College Football Playoff positioning is about to get a serious shake-up, and Week 5 feels like the kind of Saturday that can redraw the map in a hurry. With October here and a long list of teams still trying to keep their automatic-qualifier hopes from slipping away, there’s a real chance this weekend becomes a true separator before the dust settles.
That’s the backdrop as the bracket enters Week 5, with a full slate of games ready to move things around quickly.
Boise State is marking the 20th anniversary of its Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, a reminder of how long ago that moment was. The Broncos do not appear to have much trouble ahead in their Pac-12 home opener, but Ohio State is walking into a far more dangerous setup with a trip to Kinnick. The Buckeyes can at least be relieved it is not a night game against a potential CFP contender Iowa, though they still have to brace for a tense, low-scoring road fight on Saturday.
Houston has had the benefit of extra time before heading to TCU, and that matchup looks like one the Cougars should handle comfortably based on where the two Big 12 contenders have been trending lately. Even so, it is still a conference road game against a solid opponent. Florida faces something similar at Missouri, where expectations are now squarely on the Gators as they try to navigate another tricky road spot.
Alabama is also under the microscope. Saturday’s trip to Mississippi State should offer a clearer read on whether the Crimson Tide are back in true CFP-contender form, especially with the challenge of the cowbells and the task of slowing down Kamario Taylor. On the other sideline, Curt Cignetti did not sound thrilled with his team’s showing against Northwestern last week, and that kind of frustration does not exactly bode well for Rutgers.
Ole Miss is dealing with a different kind of aftermath. The loss to Florida is going to sit with the Rebels for a while before they can try to move on next week against Vandy. Missouri, meanwhile, draws what amounts to a breather against an in-state opponent in Death Valley, though the Tigers probably won’t mind given what waits in their next six games.
Notre Dame comes in off one of its most complete wins of the season, and now the question is whether that level of play travels to North Carolina. Wet conditions could be a factor throughout the Carolinas on Saturday, and the matchup between C.J.
Carr and Bill Belichick will be one of the more intriguing elements to follow. Still, Notre Dame’s run game may end up shaping the outcome more than anything else.
Miami has a chance to make a statement of its own in the ACC race, but it will have to do it the hard way. If the Hurricanes are going to keep pushing toward that goal, they’ll need a convincing performance in bad weather, with rain and the possibility of heavy thunderstorms in the forecast, against a Clemson crowd looking for a spark under Dabo Swinney.
Vanderbilt’s game carries its own odd wrinkle. Jared Curtis would need to actually play for it to become the Jared Curtis Bowl, and even if the injured quarterback does suit up, the Bulldogs defense has started the season playing well enough to make life difficult for him either way.
Texas is off this week before its annual trip to Dallas for Red River. That game has a habit of producing surprises regardless of the records involved, so Steve Sarkisian and company know better than to treat the golden hat trip lightly heading into a must-win showdown with Oklahoma.
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Jeremiyah Loves Frustrating Cardinals Role Is Becoming Hard To Ignore
Jeremiyah Loves first NFL months have already come with a dose of reality for the Arizona Cardinals, who leaned on the rookie back carefully even after making him the third overall pick. His usage has been a talking point in a difficult start, and it became even more noticeable in the late stages of a loss to the New York Giants, when the Cardinals were trying to piece together a critical final drive without much help from the backfield.
Head coach Mike LaFleur said Love was not part of that closing sequence because of how the two-minute offense was structured, with the passing game not involving running backs in that situation. Love has also acknowledged the grind of the season and the need to manage his workload so he can stay effective over the course of the year, a reminder that his role is still being defined even as expectations around him remain high. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Just Made Miamis Poll Rise Even Harder To Ignore
Notre Dames latest climb in the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Poll came after a solid road win at North Carolina, part of another weekend that nudged the Irish a little higher in the playoff conversation. Miami also moved up after its emphatic 41-13 win over Clemson, and the ripple effect from that result is hard for Notre Dame fans to miss, especially with both teams still positioned to shape the top of the rankings in the weeks ahead.
The schedule only sharpens the intrigue from here. Notre Dame still has plenty to prove before the College Football Playoff field is set, and Miamis rise adds another layer of pressure to every result involving the Irish. The two teams are set to meet on November 7, a game that could matter a great deal for seeding and, depending on how the next stretch goes, the overall shape of the postseason race. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman Sends A Clear Message After Notre Dame's Gritty Win
Notre Dame left Chapel Hill with a 37-26 win over North Carolina, and Marcus Freeman spent much of his postgame conversation pointing to the parts of the performance that travel. He praised the offensive line for holding up well and singled out Jordan Faison for the sharp route running that helped the offense stay on schedule, the kind of detail Freeman has leaned on all season when talking about how this group wants to play.
Freeman also framed the victory as another test of the teams mental toughness, especially in a game that never really let the Irish fully relax. With Stanford next on the schedule and the Legends Trophy in the mix, the message was clear: Notre Dame has the physical pieces in place, but the bigger challenge now is carrying that edge and composure into another meaningful game. [Read more 🡒]