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Articles By David Fox
As recently as Nov. 2 last season, the newest star quarterback in the Big 12 was catching 11 passes in a game against West Virginia. A loss to West Virginia no less.
By Saturday, though, the question had to be asked of TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin:
How did this guy have to fight for the starting job in a competition that wasn't settled until days before the opener? And, more than that, how did Boykin have to fight simply to remain listed as a quarterback on the roster.
In a 37-33 upset of Oklahoma, Boykin established himself as a bona fide star quarterback in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs already matched last year's win total and enter a game with Baylor next week as surprising Big 12 contenders.
None of this would be possible if TCU didn't find a way to put Boykin front and center at quarterback.
Against Oklahoma, Boykin completed 20-of-38 passes for 318 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 77 yards giving him a career-high 395 yards of total offense in a breakout win for TCU.
Hard to believe this was the same quarterback who was all but written off when Matt Joeckel arrived as a transfer from Texas A&M.
Instead of a pair of new coordinators opting for Joeckel, Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meachem had what they needed in Boykin. Keep in mind, Joeckel seemed like an ideal fit for the spread Cumbie, a former Texas Tech assistant, and Meachem, a former Houston aide, wanted to install.
TCU is running the spread just fine under Boykin. The Horned Frogs moved up and down the field against Samford, Minnesota and SMU, but a top-five Oklahoma would be a new challenge.
In the first half, TCU was just as effective against the Sooners as any team on the schedule. Boykin made plays on the move and squeezed passes into tight spaces as TCU built a 14-0 lead.
"Boykin scrambled around to make a play even when we had the right pressure on him, he made the plays," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops told the media. "He made quite a few of those in the first half in a similar way and not as many in the second half."
Perhaps it was a streaky game, but it was clear Boykin has helped TCU look more and more like a Big 12 program. Sporadic absences from former starting quarterback Casey Pachall didn't help, but TCU was ill-prepared for the new league on the offensive side of the ball.
TCU ranked eighth in the league in the Big 12 in yards per play in each of its first two seasons in the conference. The Horned Frogs rank fifth now, but they are one of seven teams averaging better than six yards per snap.
TCU is also excelling in the hurry-up, averaging 82 plays per game. The Horned Frogs averaged 68.5 a year ago.
And more than that, TCU is playing with plenty of confidence heading into a game with another league frontrunner in Baylor.
"It's off the charts right now," Boykin said. "Especially after this game and even going into this game we knew we could win. Nobody mattered expect the 53 guys in the locker room that believed."
If future opponents thought Virginia Tech provided the blueprints to beat Ohio State, the Big Ten can scrap those plans.
The Buckeyes offense that looked hapless against the Hokies now looks like it can win the Big Ten behind redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett.
With a 52-24 win at Maryland, Ohio State picked up a third consecutive lopsided win since the stunning loss at home to Virginia Tech, the latest victory the most impressive of them all.
Against the Hokies, Barrett struggled against a pass rush, completing 9-of-29 passes with three interceptions. The run game provided little relief for the quarterback who was pressed into duty only because Braxton Miller was lost for the season.
Now, Barrett is starting to look like a legitimate All-Big Ten QB. Since Virginia Tech, he's completed better than 72 percent of his passes in every game to go with 15 total touchdowns and one interception. Barrett's 17 touchdown passes this season is already the ninth-best single-season total in Ohio State history.
And this is from a guy who expected to be a backup all year.
Related: J.T. Barrett is Athlon Sports' National Freshman of the Week
Credit adjustments. Credit maturity. Credit an improved offensive line and run game. All are valid.
"I'm just trying to get better during the week and not wait until game day to just react to everything I learn the defense on Tuesday and Wednesday so come Saturday I can have that confidence and go out and play," Barrett told the media after the win.
Not to be overlooked is the emergence of Ezekiel Elliott. Ohio State tailbacks were ineffective in the first three games. Against Cincinnati and Maryland, the sophomore Elliott rushed for 321 yards and a touchdown on 52 carries.
Much of this may be due to Ohio State's ability to adjust to the zero coverage every opponent has played against the Buckeyes since the Virginia Tech loss, coach Urban Meyer said.
Elliott has been able to run the ball, enabling Barrett to take shots down the field. Barrett completed five passes of at least 25 yards against Maryland, giving him 11 yards per attempt in the game.
"You start to see the quarterbacks, receivers and coaching staff get really excited and start making more aggressive calls," Meyer said. "That's a sign that our run game is really solid and our o-line is growing up. The bare zero coverage takes away the other team's run game. It forces the other team to take some other shots. We've worked hard at it because we know what's coming."
Now that Big Ten play has started, Ohio State is able to take advantage of those shots.
Giving up 28 unanswered points to a healthy Oregon team on the road temporarily knocked Michigan State out of the national conversation a month ago.
The Spartans defense made sure it didn't happen again.
Though Michigan State's 27-22 win over Nebraska was closer than it needed to be, the Spartans defense proved again it is the cornerstone for a team with lofty postseason aspirations.
Nebraska ended the game on a 19-0 run and had the ball in Michigan State territory with a chance to take a lead in the final 1:07, but the Spartans held thanks to a Trae Waynes interception to seal the game.
Despite a fourth quarter outburst, this was the signature defensive performance of the season for Michigan State so far.
Michigan State dared Nebraska to win with the pass and the result was two interceptions and five sacks. Of Nebraska's first 12 possessions, eight ended in punts. Three ended in turnovers.
Ameer Abdullah, who entered the game with back-to-back 200-yard rushing games, was held to a season-low 45 yards on 24 carries. The run game that steamrolled Miami and Illinois managed just 1.3 yards per carry.
"Coming in, we knew Abdullah was a great back," Michigan State linebacker Riley Bullough told the media. "He's quick, he was going to try to cut back on us, so we preached all week that we all got to swarm to the ball. We all know schematically what we want to do, and I think for the most part we achieved it. The big thing was we wanted to get heads to the ball, and I think we did that."
After the win, though, Michigan State may still have questions.
The Spartans let off the gas in the fourth quarter, allowing Nebraska to claw its way back on two touchdown drives and a punt return for a touchdown. The game was needlessly dramatic, and combined with Oregon's come-from-behind win, Michigan State may wonder if it can hold up for a full four quarters against a quality opponent.
The dominance of the defense early also masked some issues on offense. Quarterback Connor Cook was a mere 11-of-29. The Spartans turned the ball over three times, but Nebraska converted none of its takeaways to points.
That brings up the next question: Who on Michigan State's remaining schedule will truly challenge the Spartans if they slip up again? There's a Nov. 8 home date against Ohio State and then, what? Michigan? Maryland? Penn State?
"It is good that you have a close game," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio told the media. "I don't like them, but it's good to have a close game and win it in the end."
Dak Prescott did it again.
Mississippi State entered the season with a 15-game losing streak to ranked teams and reputation of futility against the powers of the SEC.
Now, the Bulldogs seem invincible against ranked teams.
Prescott completed 19-of-25 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns in a 48-31 win over No. 6 Texas A&M. Prescott also rushed for 77 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries to earn Athlon Sports National Player of the Week honors.
Mississippi State has defeated a pair of top 10 teams this season in LSU and Texas A&M, and despite closer final scores, the Bulldogs had both games well in hand by the third quarter thanks to Prescott.
"He's going to get more attention now with his performance, but that's what we expect from him. In order to keep winning, he's going to have to keep playing at a very, very high level," Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. "I think he handles it well."
National Defensive Player of the Week: Cole Luke, Notre Dame
To beat Stanford, Notre Dame would have to find a way to upstage arguably the top defensive team in the country. Cornerback Cole Luke led the way in that effort with two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble in the 17-14 win over the Cardinal.
National Freshman of the Week: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
Reports of the demise of Ohio State's Big Ten season were premature. Ohio State might not be in the national title hunt without Braxton Miller, but the Big Ten is a feasible goal. Redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett completed 18-of-23 passes for 267 yards with four touchdowns in a 52-24 win over Maryland, a team that entered the game in the top 20 of pass efficiency defense. Barrett also rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
National Coordinator of the Week: Dave Wommack, Ole Miss
How does a team beat Alabama with merely 323 yards of offense? A stout defensive effort will do it. Ole Miss shut down Alabama where it works best — in the run game and in the passing game to Amari Cooper — for 23-17 win. Wommack's defense held Alabama to 3.8 yards per carry and held Cooper to 10.1 yards per catch and no touchdowns in the win.
Conference Players of the Week
ACC: Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson completed 17-of-29 passes for 267 yards with two touchdowns in a 41-0 win over NC State. Watson also rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
Big 12: TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin completed of 20-of-39 passes for 318 yards in a 37-33 win over Oklahoma. Boykin also rushed for 77 yards on 22 carries.
Big Ten: Michigan State wide receiver Tony Lippett caught three passes for 104 yards with a touchdown. He also rushed for a 32-yard touchdown on a reverse.
Pac-12: Utah defensive end Nate Orchard had four sacks and 11 tackles in a 30-28 win over UCLA.
American: Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch was 18-of-24 for 311 yards with two touchdowns in a 41-14 win over Cincinnati. Lynch also rushed for 45 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
Conference USA: UAB running back Jordan Howard rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries in a 42-39 win over Western Kentucky.
MAC: Miami quarterback Andrew Hendrix completed 32-of-58 passes for 437 yards with four touchdowns in a 42-41 win over UMass. Hendrix also rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries to end Miami's 21-game losing streak.
Mountain West: Utah State quarterback Darell Garretson completed 19-of-25 passes for 321 yards with three touchdowns and a rushing TD in a 35-20 win over BYU.
Sun Belt: Arkansas State quarterback Fredi Knighten completed 21-of-36 passes for 284 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a 28-14 win over ULM. Knighten rushed for 71 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.
A wild week for college football reshaped the playoff race and naturally the Heisman race followed.
Despite a gallant effort, frontrunner Marcus Mariota was on the losing end Thursday against Arizona, meaning the race is wide open again.
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott filled the void for the week, but a handful of players who were off the radar — Arizona's Anu Solomon, TCU's Trevone Boykin among them — can't be ignored.
The Heisman race is an end-of-season award, but the race is part of the fun. Here are the contenders who added momentum or lost it in the last week.
