By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta
Week 4 certainly was fun, let's get right to my top 10 ballot and discuss further.
WEEK 5 TOP TEN
10. Ohio State (last week: 10)
9. TCU (last week: NR)
8. Michigan (last week: 9)
7. Washington (last week: 8)
6. USC (last week: 5)
5. Georgia (last week: 6)
4. Oklahoma (last week: 4)
3. Penn State (last week: 3)
2. Alabama (last week: 2)
1. Clemson (last week: 1)
The big change of the week is TCU joining the top 10 after their big win at Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State had been dominate on both sides of the ball all season and I was really buying in to them, but TCU overwhelmed them and brought home a lopsided 44-31 victory. QB Kenny Hill managed the game well and RB Darius Anderson could not be stopped, TCU were the big winners of the weekend and they have a top 10 ranking to show for it.
If you haven't started believing in the Georgia Bulldogs, then right now is a good time to start. The Georgia offense has so many weapons and their defensive line is one of the best in the country, they took on a Mississippi State team that just throttled LSU the week before and drilled them, 31-3. They flip flopped with USC after the Trojans yet again struggled to win convincingly against a team that they should've had no problems beating.
And we had 2 close calls in the night cap as both Penn State and Oklahoma avoided big upsets. Oklahoma struggled to win against a winless Baylor team, Baylor even recovered an onside kick in the final minute to give them a shot to tie the game but ultimately Oklahoma prevailed 48-41. And Penn State, while they dominated Iowa on the stat sheet, needed a touchdown on the last play of the game in order to defeat the Hawkeyes. It was truly a thrilling finish, that whole last drive was edge of your seat type feeling and QB Trace McSorley came up with the big throw when he needed to most and Penn State got the walkoff touchdown to remain undefeated.
HEISMAN WATCH
5. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
4. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Baker Mayfield remains in the #1 spot for the Heisman trophy, for now. RB Saquon Barkley showcased just how great he is on Saturday, shredding the Iowa defense in both rushing and receiving. Penn State even put him in on kick returns, that's how much they relied on him to bring home the win for the Nittany Lions and they needed every last one of those yards. Mayfield is still the choice, but it's very close now.
QB Luke Falk makes his debut on the Heisman watch as well. I know Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars love throwing the ball, but 14 touchdowns to only 1 interception on a 4-0 team cannot be ignored. Add in his 1,378 yards and 76% completion percentage(yes, 76%) and we have the makings of a darkhorse candidate.
WEEK 5 PREVIEW
#5 USC at #16 Washington State - Friday 10:30 PM
We get treated to a big game on Friday night here in week 5 with the backend of an ESPN doubleheader(Miami-Duke before this is also a good game to tune in for) as USC heads to Pullman, WA to take on the Washington State Cougars. This one will be a battle of the QB's, both USC's Sam Darnold and WSU's Luke Falk are Heisman candidates and have been putting up big numbers this season. So in a battle of QB's, it always comes down to the defense and which team will be able to get the stops. This favors USC, as does a lot of other positions as their skill players on offense are also a bit better than WSU's. But USC has a knack for being a team that doesn't bust out it's full potential and flirts with losing a game that it should win based on talent level. Being on the road could be a factor as well for the Trojans, the Cougars have a big chance to make a statement here and come away with a huge home win. Knowing the way USC is though, after 2 weeks of sandbagging this will likely be a week in which they wake up and play like they are capable.
PREDICTION: USC 44-31
#7 Georgia at Tennessee - 3:30 PM
At 3:30 PM on Saturday, an old SEC rivalry kicks off. Tennessee had a heartbreaking loss to Florida 2 weeks ago and followed it up with a "hangover" game where they barely beat UMass, 17-13. Tennessee's offense looked stagant through 3 quarters against the Gators, but QB Quinten Dormady and RB John Kelly finally started getting a rythym down and put themselves in a position to win the game by scoring 17 4th quarter points, They'll need to find that rythym again and a lot sooner this game against Georgia, who boasts one of the top defensive lines in the country and hasn't given up more than 19 in a game all season. Georgia also boasts a pretty good offense, they are starting a 3 RB by committee approach and may have QB Jacob Eason back for this game as well. Tennessee hasn't beaten a top 10 SEC team at home since 1999 and this will be very tough to break that skid here against Georgia.
PREDICTION: Georgia 26-13
#24 Mississippi State at #13 Auburn - 6:00 PM
Last week, we were all trying to figure out if Mississippi State was for real or not. After a 31-3 beating by Georgia, how real they are remains in doubt. They came in with the #1 ranked offense and defense in the SEC, but Georgia was way too much for them and they didn't show that offense or defense out there. Auburn was beat down by Clemson earlier this season, luckily for them it wasn't a conference loss which makes it a better loss than the one Mississippi State took to Georgia. Mississippi State is clinging for the SEC West title hopes and needs this one big time, and will turn to their QB Nick Fitzgerald to lead the way for them. Auburn also has a pretty good QB in Jarrett Stidham and Auburn can remain right atop the SEC West, along with their rival Alabama, with a big win at home here.
PREDICTION: Auburn 27-17
#3 Clemson at #12 Virginia Tech - 8:00 PM
First off, if you want to see one of the best, if not the best, college football entrances then make sure you tune in a bit early for the pregame here as it doesn't get much better than Virginia Tech's. In a rematch of last year's ACC Title game, the Hokies look to avenge that loss to Clemson and make a big statement on Saturday night. This game will be a big step for redshirt freshman Josh Jackson, whose QB play has put the Hokies in ACC championship contender discussion. His 11 TD's on the season to only 1 interception has gotten some early Heisman buzz, and he can also do it on his feet which he showed off in the season opener against West Virginia where he rushed 11 times for 101 yards and 1 touchdown. Clemson also starts a redshirt freshman at QB, and Kelly Bryant is now not a stranger to big night games on the road. The Tigers went on the road to Louisville and came away with a big 47-21 victory, where Bryant threw for over 300 yards. The big key though, as always with Clemson, will be their defensive line. They have been bullying every team so far and have shut down the best players in the country, even defending Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson. If the defensive line can keep this up then it could make for a long night for Josh Jackson and the Hokies, so Virginia Tech will need to find a way to get him open looks in the passing game and some room to run as well. This should be a stellar game which we could see again later on in the ACC title game, here's to a fun Saturday night involving these two teams.
PREDICTION: Clemson 37-27
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