College football fans were treated to some wild finishes in Week 4 of the NCAA season. San Jose State and Washington State combined for 104 points as the Cougars narrowly escaped Martin Stadium with a 54-52 win in double overtime. Meanwhile, the Michigan Wolverines edged out USC at home. Also, James Madison scored 70 points on the road at Chapel Hill to give the Tar Heels their first loss of the season. Plus, Kansas State’s dismantling at the hands of BYU. Per usual, we’ll take one final look at last week before diving into the college football Week 5 slate with the Saturday Spotlight and upset special.
Who helped themselves the most last week?Â
Regarding who helped and hurt themselves last week, look no further than the game with Oklahoma versus Tennessee. In a primetime spotlight, Oklahoma opened conference play for the first time in the SEC with a home matchup against the Volunteers.
Jackson Arnold had a really difficult time seeing the field and finding his receivers. He completed 43 percent of his throws and was benched for Michael Hawkins Jr., which is now a permanent change. Hawkins now takes the starting role for the Sooners while Arnold takes the backseat.
Former 4-star and true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. is STARTING at QB for No. 15 Oklahoma in the second half.
OU has benched former 5-star and starting QB Jackson Arnold 👀 pic.twitter.com/I10vKLaeFE
— Rivals (@Rivals) September 22, 2024
For the Vols, it’s the best thing smoking. Offensively, Nico Iamaleava just had to play complementary football, and the results are working. He still has to work on his ball security, but the running game is keeping the offense on schedule.
Dylan Sampson and DeSean Bishop had 40 carries against Brent Venables’ defense to set a tone of persistence and physicality. Vertically, Josh Heupel’s offense is still explosive with their big, fast, deep threats.
What has been surprising is their defense so far this season. Tennessee is first in the nation with the fewest yards allowed per game, with just 176. Last week, they had 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage against Oklahoma.
Tennessee has two huge games against Alabama and Georgia to prove if they belong among the elites in the SEC, but with their conference opener, they may have put teams on notice. They had a terrific performance last week, and it’s the Volunteers who helped themselves the most last week.
College Football Week 5
Saturday Spotlight: Georgia at Alabama
This Week 5 college football game is an early clash of the titans, that puts the No. 4 team against the No. 2 team in the nation. Georgia survived a close call against Kentucky, who have pushed the Bulldogs to their limits in two out of their last four meetings. That may lead some to believe that it’s only a matter of time before Georgia slips up in the SEC. Enter the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alabama has gotten off to a hot start in their new era. They’ve won all three of their games and outscored their opponents 127-26. The exodus of talent after Nick Saban’s retirement hasn’t impacted Alabama.
Of course, if the Bulldogs can keep Jalen Milroe contained, that will be the key. He’s also been very effective as a passer, with eight touchdowns to zero interceptions. Meanwhile, Que Robinson has also been getting to the quarterback to lead the team with three sacks.
For Georgia, they have to keep a clean pocket for Carson Beck and establish the running attack early with Trevor Etienne. Dominic Lovett needs to have a big day for the Bulldogs to get past Alabama on the road. I’m taking the Tide in a close game over Georgia.
Upset Special: Stanford at Clemson
This may sound like a stretch, but Stanford showed a lot in winning on the road at Syracuse last week. The Orange offense answered several times, trying to make a comeback. However, Stanford held strong. Elic Ayomanor is a big-time receiver with the clutch moment to seal the game-winning kick against Syracuse.
For Clemson, they are trying to right the ship after losing to Georgia in the opening week. The way to do it is by running the ball. Senior running back Phil Mafah is having a terrific year so far regarding his efficiency as a runner, with over eight yards per carry. The difference is, Stanford is third in stopping the run in the NCAA. Expect them to minimize Mafah somewhat and thrust the game on Cade Klubnik.
Conversely, the Tigers are allowing 165 yards on the ground per game. That’s an open invitation for Ashton Daniels and Chris Davis to create confusion for Clemson’s front seven. I’ll take the Cardinals in an upset and collect their second win in the ACC.