Dak Prescott
Prescott has gone from dark horse to potential frontrunner with another standout performance in a convincing win over a top 10 team. Against LSU and the Texas A&M, he's 34-of-49 for 524 yards with four touchdowns. He's also rushed for 182 yards and four touchdowns against the Tigers and Aggies.
|Kenny Hill
Hill didn't have a great game against Arkansas — his 51.2 percent completion rate was the lowest of the season — but he found a way to win. The bottom fell out against Mississippi State as Hill threw three interceptions, giving him five picks in the last three games. He still passed for 366 yards and four touchdowns, but his candidacy has cooled.
|Amari Cooper
Ole Miss' standout secondary kept Cooper in check, at least by his standards. Cooper still got his nine catches, but he was held to a season-low 91 yards. He was kept out of the end zone for the first time since the opener and didn't have a catch longer than 30 yards.
|Nick Marshall
Auburn wanted to prove Marshall could thrive as a passer. Check that box. Marshall completed 14-of-22 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns in a 41-7 rout of LSU. He remained a threat in the run game with 119 yards and two scores. Next up: A showdown with Mississippi State and Dak Prescott.
|Taysom Hill
The Heisman is the least of BYU's concerns as Hill was lost for the season after sustaining a broken leg in a 35-20 loss to Utah State. Hill was off to his best season as a passer, completing two-thirds of his passes for 975 yards and seven touchdowns in five games.
|Anu Solomon
Redshirt freshmen have won the last two Heisman trophies, and Solomon may be the best contender to continue the trend. He out-dueled clubhouse leader Marcus Mariota late into the night Thursday by completing 20-of-31 passes for 287 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Solomon led a game-winning drive against the No. 2 team with 2:58 to go.
|Marcus Mariota
Mariota didn't play poorly against Arizona, but the makeshift offensive line isn't doing him any favors. Mariota no longer plays for an undefeated team, though his 276 yards and two touchdowns could have been enough to win Thursday. With Oregon's struggles, this might not be the Ducks' only Pac-12 loss this year.
|Brett Hundley
Another great quarterback. Another bad offensive line. Mariota has some company in the Pac-12 in Hundley. The UCLA quarterback completed 16-of-21 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns but was sacked 10 times in a 30-28 loss to Utah.
|Trevone Boykin
How's this for an out-of-nowhere contender? Boykin proved his early numbers were legitimate with a masterful performance against Oklahoma. The junior accounted for a career-high 395 yards of total offense (318 passing, 77 rushing) and two passing touchdowns to upset the Sooners.
|Trevor Knight
Knight was able to pick on the TCU defense for big pass plays early. Oklahoma put more emphasis on the pass late in the game, and Knight couldn't keep up. He completed 14-of-35 passes for 309 yards with two interceptions, including the decisive pick six early the fourth quarter.
|Bryce Petty
In the grand scheme of things, Petty will be judged on how he plays against Oklahoma (and now TCU, perhaps). A 7-of-22 performance for 111 yards and two touchdowns was a shockingly low total for the prolific Baylor quarterback.
|Ameer Abdullah
Abdullah has had plenty of success against the Michigan State defense the last two seasons. That changed Saturday. After back-to-back 200-yard games, Abdullah rushed for a season-low 45 yards on 24 carries in a 27-22 loss to Michigan State. Abdullah rushed for two touchdowns but didn't account for a run longer than nine yards.
|Todd Gurley
In a huge weekend, Gurley made sure he wasn't overlooked. The 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in a rout of Vanderbilt is pretty standard for Gurley, but now he has the longest pass of the year for the Bulldogs with a 50-yard completion, 11 yards longer than any QB on the roster.
Melvin Gordon
Gordon may be the nation's most important player — it's scary to think where Wisconsin would be without him. Gordon rushed for 259 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries against Northwestern giving him 693 yards in three weeks. The Badgers still lost 20-14 to the Wildcats.
Optimism abounds every preseason. Every move is going to work and every team is going to get better.
Logically, we know this won't be the case. Not every hire or quarterback change or transfer is a stroke of genius.
Some moves are duds. Some moves take time to develop. Some decisions require an about face after only a few weeks.
These are the big decisions that didn't work out as intended or at least haven't produced the desired results through the first month of the season.
10 Offseason Moves that Flopped
Michigan hires Doug Nussmeier
The Wolverines don't have Al Borges to kick around anymore, but the offense has still taken a step backward. Michigan is still turnover-prone with 14 giveaways — the Wolverines lost 21 all of last season. The offensive line can't protect the passer. And neither quarterback, when heathy, can't sustain a drive. A hire that Brady Hoke hoped would turn the program around may be the end of his tenure.
Jake Coker transfers to Alabama
Blake Sims' emergence as Alabama's quarterback has been one of the biggest surprises of the season so far. That surprise comes at the expense at Coker, who was expected to ease right into the starting job. If he doesn't claim the starting job during the remainder of this season, he'll have a shot in 2015 when Sims leaves. But had he stayed at Florida State, he'd have at least one start under his belt when Jameis Winston was suspended.
South Carolina tries out the 3-4
Without Jadeveon Clowney and with an excess of linebackers, South Carolina planned to spend more time in the 3-4, especially opening against a team like Texas A&M. Those plans were dashed in an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Aggies. Coach Steve Spurrier said no defensive scheme would have stopped the Aggies in the opener. That may be true as Texas A&M racked up 511 passing yards, but South Carolina has allowed better than six yards per play in every game this season. The exception was a loss to Missouri.
Clemson starts the season with Cole Stoudt at quarterback
Dabo Swinney probably didn't want to start his highly touted true freshman in the opener in Athens against Georgia, especially with a senior on the roster. Stoudt struggled against Georgia (16-of-28, one interceptions) before giving way to freshman Deshaun Watson early against Florida State. Watson is 46-of-64 for 701 yards with seven total touchdowns and one interception since becoming the primary quarterback.
LSU starts Anthony Jennings at quarterback
Similar to Clemson, LSU went with a veteran instead of a freshman in an opener against a ranked team. Jennings helped LSU defeat Wisconsin the first game of the season as freshman Brandon Harris didn't throw a pass, but Jennings wasn't the long-term solution. Les Miles made a change before the end of the first month of the season in time for a road trip to Auburn this week.
Texas Tech runs off backup quarterbacks
Davis Webb took over the starting QB spot, leaving former starter Baker Mayfield and longtime backup Michael Brewer holding clipboards. Mayfield ended up at Oklahoma and Brewer at Virginia Tech, but not until Texas Tech attempted to pose limitations on their transfers. Given that Webb was hurt against Oklahoma State and is uncertain to start this week, Texas Tech could use an extra QB right now.
Wisconsin names Tanner McEvoy quarterback
Neither of the Badgers' options are Russell Wilson, but quarterback may be a liability for Wisconsin. McEvoy has looked at times like a converted defensive back playing QB, but Gary Andersen may not have had much choice as Stave has been dealing with a "mental block" that has made his throws unpredictable.
Kurt Roper's plans to remake the Florida offense
Roper has a fine track record, but the latest coach to attempt to fix the Florida offense hasn't made a ton of progress so far. Jeff Driskel continues to struggle against SEC competition, completing only 56 percent of his passes this season for 5.6 yards per attempt.
Jeremy Pruitt's plans to remake the Georgia defense
Like the hire of Roper at Florida, this may be in the "hasn't worked yet" category rather than the "backfired" category. Georgia's pass defense remains one of its biggest problems as South Carolina completed 70 percent of its passes for nine yards per attempt. The Bulldogs may have lost last week's game against Tennessee had quarterback Justin Worley played the entire game.
Assuming Florida State was invincible
Florida State was a near-unanimous pick at No. 1 this season — not that there many other viable candidates — but by the end of the first month, the Seminoles are starting to look vulnerable. Thanks to an ACC schedule, Florida State (and perhaps the Big 12 champion) may have the best chance of navigating a Power 5 conference to go undefeated. But other teams might be more trustworthy in a Playoff situation. The Seminoles' offensive line has struggled to give FSU a consistent run game, and the pass defense has gone from allowing 14 touchdowns to 26 interceptions to six touchdowns and one interception.
After the Big Ten stepped into the national spotlight for the wrong reasons this week as a coach and athletic director found themselves not just battling their player safety procedures, but their job status.
By Saturday night, that may change as the league has a heavyweight matchup on par with any other game in a week full of key games between ranked teams.
Nebraska and Michigan State will meet in a key game — perhaps one of the last — for the league's hopes in the College Football Playoff.
In other action, Ohio State will try to continue its progress on offense in a matchup with Maryland while Michigan tries to put a troubling week behind it when the Wolverines visit Rutgers.
Week 6 Previews and Predictions:
ACC | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
Big Ten Week 6 Game Power Rankings
All games Saturday, all times Eastern
1. Nebraska at Michigan State
8 p.m., ABC
This could be the most important game in the Big Ten this season, at least until the league championship game. Nebraska is the league's only undefeated team but hardly has the resume to put the Cornhuskers into the College Football Playoff conversation. That changes with a win in East Lansing. Meanwhile, Michigan State will look to atone for the loss at Oregon, one in which quarterback Connor Cook was a week removed from a shot to the knee.
Nebraska is one of the few teams in the country that has moved the ball consistently on Michigan State's defense in the last four season. Michigan State has allowed six yards per play just four times in the last four years, and Nebraska has done it twice. Nebraska in 2013 is one of three teams to rush for 150 yards and pass for 200 against Michigan State the last four seasons, and the Cornhuskers' 313 rushing yards in 2012 is the most against Sparty in that span. Heisman contender Ameer Abdullah has been a part of both of those games, and now he's in the middle of a career year. Michigan State will look to limit Abdullah and put the pressure on 54-percent passer Tommy Armstrong to win the game with his arm.
Listen to the Week 6 preview podcast:
2. Ohio State at Maryland
Noon, ABC
The problems in the Ohio State pass defense resurfaced last week against Cincinnati as the Bearcats picked up three touchdown passes in excess of 60 yards, including two that enabled Cincy to get back into the game. Maryland has a talented receiver group led by Stefon Diggs, but it's not clear who will be taking snaps. Starter C.J. Brown, who is also a running threat, was knocked out of last week's win over Indiana. Caleb Rowe went 12-of-18 for 198 yards with two touchdowns the rest of the way. West Virginia is the only opponent to consistently move the ball through the air against Maryland this season, so Ohio State may need to revisit the balanced offense displayed against Cincinnati. Elliott Ezekiel had the best game of a Buckeyes tailback this season with 182 yards.
3. Michigan at Rutgers
7 p.m., Big Ten Network
Who knows what kind of Michigan team will show up against Rutgers? The Wolverines spent more time talking about concussion procedures than football during the last week. Maybe Michigan rallies for its first win over a Power 5 opponent this season. Maybe Michigan looks as disorganized on offense as it has all year, or worse, a steady defense that's been overlooked starts to show cracks. Quarterback Devin Gardner, not surprisingly, will return to the starting role this week. Rutgers isn't a great team, but it can pressure a quarterback. The Scarlet Knights are averaging a Big Ten-best 4.2 sacks per game.
4. Wisconsin at Northwestern
3:30 p.m., ESPN2
Congratulations to Northwestern, riding a genuine (two-game) winning streak for the first time since starting 4-0 last season. The Wildcats have held the last two opponents to 84 yards and 50 yards, but Wisconsin is a different challenge, to put it lightly. Melvin Gordon has rushed for 434 yards and seven touchdowns in the last two weeks. The question for Wisconsin this week will be how much Joel Stave plays, if at all. Starting quarterback Tanner McEvoy has struggled, and Stave, last year's starter, says he's over the "mental block" that made him unable to play so far this season.
5. Purdue at Illinois
Noon, ESPN2
Illinois can match its win total from last season, one that it didn't hit until Nov. 23 against — yep — Purdue. This is a must-win for Illinois' slim bowl hopes. Quarterback Wes Lunt is expected to return from a knee sprain that kept him out of last week's rout against Nebraska. Backup Reilly O'Toole is also hobbled.
6. North Texas at Indiana
2:30, Big Ten Network
Even though running back Tevin Coleman is near-automatic, Indiana will try to work out its passing game. The Hoosiers rank 88th in passing offense after ranking in the top 20 nationally the last two seasons. North Texas ranks 37th nationally in pass efficiency defense.
Big Ten Week 6 Staff Picks
|David Fox
|Braden Gall
|Steven Lassan
|Mitch Light
Purdue at Illinois (-11)
|Ill. 35-14
|Ill. 34-17
|Ill. 34-20
|Ill. 23-13
Ohio State at Maryland (NL)
North Texas at Indiana (-14)
Wisconsin (-9) at Northwestern
|Wisc 41-21
|Wisc 30-27
|Wisc 30-20
|Wisc 31-14
Michigan at Rutgers (-3)
|Rut 17-10
|Rut 24-20
|Rut 23-17
Nebraska at Michigan State (-8)
|Last Week
In August, we think we have it all figured out. These moves will work, these won't. This will be a team's quarterback. This transfer will be the savior.
As usual, college football provided a few surprises through the first month of the season, causing us to look back at some of the offseason moves that made a major difference.
