Winners
Wisconsin Defense
The Wisconsin defense badgered the Spartans all day, forcing 4 turnovers and allowing only 75 yards rushing. Michigan State fared terribly on third down, converting a pedestrian 4 for 13. Tyler O’Connor could do nothing as he went 18-38, throwing 3 picks and getting sacked 4 times. After looking unimpressive at tight end during his time with the Badgers, T.J. Watt has looked like a fish in water since his switch to outside linebacker. He was the defensive MVP, snagging 6 tackles including 3.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks. And yes, he’s J.J.’s brother.
Ole Miss
The Rebels beat Georgia across the board, allowing them nothing on offense and burning their defense for more than 500 yards.
Losers
LSU
After an upset loss to Auburn, LSU and athletic director Joe Alleva made the surprise decision to fire long-time coach Les Miles, saying that “a change has to be made.” The Tigers have looked abysmal on offense this season, with Leonard Fournette once again bogged down with injury issues while they rotate a scrambler who can’t run and a Purdue transfer at quarterback. Miles won a title with the Tigers in 2007 and posted an overall win-loss record of 114-34, second only to LSU great Charles McClendon overall.
Michigan State’s Offense
Looked sloppy and incompetent, even against a stout and swift Wisconsin defense. Running back LJ Scott failed to rattle off any long runs and lost a key fumble in the third quarter which was returned for a touchdown by Wisconsin’s Leo Musso.
Overachievers
Alex Hornibrook QB Wisconsin:
In his first ever collegiate start, the redshirt freshman Hornibrook looked nonchalant facing a Top 10 team in hostile territory. From his first completion on a 3rd and long to his ability to bounce back after an early lost fumble, he looked calm and collected throughout despite a boisterous crowd and aggressive defense. Hornibrook was 9 for 12 for 136 yards and a touchdown on third down and has a 67% completion rate on the season. He’s surely won the starting job over Bart Houston.
Chad Kelly QB Ole Miss:
Had a sensational day against what was supposed to be a decent Georgia defense. Kelly went 18-24 for 282 yards and 2 TDs, adding 4 carries for 53 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter that put the Rebs up 45-0. If he keeps playing like this, his draft stock will continue to rise.
Underachievers
Nick Chubb HB Georgia:
After running all over North Carolina for 222 yards and 2 TD’s in the ‘Dawgs opener, Chubb has scored only one TD while averaging 3.9 yards. He failed to score against Ole Miss this week as well as Missouri in Week 3 and looks disappointingly like the injury-affected back we’ve seen all too many times. He was outdone (albeit in garbage time) by freshman RB Brian Herrian, who scored the only two touchdowns of the entire contest for Georgia.
Mason Rudolph QB Oklahoma State:
The cannon-armed Rudolph averaged only 6.2 yards per attempt and failed to throw a touchdown against the Baylor bears. Though he was able to get the Cowboys into the red zone and set up rushing touchdowns for Justice Hill and Rennie Childs, he was never able to deliver that dagger ball that he and James Washington are often so good at delivering. The lack of big plays crippled the Cowboys, while Baylor won the game due to theirs.
Week 5 Outlook
Games of the Week
11 Tennessee at 25 Georgia
Vols are coming off a huge win over the rival Gators, while Georgia will be trying to bounce back after their drubbing at the hands of Ole Miss. This will be the first official road game for Tennessee—not counting the big spectacle at the Bristol Motor Speedway—and they’ll have to be on high upset alert. Despite utterly collapsing against Ole Miss, the Bulldogs have offensive weapons and plenty of depth at running back. If freshman quarterback Jacob Eason can show more poise in the pocket, the ‘Dawgs could pull off a big win Between the Hedges.
8 Wisconsin at 4 Michigan
High-flying badgers face their third Top 10 opponent in five weeks, heading to the hostile Big House to take on a Jim Harbaugh-led team coming off a blowout statement win against Penn State. The Badgers will need to muster the same steely defensive nerve they did against the Spartans, and Hornibrook must continue to be the cool customer he’s been so far.
7 Stanford at 10 Washington
After a somewhat lackluster effort in the Rose Bowl against UCLA, the Cardinal take their undefeated record to Seattle to face the 4-0 Huskies, who themselves escaped an upset attempt from Arizona in overtime last weekend. Washington QB Jake Browning is the Heisman candidate no one is talking about, having thrown 14 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions on the year for 904 yards and a 70.5% completion rate.
Phil’s “No Frills” Lock of the Week
3 Louisville at 5 Clemson
Mr. “Did he really just do that?” himself Lamar Jackson and the Louisville ‘Cards face their second big test of the year, traveling to Death Valley to take on DeShaun Watson and the undefeated Tigers. This should surely be a massive shootout, as despite the fact that both teams sport solid defenses, both of the offenses are loaded with weapons and are captained by speedy quarterbacks with strong arms. Lamar Jackson will be the difference maker, as it seems no defense can shut down his shifty moves.
Prediction: Louisville 38 Clemson 31
