Week 5 takeaways: Revved for Red River, ACC’s Notre Dame
With Week 5 of the college football season in the books, we’re seeing some appealing stories beyond the Big 2 conferences of the SEC and Big Ten.The Red River Rivalry is lined up to be one of the biggest games in the series’ current history, West Virginia has actually become a surprise in the Big 12 and Louisville is experiencing a revival in the ACC. (But can the Cardinals slay Notre Dame?)
Here’s a look at our reporters’ essential takeaways from this weekend’s action.Texas-Oklahoma might be
a return to its traditional form The Longhorns and Sooners are heading to Dallas for a matchup that feels, on paper, more like their legendary early 2000s heavyweight fights.In 2009, No. 3 Texas versus No. 20 Oklahoma rumbled to a 16-13 Longhorns win that then-Texas coach Mack Brown said”was more like a battle “a year after Texas’45-35 victory.This year, following a historic 49-0 blowout of the Sooners, No. 3 Texas faces
No. 12 Oklahoma in a match that will mark simply the third time both groups are at least 5-0 (2008 and 2002 ). In 2015, Oklahoma fell to 6-7 after permitting 461 backyards and 30 points per game. The Sooners signed 7 ESPN 300 protective recruits, their most given that the rankings began in 2006. One of those signees, safety Peyton Bowen, the No. 17 overall player in the class, leads Oklahoma with 4 passes separated and has obstructed 2 punts. OU has actually allowed just 54 points this season, fewest by a Huge 12 group over the very first 5 games considering that … 2009, when Oklahoma and Nebraska both did it.Texas, meanwhile, is 5-0 for the very first time since 2009, the last time it won the Big 12.
The Longhorns beat No. 24 Kansas by 26 points on Saturday, their largest win in an AP-ranked matchup considering that 2009 against Oklahoma State.The 2 offenses had big days this past weekend. Oklahoma lit up Iowa State with 523 backyards, while Texas had 661 lawns, its most in
a conference game since the Huge 12 began in 1996. Oklahoma has actually scored 50 or more points in 3 of its first 5 games of a season for the very first time since 2008. It looks like a fitting throwback match for the groups’ last Big 12 version of their historic rivalry, once again with massive implications: According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, the winner of the 2023 edition will have much better than a 70%opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff, while the loser will have about a 30%opportunity.– Dave Wilson West Virginia heats up, cooling off Neal Brown’s seat A lot for preseason surveys and coaching hot spot lists. Neal Brown and West Virginia have transferred both in the rubbish bin with a 4-1 start, capped by an excellent road win on Saturday at
TCU. West Virginia was chosen last in the Huge 12 preseason media poll, a forecast that Brown duly noted, saying in July,”Eagerly anticipating showing everyone wrong on that front. We won’t end up there. “Brown definitely dealt with pressure to win, and a relatively challenging September schedule consisted of Penn State, Pitt, Texas Tech and TCU. But lots of forget that even though last season didn’t work out overall, West Virginia swept the Oklahoma schools and beat protecting Big 12 champion Baylor. The Mountaineers returned some knowledgeable players, specifically on defense. Brown informed me recently that he especially likes his defensive front, that includes junior Sean Martin and promising redshirt freshman Tomiwa Durojaiye. WVU’s defense has shined throughout its start, permitting just 19 points per game and 3.3 lawns per rush. Although Brown has a background on offense, a system that has actually struggled for much of his tenure, he has discovered ways to create wins and favorable vibes.The Mountaineers get a well-timed open week– they emerged from the TCU outing fairly banged up– before dealing with having a hard time Houston and Oklahoma State. They miss Texas on the schedule, so a strong bounce-back season and some stability for Brown appear well within reach.– Adam Rittenberg Football moves to the leading edge in the Bluegrass State For the very first time, Kentucky and Louisville are both 5-0 to begin the season.( No, we’re not talking hoops. )Both teams are likewise about to get a far better test of how excellent they actually are.Kentucky, coming off a 33-14 beatdown of Florida on Saturday at house, will travel to No. 1 Georgia. Louisville, which slipped previous host NC State
13-10 on Friday, will return home to deal with Notre Dame.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated The Kentucky program is as healthy as it’s been under Mark Stoops, who is in his 11th season. Winning three in a row over Florida would have seemed like
a fairy tale during the Wildcats ’31-game losing streak in the series from 1987 to 2007. But Stoops has persevered, made modifications( such as getting Liam Coen back as offensive organizer and plugging in essential transfers such as
QB Devin Leary,
