College Football in Review:Week 5

The Week 5 of the 2008 College Football season is complete lets take a look at the week:

Best Game of the Week:USC vs Oregon State-No one outside of the state of Oregon saw this coming. USC went to a hostile crowd in Cornvallis and Oregon State smacked them in the face by doing everything that Ohio State didn't do. They blitzed the Trojans, got physical with them, ran em over with Jacquizz Rodgers and prooved that every team is different every week. This Oregon State team previously lost to Stanford and was blown out by Penn State.

Player of the Week:Jacquizz and James Rodgers(Oregon State)-The Rodger Brothers combined for 242 total offense in the Beavers beat the Trojans 27-21. Just like LeSean McCoy against WVU last year, Jacquizz Rodgers ran up and down on the Trojans.

Dissapointment of the Week:Georgia Bulldogs-That was pathetic...Scott Linehan would be proud. The Bulldogs have the blackout, they got the motivation, and they have a 31-0 deficit to start the game. Granted UGA came back and made it 41-30, but to get beaten up the way Alabama beat them was redicolous. You're the No.3 team in the country playing in-conference, at home...if they think Bama is tough wait til they see Florida and LSU.

Surprise Team of the Week:Oregon State-I don't think anyone expected the Beavs to do it. Penn State massacred them, and Stanford tore threw them. My thinking prior to the game was that it would start at 9:00pm and be over by 10:15pm, for which then I would go to bed...I went to sleep at 12:34am after Oregon State took a knee to win it.

Numbers:
186-Number of rushing yards by Jacquizz Rodgers in OSU's 27-21 win over USC

4-The amount of Pac 10 games that USC has lost since 2006. In the 3 years prior(2003-2005), they lost 1

411-The amount of passing yards by Sam Bradford in Oklahoma's 35-10 win over TCU

206-The amount of receiving yards by OU's Manuel Johnson

25-The amount of rushing yards by Oklahoma, too bad TCU couldn't stop the pass

31-The amount of points scored by Alabama in the first half against Georgia

19-The amount of points Michigan trailed by late in the 3rd quarter against Wisconsin

327-The amount of total offense by USF Quarterback Matt Grothe in the Bulls 41-10 win over N.C. State

1985-The last time Navy beat a ranked opponett

897-The amount of rushing yards by Javon Ringer through 5 games

2004-The last time Duke won an ACC game prior to their 31-3 rout of Virginia

The Contenders:
Oklahoma-Wow this may be the best Sooner team ever. Better than the teams from '53-'57, better than the 2000 team, and better than the '03 team. This Oklahoma squad is dangerous. I feel the only team left that can beat them is...

Texas-The Longhorns are back in '05 form and though it may be tough they're going to have to fight for the remaining schedule is a doozy. They have Kansas, Missouri, Texas Tech, AND Oklahoma. If the Longhorns can survive this and the Big XII title they will win their 2nd title in 4 years.

Alabama-Roll Tide Roll indeed, the Crimson Tide came out of Saturday night and beat Georgia up and down the field. Bama is dangerous and so is 2nd year head coaches(Stoops, Tressel, Meyer) all have won National Titles in their 2nd year. Can Nick Saban join this class?

Penn State-Darryl Clark is Michael Robinson and its 2005 all over again, Joe Paterno has not won a National Championship since 1987...Clark wasn't even born yet...if PSU and their "HD'"offense can keep running through and passing over teams they will win the Big Ten...and the National Title. They got through Illinois but now its time to face Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State.

South Florida-Da Bulls baby, USF continued their streak knocking off N.C. State 41-10 on Saturday night. The Big East is light this year so USF has a real shot at winning this conference. If its a confidence booster, USF's two toughest games are at home...but WVU and Louisville can always be a trap for anyone.

The Deadsetters:
USC-The Trojans were upended by Oregon State on Thursday night. Its a bad loss, mainly due to OSU's losses to Stanford and Penn State by 4 touchdowns. I think USC stays alive because it was a close game and it was a road interconference game and those are tough to win. USC's schedule the rest of the way is manageable but as a wise man says, "every underdog is dangerous".

Georgia-That was bad...really bad. UGA fell behind 31-0 in the 1st half of the game. They came back but it was not enough. I knew the Dawgs were shaken but never did I thought that Bama would beat Georgia the way they did. UGA needs to win out the rest of the way and beat Bama in a rematch in order to gain enough credibility for the National Title. Not going to be easy with LSU, Auburn, Georgia Tech and...

Florida-The Gators SHOULD NOT have lost to Ole Miss. Ole Miss has a good squad but they shouldn't have beaten Florida. But they did and I give credit to them. It was a good win but a tough one. The Gators only stay alive because it was a 1 point loss from a blocked kick but overall kudos to Ole Miss they will be back to 2003 status soon.

