10 Biggest Questions Facing Top 25 Teams Heading into Week 6
Say this for Week 6 of the 2015 college football season: It's hosting some of the most unlikely critical conference games imaginable.
Who would have thought that one of the most important games in early October would be Northwestern at Michigan? Who could have guessed that ESPN's College GameDay was headed to Cal-Utah for a battle of Pac-12 unbeatens?
College football is unpredictable like that, though, which means this weekend's results should be just as crazy. In the meantime, though, let's sift through the storylines to ask the biggest questions for Week 6's biggest games.
What are the top 10 questions facing Associated Press Top 25 teams heading into Week 6? Here we provide the answers based on last week's results, upcoming matchups and more.
10. Can LSU QB Brandon Harris Have a Breakout Game Against South Carolina?
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You already know about LSU running back Leonard Fournette. If you don't, here's a video of him clowning Auburn's defense to get you familiarized. Point being: Fournette has nothing else to prove at this point, other than whether he can sustain his Heisman-worthy numbers.
Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris, on the other hand, still have a lot to prove. Harris has lived comfortably in Fournette's shadow, handing off to the sophomore running back 25 times a game while attempting just 15 passes a game.
To Harris' credit, he hasn't been terrible. He just hasn't been spectacular, either. LSU hasn't needed him to be, and probably still won't against South Carolina.
However, the Gamecocks have one of the worst pass defenses in the SEC, giving up 7.2 yards per attempt. With every available body focused on stopping Fournette, Harris has to take advantage of that matchup. If Georgia's Greyson Lambert can complete 24 of 25 passes for 330 yards against South Carolina, there's no reason why Harris can't have a big game himself.
If nothing else, Harris has to eventually show that he can move the offense if Fournette is limited.
9. Can Northwestern Get Anything Going in the Passing Game?
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If Northwestern is going to have a chance at beating Michigan, quarterback Clayton Thorson has to show something in the passing game. So far, that hasn't been a necessity. Northwestern has won all five of its games despite ranking last in the Big Ten in passing offense.
Thorson, who is a more accomplished runner at this point in his early career, is coming off a solid two-game streak throwing the ball against Ball State and Minnesota. However, "bad" Thorson was on display last month against Duke when the redshirt freshman went 9-of-23 and averaged three yards per attempt while adding two interceptions.
As it so happens, Michigan has the top passing defense in the Big Ten.
Thorson doesn't need to complete 70 percent of his passes or throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Stats, in fact, are probably the least of his concerns. What he will need to do, however, is make some critical third- or even fourth-down throws. In other words, he'll have to grow up quickly against a talented and stingy defense.
8. Will Utah's Defense Control Cal?
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Other than USC, Cal has the best offense Utah will face this season. However, Cal quarterback Jared Goff is likely the top quarterback the Utes will face.
The Utes have already handled one of the Pac-12's top scoring offenses: Oregon's. The Ducks scored just 20 points in a historic loss to Utah two weeks ago. Cal, meanwhile, is averaging just over 43 points per game. Goff specifically is the Pac-12's second-leading passer, behind only Washington State's Luke Falk, with 326 yards per game through the air.
The Golden Bears offense is actually an exact 50-50 split on run and pass plays, so they're far more balanced than you'd think. However, stopping (or even slowing) Goff and this Air Raid passing attack is going to be Utah's key on defense. The Utes can score—they've gone over 40 points in each of the last two games—but getting into a shootout would seem to favor Goff and Co.
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7. Can Notre Dame Re-Establish the Run Against Navy?
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One of the true breakout stars in 2015 has been running back C.J. Prosise. With attrition mounting in the backfield, Prosise has taken on the challenge of being Notre Dame's every-down back. However, he had a season-low 50 yards on 15 attempts in Week 5's loss to Clemson. The Tigers did an outstanding job of stuffing the run.
The entire Irish offense looked out of sync against Clemson and got off to a slow start, but the O-line's inability to get a push was especially concerning. Can this group bounce back and get Prosise going again? It takes tremendous pressure off of quarterback DeShone Kizer when that ground game is clicking.
Navy has allowed only one rushing touchdown this season, and that was to Air Force. Then again, Colgate, East Carolina and UConn aren't exactly titans of the ground game.
6. What Will Florida State Running Back Dalvin Cook's Status Be vs. Miami?
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If Florida State is going to make it six in a row against Miami, it would help tremendously if running back Dalvin Cook is available.
Florida State comes into the game averaging nearly 33 points per game, but the passing attack has been inconsistent at best and downright frustrating at worst. The only reliable weapon has been Cook, and he's day-to-day with a hamstring injury. "He’s making good progress," head coach Jimbo Fisher said, per Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel. "I don’t ever count Dalvin out. I’ve counted him out before."
