Week 5 of the college football season is in the books and with it comes a new Heisman contender, Ohio State’s resurgence and more takeaways from around the country.
The defensive heisman winners is a new contender for the Heisman trophy. Ohio State has been surging as of late and more Week 5 takeaways have come out.
Three other top-10 teams fell, but the country’s Nos. 1 and 2 college football teams appear better than ever.
Our writers attempt to make sense of the events of Week 5 of the college football season, as well as what to expect in the coming weeks.
The Enormous Chasm
At least in certain parts of the country, the narrative around college football has been that the sport is getting monotonous, with the same teams winning all of the time. As Alabama and Georgia continue to thrash everyone, we should expect to hear even more of it.
The possibility of those two teams meeting in the SEC title game, then meeting in the College Football Playoff, is real. Very genuine. About as genuine as the reality that those two colleges spend a lot of money in their football programs and then invests much more money.
But don’t blame Alabama and Georgia, or any of the other regulars in the College Football Playoff, for the sport’s purported dullness. It’s the fault of those conferences that aren’t pulling their weight.
We’re not quite halfway through October, and the Pac-12 looks to be on the outside looking in when it comes to postseason contention. The league was crushed by Oregon’s overtime defeat to Stanford on Saturday, and the Alliance’s “West Coast division” now has no unblemished teams.
Sure, the sport is more enjoyable when USC is competitive, or even simply relevant. Everyone else, on the other hand, is responsible for catching up.
Let’s not forget that the objective of the playoffs was to obtain the top four teams from across the nation, not the best four teams from each region.
What are the chances? This year, maybe there will be some fresh blood. If Cincinnati goes undefeated and still doesn’t reach the playoffs, it’s fair to assume that in a four-team system, a Group of 5 club will never make it. Chris Low (c)
It’s Time to Pay Attention To Ohio State Once Again.
Since the Buckeyes’ Week 2 loss to Oregon, Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan have dominated the headlines, but while everyone is debating whether Penn State or Iowa should be rated higher, the Buckeyes are quietly beginning to appear capable of defeating both.
After defeating Rutgers 52-13, coach Ryan Day remarked, “It was some difficult moments here, but we developed through it.” “We didn’t panic, and as a result, we may have a strong squad heading into October and November.”
When it counts the most, that’s when it counts the most.
After missing a game due to a shoulder injury, quarterback C.J. Stroud fired five touchdown passes and no picks against Rutgers. Getty Images/Mike Stobe
After missing a game due to a shoulder injury, quarterback C.J. Stroud threw five touchdown passes and no interceptions. The Buckeyes’ offense has found its stride, scoring on their first six drives against Rutgers, while the defense picked intercepted a pass. It was perhaps their most complete game to date, and although the competition will only grow tougher, Ohio State seems to be more equipped.
With an average of 555.6 yards per game, 39.4 points per game, and 8.57 yards per play, Ohio State is currently producing more offense than Penn State, Iowa, and Cincinnati.
According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, Ohio State still has the greatest chance of winning the Big Ten (37%) followed by Iowa (31%), Michigan (17%), and Penn State (17%). (8 percent ). The Buckeyes are still expected to win the Big Ten East (51 percent), with Michigan coming in second (26 percent ). There are plenty of chances for Ohio State to make up for its loss to Oregon, and ESPN’s Football Power Index now predicts the Buckeyes will win them all. Heather Dinich is a writer.
Pitt’s Quarterback is Causing a Stir.
Before the season started, all of the attention in the ACC was on North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell, to the point that Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi wondered whether everyone had forgotten about his experienced returning quarterback, Kenny Pickett.
Pickett is certain that no one forgets the first five weeks of the season. Pickett passed for 389 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday’s 52-21 victory against Georgia Tech, placing him in rare company.
Pickett has thrown 15 touchdown passes in his past three games, surpassing Dan Marino’s school record for most touchdown passes in a three-game span (13 in 1981).
Pickett has also thrown at least four touchdown passes in three consecutive games, the best run by an ACC quarterback since NC State’s Russell Wilson in 2009.
Pickett leads the country in seven statistical categories, including passing yards per game (346.2), pass efficiency, passing yards (1,731), passing touchdowns (19), total offense (374.6 YPG), total QBR, and touchdowns accounted for (21). He also only has one interception.
Kenny Pickett surpassed Dan Marino’s school record for most touchdown passes in a three-game span with 15 in his past three games (13 in 1981). Icon Sportswire/Rich von Biberstein
Pickett chose to return at Pitt instead of entering the NFL draft. Currently, Pitt (4-1) is the ESPN FPI favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference. Pickett and the offense are the main reasons. Pitt has now scored over 40 points in five consecutive games, a school record.
Pickett stated in a phone interview with ESPN after the game, “This is what I expected to come back and do.” “This is the most skilled, most experienced staff I’ve ever been a part of, and it shows. All of our hard work is paying off, so we need to keep going.”
When addressing his quarterback with media after Georgia Tech’s victory, Narduzzi used the H-word.
Narduzzi said, “He should be a Heisman contender.” “He’s doing it right now. He’s so smooth, and he’s so quiet…. He’s a smart football player, and getting to where you want to be takes time. He’s put in the time and effort, and he deserves what he’s receiving now.”
Since Larry Fitzgerald in 2003, Pitt has not had a Heisman-caliber athlete. Pickett laughed when asked whether he deserved to be included in the Heisman discussion.
“I’m sure you guys can figure it out,” Pickett remarked, referring to the press. “I’m simply going to play some more. There are seven games left. I want to win the title. That is why I returned.” Andrea Adelson’s remark
Ridder’s Shoulders Are Going To Bear The Brunt of Cincinnati’s CFP Aspirations
In Saturday’s victory against Notre Dame, Desmond Ridder was hardly Cincinnati’s greatest player. Cincinnati would not have had the comfortable lead it had for the most of the day if it hadn’t been for the Bearcats’ trademark defense, which collected three first-half turnovers.
However, the Ridder-led fourth-quarter touchdown drive, as well as coach Luke Fickell’s postgame comments regarding the senior quarterback, made it obvious who would lead Cincinnati for the remainder of the season.
Ridder will be the cause if Cincinnati becomes the first Group of 5 club to reach the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame, said to Fickell, “was making it very tough for him all day.” “They’d done a fantastic job of eradicating Des and his run game.” But he’s very difficult to stop. He’s simply so reliable. He continues working, and if there’s a fraction of an inch left, he’ll find it. This is the kind of leader we’re looking for in this program.
“We get our energy from him.”
Ridder is flourishing because to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Gino Guidugli’s deep throwing attack. On just six completions, he accounted for 201 of his 297 throwing yards on Saturday.
The rushing game for Cincinnati is mediocre (4.5 yards per carry), and the club converts just 31% of its third-down opportunities. The offense might be more efficient, which is ultimately the responsibility of the fourth-year starter. Ridder agrees to take up the task.
“Every now and again, the team needs a voice,” Ridder said. “It’s often assumed that the quarterback is to blame. It isn’t necessary for it to be the quarterback. That’s simply who I’ve always been as a person, and I’m proud to be the team’s captain, and I’ll keep guiding them to success.” Adam Rittenberg’s remark
