By Dean Lowery '27, Alex Jessey ‘28, and Benjamin Ross ’28
Introduction
Woah. What a game we had last week in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide claim the top spot (for
now), and a little bit of doubt begins to creep into the minds of Bulldog fans. Also, Ole Miss
takes a huge loss. Looking ahead to week six, the stage is set for a calmer set of matchups.
However, you never know what could be lurking around the corner.
Three big games
Syracuse @ #25 UNLV, Las Vegas, Nevada, Allegiant Stadium
Big time matchup for the Rebs. They can solidify their resume, and remain undefeated, something that could help their case if they split their expected two matchups with Boise State.
Keys for Syracuse: Kyle McCord is a top-10 QB in both passing yards and TDs. Can he lead Syracuse to knock off undefeated UNLV in Vegas? Can McCord prove himself to the nation, or will he make it evident why he no longer runs the Ohio State offense? Trebor Pena with five touchdowns will be hoping to add to his season’s haul.
Keys for Nevada: UNLV has made it clear that they can and will win without money-hungry players. Can they solidify their grasp on the College Football Playoff, or will the coveted five-seed once again be thrown into the air? LB Jackson Woodward has been a menace all around the gridiron, with over 30 tackles, an interception, and three sacks.
#9 Missouri @ #25 Texas A&M, College Station, Texas, Kyle Field
This, surprisingly, is the only ranked matchup of the week. Both of these squads look to stay undefeated in SEC play, and we’re sure to see an electric Kyle Field atmosphere.
Keys for Missouri: Missouri just managed to keep their heads above the water against Vanderbilt. Can Luther Burden, the preseason best receiver in the nation, show his skill in a hostile environment? QB Brady Cook will be looking to solidify Missouri’s power by putting together a performance for the ages.
Keys for Texas A&M: A&M have battled this season with QB troubles and they’ve had several close games. Facing another difficult opponent at home, can the Aggies run a passing offense, or will they continue to rely on their running back room?
#10 Michigan @ Washington, Seattle, Washington, Husky Stadium
Ah, yes. The National Championship rematch. These teams look very different, but we imagine that there will be no love lost, particularly for the Husky faithful who will be cheering on their squad. Also interesting to note that the Huskies are actually favored.
Keys for Michigan: Michigan continues its tough schedule with a visit to last year’s national runner-up. Will Michigan be able to pick up a crucial B1G win, or will their well-below-par QB play hinder them once again? We can be sure the nation’s best DB Will Johnson will help the Wolverines be successful, but will he be enough?
Keys for Washington: QB Will Rogers has been successful this season, but the Huskies offense hasn’t been able to score when it matters. Will Washington be fueled by revenge in this rematch of last year’s national championship, or will they lose out again and put their season into jeopardy?
Three Big Players
Jalen Milroe (Alabama Crimson Tide) vs Vanderbilt
Milroe is coming off a monster week that put him at the forefront of the Heisman conversation. On national television vs #2 Georgia, Milroe put up 501 total yards of offense, 81.8 completion percentage, and four TDs including a memorable 75-yard TD strike to 17-year-old freshman Ryan Williamson that Bama fans will never forget. Milroe looks to expand on this performance and give Bama fans a less stressful watch this week versus Vanderbilt.
Ashton Jeanty (Boise St Broncos) vs. Utah St.
This guy is incredible. If Boise State is able to come out of the Mountain West and make the playoff, he will certainly be in Heisman talks to the finish. Jeanty led the Broncos in rushing with 259 yards and FOUR touchdowns last week. Incredible stuff.
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio St) vs. Iowa
While Ryan Williamson stole the national spotlight last week after his historic performance in Tuscaloosa, Jeremiah Smith has been doing much of the same in Columbus. He’s coming off a 100-yard from scrimmage, two td game vs Michigan State. He has sports center capability every time you throw the ball his way as demonstrated by his ridiculous on-hand TD catch last week.
Three Teams to Watch
Well, well, well. Who is going to occupy the coveted five seed? We might start using the term “Cinderella” in football.
Boise State Broncos (3-1) vs. Utah St.
Boise State continues their run, earning a three touchdown victory against Washington State over the weekend. It seems like the Broncos are just sharpening their swords for the inevitable UNLV matchup.
James Madison Dukes (5-0) @ Georgia St.
The Dukes continue to shine, absolutely eviscerating Ball State on Saturday. They do however, have a huge rivalry game coming up over the weekend. If the Dukes continue to play like they did on Saturday, then the Sun Belt should be a walk in the park
UNLV (4-0) vs. Syracuse
As mentioned earlier, this weekend is huge for the Rebs. Need this one desperately. However, the Boise State matchup(s) will be all-telling.
Three Value Bets
#3 Ohio St (-18.5) vs Iowa
Ohio St is coming of a dominate win last weak in East Lansing and is showing no signs of slowing down. They should dominate this game at home.
Army (-11.5) @ Tulsa
Army is 4-0 and has won every game handidly. Don't expect anything different in this one. Army is back in the triple option after a failed experiment at the shotgun formation last season. Through their hot start, the Black Knights are averaging 371 rushing yards and four rushing td's PER GAME. On the other hand, Tulsa is struggling and is recovering from a bad 52-20 vs North Texas last week. Look for the Black Knights to cover this one.
Arizona St. (-2.5) vs Kansas
ASU looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season last week Texas Tech. They should be able to at home and cover this spread. Kansas is 1-4 and has lost four straight and just can't seem to close out games. Three of those losses were by less than a touchdown, and the Jayhawks continue with turnover issues having eight interceptions and three fumbles lost in their first five games. Hard to win games when losing the turnover batlle, so look for the Sun Devils to cover.