Gut reactions to statement wins, upsets in College Football Week 5

Gut reactions to College Football Week 5 as Michigan, Clemson and Ole Miss notch big wins, while Illinois and TCU continue a string of college football upsets. 

College Football Week 5 is loaded with juicy matchups. Just in the morning, there was Michigan-Iowa, Ole-Miss, and Kentucky, as well as TCU-Oklahoma in what turned into the most shocking upset of the day.

Clemson and North Carolina State also did battle in College Football Week 5 in a top-10 matchup with the Tigers coming out on top. Alabama, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State were other teams that won ranked matchups, while Mississippi State polished off an upset of Texas A&M football for the second straight year.

What does it all mean? Here are out gut reactions to College Football Week 5.

Gut reactions to College Football Week 5

Night

Georgia is human?

Missouri led Georgia by double figures on Saturday night and that’s not something many expected. The Bulldogs found a way and Stetson Bennett will always be doubted. Every team is challenged and Georgia responded. Still, you wonder after a less-than-impressive win a week ago if a chink is finally starting to show in the armor.

Clemson will be hard to beat for College Football Playoff

For the second straight week, Clemson beat a ranked opponent and the resume will look really good down the stretch. North Carolina State was ranked No. 10 but the Tigers defense held Devin Leary and NC State to just 20 points and fewer than 300 yards. D.J. Uiagalelei accounted for 282 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. It’s hard to replicate that.

Georgia Tech has a pulse, ACC getting ugly 

The Yellow Jackets haven’t won more than three games in a season since Geoff Collins, now fired, had taken over. In the first game without QB Jeff Sims and Tech pulled off a 26-21 shocker over Pitt. There wasn’t a magic formula for Brent Key in his first game as interim head coach. The Jackets ran for 236 yards and outside of Clemson and I guess Wake Forest, the ACC looks like a total mess, just like the Big 12.

Afternoon Games 

Is Bryce Young going to be alright?

Bryce Young left in the second quarter of Alabama’s win. The Crimson Tide led 28-0 and that allowed the Hogs to sneak with five at 28-23. But two touchdowns from Alabama ensured that Arkansas didn’t make a serious run, even with Young out of the game. The biggest question is how long Young’s “sprained shoulder” will keep him out. That’s what Nick Saban is calling it according to CBS Sports. 

Jimbo Fisher will be on the hot seat soon

Last week I said that Texas &M football coach Jimbo Fisher avoided the hot-seat talk for at least one week by knocking off Arkansas but after a second-straight loss to Mississippi State, he won’t avoid it for much longer.

Will Rogers threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns. The Bulldogs also ran for 160 and scored 42 points in three quarters against the vaunted A&M defense. Alabama is the opponent next week and if the Aggies lose that one, convincingly, the fire Jimbo sentiment is going to pick up.

The Big 12 continues to cannibalize itself

Oklahoma State notched a huge 12-point win over Baylor and got revenge for the Big 12 championship game loss. The Cowboys, Kansas State, and Kansas remain unbeaten in conference play, while Baylor and Oklahoma have two losses. Iowa State does too. For one, it’s time to rank the Jayhawks. It’s also time to recognize K-State and the Jayhawks as Big 12 contenders. But the way things are shaping up unless Oklahoma State runs the table or gets lots of help, it’s hard to see them making the College Football Playoff.

Florida State gets exposed 

We wondered if Florida State was for real but the Wake Forest Demon Deacons didn’t buy the hype and notched a huge win in Tallahassee over the Seminoles. Sam Hartman threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Justice Ellison also ran for 118 yards and a touchdown. The Noles have more key games and go and there is improvement, but they aren’t quite ready for the top 25.

Morning Games 

Time to take Ole Miss seriously

Ole Miss has kind of been the forgotten team in the SEC this season. Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky have been the talk of the league. Yet, the Rebels came into College Football Week 5 undefeated and remained that way following a 22-19 win over the ninth-ranked Wildcats.

The Rebels won in an old-school battle too. They finished with 399 yards and had 186 on the ground against a really good Kentucky defense. Ole Miss also finished with three sacks and forced a key turnover late to seal the win.

Don’t look now but Ole Miss is heading to a top-10 near you after a huge win.

Michigan answered some questions

After the close escape against Maryland last week, many college football fans and pundits wondered if Michigan could win at Iowa, a place where the Hawkeyes had won five of their last six against top-5 teams.

One of those wins was over No. 2 Michigan in 2016. Many felt this could be an upset too but the Wolverines scored 27 points against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country. Iowa allowed 2.2 yards per carry coming in and Blake Corum got 4.6. He also ran for a touchdown and over 100 yards for the second straight week.

J.J. McCarthy also didn’t register a turnover. It wasn’t flashy but it showed this Michigan team is for real.

TCU, Minnesota keeps college football upsets flowing

Minnesota has been the talk of the college football world after blowing out Michigan State last week but on Saturday, Purdue stymied the run game and handed the Gophers their first loss.

Minnesota was held to 47 yards rushing and that meant Tanner Morgan had to win the game. He didn’t and threw three interceptions in a 20-10 loss. It was a big win for the Boilermakers and if Northwestern goes down to Penn State, even Nebraska could be tied for first in the Big Ten West following Wisconsin’s embarrassing loss to Illinois.

Oklahoma also got embarrassed on the road losing 55-24 to TCU. That win over Nebraska seems like a long time ago. Hopefully, Dillon Gabriel is OK. That hit was ugly but the Sooners are 0-2 in the Big 12 which is going to make reaching the title game a chore.

They now have zero margin for error and a Big 12 team in the College Football Playoff is looking less and less likely.

(These gut reactions will be updated throughout the date after each college football window)