We're looking at assistant hires, personnel decisions and transfers — what worked and what didn't through the first month of the season.
These are the gambles or at least the tough decisions that ended up paying major dividends already in 2014.
10 Offseason Moves that Worked in 2014
Lane Kiffin lands at Alabama and starts Blake Sims
Nick Saban's move to hire the controversial former USC and Tennessee coach to run his offense was greeted with skepticism, but it turned out to be the spark Saban was seeking. Saban says he's wanted to pass more, and Kiffin has delivered. The Crimson Tide are averaging 10.3 yards per attempt, the best of the Saban era. Meanwhile, an Alabama wide receiver, Amari Cooper, is contending for the Heisman — imagine that thought 10 years ago. Of course, none of this might be possible without the play of the veteran Blake Sims, who never let go of the starting job when Jake Coker arrived from Florida State.
Texas A&M names Jake Spavital playcaller and starts Kenny Hill
A year ago, Kevin Sumlin filled Kliff Kingsbury's slot on the coaching staff with the youthful Spavital, who shared offensive coordinator duties with Clarence McKinney. Now, Spavital is the sole playcaller in the post-Johnny Manziel era. The Aggies' offense has shown little drop off. Part of that is Hill winning the quarterback competition over five-star freshman quarterback Kyle Allen. Texas A&M is third in the nation in yards per play at 7.99.
Notre Dame hires Brian VanGorder
Notre Dame is fourth in the nation in scoring defense at 11.5 points allowed per game, and the periphery numbers and the competition suggest the Irish aren't quite that dominant. Still, this is remarkable given the circumstances. Notre Dame is still without cornerback KeiVarae Russell and defensive end Ishaq Williams, and the Irish transitioned from Bob Diaco's 3-4 to VanGorder's 4-3. After all that, Notre Dame hasn't allowed more than two touchdowns in game this year.
Shaq Thompson playing offense
In an uneven season so far, Washington's move to have Shaq Thompson play on both sides of the ball as worked without a hitch. He's carried nine times for 84 yards with a touchdown, a development that hasn't stopped him from making an impact on defense. Thompson has three defensive touchdowns this season, giving him three more total touchdowns than one school (SMU) has scored as a team.
Arizona starts Anu Solomon
The Wildcats had four quarterbacks competing for the job at one point, and it's curious why this was such a hotly contested job. Solomon is arguably the nation's top freshman quarterback so far, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,454 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions.
TCU's new coordinators, same quarterback
TCU's offense hadn't been the same since Justin Fuente took the Memphis job. To compete in the Big 12, the Horned Frogs needed a major upgrade and attempted to do that with Sonny Cumbie from Texas Tech and Doug Meacham from Houston. Lucky for them, they already had an experienced quarterback who could fit in the system in Trevone Boykin, who had been moved to receiver at one point last season. TCU hasn't played a Big 12 contender yet, but they've topped 70 plays in every game this season after averaging 68.5 per game a year ago.
Miami starts Brad Kaaya
The Hurricanes' quarterback situation appeared to be in dire straits when fifth-year senior Ryan Williams was lost for the season and BYU transfer Jake Heaps failed to make an impression. Instead of falling apart at quarterback, Miami may have found the QB of the future in the freshman Kaaya. After taking his lumps in an ACC opener on the road against Louisville, Kaaya helped put Miami back in the ACC race with an interception-free win over Duke last week.
Gunner Kiel transfers to Cincinnati
Plenty of transfer quarterbacks have made moves that didn't work out as some have found themselves riding the bench at a second school. Not so with Gunner Kiel, who finally found a home at Cincinnati. The former Notre Dame quarterback (and Indiana and LSU commitment) has completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 1,041 yards with 14 touchdowns and two picks. If Kiel can lead Cincy to an AAC championship, the Bearcats have a good shot at a major bowl game.
Cal hires Art Kaufman
In recent years, Kaufman already led defensive turnarounds at Texas Tech and Cincinnati. Cal needed any answers it could find after firing defensive coordinator Andy Buh after one year. Giving up 105 against Arizona and Colorado isn't a great look, but the group is better. Cal is allowing 5.27 yards per play after allowing 7.08 a year ago.
Patrick Towles starts at Kentucky
Kentucky could have jumped right into the Drew Barker era but instead opted with its only experienced quarterback in Towles. The result was Kentucky's first SEC win since Nov. 26, 2011 and a close call with Florida on Sept. 13. Towles' best game was a 23-for-30 performance against Vanderbilt last week.
October may be the most important month of the college football season in terms of shaping the Playoff.
Don't believe us? September losses can almost be forgiven ... or at least that was the old way. And by November, the field for the four spots in the semifinal may be whittled to a dozen or so.
In between is October, when plenty of teams still feel like they have a shot. Besides the 16 teams still undefeated at the end of September, a handful of one-loss teams still have good reason to be optimistic given what could be a wild and wacky year.
Oct. 4 is just the beginning, the most important Saturday of the most important month. But it won't be alone in shaping what the selection committee will have to consider by the time it meets in Dallas for the first time on Dec. 28.
12 Games in October that will Shape the Playoff
Oct. 4
Alabama at Ole Miss
Both teams opened the season with non-conference wins in Atlanta, and now they open October with their most important SEC games to date. Neither team looked ready to contend for the playoff back then. Since Week 1, Alabama's Blake Sims has established himself as the shepherd of a high-powered offense, and Ole Miss discovered it has a top-flight SEC defense.
What more can we learn about Oklahoma after an impressive first month of the season? This may be OU's toughest Big 12 road game. Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State all visit Norman, making this the Sooners' only visit to face a ranked team. Since joining the Big 12, TCU has lost by three points and seven points to the Sooners. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin won't be intimidated — he has two career starts and fared well despite losses to OU.
LSU at Auburn
The SEC West is so good that it may be difficult to write a team off this early in the season, but LSU may be on a razor's edge it loses in Jordan-Hare. Lose this game, and LSU falls to 0-2 in the division. The only thing separating LSU from contender or spoiler status? A freshman quarterback.
Texas A&M at Mississippi State
Early upsets of set in motion one of the most unlikely SEC games to carry weight in the Playoff race. The Aggies have handled South Carolina and Arkansas as first-year starter Kenny Hill has become a Heisman contender — despite an uneven performance Saturday against the Hogs. Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott, though, can continue to build his resume after a showcase against LSU two weeks ago.
Even though both teams have picked up key wins early in the season, Stanford and Notre Dame still need to prove their wares as national contenders. Stanford's defense has been lights out this season — opponents have scored a red zone touchdown just once in three chances against the Cardinal all season. At the same time, Stanford's offense has been dismal in converting scoring chances to points. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's signature 31-0 performance against Michigan doesn't seem quite so special.
The Big Ten's reputation has been bruised this season, but the reality is that the league still has an outside shot at a Playoff spot. Nebraska has a win over Miami on the resume and has clobbered enough other opponents to show the close call with McNeese State was an aberration. The Cornhuskers are a legit Playoff contender with a win in East Lansing. Meanwhile, Michigan State is clinging to the hope that breezing through the Big Ten will be impressive enough to excuse a 19-point loss to Oregon in Eugene.
Oct. 9
BYU at UCF
BYU is probably a Playoff longshot with its three games against Power 5 teams coming against teams that may struggle to reach bowl games (Texas, Virginia and Cal). An undefeated season may be the only way BYU gets in. An at-large bid for one of the major bowl games in the "New Year's Six" may be more likely. That said, the notion of "impressing voters" in a Thursday night ESPN game on the East Coast is a relic of the BCS era. The only eyes that matter are those of the 13 selection committee. Still, we say any exposure helps.
Oct. 11
Oregon at UCLA
Provided Oregon can beat Arizona at home and UCLA can do the same to Utah — neither are guarantees — the Ducks and Bruins will be undefeated for this monster Pac-12 matchup. The favorites in the North and South might have to beat each other twice to get to the Playoff. Oh, and the quarterback showdown will be a bit entertaining.
Ole Miss at Texas A&M
Only a week after Ole Miss hosts Alabama and Texas A&M visits Mississippi State, the Rebels and Aggies meet in College Station. The two teams could conceivably go from undefeated to out of contention for the SEC West within two weeks.
Oct. 18
Notre Dame at Florida State
As we said earlier, Notre Dame's Playoff credentials aren't clear, though beating Stanford would make the Irish an instant contender. Either way, Notre Dame may end up being the highest-ranked team Florida State plays all season.
Think October is a big month for the Aggies? Texas A&M plays three ranked teams in a row during the month. And that's before the Aggies face Auburn, Missouri and LSU to round out the regular season. Even if Texas A&M enters the game with a pair of losses, Alabama may need this game to prove it can contain the hurry-up no huddle.
Baylor faces TCU on Oct. 11, which may be the tougher opponent for the Bears, but this may be the tougher game. Baylor catches TCU at home while having to make a road trip to the furthest outpost in the Big 12. The likelihood of a shootout remains high. The Bears and Mountaineers have combined for 248 total points in the last two meetings.
Oct. 30
This isn't the most compelling game of the month, and it might not be all that competitive if Florida State starts to play to its potential. But it is the last major game of the month, and its one with a history of upsets. Louisville defeated fourth-ranked Florida State 26-20 in a classic upset in 2002. The Cardinals coach at the time, Bobby Petrino, is the same this time around.
The Pac-12 has reversed its fortunes among the major conferences, but there remains an area where the league is lagging.
Remember, this is a league that is two years removed from sending only two teams to the NCAA Tournament, its regular season champion not among them.
That has changed with 11 NCAA Tournament teams during the last two seasons, three more than the previous three seasons combined.
Getting to the Tournament is one thing. Advancing is another. No active Pac-12 coach has a Final Four appearance. Every other major basketball conference (the Power 5, plus the American and Big East) have at least two Final Four coaches. The ACC alone has 30 Final Four appearances spread among five coaches.
That figures to change eventually, as Arizona's Sean Miller has twice reached the Elite Eight since arriving in the Pac-12.
Even without a ton of trophies, the Pac-12 cast of coaches is interesting: Miller is the star here, but Tad Boyle and Larry Krystkowiak have proven themselves program-builders in the last four years. Johnny Dawkins and Herb Sendek resurrected their tenures with NCAA appearances last year.
As usual, a handful of factors go into ranking the coaches — career accomplishments, career momentum, gameday acumen, player development, recruiting, conference records and postseason success.
Want to tell us how wrong we are? Tweet us at @AthlonSports or talk to us on Facebook.
1. Sean Miller, Arizona
Record at Arizona: 129-48 (.729)
NCAA Tournament: 14-7
Number to note: Miller has reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in each of his last five trips at Arizona and Xavier. The only two times he's failed to reach the Sweet 16 were his first two NCAA appearances with Musketeers.
Why he's ranked here: Miller has restored Arizona to national prominence and has the No. 4 signing class this year and the No. 1 class for 2015. The best coach without a Final Four appearance won't carry that title for much longer.
2. Tad Boyle, Colorado
Record at Colorado: 92-50 (.648)
NCAA Tournament: 1-3
Number to note: The Buffaloes have ranked in the top 50 of adjusted defensive efficiency in each of the last three seasons, according to KenPom.
Why he's ranked here: This is the golden age of Colorado basketball. Colorado has as many NCAA appearances under Boyle in the last three seasons as it did from 1969-2011.
3. Steve Alford, UCLA
Record at UCLA: 28-9 (.757)
NCAA Tournament: 7-8
Number to note: In Alford's first season, UCLA reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008 ... with the help of a No. 13 seed (Tulsa) and No. 12 seed (Stephen F. Austin). That shouldn't be ignored — two of Alford's New Mexico teams were eliminated by double-digit seeds.