RB Ray Davis, WR Tayvion Robinson, OT Marques Cox, S Zion Childress and PK Alex Raynor)and maintained a difficult, blue-collar method that has actually served this group well. The Wildcats are balancing 6.5 lawns per rush and holding their challengers to just 2.5 backyards per rush.The Cardinals, in Jeff Brohm’s very first season back at his alma mater, are 3-0 in conference play for the very first time as an ACC member. They’ve teetered sometimes against their Power 5 opponents and squeaked previous NC State thanks to a 53-yard basket by Brock Travelstead in the last six minutes. However they’ve likewise discovered different methods to win. Louisville balanced 237 hurrying backyards in its first 4 games, however with the running game packed last week, it leaned on its defense. The Cardinals held the Wolfpack scoreless in the 2nd half and required two turnovers.Louisville has just 2 road games staying on its schedule. Kentucky has four roadway dates left, including three of its last 4 contests. It’s a stretch to believe either of these teams is going to contend for a playoff berth, however their season-ending clash on Nov. 25 could be the most prepared for in years, with the winner potentially having an opportunity to win nine-plus games.– Chris Low Will any person in the ACC beat Notre Dame? Ever?Speaking of Louisville, the Cardinals have a chance to do something no other ACC group has actually done in the routine season considering that Miami in 2017: Beat Notre Dame.Duke was two minutes away from doing it Saturday night. Its defense then gave up 2 huge plays on the last drive, Notre Dame scored the winning goal with 31 seconds left and a long winning streak was extended. The Fighting Irish have actually won 30 straight regular-season ACC games, passing Florida State(1992 to 1995)for the longest such streak. play 0:37 Audric Estime stuns Duke crowd with
30-yard consent TD Notre Dame takes a lead on Audric Estime’s 30-yard goal against Duke with 31 seconds left.There are 2 crucial distinctions here: (1)Nobody will ever confuse the Notre Dame teams of the previous 5 years with those dominant Florida State groups( no offense Irish, these are just realities )and(2 )unlike Florida State, Notre Dame is not in fact an ACC member in football, which is the greatest gut punch of all for the league.The ACC literally asked for this when the Irish joined the league for the 2013-14 season in all sports however football and males’s hockey. A football scheduling
collaboration
— in which Notre Dame would play five or six ACC teams annually–
seemed like a win-win decision at the time. Notre Dame would get help submitting its schedule; the ACC would get assist by increasing its nonconference scheduling and developing more attractive matches for TV.But this has been a losing proposition in recent years. Though Clemson did defeat Notre Dame in the 2020 ACC national championship and has formerly beaten the Irish both in the routine season and the College Football Playoff, no one else has actually had near the same success
. That speaks more to the state out of the league outside Clemson, as the ACC works to improve its football teams.This year has actually been a much better start, with 6 undefeated teams through the first four weeks. But even undefeated Duke might not do the job. Undefeated Louisville is up next. The rest of Notre Dame’s ACC schedule for this season? Pitt, at Clemson and Wake Forest. Somebody in the ACC needs to discover a way to step up and end the streak at last
, for the good of the conference.– Andrea Adelson With the Pac-12 home to 4 of the top 6 offenses nationally (Washington, Oregon, USC and Washington State ), Utah understood its mission for a three-peat would be an intimidating one. Friday’s efficiency at Oregon State, where Utah couldn’t break 200 total yards in a 21-7 loss, only reinforces the truth that the Utes need Cameron Rising back fast.Utah’s offense ranks last in the conference(297.6 backyards per game), and Rising would provide some much-needed stability to an unit that went five straight quarters without scoring prior to tight end Thomas Yassmin’s TD reception in the 4th versus the Beavers. The schedule will get amped as much as another gear, with 2 of Utah’s next 3 games following a bye week coming against USC and Oregon. If Increasing( 18-7 career record with 45 touchdown passes)can make his
2023 season launching on Oct. 14 against California and get his feet wet for the stretch run, the Utes ‘mission to keep the Pac-12 title in Salt Lake City for another year will get a major increase.– Blake Baumgartner Alabama’s development was noticeable In a definitive win over Mississippi State, quarterback Jalen Milroe was efficient, the Crimson Tide got its running game going
and the defense had 4 sacks. This is all a positive push towards Alabama reasserting itself on the national phase, but as coach Nick Saban stated after the game, the team isn’t where it wants to be or requires to be.Milroe throws a great deep ball, but no one is going to mistake him for the country’s most prolific passer– specifically when he only tossed it 12 times on Saturday. If this is Bama’s identity, however, then welcome it and continue to make it much better. No two-loss group has been to the CFP, which makes this Saturday’s game in between Alabama and Texas A&M important. They each have a nonconference loss and are squarely in the mix to win the SEC West. The winner will have a big edge.– Heather Dinich