College Football: Top 5 Games to Watch in Week 5
Week 5 of the college football season will feature three intriguing matchups out of the SEC, which could have conference and national title implications.
Tennessee will face Georgia in the first of three highly anticipated SEC games on Saturday. That game will be followed by rivals Arkansas and Texas A&M battling it out in Arlington and Missouri looking to upset South Carolina on the road in prime time.
Top-ranked Florida State will travel to Raleigh to face an NC State team that has struggled on the road as of late. Cincinnati will also look to give Ohio State trouble and earn its first win in Columbus in school history.
With much anticipation for the start of SEC play and important nonconference matchups, here are the top five games to watch on Saturday.
Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia
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Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia, noon ET, ESPN
Georgia has defeated Tennessee four consecutive times and will hope to make it five in a row to stay in contention for the SEC East Division title.
Mark Richt’s squad hasn’t lost to Tennessee at home since 2006 and has the talent to take down the Vols once again.
The Dawgs followed up their heartbreaking loss at South Carolina with a convincing 66-0 win over Troy, where freshman running back Sony Michel rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns.
Heisman contender Todd Gurley will be a threat against an improved Tennessee defense led by middle linebacker A.J. Johnson. Gurley didn’t have to do much against an inferior Troy team, but look for him to carry most of the load in the Georgia rush attack Saturday and improve on an already impressive season.
Tennessee heads into Athens with a depleted receiving corps. Team-leading wide receiver Marquez North will need to be an even bigger playmaker in the pass game for quarterback Justin Worley in this SEC matchup. Sophomore Josh Smith and junior-college transfer Von Pearson are both battling high ankle sprains and will miss Saturday’s game.
Georgia defensively was not solid against South Carolina’s pass game on Sept. 13, giving Worley and the Tennessee offense hope after gaining only 201 yards through the air against highly ranked Oklahoma. If the offense struggles through the air, it will be difficult for the Volunteer run game, led by Jalen Hurd, to have any success against a Georgia defense surrendering only 103.7 rushing yards per game.
The Vols couldn’t hold off the Dawgs last season and eventually lost in overtime 34-31. They could hang around for most of the game, but the Georgia offense, which currently is averaging 48.7 points per game, will get game-changing plays from Gurley and take down Butch Jones' squad once again.
Prediction: Georgia 38, Tennessee 24
No. 1 Florida State at NC State
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No. 1 Florida State at NC State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2
After a scare against Clemson last Saturday night, Jameis Winston returns under center for the Seminoles and will look to take down an undefeated NC State squad that has won three of the last four matchups at home against ranked Florida State teams.
Winston served his one-game suspension and now needs to be ready to go in what could be a trap game. He’ll look to wide receiver Rashad Greene (418 yards, two TDs) and tight end Nick O’Leary (156 yards, one TD) as his usual top targets in an offense racking up 429 yards per game. Last week’s hero, running back Karlos Williams, will also look to give the Wolfpack defense problems as well.
NC State barely defeated Georgia Southern in Week 1, winning 24-23. It then had three convincing wins and will now hope to surprise the country with an upset victory over top-ranked Florida State, who currently leads the nation with 19 consecutive wins.
Former Florida quarterback Jacoby Brissett has had success so far this season for the Wolfpack by passing for 1,005 yards and 10 touchdowns. The junior will rely on a backfield consisting of Shadrach Thornton and Matt Dayes, who are averaging 248.8 yards per game. Both have combined for 550 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season.
The big question in this matchup for NC State will be if it can keep up on the scoreboard for the entire game and hold Winston and Co. to 30 points or less. The Wolfpack will also have the task of putting pressure on a Seminole defense that gave up 407 total yards to Clemson last week.
If Winston wasn’t in the lineup for a second straight week, this may be a potential upset. But with him back the Noles should come away with a convincing road win.
Prediction: Florida State 38, NC State 20
Arkansas vs. No. 6 Texas A&M (Arlington)
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Arkansas vs. No. 6 Texas A&M (Arlington), 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
These two former Southwest Conference rivals will face off for the sixth consecutive season and the second year as SEC opponents. Texas A&M has won the last two meetings and is currently on a tear this season with a perfect 4-0 record.
Behind sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill, the Aggies are racking up an astounding 55.3 points per game (second in the country). Hill has already put himself in Heisman contention, as he’s already accounted for 1,359 passing yards and 13 touchdowns this season. The receiving corps should continue to cause problems this week against the Arkansas secondary with Malcome Kennedy leading the way with 334 yards and one touchdown reception.
Despite Texas A&M facing inferior opponents, except for South Carolina in Week 1, the defense has shut down opposing offenses thus far. It's only allowing 11.8 points per game and 124.8 rushing yards per game, which could be a problem for a Razorback offense that relies heavily on its rushing attack.
