College Football Week 5: Most Impressive Teams from Early Slate of Games

Can this Michigan Wolverines team be beat this year? In one half in their Big Ten opener versus the Minnesota Golden Gophers, they came firing out of the gates with a 31-0 lead.

The spread in this game was only 20; so to open to a 38-point halftime lead is shocking. 

Maybe the nay-sayers about Denard Robinson and this Michigan team are wrong. Maybe this Michigan team is for real. Or maybe this is a Michigan team that still has to play Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska. 

Either way their first half performance and these other great performances have made fans take notice of their games today. 

Note: Sorry Penn State and Indiana fans, your game did not make the cut. 

Texas A&M vs. Arkansas

Wow is Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill a good quarterback.

Strike that, he is a great quarterback; as he's just having his way with this Arkansas defense. Just watching him sit back there in the pocket hitting Aggie receivers is a thing of beauty. 

On the day he's 15-of-19 for 179 yards passing. 

But it's the Aggie running game that is dominating the touchdowns today. They have five touchdowns between two running backs just in the first half. 

That's 30 minutes of football and five touchdowns with 225 yards rushing. 

Let's see if they can continue this offensive outburst in the second half. 

UPDATE: Ummmm what the EFFF happened?!?!?!

Georgia vs. Mississippi State

In a Bulldog vs. Bulldog matchup, one school played like pure breeds while the other has played like mutts. 

Georgia came into this game as the hotter team and has played like that through one half of football. 

Mississippi State has yet to find a way to stop Georgia's Aaron Murray; as for the day, Murray has two touchdowns and 137 yards passing. 

But what should scare Mississippi State fans is their inability to shut down Georgia's running game. Isaiah Crowell is rushing for 7.5 yards per carry for a total of 90 yards on 12 carries. That's a pace of 180 yards for today. 

Mississippi State has two interceptions today which is good. They have to find a way to stop Crowell. 

UPDATE: Aaron Murry threw two more interceptions and Isaiah Crowell had 10 more yards rushing in the game. It was quite the letdown after a great first half. 

Tennessee vs. Buffalo

This shouldn't be a surprising slide as Tennessee should be playing great against a non-BCS school in Buffalo. 

But on the day Tennessee's QB Tyler Bray is 12-of-18 for 237 yards and two touchdowns. That's quite the pace for Bray, as he may finish with 400-plus yards and five touchdowns today.

Even more impressive is Vols wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers. After one half he has six receptions for 154 yards and two scores. Keep it up and he will finish with 300 yards today.  

UPDATE: Tyler Bray had one more touchdown pass and Da'Rick Rogers finished with one more catch for 26 yards. 

Michigan vs. Minnesota

As noted in the opening slide Michigan is having a field day against Minnesota today. 

Here are some stats from Michigan aka Denard Robinson: 13-of-16 passing for 153 yards and two touchdowns, six carries for 51 yards and another touchdown, and 204 yards of offense and three touchdowns in one half to help Michigan to a 38-0 lead after two quarters. 

And you people say that he isn't a Heisman Trophy favorite. 

UPDATE: Denard Robinson is still really really REALLY good. Final stat line today the same as his first half line; Michigan's defense stole the show today shutting Minnesota out 58-0. 

Northwestern vs. Illinois

Welcome back to Northwestern Dan Persa! Boy did the Northwestern faithful miss you.

So far through one half of his 2011 season, he's 7-of-11 passing for only 98 yards but has three touchdowns in one half.

It looks like Persa's Achillies' heel is better which is great news for Northwestern; but horrible news for the number 24th ranked team in the country Illinois.  

UPDATE: Dan Persa with one more touchdown in the second half, but, Illinois pulls out the comeback victory 38-35. 

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M

Well, that was certainly a finish. The big impressive feat that we can take from this Texas A&M Arkansas game is how the Arkansas defense stepped up in the second half. 

They could have laid down and accepted that Texas A&M's offensive line was going to dominate them all day. But something happened at half time.

The Aggies had five rushing touchdowns in the first half. In the second half—zero.

The offense may get a lot of credit for the comeback victory. But the defense deserves it.  

Illinois vs. Northwestern

The first half was not kind to the Fighting Illini of Illinois. That was until Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins took over this game. 

In the first half he was held in check by the Northwestern corner backs. 

Second half, different story. 

Final stat-line: 12 receptions, 268 yards and three touchdowns. 

Talk about putting a team on your back to keep a perfect season alive. 

LSU vs. Kentucky

The offense for LSU today was okay. Yes they put up 35 points against Kentucky. They didn't have to pull out all the stops like against West Virginia, Oregon and Mississippi State. 

LSU quarterback Jared Lee was subpar, going 8-of-21 with only 169 yards and a touchdown. 

The real stars of this game were the 11 men of LSU's defense. No matter who was out there, they proved to be to much for Kentucky to handle. 

Kentucky was only able to rush for 89 yards, a respectable number, but was only able to throw for 68 yards—a dis-respectable number. 

Next week the LSU defense get's to be tested again as they play Florida. 

Twitter: @tjmcaloon