Why he's ranked here: Alford's hire wasn't met with much excitement, but the jolt of energy seems to be working. UCLA had arguably its best team since the 2008 Final Four squad.
4. Dana Altman, Oregon
Record at Oregon: 97-47 (.674)
NCAA Tournament: 5-10
Number to note: A streaky program has stability. Oregon has winning conference seasons in three consecutive years for the first time in school history.
Why he's ranked here: An offseason scandal casts a shadow over his tenure at Oregon. His career, though, has been marked by building consistent winners at Creighton and now Oregon.
5. Larry Krystkowiak, Utah
Record at Utah: 42-55 (.433)
NCAA Tournament: 1-2
Number to note: Utah won more Pac-12 games in his third season (nine) than the Utes won total games in his first year (six).
Why he's ranked here: Krystkowiak brought Utah back from irrelevance, and now the Utes will contend for their first NCAA spot since 2009.
6. Johnny Dawkins, Stanford
Record at Stanford: 117-87 (.575)
NCAA Tournament: 2-1
Number to note: Entering 2014, Stanford hadn't defeated a higher-seeded team in the NCAA Tournament since 1998. Dawkins did it twice in his first trip. No. 10 Stanford upset No. 7 New Mexico and No. 2 Kansas. The Cardinal still managed to lose to a lower-seeded team in the Sweet 16 (No. 11 Dayton).
Why he's ranked here: After missing the NCAA Tournament in his first five seasons, Dawkins saved his job with a trip to the Sweet 16.
7. Lorenzo Romar, Washington
Record at Washington: 254-144 (.838)
NCAA Tournament: 8-7
Number to note: Washington's ranking on KenPom.com has decreased in each of the last four seasons from No. 20 in 2011 to No. 57 to No. 76 to No. 95 in 2014. The latter is Washington's worst since Romar's first season in 2002-03.
Why he's ranked here: Romar has led Washington to the Sweet 16 three times, won the conference tournament three times and won the league twice. Still, he'll be under pressure to reverse the decline.
8. Cuonzo Martin, Cal
Record at Cal: First season
NCAA Tournament: 3-1
Number to note: After NCAA Tournament snubs at Missouri State and Tennessee, Martin made up for lost time by winning three games in his first NCAA appearance, starting in the First Four and ending the Sweet 16.
Why he's ranked here: Martin hopes he's landed where he's more appreciated at Cal.
9. Herb Sendek, Arizona State
Record at Arizona State: 141-121 (.538)
NCAA Tournament: 7-8
Number to note: Sendek's last two teams, led by guard Jahii Carson, were the first two of his eight-year tenure to average better than 70 points per game.
Why he's ranked here: Sendek is a survivor, that's for sure. His second NCAA bid at Arizona State keeps him in Tempe.
10. Andy Enfield, USC
Record at USC: 11-21 (.344)
NCAA Tournament: 2-1
Number to note: USC at least played fast for Enfield, ranking 26th in adjusted tempo by KenPom.
Why he's ranked here: Enfield is the only coach to take a No. 15 seed to the Sweet 16. Rebuilding USC will take more than one weekend.
11. Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State
Record at Oregon State: First season
NCAA Tournament: 0-3
Number to note: Montana won regular season and Big Sky Tournament titles two of the last three seasons under Tinkle.
Why he's ranked here: Montana has a nice tradition of producing coaches who thrive on the next level — Jud Heathcote, Mike Montgomery, Stew Morrill, Blaine Taylor and Larry Krystkowiak. Tinkle may have an impossible situation at Oregon State, though.
12. Ernie Kent, Washington State
Record at Washington State: First season
NCAA Tournament: 6-6
Number to note: Kent is Oregon's all-time wins leader with 235 victories from 1998-2010.
Why he's ranked here: Kent has been out of coaching since 2010, and his last 20-win season came in 2007.
At a combative press conference won't be enough for Michigan coach Brady Hoke to explain the handing of injured quarterback Shane Morris.
Morris was lifted from the game due to a high ankle sprain and did not sustain a concussion to Hoke's knowledge, Hoke told the media in a Monday morning press conference. The quarterback would have practiced Sunday if not for the ankle injury, Hoke said.
Hoke said he'd never put a player on the field if there was a risk he sustained a head injury, but assessing that risk is ultimately in the hands of the Michigan medical staff.
"I don't make decisions who plays, who doesn't play, as far as when there's injuries, in particular, if there were any head or head trauma," Hoke told the media. "Those of you who know or don't know, I would never put a kid in that situation. Never have and never will because you get into this to coach kids."
In a contentious press conference Monday, Hoke fielded questions surrounding his handling of Morris, who sustained a helmet-to-helmet hit against Minnesota and continued for two more non-consecutive plays.
Morris needed help from a lineman to stand after taking a hit from Minnesota's Theiren Cockran — a stumble Hoke says was brought about by an ankle injury. Morris stayed in for one more play but returned later in the series when Devin Gardner lost his helmet during a play.
The explanations Hoke gave, though, remain dubious.
Hoke says he "assumed" Michigan medical personnel performed the required tests for concussions, though those tests were not administered until after Morris stayed in the game long enough to throw an incomplete pass.
Hoke said he did not see the hit on Morris as the coach was following the ball downfield and attributed Morris' stumble to his ankle giving out. Given the nature of the hit — the back of Morris' head also hit the ground — Morris' motions were consistent with those of a player who had suffered a concussion. Hoke said he did not see the quarterback struggling in real time and ultimately not until he viewed the coaches' game film.
Hoke also repeatedly referred to a forthcoming statement from the Michigan medical staff, a statement that had not arrived as of four hours since the press conference. Hoke referred to the statement when asked if Morris received a concussion test on the sideline and why Morris still had his helmet after leaving the game for the first time.
Hoke also said he had not communicated with athletic director Dave Brandon since Saturday, though the school released a statement from Hoke on Sunday evening.
Welcome to the Week of Doom.
The College Football Playoff selection committee will meet for the first time in less than a month, and this week almost certainly will shape the conversations for that group.
Every league will have powerhouse matchups between favorites and ranked teams, so much that our usual preview of the top five games of the week has been expanded to 10. And we still feel like we left out some important matchups.
The gauntlet starts Thursday with Oregon and Arizona and lasts through Nebraska and Michigan State in primetime on Saturday.
Title hopes will be crushed. Teams will have setbacks in conference races. And perhaps the postseason and Heisman pictures will start to take shape.
Get ready. This week will shape the rest of the year.
The Week Ahead: Week 6
All times Eastern, all games Saturday, unless noted
Arizona at Oregon
When and where: Thursday, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
We're watching because... games between Arizona and Oregon get weird. The Wildcats defeated Arizona 42-16 last season, effectively eliminating the Ducks from the Pac-12 and national title chase, and in 2007, they ended Oregon's bid for a title. The Ducks are in contention again — with another Heisman favorite in Marcus Mariota — but their offensive line is in trouble. Behind redshirt quarterback Anu Solomon, Arizona has enough of an offense to put pressure on Mariota to perform on every possession.
Vegas says: Oregon by 22 1/2
Texas A&M at Mississippi State
When and where: Noon, ESPN
We're watching because... the Aggies and Bulldogs keep proving their SEC West credentials. Texas A&M were able to take advantage of Arkansas' fourth quarter miscues to stay alive, but the Aggies' defense remains a liability. Mississippi State's Dak Prescott is an emerging Heisman contender coming off his career game against LSU. Prescott has rushed for more than 100 yards in three consecutive games while improving as a passer. Could be trouble for the Aggies.
Vegas says: Mississippi State by 1
Ohio State at Maryland
When and where: Noon, ABC
We're watching because... Ohio State may or may not be starting to putting its season together. J.T. Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 591 yards of total offense against Cincinnati, but Maryland's defense has held its own despite mounting injuries. The Buckeyes pass defense remains vulnerable to long pass plays. Terrapins receiver Stefon Diggs, once a top recruiting target of Ohio State, can exploit that weakness.
Vegas says: Ohio State by 8
Alabama at Ole Miss
When and where: 3:30 p.m., CBS
We're watching because... Ole Miss is playing its biggest home game in decades. The Rebels are 4-0 for the first time since Archie Manning was a senior, and they're hosing ESPN College GameDay for the first time. Alabama is a week removed from 672 yards against Florida while Ole Miss has risen — surprisingly — to fourth in the country in fewest yards allowed per game (248) and yards per play (3.74). Ole Miss can't afford another two-interception game from quarterback Bo Wallace.
Vegas says: Alabama by 5
Stanford at Notre Dame
When and where: 3:30 p.m., NBC
We're watching because... Oct. 4 seems a little early for a Stanford-Notre Dame game, but the timing is right to sort out which team is for real. Stanford's defense is masking the Cardinal's inept offense inside the 40-yard line. The Cardinal is allowing 108.5 yards per game fewer than any other team in the Pac-12. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's offense might not be as good as Everett Golson's 25 consecutive completions against Syracuse indicate. Otherwise, Golson was responsible for two fumbles and two interceptions, one for a pick six.
Vegas says: Stanford by 1
Oklahoma at TCU
When and where: 3:30 p.m., Fox
We're watching because... Oklahoma can further show why it's the most complete team in the country. The Sooners have handled every opponent they've faced, including Tennessee and West Virginia, the latter on the road. TCU may be the toughest test. The Horned Frogs are stout defensively as usual with a Big 12-best 218.7 yards per game and 3.04 yards per play. But with Air Raid and spread concepts brought in by Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meachem, TCU is fourth in the Big 12 in yards per play.
Vegas says: Oklahoma by 4 1/2
Baylor at Texas
When and where: 3:30 p.m., ABC
We're watching because... Baylor's eventually going to start playing tougher games, right? Texas might not be that much better than Iowa State, but the Bears will try to improve their stock with a third consecutive lopsided win on the road.
Vegas says: Baylor by 14 1/2
LSU at Auburn
When and where: 7 p.m., ESPN
We're watching because... this SEC West rivalry may be LSU's last chance to prove it belongs among league contenders. Auburn's defense may be the real deal after allowing only 4.56 yards per play after giving up nearly six per play in each of the last four seasons. Facing New Mexico State may have masked some of LSU's offensive issues, but freshman Brandon Harris established himself as Les Miles' quarterback (11-of-14, 178 yards, three touchdowns).
Vegas says: Auburn by 8 1/2
Miami at Georgia Tech
When and where: 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
We're watching because... neither team can be written off in the ACC Coastal race. The division separated by a razor-thin margin, and Miami and Georgia Tech each have a leg up for the time being. Georgia Tech defeated Virginia Tech two weeks ago, and Miami is coming off a 22-10 win over Duke. Hurricanes freshman Brad Kaaya gets better every week, but he's 0-2 on the road. That needs to change if UM is a realistic ACC contender.
Vegas says: Pick 'em
Nebraska at Michigan State
When and where: 8 p.m., ABC
We're watching because... it's safe to resume paying attention to the Big Ten now. The top two teams in the league rolled last week by a combined score of 101-28. Michigan State can regain ground lost by the loss to Oregon in Week 2 while Nebraska can establish itself as a Playoff contender. Ameer Abdullah enters a game against a stout Michigan State defense with momentum after rushing for of 437 yards in the last two games.
Vegas says: Michigan State by 9 1/2
After Ohio State arguably lost ground during a bye week, the Buckeyes gained some of it back against Cincinnati.
Where that leaves Ohio State for the Big Ten season, which starts Saturday at Maryland, remains in question.
While Ohio State had last week off, the Buckeyes' lone loss of the season started look more and more embarrassing as Virginia Tech lost to Georgia Tech, its second consecutive loss since the win in Columbus.