Arkansas is already proving to the nation that it is a different team this season, as it has already matched last year’s win total of three. Bret Bielema’s squad contended with Auburn in Week 1 and eventually lost 45-21, but has gone on to defeat quality opponents in Texas Tech and Northern Illinois. In both of those games, the Razorbacks won by an average of 29.5 points.
Brandon Allen has looked solid under center and the duo tandem of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams in the backfield has caused opposing defenses nightmares. The two have already combined for 881 yards and five touchdowns, giving Arkansas the eighth best run game in the country (324.5 yards per game) and third best scoring offense in the country (48.8 points per game).
Texas A&M is going to have no problem scoring points, but Arkansas will have to try to keep up by using its run game. If it gets to the point where the Razorback offense gets too far behind on the scoreboard, it will be a third consecutive loss to the Aggies.
Prediction: Texas A&M 45, Arkansas 31
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Cincinnati at No. 22 Ohio State
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Cincinnati at No. 22 Ohio State, 6 p.m. ET, BTN
Cincinnati is 0-9 all time in Columbus and would like nothing more than to hand Ohio State its second home loss of the season and put itself in contention for a spot in one of the major bowl games this season.
On the other hand, Ohio State is trying to prove that it's capable of being successful without quarterback Braxton Miller and make a potential run at not only a Big Ten Championship, but for a national championship as well.
The two last played in 2006 with the Buckeyes dominating the Bearcats 37-7 in Columbus. While Ohio State bounced back from a difficult loss to Virginia Tech by manhandling Kent State 66-0, Cincinnati was forced to hold off Toledo and Miami (Ohio) the last two weeks.
The biggest headline heading into Saturday’s game will be how Notre Dame transfer quarterback Gunner Kiel handles the pressure of playing in a hostile Ohio Stadium environment.
Kiel passed for 418 yards and tied a Cincinnati record of six touchdowns in his debut with a 58-34 win over Toledo on Sept. 12. He will need solid performances from wide receivers Mekale McKay and Shaq Washington if the Bearcats want to give the Ohio State secondary problems.
Urban Meyer, who played defensive back at Cincinnati, will get a crack at his old school.
Meyer needs the offense to produce both through the air and on the ground. Freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett (757 yards, nine TDs, five INTs) needs to make good decisions with the football and get the ball to playmakers Michael Thomas and Devin Smith.
One other aspect Meyer will need from his team is for the defensive line, led by Joey Bosa and Michael Bennett, to get pressure on Kiel. This will be the biggest test the Buckeye defense will have so far with containing an opposing team’s pass offense.
If a determined Cincinnati squad comes into “the shoe” and upsets Ohio State, it will be the first time the Buckeyes will lose to an in-state school since 1921.
It will be a close game that comes down to the wire, but the Buckeyes should come away with a close victory to give themselves momentum heading into Big Ten play.
Prediction: Ohio State 31, Cincinnati 27
Missouri at No. 13 South Carolina
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Missouri at No. 13 South Carolina, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
It’s a rematch from what was one of the best games from the 2013 season. Missouri took a 17-0 lead into the fourth quarter, but then lost it with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter and was forced to go to overtime. A missed 24-yard field goal by Missouri kicker Andrew Baggett in the second overtime was the difference-maker, as South Carolina escaped with a 27-24 comeback road win.
This time around, both teams head into Saturday’s contest limping under different circumstances.
Missouri was stunned by Big Ten foe Indiana at home 31-27 last week, but is still a serious SEC East Division contender as it enters conference play. Sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk, who has passed for 978 yards and 14 touchdowns, will be key in the Tigers bouncing back with a much-needed win over the Gamecocks.
While Steve Spurrier’s squad didn’t lose, it did trail 14-0 to Vanderbilt after the first quarter, but managed to win in a disappointing 48-34 effort.
After a loss in Week 1 to Texas A&M, a loss to Missouri would likely eliminate South Carolina from contending for its first division title since 2010.
Starting quarterback Dylan Thompson had a solid outing last week against Vanderbilt, as he completed 22 of 34 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Thompson will focus on getting the ball to his main targets in the pass game, Nick Jones and Pharoh Cooper. Running back Mike Davis could make an impact in the backfield, if there is success through the air against a Missouri defense that gave up 493 yards to Indiana.
South Carolina has won both matchups since the Tigers joined the SEC, but Gary Pinkel’s squad are seeking revenge and will go into a hostile Williams-Brice Stadium and knock off the Gamecocks in what will be a shootout this year.
Prediction: Missouri 38, South Carolina 35
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