Wisconsin-I had the Badgers winning the Big Ten, but didn't expect Michigan to win. UM turned it over 8 times...and yet the Badgers still couldn't beat them. If UW wants to be a National Title contender they must win these types of game. UW can still make it due to the closeness of the lost but they must get through Penn State and Ohio State

Auburn-Auburn is barely hanging in there. They lost to LSU and almost loss to Tennessee and Mississippi State. You can only hang on for so long until you fall. They remind me of...

Virginia Tech-You'd think the Hokies would be 1-4 with the negativity surrounding them but this isn't the case. Va.Tech is 4-1 and they seem to be looking stronger and stronger much like the Virginia Tech we're used to seeing. The ACC is a little tough but the Hokies have proven people wrong once before...and they'll do it again.

Wake Forest-The Demon Deacans fell to Navy...the Giant Killers of America. Wake's secondary did great just not the linebackers and QB Riley Skinner. Wake can still win the ACC and still get to the title game but it will be a long road.

Maryland-The Terps knocked off another Top 25 team in Clemson a surprising upset considering that many had Clemson heavily favored. The Terps got ran up and down the field in the 1st half but bounced back in the 2nd to win the game. Maryland needs more consistancy on terms of offense, defense, and wins. If they can beat UVA on Saturday they will be consistant with wins a rarity for the Terps.

Michigan State-Javon Ringer is a horse, he has the led the Spartans offense to 897 rushing yards and demolished just about every defense along the way. If #23 can keep running and the defense keep hitting then the Spartans can win the Big Ten..and possibly the National Title.

Duke-The Blue Devils are a surprise in the ACC. They won their first ACC game in 4 years and could possibly win the Coastal Division. They have a good offense and a tough defense. However, they have to get through Vandy, Wake, Clemson, Va.Tech, UNC, and...

Georgia Tech-Saturday will be a test. They get Duke at home and the Dukies look dangerous. This will be an elimination game for the National Title race and a crucial Coastal division matchup.

Pittsburgh-Yes they're still alive. But they need to get through the rest of the Big East. The USF game on Thursday will be an elimination game. They also need to beat...

Notre Dame-The Irish offense looked good once again knocking off Purdue 38-21 and the defense held strong against a high powered Boilermaker attack. Notre Dame still has to get through Pitt, USC, Navy, and...

North Carolina-The Tar Heels escaped Miami. UM almost had them but at the end UNC caught lightning in a bottle and defeated the Canes in Coral Gables. The Tar Heels need to watch out for Maryland, Georgia Tech, Duke, and Notre Dame.

Boston College-BC knocked off another Northeast team this week, but need to get through the ACC and Notre Dame first.

Colorado-The Buffs have a tough Big XII schedule with Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska. But if they played the way they did against FSU their won't be any return to a National Title for the Buffs.

Speaking of...Florida State-The Noles did something surprising...beat Colorado. The Noles looked like the Noles of the '90's in their 39-21 win over Colorado sweeping the Buffs 2-0.

Nebraska-I thought they should've beaten Virginia Tech. They got ripped off on that penalty and it hurt. If anything I believe that NU will use this motivation against Missouri on Saturday night and upset the Tigers. If not, then the 11 year drought will continue.

The Unknown:
Northwestern-Is it really 1995? The Wildcats have jumped off to a surprising 5-0 start after coming back against Iowa on Saturday. Can this be a Rose Bowl birth or much much more with their toughest games at home against Ohio and Michigan State.

Kentucky-The OTHER Wildcats have been impressive in the post-Woodson era outside of the close game against Middle Tennessee, the Cats look great. However, it will be tough going against Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida.

Vanderbilt-Vandy was off this week but they get ready for the tough SEC schedule with Auburn on Saturday.

Texas Tech-Still waiting for them to play UT and OU. Though they could do it its just they need to work on defense they can't beat UT and OU by throwing the ball 80 times.

LSU-The Tigers look good, but they haven't really been tested. With the QB spot an unknown they look to attempt to repeat in the SEC.]

Eliminated from Contention:
Minnesota-The Gophers were beaten by Ohio State who was annihilated by USC who was beaten by Oregon State who was annihilated by Penn State...yeah thats not good for UM.

Louisville-2006 should've been the year but if Steve Kragthorpe can do it, he can get this team back to that quick.

Indiana-You need to play defense in order to win in the Big Ten.

Iowa-You can't blow leads and win its been proven in the past and it was proven here. I sense Kirk may be done after November. But lets wait and see.

Miami-Once again the National Title slips through the fingers.

The Mid-Major National Title Update:
Contenders:
Boise State(3-0)-The Broncos were off this week but will be back next week.

Utah(5-0)-The Utes got past Weber State on Saturday but you need to win by more if you want to win this title and get a BCS bowl shot.

BYU(3-0)-The Cougars were off this week getting ready for the tough Mountain West.

Ball State(5-0)-The Cardinals have blown out every team they've faced. But in the MAC anything can happen.