As for the Buckeyes, they defeated Cincinnati 50-28 on Saturday, answering some questions about the offense's ability to win in the Big Ten, but the defense may remain a liability.
First the good:
For a team that couldn't move the ball consistently against Virginia Tech, the 50 points is a welcome sight.
Redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett was magnificent, completing 26-of-36 passes for 330 yards with four touchdowns and no turnovers to go with 79 rushing yards.
That said, the biggest development may have been running back Ezekiel Elliott, who rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown in 28 carries. Before that breakout by the sophomore, none of Ohio State's tailbacks had rushed for more than 171 yards total this season.
Ohio State's 710 total yards also approached a school record.
Listen to the Week 5 recap podcast:
Now the bad: Aided by a leaky secondary, Ohio State needed nearly all of that production.
Ohio State jumped to a 23-7 lead early in the second quarter, but that devolved into a five-point lead in the third.
The pass defense that prevented Ohio State from playing for a national title a year ago made this game more interesting than it needed to be. The Buckeyes allowed touchdown passes or 60, 83 and 78 yards, the last two in the second half.
How many Big Ten teams will be able to challenge Ohio State like Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel did? Perhaps a few.
Maryland passed for 361 yards and three touchdowns against Indiana and has averaged better than 10 yards per attempt in each of the last two games.
To boot, the Terrapins gave up a mere 126 yards through the air against a high-powered Indiana offense.
With that kind of matchup arriving Saturday, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer talked of a "hard conversation" with defensive coaches coming this week.
"You don't give up 200 yards passing and be able to look you in the eye say that's a championship level football team out there," Meyer told the media. "I see certain units playing at a very, very high level, not nine."
After a month of the season and a few close calls, Penn State learned a little bit about its ceiling.
The Nittany Lions can't survive an off game by quarterback Christian Hackenberg, and the offensive line continues to be the team's Achilles' heel.
Starting with a disastrous first quarter, Penn State lost 29-6 at home to Northwestern. On paper, this may be a shocking result with one of the Big Ten's two undefeated teams losing in a rout to a team that entered the game on a 2-9 skid.
In reality, though, this moment was coming. Penn State had been playing with fire all season, and the flaws brought about in part by injuries and scholarship limitations are finally starting to impact the record.
Maybe this was a market correction.
Penn State lucked out in the opener when UCF didn't start the better of its two quarterbacks that day as a field goal from Sam Ficken helped Penn State win 26-24 in Dublin. The Nittany Lions started slow against Akron but won convincingly by a 21-3 margin. And two weeks ago, Penn State got help from five Rutgers interceptions to score 13 unanswered points in the second half of a 13-10 win.
All the while, Penn State's offensive line couldn't open holes for the running backs, and Hackenberg was forced into mistakes.
Northwestern was the first team to take advantage when the floodgates opened.
"I actually think you look how we've played all year long and we've started some games slow and we've been able to come back and rally late in games," Penn State coach James Franklin told the media. "You can only do that so many times. You can only do that so many times before it comes back to haunt you."
That moment happened Saturday.
Penn State punted on its first five possessions, four of which ending without a first down. That was better than the alternative, which included a blocked field goal, a Hackenberg fumble and the first pick six of Hackenberg's career.
By the end of the second quarter, Penn State abandoned the run altogether. Hackenberg finished with 45 pass attempts. Tailbacks Bill Belton and Zach Zwinak carried 12 times.
The frustration was palpable.
Hackenberg and Belton put the moment behind them in the postgame interviews and on Twitter, but but the struggles of the offense won't solve themselves as easily.
Penn State is averaging 3.1 yards per carry this season. Throw out a 226-yard outburst against UMass, and the Nittany Lions are averaging 2.1 yards per rush.
There are no easy solutions here. Penn State entered the season with a top-flight quarterback and established that its defensive front seven will be among the best in the country.
The offensive line, though, returned only one starter. The unit, especially after the spring injury to Miles Dieffenbach, was panned during the preseason.
That Penn State made it to Week 5 without a loss is probably something of a miracle and a sign the Nittany Lions are getting the most they possibly can out of a shorthanded group.
Saturday, though, showed how far resilience alone can go.
Brady Hoke has more serious problems than an inept offense on gameday.
Before Hoke coaches another game at Michigan, he'll need to provide better answers than ignorance for allowing his potentially concussed player to take two more snaps, including one after he had returned to the sideline to be replaced by a backup.
In the fourth quarter of a 30-14 loss to Minnesota, quarterback Shane Morris — already hobbled with a leg injury — took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Minnesota defensive end Thieren Cockran.
Morris limped to the sideline to get the next play, but he dropped his head and had to be held up by offensive tackle Ben Braden. Morris, making his first start of the season, waved his arm to stay in the game.
Cockran was called for a roughing the passer penalty, though he could have been ejected for targeting. ESPN analyst Ed Cunningham called the officials' oversight "appalling."
That level of ignorance pales compared to what transpired later from Hoke. Morris continued for one more snap, an incomplete pass. Only then, did Morris take himself out of the game, wobbling to the sideline.
Do we know with certainty that Morris suffered a concussion? No. But Michigan and the broadcast team saw enough to warrant having Morris on the bench to determine for sure.
Morris didn't stay on the bench long. Three plays later, replacement quarterback Devin Gardner lost his helmet on a run toward the sideline. By rule, he had to sit out a play.
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While third-string quarterback Russell Bellomy scrambled for a helmet, Morris ended up back in the game for a handoff before returning to the sideline. Cunningham called the player management "atrocious." Even before the Cockran hit, Cunningham was critical of Hoke's handling of an obviously injured Morris, who continued to throw passes from the pocket on an injured left leg.
The entire sequence was textbook negligence for the safety of a player, but Hoke's explanation was so much worse, it's embarrassing.
"Well, I don't know if he might have had a concussion or not," Hoke told reporters after the game. "I don't know that. Shane's a pretty competitive tough kid. Shane wanted to be the quarterback. So believe me, if he didn't want to be, he would have come to the sideline or stayed down."
That statement is unacceptable.
I don't know if he had a concussion or not.
Did Hoke not see what the ESPN cameras picked up? Did he not see a dazed Morris being held up by a lineman? That's possible, even if Minnesota was flagged for roughing the passer. Did a member of the staff catch it? Also possible, but Hoke is not wearing a headset, so it's plausible that someone in the booth was unable to effectively communicate with the head coach.
But the lack of certainty is enough to pull Morris. And not only did Morris stay in the game for one play after the hit, he returned. Take a timeout. Take a delay of game. Have a running back take a knee It doesn't matter. Anything that stops Morris from returning to the game.
Shane wanted to be the quarterback. So believe me, if he didn't want to be, he would have come to the sideline or stayed down.
Hoke is deflecting the responsibility onto his 20-year-old quarterback who may or may not have sustained a head injury, not the man in paid in excess of $4 million to make quick decisions that in part concern the safety of his players.
Blame players for poor execution or poor preparation, that's fine. But deciding which players should and should not be on the field is part of the job, and Hoke was incompetent for a stretch of four minutes in this regard.
Whether Morris sustained a concussion or not, Hoke whiffed, and he may need to answer for it with his job.
Watch the entire sequence:
UPDATE: Michigan coach Brady Hoke released a statement Sunday evening through the school:
"The safety of our student-athletes is always our top priority. We generally never discuss the specifics of a student-athlete's medical care, but Shane Morris was removed from yesterday's game against Minnesota after further aggravating an injury to his leg that he sustained earlier in the contest. He was evaluated by our experienced athletic trainers and team physicians, and we're confident proper medical decisions were made. The University of Michigan has a distinguished group of Certified Athletic Trainers and team physicians who are responsible for determining whether or not a player is physically able to play. Our coaches have no influence or authority to make determinations if or when an injured player returns to competition. The health and welfare of our student-athletes is and will continue to be a top priority."
After his team lost by 3 to Georgia, Tennessee coach Butch Jones likened defending Georgia's run game to defending the wishbone.
Don't give Georgia any ideas. It's scary what Todd Gurley might do if he played in that kind of offense. Playing in the Bulldogs pro-style is scary enough.
The Georgia tailback rushed for a career-high 208 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns in a 35-32 win over Tennessee to earn Athlon Sports National Player of the Week honors.
The Bulldogs needed every bit of Gurley's production, and despite playing the deepest backfield in the country, Gurley may be the nation's most indispensable player.
Gurley rushed for a 51-yard touchdown to boost a fourth-quarter lead, hurdled over a Tennessee defender and picked up a fourth-and-3 conversion with a gutty four-yard gain.
"Earlier in the year, I said he is at least one of the best players in the country," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "Now, I'm saying he's the best player in America. I can't imagine anyone being more talented, a guy who loves his team more, and a guy who means more to his team than he does to us."
National Defensive Player of the Week: Ishmael Adams, UCLA
Arizona State may have racked up 626 yards against UCLA but couldn't stop the Bruins in the big-play department in any phase of the game. Defensive back Ishmael Adams helped changed the momentum twice. First, he recorded a 95-yard pick six as Arizona State was driving for a score to close the first half. Adams then returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown after the Sun Devils cut the lead to two touchdowns in the third quarter.
National Freshman of the Week: Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Deshaun Watson flashed his potential in extended work against Florida State. He delivered against defense-challenged North Carolina in his first career start. Watson completed 27-of-36 passes for 435 yards with six touchdowns and an interception in a 50-35 win over North Carolina.
National Coordinator of the Week: Brian Stewart, Maryland
Injuries have been mounting for the Maryland defense, and Indiana is fresh off a win at Missouri. All signs would point to a shootout for a Terrapins team that two weeks ago gave up 40 points to West Virginia. The Terrapins, though, keyed the program's first Big Ten victory, a 37-15 win over Indiana. The high-powered Hoosiers were limited to a season-low 332 total yards. Indiana was 14-of-37 passing with 126 yards and an interception.
Conference players of the week:
ACC: Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya completed 21-of-25 passes for 226 yards with two touchdowns in a 22-10 win over Duke.
Big 12: Oklahoma State quarterback Daxx Garman completed 17-of-31 passes for 370 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in a 45-35 win over Texas Tech on Thursday.
Big Ten: Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in a 45-14 win over Illinois.
Pac-12: UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley was 18-of-23 for 355 yards with four touchdowns in a 62-27 win over Arizona State on Thursday. He also rushed for 72 yards on eight carries.
American: Temple quarterback P.J. Walker completed 20-of-29 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown in a 36-10 win over Connecticut. Walker also rushed for a touchdown.
Conference USA: Western Kentucky quarterback Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky completed 38-of-54 passes for 387 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 36-27 win over Navy. Doughty also rushed for a touchdown.
MAC: Akron linebacker Jatavis Brown had 11 tackles and a sack in a 21-10 win over Pittsburgh. The Zips are the first team to hold James Conner to fewer than 100 yards this season.
Mountain West: Air Force safety Weston Steelhammer had three interceptions, two tackles for a loss a sack and four tackles in a 28-14 win over Boise State.
Sun Belt: Georgia Southern quarterback Kevin Ellison rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in a 34-14 win over Appalachian State. He also completed 6-of-10 passes for 73 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Independents: Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson completed 31-of-39 passes for 362 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in a 31-15 win over Syracuse. Golson completed 25 consecutive passes at one point.
If Week 5 reinforced anything, it was the role of clutch play for any Heisman contender.
The big play at the right time covers up a ton of miscues or stretches of ineffective play.
That is the theme for this week's contenders. Kenny Hill and Everett Golson didn't have the best games of their careers, but they were in charge when the game mattered most.
Brett Hundley, after missing almost an entire game two weeks ago, showed why he is so valuable during a lopsided stretch for UCLA against Arizona State.