If Cook is unable to go, how will the offense respond? Quarterback Everett Golson hasn't thrown an interception, but the passing game has been hit-or-miss at best. For that matter, Miami should be desperate for a win against FSU. Another loss could mean head coach Al Golden's job.
5. Can Ohio State Finally Find an Answer on Offense vs. Maryland?
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By now, you know that Ohio State's offense has been an enigma. Statistically speaking, the Buckeyes have one of the top offenses in the Big Ten. But watching this team, one can't help but notice that something's just not quite right.
Actually, it could be a number of things happening (or not happening) at once that makes Ohio State's talented group so perplexing. Quarterback Cardale Jones has been off, though head coach Urban Meyer came to Jones' defense by saying, "He's 8-0 as a starter. We're trying to get him to 9-0," per Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod. There's no real vertical passing game, the O-line hasn't given Jones a consistent pocket and running back Ezekiel Elliott, while still effective, has been used almost as a last resort at times.
Where these problems are showing up most is on third-down and red-zone conversions, both of which rank near the bottom of the Big Ten. All of these things won't be fixed at once against Maryland, but the Terps are giving up nearly 32 points per game. Can Ohio State capitalize?
4. Will Clemson's Defensive Line Have an Encore vs. Georgia Tech?
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The story of Clemson's 24-22 win over Notre Dame was how well the Tigers defensive line matched up against the Irish offensive line. Defensive end Shaq Lawson was especially impressive with 3.5 tackles for loss, and was on the receiving end of one of the more hilariously egregious holding penalties of the season.
All of this is eye-opening considering the D-line is completely rebuilt from 2014. Yet, Clemson is beating teams in the trenches, not by outscoring them in the 40s. All of this is to ask: Can the Tigers follow that performance up with an encore against Georgia Tech?
The Yellow Jackets have lost three in a row and are officially in desperation mode. However, Tech's offense has been stuffed at the line of scrimmage against Notre Dame and Duke. That would lead one to believe Clemson should have the advantage in the trenches. Still, the option can be a tough offense to defend. Are the Tigers up to the challenge?
3. Can Florida Avoid a Letdown Against Missouri?
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Florida has already surpassed many expectations for 2015 and we're only five games into the season. First-year head coach Jim McElwain should be in consideration for Coach of the Year after leading the Gators to a 38-10 win over Ole Miss.
Now, can Florida follow that up by beating Missouri on the road—a homecoming game for the Tigers, no less—or will it suffer a letdown loss?
The key matchup here is Missouri's defensive line. The Tigers' strength is in their defensive line, despite the fact that it's once again rebuilding in that area. Enough can't be said about Mizzou's veteran D-line coach Craig Kuligowski, who has done an outstanding job.
Florida's O-line held up well enough against Ole Miss. Though overmatched by stud players like Robert Nkemdiche at times, the line was sometimes able to give quarterback Will Grier a clean pocket. With true freshman quarterback Drew Lock starting for the Tigers, Florida's defense should have the advantage.
It all points to Florida leaving this weekend 6-0. Can the Gators prove everyone right?
2. What Role Will Michigan RB De'Veon Smith Have vs. Northwestern?
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Michigan's leading running back, De'Veon Smith, was absent in Week 5 against Maryland with a foot/ankle injury he sustained against BYU. Lo and behold, the Wolverines had their lowest output on the ground (198 yards) since their Week 1 loss to Utah.
With Smith's ability to get yards after contact, Michigan's ground game just isn't the same without him.
Smith is expected to practice this week "in some form or fashion," head coach Jim Harbaugh said, per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com. Smith's availability for the Northwestern game, however, remains to be seen.
Whether Smith plays or not, this game has all the making's of a defensive struggle. The Wildcats have allowed just one rushing touchdown this season, and the Wolverines have given up just two touchdowns in the last four games. Michigan has shown flashes of being the more potent offense, but, frankly, defense is what is getting both of these teams through the year.
If it's a tight, low-scoring battle, Smith's physical running style could be a huge component of the game.
1. Will Cal QB Jared Goff Throw His Name into the Heisman Conversation?
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Make no mistake, LSU running back Leonard Fournette is the Heisman favorite, according to OddsShark.com, and deservedly so. No one in college football is close to averaging as many rushing yards per game as Fournette is (216 yards per game).
But Cal quarterback Jared Goff is making his way into the Heisman conversation as well. A huge game Saturday against Utah, presumably in a win, could propel Goff to the front of the discussion along with Fournette.
Goff is already statistically one of the top passers in college football. He has the seventh-best passer rating in the country (170.47) and is tied for third with 15 touchdown passes. For all the preseason conversation about USC's Cody Kessler, Goff is right there with him on the stat sheet.
Goff is also getting a lot of buzz for the 2016 NFL draft—should he choose declare. As of this week, Goff is the No. 1 prospect according to B/R's Matt Miller.
The hype around Goff is growing. Can he deliver on the biggest stage?
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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