Tulsa(4-0)-If the Golden Hurricanes want to contend they must not let Central Arkansas score 34 points...oh wait. The defense needs to step up or be stepped on.

Still Alive(At the Moment):
Air Force(3-1)-The Falcons loss 2 weeks ago to Utah didn't help but wins over BYU and TCU can.

TCU(3-1)-The Horned Frogs got beat down by Oklahoma but at the same time they shut down the run. If their run defense can continue running(no pun intended) strong they should win the MWC.

Louisiana Tech(3-1)-Tech was off this week getting ready for tough ones against Boise and...

Fresno State(3-1)-The Bulldogs knocked off another BCS school in UCLA on Saturday in the Rose Bowl. The WAC is always tough, however.

Western Michigan(4-1)-The Broncos can still pull off the MAC and Mid-Major Championship...they just need to score more than 7.

Stat Leaders:
Rushing Yards:Donald Brown(UCONN)-906

Receiving Yards:Emmanuel Sanders(SMU)-561

Passing Yards:Case Keenum(Houston)-1,925

Points:Javon Ringer(Michigan State)-72

Most Passing Touchdowns:David Johnson(Tulsa) and Case Keenum(Houston)-19

Most Rushing Touchdowns:Javon Ringer(Michigan State)-12

Most Receiving Touchdowns:Jarett Dilliard(Rice)-10

Team Stats:
Most Points:Tulsa-54.8

Rushing Yards:Oklahoma State-340.3

Passing Yards:Texas Tech-426.3

What 2 Watch 4:
Pittsburgh vs USF-In a battle for Big East supremacy, USF and Pitt square off in what may be another Thursday night classic. See it Thursday at 7:30pm on ESPN.

Oregon State vs Utah-Last week the Beavers pulled off the biggest upset of the year. Can they knock off another Top 15 team? See it Thursday at 9pm on ESPN2.

Kentucky vs Alabama-Both teams are undefeated and both want to win the SEC. Can the Wildcats pull off the upset? See Saturday at 3:30pm on CBS.

Missouri vs Nebraska-Missouri has not won in Lincoln since 1978 and the Cornhuskers are hell bent for revenge after last years 41-6 blowout loss. Can the Huskers amount revenge or will history repeat itself? Find out Saturday at 9pm on ESPN.

Texas vs Colorado-The Longhorns are in the Top 5 and the Buffs want to be there. Colorado fell to FSU last week but look to rebound at home this week. Will they? Find out Saturday at 7:10pm on FSN.

Penn State vs Purdue-PSU are on a hot streak but Purdue is always dangerous. The Boilermakers are willing to win just about every home game for this season for Joe Tiller and hopes to pull the upset. Can they? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN.

Texas Tech vs Kansas State-Road games are always tough especially for a Texas Tech team that struggles on defense. K-State has a good offense and hopes the defense can step it up. Can the Wildcats win? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings)

Oregon vs USC-The state of Oregon has been trouble for the Trojans. 3 out of their last 4 Pac 10 losses have been to Oregon and Oregon State. In '06, USC lost to the Beavs, and last year they lost to the Ducks. Following their loss to Oregon State, the Trojans hope to bounce back and amount revenge on the Ducks? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Auburn vs Vanderbilt-Vandy is unbeaten and looks to take the SEC by storm. If they can beat Auburn then UGA, LSU, Alabama, and others should be on watch. Can Vandy beat the Tigers? Find out Saturday at 6pm on ESPN.

Ohio State vs Wisconsin-The Big Ten race is wide open and whoever loses this may be out of contention. Can UW bounce back after losing to UM or will the Buckeyes continue restoring their trust with the nation? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ABC(check your local listings).

UCONN vs North Carolina-The East coast war of the ACC and Big East continue. UCONN is a team on the rise hoping to get to a BCS Bowl and the Tar Heels are back looking their best since 1997. In a battle of east coast powers, who will prevail? Find out Saturday at 7pm on ESPN2.

Duke vs Georgia Tech-Never thought I'd recommend Duke in a game but the Blue Devils are the surprise team of the year. David Cutcliffe has bought a new attitude and look to the Devils. In an ACC Coastal division battle, Duke hopes to keep the wins coming, but the option is always tough to stop. Can the Dukies continue? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPNU.

Iowa vs Michigan State-Michigan State is a dark horse in the Big Ten behind their workhorse Javon Ringer while Iowa hopes to rebound from heartbreaking losses to Pitt and Northwestern. Can Iowa pull it off? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN2.

Florida State vs Miami-The Canes and the Noles are in better form than last year and will be back soon. For now they're fighting for the ACC crown. In a possible ACC Championship preview, who will win the battle for the Sunshine state? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Overview:Probably the best week of the season so far. So many great game, so many upsets and it'll get better this Saturday but last week will be a tough act to follow. It all starts as Florida Atlantic takes on Middle Tennessee in a battle for the Sun Belt conference at 8pm on ESPN2, part of a 5 day College Football week.