And Gurley remained one of the biggest gamebreakers of the week as the Georgia offense went from very good to great any time he was on the field.
Here is our look at the last week and who moved up or down in the Heisman race.
|Todd Gurley
Gurley may be the best hope to end Heisman dominance by quarterbacks. The Bulldogs junior set a career high with 208 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries in a 35-32 win over Tennessee. Georgia coach Mark Richt revised his statement that Gurley is one of the best in the country to making Gurley the best player in the country.
|Kenny Hill
The Aggies quarterback didn't have the best game of his young career. He threw an interception, completed 21-of-41 passes and received help from Arkansas' defensive breakdowns. But 386 passing yards and four touchdowns — two in the final 2:08 of regulation and overtime — keeps him in the Heisman race and A&M in the hunt in the SEC.
|Christian Hackenberg
Hackenberg couldn't rescue Penn State in this one. Behind a leaky offensive line, Hackenberg had his worst game of the season, completing 22-of-45 passes for 216 yards with the first pick six of his career in a 29-6 home loss to Northwestern. Hackenberg as four TDs and six INTs this season.
|Everett Golson
Golson had his official statline corrected, so he didn't catch the FBS record of 26 consecutive completions as we once believed. And Golson also had three turnovers (two interceptions, fumble). Still, Golson's 25 consecutive completions is impressive against anyone, anytime. Golson finished 32-of-39 for 362 yards with four touchdowns in a 31-15 win over Syracuse.
|Brett Hundley
This guy was supposed to be hurt, right? Hundley came back from his injury against Texas two weeks ago with his best game of the season, leading a 62-27 rout of Arizona State on Thursday. Hundley completed 18-of-23 passes fro 355 yards with four touchdowns. He also rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
|Melvin Gordon
Gordon has picked up the first two fumbles of his career the last two weeks, but the turnovers only seem to make him stronger. Gordon rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in the second half against USF a week after rushing for 253 yards and five touchdowns on 12 carries after his fumble against Bowling Green.
|Ameer Abdullah
Abdullah made sure Gurley and Gordon didn't remain the only running backs in Heisman contention. Starting with 127 yards in the first quarter alone, Abdullah rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in a 45-14 win over Illinois. Abdullah rushed for 437 yards in the last two weeks.
|James Conner
Iowa stymied Conner in the second half last week. Akron was able to do it through the course of a whole game. Akron held Conner to season lows in yards (92), touchdowns (none, the first time he failed to reach the end zone) and yards per carry (3.7) in a 21-10 win.
|Shaq Thompson
Thompson returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown and added seven tackles and a tackle for a loss. The linebacker Thompson has scored four touchdowns this season (two fumbles, an interception, one rushing) but Washington needs to win a marquee game to keep him in the running. Washington lost 20-13 to Stanford.
The only reason we won't say Todd Gurley delivered his signature performance of the season against Tennessee is because it's impossible to put limitations on the Georgia running back.
What can be said is that Gurley delivered a career-high 208 rushing yards on 28 carries in a hotly contested 35-32 win over Tennessee.
Gurley provided plenty of highlights, not least of which this hurdling of a Tennessee defender:
Todd Gurley rushes for a career high 208 yds (2 TDs) to lead No. 12 Georgia to a 35-32 win over Tennessee. #TENNvsUGA pic.twitter.com/71poL6PF8x— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 27, 2014
A nasty, nasty run and leah by @TG3II Todd Gurley. Great shot by Wes Muilenburg. pic.twitter.com/vbz8gxzj7I— Dean Legge (@Dawg_Post) September 27, 2014
Gurley had plenty of big plays, including a 51-yard touchdown and two other runs of 20-plus yards, but one of his most impressive runs may have been when he fought for extra yards on fourth-and-3 to convert the first down and seal the game with 40 seconds remaining.
For now, let the memes begin:
@Matt_HayesSN @SEC_Lauren @CollegeGameDay It's a bird. It's a plane. It's SUPER GURLEY! pic.twitter.com/q3q9ryhwGJ— SEC Sports Talk (@SEC_SportsTalk) September 27, 2014
The Big Ten has taken its lumps during football season, but all that changes on the hardwood.
Much of that is due to the coaches on the bench, a deep group of some of the nation's best coaches that's only getting better.
Tom Izzo, John Beilein, Bo Ryan and Thad Matta make up a solid top four of coaches who have made a combined 10 Final Fours at their current stops, and Beilein and Ryan are leading their programs to new (or rather, renewed) heights.
Meanwhile, Tom Crean has returned Indiana to national prominence, and Tim Miles and Fran McCaffery have rebuilt programs at Nebraska and Iowa.
As usual, a handful of factors go into ranking the coaches — career accomplishments, career momentum, gameday acumen, player development, recruiting, conference records and postseason success.
Want to tell us how wrong we are? Tweet us at @AthlonSports or talk to us on Facebook.
1. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Record at Michigan State: 468-187 (.715)
NCAA Tournament: 42-16, six Final Fours, one national title
Number to note: Consistency is the name of the game here. Izzo's teams have ranked in the top 32 in KenPom's defensive efficiency ratings in 10 of the last 12 seasons. Michigan State has been in the top 30 of the offensive efficiency ratings in eight of the last 10 seasons.
Why he's ranked here: An injury-plagued season cut into Michigan State's ability to reach the Final Four, leaving Izzo with the longest Final Four drought of his career (four consecutive years). The Spartans still won 29 games and the Big Ten Tournament and reached the Elite Eight, losing to eventual national champion UConn.
2. John Beilein, Michigan
Record at Michigan: 104-60 (.615)
NCAA Tournament: 16-9, one Final Four
Number to note: Michigan is 40-14 in the Big Ten the last three seasons. The Wolverines posted one winning conference record during the previous 13 seasons.
Why he's ranked here: Since arriving at Michigan, Beilein is 15-35 against Tom Izzo, Bo Ryan and Thad Matta, but he's caught up to the pack. He's 6-3 in the last nine vs. Izzo, 2-3 vs. Ryan after losing his first 10 and 4-2 in his last six vs. Matta.
3. Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
Record at Wisconsin: 321-121 (.726)
NCAA Tournament: 20-13, one Final Four
Number to note: The Big Ten has been the best basketball conference the last few years, and Wisconsin has thrived. The Badgers have never finished lower than fourth in the league in 13 seasons under Ryan.
Why he's ranked here: After 2014, no one can say Ryan is the best coach never to reach the Final Four. He's now in the discussion for best coach to never win a national title. Could that change in 2015?
4. Thad Matta, Ohio State
Record at Ohio State: 275-83 (.786)
NCAA Tournament: 23-12, two Final Fours
Number to note: At Butler, Xavier and Ohio State, Matta has never had a losing season in conference play. The lone .500 season conference season of his career came in his debut at Ohio State.
Why he's ranked here: Matta could make the case for being the nation's most underrated coach. Before a round of 64 loss to Dayton last year, Ohio State's last four Tournament appearances yielded a Final Four, an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16s.
5. Tom Crean, Indiana
Record at Indiana: 101-97 (.510)
NCAA Tournament: 8-7, one Final Four
Number to note: Indiana won one road game in Crean's first three seasons. The Hoosiers have won 14 in three seasons since.
Why he's ranked here: Indiana's collapse from spending most of 2012-13 at No. 1 to missing/declining the postseason altogether is a major concern. Still, Crean brought Indiana back from 6-25 in his first season.
6. Tim Miles, Nebraska
Record at Nebraska: 34-31 (.525)
NCAA Tournament: 0-2
Number to note: Miles ended combined NCAA Tournament droughts of 25 seasons at Nebraska (16) and Colorado State (nine) in addition to laying the groundwork for Division I newcomer North Dakota State.
Why he's ranked here: The Big Ten is as good as ever, and Nebraska is a relevant program here. The next step is to pick up the Cornhuskers first NCAA Tournament win.
7. Fran McCaffery, Iowa
Record at Iowa: 74-63 (.540)
NCAA Tournament: 2-6
Number to note: McCaffery ended a seven-year drought of 20-win seasons at Iowa and an eight-year NCAA Tournament drought for the Hawkeyes.
Why he's ranked here: McCaffery's turnaround at Iowa has been remarkable but Iowa hasn't posted a winning Big Ten record since 2006-07.
8. John Groce, Illinois
Record at Illinois: 43-29 (.606)
NCAA Tournament: 4-3
Number to note: Groce has never gone one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the round of 32 in 2010 (at Ohio) and 2013 and the Sweet 16 in 2012 (also at Ohio).
Why he's ranked here: Illinois has yet to break through under Groce (15-21 in the Big Ten), but he has a top-10 recruiting class for 2015.
9. Matt Painter, Purdue
Record at Purdue: 191-112 (.630)
NCAA Tournament: 8-7
Number to note: Painter was 129-46 overall and 64-26 in the Big Ten with the Robbie Hummel/JaJuan Johnson/E'Twaun Moore signing class. He's 62-66 overall and 25-43 otherwise.
Why he's ranked here: Back-to-back losing seasons have diminished Painter's status as a rising star.
10. Mark Turgeon, Maryland
Record at Maryland: 59-42 (.578)
NCAA Tournament: 5-5
Number to note: What is holding Maryland back under Turgeon? A 6-23 record on the road.
Why he's ranked here: Maryland has been in the KenPom top 50 in two of three seasons under Turgeon, but he was 23-29 in the ACC with no NCAA appearances.
11. Richard Pitino, Minnesota
Record at Minnesota: 25-13 (.658)
NCAA Tournament: None
Number to note: In two seasons as a coach, Pitino's teams have ranked 48th in tempo (FIU) and 257th (Minnesota).
Why he's ranked here: Pitino turned an 8-21 team into a 25-13 team at FIU and won the NIT at Minnesota.
12. Patrick Chambers, Penn State
Record at Penn State: 38-59 (.392)
NCAA Tournament: 0-1
Number to note: In Year 3 under Chambers, Penn State averaged better than 70 points per game for the first time since 2000-01.
Why he's ranked here: Winning at Penn State isn't easy, but Chambers has kept the Nittany Lions competitive with two wins over Ohio State and a victory over Nebraska in a 6-12 Big Ten season.
13. Chris Collins, Northwestern
Record at Northwestern: 14-19 (.424)
NCAA Tournament: None
Number to note: A sign for the future? Northwestern was 14th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom last season.
Why he's ranked here: Along with Marquette's Steve Wojciechowski, Collins represents the next wave of Mike Krzyzewski assistants to get head coaching jobs.
14. Eddie Jordan, Rutgers
Record at Rutgers: 12-21 (.364)
NCAA Tournament: None
Number to note: Rutgers lost by 61 in its American Athletic Conference tournament elimination game to Louisville, not a reflection of a team that teams whose last four AAC losses (Memphis, UCF, UConn, Cincinnati) were decided by 4.3 points.
Why he's ranked here: Jordan struggled as expected in his first season, but he brings a senior-laden team into the Big Ten.
The Big Ten isn't the best conference in college football this season, but the season has at least been interesting.
By Week 5, we're still left wondering where Ohio State stands, and a rare in-state matchup with the (distant) No. 2 program in the state will be an interesting barometer.
Perhaps Cincinnati-Ohio State is a mismatch, but we know Tommy Tuberville can beat Urban Meyer. The Bearcats coach is one of four coaches to beat Meyer twice in his career.
In other league action, Maryland and Indiana gained a little bit of intrigue as both teams picked up Power 5 road wins last week.
And the battle for the Little Brown Jug may be a game of chicken between two questionable passing games.
Week 5 Previews and Predictions:
ACC | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
Week 5 Big Ten Game Power Rankings
All games Saturday. All times Eastern.
