Photo credit: cbssports.com
Week 5 of the college football season saw the No. 1 team in the country on the ropes, several teams make a statement and other teams emerge as contenders. I’ll break it all down by recapping the biggest games of the week, the biggest storyline, giving a look at my personal Top 5 teams and sharing who I think the players of the week were.
Games of the week
(1)Clemson 21, North Carolina 20
Clemson’s dominating 19 game win streak almost came to a halt in Chapel Hill on Saturday. The Tar Heels struck first on Sam Howell’s 40 yard pass to Dyami Brown, but the Tigers responded in the second quarter with Travis Etienne’s 13 yard rush.
A defensive battle ensued until the final minute of the game when UNC coach Mack Brown elected to go for the 2-point conversion to give his team the lead. Howell’s run came up just short, allowing Clemson to escape with the 1-point win.
Baylor 23, Iowa State 21
A critical battle in the Big 12 saw the Baylor Bears take a 20-0 lead and hang on for a win to improve to 4-0. Baylor kicker John Mayer missed an extra point and field goal earlier in the game but got redemption when his 38-yard kick sailed through the uprights with 21 seconds left. Baylor looks like a team on the rise, and one that could potentially challenge Oklahoma and Texas for the Big 12 Championship.
Best of the rest
I’m not gonna lie; this week’s games were pretty disappointing. Ohio State and Penn State both rolled to lopsided wins over teams that were supposed to be better. Alabama clobbered Ole Miss, Oklahoma ran Texas Tech out of the building and Georgia and LSU had bye weeks. The lone ranked matchup saw No. 10 Notre Dame rebound from last week’s loss at Georgia with a 35-20 win over No. 18 Virginia.
Storyline of the week
Southern Methodist University(SMU) is back from the dead.
In the early 1980’s, the SMU Mustangs were among the most feared teams in college football. The “Pony Express” backfield of Eric Dickerson and Craig James was among the country’s best. SMU finished ranked in the Top 10 in 1981, 1982 and 1984, but then the program was hit with the “death penalty” for paying its recruits. Forced to shut down its football team for two seasons, the program never quite recovered.
This season, SMU is off to its first 5-0 start since 1983, and they could find itself ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since 1986. The resurgence has been led by quarterback Shane Buechele, a transfer from Texas, and head coach Sonny Dykes.
My Top 5 teams after Week 5
1. Alabama(5-0)
Week 5 result: 59-31 win vs Ole Miss
2. Clemson(5-0)
Week 5 result: 21-20 win at North Carolina
3. Georgia(4-0)
Week 5 result: Bye
4. LSU(4-0)
Week 5 result: Bye
5. Ohio State (5-0)
Week 5 result: 48-7 win at Nebraska
Players of the week
Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State runningback
Not only does Chuba Hubbard have the coolest name in all of college football, but the dude can ball. The nation’s leading rusher added 296 more yards on the ground against Kansas State in a 26-13 win. It was already the third time this season that Hubbard has rushed for at least 200 yards in a game.
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma quarterback
Hurts continues to rewrite the record books at Oklahoma, where it seems every week he carves up opposing defenses with his arm and his legs. His 415 passing yards and four total touchdowns against Texas Tech’s notoriously bad defense was the latest stellar performance in a season of dominance. Hurts’ first real test comes in two weeks against Texas.
DeVonta Smith, Alabama wide receiver
Alabama’s receiving corps is big, fast, strong and among the best of all time and with Tua Tagovailoa throwing the rock, they all get their chance to shine. This week, it was Smith who had the spotlight and didn’t let go. Smith had 221 receiving yards and four touchdowns…in the first half!