Monty Python wouldn't be worse then Laviano.