1. Cincinnati at Ohio State
6 p.m., Big Ten Network
This game will be a bigger game for Cincinnati, a program that would like to think of itself as a power program but has not defeated Ohio State since 1897. The two teams didn't even play between 1931-99. At least for Ohio State, this will be a good opportunity for the Buckeyes to re-establish their Big Ten bona fides. Two of the two areas Virginia Tech exposed for Ohio State two weeks ago — pass defense and the offensive line — will be tested again this week. Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel, a Notre Dame transfer and former LSU commitment, is averaging 9.1 yards per attempt with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions against MAC teams. Meanwhile, the Bearcats have picked up 11 sacks in two games, eight of which against a bad Miami (Ohio) team.
Listen to the Week 5 preview podcast:
2. Maryland at Indiana
1:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Who would have pegged this one as a compelling Big Ten game just a few weeks ago? Thank a pair of road wins by the Terrapins (34-20 over Syracuse) and Hoosiers (31-27 over Missouri). Neither of these teams may make noise in the title race, but they can't be ignored. Both have names Big Ten fans need to know: Maryland defensive back William Likely has two non-offensive touchdowns this season (a punt return and an interception return), and Indiana running back Tevin Coleman has rushed for 569 yards (8.6 per carry) and six touchdowns this season, giving him 12 games in a row with a TD. The injury bug has already hit Maryland as the Terps lost a starting defensive end (Quinton Jefferson) and a tight end (Andrew Isaacs) for the season.
3. Minnesota at Michigan
6 p.m., Big Ten Network
This game might not be pretty, though it's not clear for whom. First on the Michigan side: The Wolverines don't plan on naming either Devin Gardner or Shane Morris quarterback until Saturday (after saying they'd do so Tuesday). The pair has combined for 10 of Michigan's 12 turnovers this season. Meanwhile, Minnesota is second in the country in takeaways (13 in four games). For the Gophers, their quarterback situation is no more certain. Mitch Leidner has not been ruled out but he missed the last game with turf toe. Leidner's replacement, Chris Strevener, completed 1-of-7 passes for seven yards and an interception while rushing for 161 yards and a score in a win over San Jose State last week. For all of Michigan's struggles, run defense has not been one of them. The Wolverines are allowing 2.5 yards per carry and 30.3 yards per game.
4. Illinois at Nebraska
9 p.m., Big Ten
Two teams are at a bit of a crossroads. Nebraska may be the Big Ten's only hope for the College Football Playoff, but the Cornhuskers have to tighten up in a few spots. Miami freshman Brad Kaaya was able to pass for 359 yards, 8.5 yards per attempt and three touchdowns against a Nebraska team whose pass defense numbers have gotten worse each game. The passing game is Illinois' top strength with Oklahoma State transfer Wes Lunt completing 65.4 percent of his passes for 1,237 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Illinois also started last season 3-1 before a 1-7 collapse. Illinois might not be able to win in Lincoln, but this could be a key game to set the tone for the remainder of the year under embattled coach Tim Beckman.
5. Northwestern at Penn State
3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2
The question is if Northwestern will be able to crack Penn State's defense. The Nittany Lions are allowing only 1.8 yards per carry and 49.5 rush yards per game. Every other Big Ten allows at least 2.5 yards per carry and 71 yards per game. Meanwhile, Northwestern has managed just better than three yards per carry against Cal, Northern Illinois and Western Illinois. If that puts pressure on Northwestern's ineffective passing game, the Wildcats are in trouble.
6. Wyoming at Michigan State
Noon, ESPN2
When Mark Dantonio looks at Wyoming under first-year coach Craig Bohl, he sees a mirror image. "They are probably more like us than anybody we play," Dantonio said. Wyoming is a run-first team that has allowed more than 20 points just once this season (to Oregon). Michigan State shouldn't have too much trouble but Wyoming can be pesky — two of the Cowboys' three wins have come in the fourth quarter.
7. Iowa at Purdue
Noon, Big Ten Network
Will Kirk Ferentz make the call at quarterback? Will he even need to make a decision at all? Backup C.J. Beathard stepped in for injured quarterback Jake Rudock to lead a comeback against Pittsburgh last week, leading Hawkeyes to one of the few offensive bright spots this season. Rudock's injury status isn't clear, and even if he's healthy, Ferentz hasn't committed either way on his quarterback. Purdue will find out.
8. Tulane at Rutgers
Noon, ESPNews
Rutgers poised itself to exceed its modest expectations this season when Paul James rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in the win over Washington State. Now, James is out for the season with a torn ACL. The Scarlet Knights will move on with Desmon Peoples (205 yards this season) and Justin Goodwin (104 yards).
9. USF at Wisconsin
Noon, ESPNU
Melvin Gordon is healthy and as productive as ever after rushing for 253 yards and five touchdowns against Bowling Green. Now, he'll face a USF team two weeks removed from giving up 315 rushing yards to NC State.
Week 5 Big Ten Staff Picks
|David Fox
|Braden Gall
|Steven Lassan
|Mitch Light
USF at Wisconsin (-34)
|Wisc 56-10
|Wisc 41-14
|Wisc 45-17
|Wisc 41-10
Tulane at Rutgers (-12)
|Rut 14-10
|Rut 30-18
|Rut 34-17
|Rut 30-13
Iowa (-10) at Purdue
|Iowa 21-10
|Iowa 34-13
|Iowa 30-13
|Iowa 27-13
Wyoming at Michigan St (-31)
Northwestern at Penn St (-11)
Maryland at Indiana (-5)
|Md 44-38
|Md 38-34
|Md 34-28
Minnesota at Michigan (-12)
|Minn 21-14
|Mich 19-15
|Mich 24-17
|Mich 17-10
Cincinnati at Ohio State (-15)
Illinois at Nebraska (-20)
|Neb 42-28
|Neb 40-20
|Neb 45-20
|Neb 41-14
|Last Week
Arkansas' linemen know the deal when it comes to a football team and who tends to get most of the credit and public accolades.
The pecking order starts with the quarterback, the running backs, receivers. Probably a coach or a coordinator next.
The linemen are a footnote everywhere except for on Arkansas team flights.
The big guys get the big seats. By coach Bret Bielema's policy, Arkansas' starting offensive and defensive lines fly first class on team flights to road games. Sorry, quarterbacks and running backs, you're sitting in coach.
"They get their names in the paper, and I couldn't be any more excited for them," Arkansas right tackle Brey Cook told Athlon Sports. "But it's nice to know in-house that we have a big part in that."
So far in 2014, the line has been part of headline-worthy play.
Bielema's goal to turn Arkansas into Wisconsin in terms of offensive philosophy hasn't been smooth. The Razorbacks head to Arlington to face Texas A&M seeking their first SEC victory since Oct. 13, 2012, against a top-10 Aggies team favored by 8 1/2 points.
Still, Arkansas' outlook is looking as promising as anytime since before Bobby Petrino's abrupt and embarrassing exit from Fayetteville.
The Razorbacks are the SEC West's only unranked team in this week's AP and coaches polls, though Arkansas is receiving votes in both. For a team that was outscored by more than 15 points per game in an 0-8 SEC season a year ago, this is a remarkable turnaround.
And for that, Arkansas can thank leg room for their linemen, including on the team flight to DFW this weekend.
"Our linemen are treated like most teams treat their quarterback," Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman told Athlon Sports. "Most teams look at it as there's only one quarterback. On our team there's only one center. He's not on the extra point team. Linemen we look at as skill players, and they tend to like it."
This season, Arkansas' linemen have been the stars similar to any skill player.
Of 27 scoring drives this season, nine have gone for 10 plays or more. Arkansas has already rushed for more touchdowns this season (17) than all of last year (14).
Beyond the season numbers, the 49-24 win over Texas Tech in Lubbock two weeks ago demonstrated the Bielema offensive line and run game philosophy in the extreme.
In a tie game in the first quarter on the road, Arkansas called a series like a team trying to milk the clock in the fourth quarter. The Hogs ran on a dozen consecutive plays to march 68 yards down the field to take a lead.
In the third quarter, Arkansas called 10 consecutive run plays in a 13-play touchdown drive, and 13-of-13 plays on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive were on the ground.
"It's something we always wanted to do with our offense and our philosophy," Cook said. "For us it was that nail in the coffin. Everyone knows what's going to happen, and we're still going to make it work. Those are the drives you dream about."
That's still a long way from where Arkansas started.
When Bielema arrived, the offensive linemen were surprised to learn of the workload expected in practice.
After running two or three periods of inside run drills in practice, for example, Pittman sent them back out for a fourth, fifth or sixth.
"It took a while for them to start enjoying our type of schemes," Pittman said. "Once they did, we weren't a bad offensive line a year ago."
Center Travis Swanson was a quick study and a key cog in that last season, and his experience was instrumental in delivering on-field instruction to freshman starters Denver Kirkland and Dan Skipper.
With Swanson and right tackle David Hurd gone in spring this season, Arkansas started over in a few ways. First, Swanson's athleticism allowed Arkansas to run outside behind his lead.
That deparure has led to more runs up the gut.
"Because we're big and physical, we put some more inside plays that could showcase our talents that way," Pittman said.
Not that it's been seamless. Kirkland needed to lose 25 pounds during the offseason, and Skipper's adjustment from guard to tackle was a bit rocky at first.
Pittman has praised both sophomores as two of the most improved on the line.
Meanwhile, Arkansas has had to look from coast-to-coast to build the front.
Cook and center Mitch Smothers are from different high schools in Springdale, Ark. Left guard Sebastian Tretola is a transfer from Nevada who is originally from California. Kirkland is from Miami, and Skipper is from Colorado. Guard Luke Charpentier, who started the first two games, is from Louisiana.
"Everyone brings their own flair," Cook said. "We're about as different as you can get."
What that means for the remainder of the season remains to be seen. Arkansas' best moment of the season have come against Texas Tech, a team that has has allowed nearly 300 rushing yards per game going back to midway last season.
Texas A&M's defense remains a rebuilding project. But if Arkansas can run effectively in each of its first five games of the season (that includes a 45-21 loss at Auburn), the Razorbacks will be poised to complete a critical turnaround season.
"As far as where we are in the process, we're still a recruiting class away, offensive-line wise, depth at fullback and tight end and receiver," Bielema said.
Granted, a policy of first-class seating for the big guys may be a key recruiting point to help Bielema further mold his ground-and-pound run game.
"He believed the big guys should sit up front," Cook said. "His philosophies on the field match up."
The Big East coaching roster — back in its classic lineup — was notable for its firebrands on the bench with Jim Boeheim, John Thompson, Rollie Massimino and Lou Carnesecca.
The lineup in the second year of this version of the Big East may have personality but it is more notable for its familiarity.
Jay Wright and John Thompson III are as identifiable with their programs as anybody in college basketball in 2014-15, Chris Mack and Brandon Miller are alums for their respective schools, and Ed Cooley is a Rhode Island and Providence hometowner.
That will have to do for the Big East for now. The league that once boasted multiple Hall of Famers has only two coaches that have reached the Final Four in Wright and Thompson.
As usual, a handful of factors go into ranking the coaches — career accomplishments, career momentum, gameday acumen, player development, recruiting, conference records and postseason success.
Want to tell us how wrong we are? Tweet us at @AthlonSports or talk to us on Facebook.
1. Jay Wright, Villanova
Record at Villanova: 286-149 (.657)
NCAA Tournament: 13-11, one Final Four
Number to note: Villanova's Big East title in 2014 was the Wildcats' first outright conference title since 1982. Nova hasn't won a conference tournament since 1995.
Why he's ranked here: After a brief dip in 2011-12, Villanova has returned to where Wright has had the program for most of his tenure. Villanova went 16-0 vs. Big East opponents not named Creighton during the 2013-14 regular season.
2. John Thompson III, Georgetown
Record at Georgetown: 227-104 (.686)
NCAA Tournament: 8-9, one Final Four
Number to note: Before last season, Georgetown ranked in the top 100 in defensive efficiency in KenPom's rankings every year of Thompson's tenure, including three times in the top 10.
Why he's ranked here: Thompson may get dinged for early NCAA losses, but the Hoyas are a year removed from a Big East title. Besides, Georgetown's NCAA draws have included Florida Gulf Coast, Final Four-bound VCU and Stephen Curry-led Davidson.
3. Chris Mack, Xavier
Record at Xavier: 111-57 (.661)
NCAA Tournament: 4-4
Number to note: Since starting 29-3 in his first two season in the Atlantic 10, Mack is 29-21 in the A-10/Big East.
Why he's ranked here: Xavier's pace has slowed since Mack's first two seasons, but he's reached the NCAA Tournament in four of five seasons and reached the Sweet 16 in 2012.
4. Greg McDermott, Creighton
Record at Creighton: 107-38 (.738)
NCAA Tournament: 3-6
Number to note: McDermott is 149-131 without his son on the roster and 107-38 with Doug McDermott.
Why he's ranked here: No question, Greg McDermott is thankful his son turned out to be a three-time All-American, but don't forget the elder McDermott was the first coach to win consistently at Northern Iowa.
5. Ed Cooley, Providence
Record at Providence: 57-44 (.564)
NCAA Tournament: 0-1
Number to note: Cooley's 42 wins in the last two seasons are the best for Providence since 1995-97, and the Friars' NCAA appearance last year was their first since 2004.
Why he's ranked here: Cooley has improved Providence enough to raise the possibility of doing what Rick Barnes or Rick Pitino never did: post winning Big East records in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.
6. Steve Lavin, St. John's
Record at St. John's: 71-60 (.542)
NCAA Tournament: 11-7
Number to note: St. John's is 32-30 in the Big East with two NIT appearances in three seasons since the Red Storm went 12-6 in Lavin's first year.
Why he's ranked here: Treatment for prostate cancer in 2011-12 stalled Lavin's ability to build upon his first season, but he's recruited well enough by now to reach the NCAA Tournament again.
7. Kevin Willard, Seton Hall
Record at Seton Hall: 66-66 (.500)
NCAA Tournament: No appearances
Number to note: Seton Hall went 15-21 in the Big East in Willard's first two seasons before dropping to 9-27 in the past two.
Why he's ranked here: Willard appeared to have Seton Hall on the right track before a 3-15 collapse two years ago. Year 5 will be a big one for Willard.
8. Oliver Purnell, DePaul
Record at DePaul: 42-85 (.331)
NCAA Tournament: 0-6
Number to note: Purnell has one of the most unique coaching experiences in college basketball. He's coached at five spots since 1988, he's never won an NCAA game and has never been fired.
Why he's ranked here: Purnell has turned around Radford, Old Dominion, Dayton and Clemson. Purnell (9-57 in the Big East) may have met his match at DePaul.
9. Brandon Miller, Butler
Record at Butler: 14-17 (.452)
NCAA Tournament: None
Number to note: Miller's first season was Butler's second losing campaign since 1992-93.
Why he's ranked here: Miller faced an exodus of five players from November through April last season in his first season, but the former Brad Stevens and Thad Matta assistant knows the terrain here.
10. Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette
Record at Marquette: First season
NCAA Tournament: None
Number to note: Wojo is 38 years old, and he has spent 19 of those years as a player or assistant for Mike Krzyzewski.
Why he's ranked here: Wojciechowski's predecessor Buzz Williams was ranked No. 1 in the Big East a year ago, but Marquette has been a spot where Williams and Tom Crean were able to build names for themselves.
Most schedules are starting to move into conference play, but don't tell the teams in some of the biggest games this week.
Teams like South Carolina, UCLA, Arizona State, Stanford and Washington all could look like they use another week or two to get into shape before critical games.
UCLA and Arizona State both have health concerns for the quarterback position. Washington and UCLA have played down to lesser teams. Stanford can't find its way to the end zone. And South Carolina is just embarrassing (says Steve Spurrier).
There's no more time shake off the offseason cobwebs, so someone's going to have to figure things out before Saturday.
Week 5's Top Five Games
All Times Eastern
UCLA at Arizona State
When and where: Thursday, 10 p.m., Fox Sports 1
We're watching because... the Pac-12 South is becoming increasingly unpredictable thanks to the emergence of Arizona and Utah plus USC's egg-laying at Boston College. UCLA's had its share of close calls with and without quarterback Brett Hundley, who may be ready to return after he missed most of the Texas win a week ago. Arizona State isn't so lucky with Taylor Kelly out with a foot injury. Arizona State will replace him with Mike Bercovici, who has been on campus long enough to back up Brock Osweiler.
Vegas says: UCLA by 6
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Arlington)
When and where: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., CBS
We're watching because... we like surprises, and Arkansas and Texas A&M being relevant in the powerhouse SEC West counts. Picked to finish sixth and seventh in the West, the Aggies and Razorbacks are a combined 7-1. Arkansas will try to control the clock with the run game as it did against former A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech. The Aggies have yet to face a high-level, full-strength offense all season.
Vegas says: Texas A&M by 10
Stanford at Washington
When and where: Saturday, 4:15 p.m., FOX
We're watching because... one of these teams has to start looking like a Pac-12 North contender, right? Stanford has been inept in the red zone, and Washington is letting bad teams hang around. Even after converting all three red zone chances for touchdowns against Army, Stanford's red zone touchdown rate (six TDs in 14 red zone trips) is last in the Pac-12. And a week after Washington made easy work of Illinois, the Huskies let Georgia State jump to a two-touchdown halftime lead in a 45-14 win. Oregon is vulnerable, but neither of these teams looks ready to take advantage.
Vegas says: Stanford by 7
Missouri at South Carolina
When and where: Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN
We're watching because... at this rate the game between two SEC East contenders may devolve into a comedy of errors. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said the way his team plays is "embarrassing" and took over kickoff coverage coaching duties after giving up two returns for touchdowns against Vanderbilt. His team won by two touchdowns. Wonder what Spurrier would say if his team lost at home to Indiana as Missouri just did.
Vegas says: South Carolina by 6
Tennessee at Georgia
When and where: Saturday, noon, ESPN
We're watching because... Tennessee is an improved team. Improved enough to further spoil Georgia's season, though, we're not sure. Either way, Todd Gurley facing linebacker A.J. Johnson promises to be an interesting matchup. Gurley missed the matchup last season, a 34-31 Georgia win in Knoxville.
Vegas says: Georgia by 18
Conference bragging rights didn't start with the College Football Playoff or even the BCS.
That said, fighting for championship postseason games has only magnified the "my conference is better than your conference" debate.
In some ways the selection committee may make those determinations, certainly in leaving out on conference (four spots for the Power 5) and potentially rewarding one league with two spots in the Playoff.
In 2014, the SEC looks to be on top again while the ACC and especially the Big Ten are licking their wounds.
Now that non-conference play is for the most part finished — the exception being Notre Dame games vs. the ACC and the SEC-ACC rivalry games — this is a good time to see how all the leagues rank.
To clarify: The Power 5 includes the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC, Notre Dame and BYU. The Non-Power 5 includes the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, Army and Navy.
Vs. Power 5: 5-2
Vs. Non-Power 5: 13-1
Best wins:
Georgia 35, Clemson 21
Alabama 33, West Virginia 23
LSU 28, Wisconsin 24
South Carolina 33, East Carolina 23
Arkansas 49, Texas Tech 28
Auburn 20, Kansas State 14
Key losses:
Indiana 31, Missouri 27
Oklahoma 34, Tennessee 10
The SEC set the tone for its season with Week 1 wins over Clemson, West Virginia and Wisconsin. As non-conference play started to wind down, Auburn delivered an important, if sloppy, win over Kansas State on the road. The only head-scratcher is Missouri's home loss to Indiana. If anything, the non-conference season re-established that the power in the SEC lies in the West, which is 24-2 overall with the only two losses coming in the division. The SEC West alone is 3-0 against the Big 12.
Key remaining games:
South Carolina at Clemson, Nov. 29
Florida at Florida State, Nov. 29
Georgia Tech at Georgia, Nov. 29
2. Pac-12
Vs. Power 5: 6-2
Vs. Non-Power 5: 15-2
Best wins:
Oregon 46, Michigan State 27
UCLA 28, Virginia 20
UCLA 20, Texas 17
Utah 26, Michigan 10
Key losses:
Rutgers 41, Washington State 38
Colorado State 31, Colorado 17
Nevada 24, Washington State 13
Boston College 37, USC 31
Pac-12 teams, most notably Washington and UCLA, have played in unexpectedly tight games against teams like Hawaii, Eastern Washington, Memphis and Virginia. For the most part, they've all be able to escape with a win — except for USC's loss to Boston College. The wins may not look overwhelming, other than Oregon's over Michigan State, but credit UCLA, Cal and Utah for winning games on the road or at least out of state. Against the non-Power 5, the Pac-12 has gone 10-2 against the Mountain West alone.
Key remaining games:
Stanford at Notre Dame, Oct. 4
Notre Dame at Arizona State, Nov. 8
Notre Dame at USC, Nov. 29
BYU at Cal, Nov. 29
3. Big 12
Vs. Power 5: 4-7
Vs. Non-Power 5: 8-0
Best wins:
Oklahoma 34, Tennessee 10
Iowa State 20, Iowa 17
West Virginia 40, Maryland 37
TCU 30, Minnesota 7
Key losses:
Florida State 37, Oklahoma State 31
Alabama 33, West Virginia 33
Arkansas 49, Texas Tech 28
UCLA 20, Texas 17
Auburn 20, Kansas State 14
The Big 12 can thank the Big Ten for helping the league pad its record. The Big 12 went 3-0 against the Big Ten while going 1-7 against the ACC, Pac-12, SEC and BYU. At least Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Kansas State were competitive with national title title contenders Florida State, Alabama and Auburn. The league has had few slip ups, a perfect record spoiled by Iowa State's loss to North Dakota State of the FCS.
Key remaining games:
Vs. Power 5: 4-6
Vs. Non-Power 5: 14-4
Best wins:
Florida State 37, Oklahoma State 31
Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21
Boston College 37, USC 31
Key losses:
Georgia 45, Clemson 21
East Carolina 28, Virginia Tech 21
East Carolina 70, North Carolina 41
Iowa 24, Pittsburgh 20
Nebraska 41, Miami 31
The ACC hasn't changed much about the perception that the league is one powerhouse and little else. No. 1 Florida State is the league's only ranked team. Any strides made from Virginia Tech's win in Columbus have been undone: Since then, ACC Coastal contenders Virginia Tech and North Carolina lost to East Carolina, and three ACC teams lost to Big Ten teams, two at home.
Key remaining games:
Notre Dame at Florida State, Oct. 18
South Carolina at Clemson, Nov. 29
Florida at Florida State, Nov. 29
Georgia Tech at Georgia, Nov. 29
5. Big Ten
Vs. Power 5: 5-11
Vs. Non-Power 5: 18-3
Best wins:
Rutgers 41, Washington State 38
Iowa 24, Pittsburgh 20
Nebraska 41, Miami 31
Indiana 21, Missouri 21
Key losses:
LSU 28, Wisconsin 24
Oregon 46, Michigan State 27
Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21
Iowa State 20, Iowa 17
Utah 26, Michigan 10
The outlook improved dramatically in Week 4, as three Big Ten teams (Iowa, Maryland and Nebraska) defeated three teams from the ACC. Indiana also picked up an unlikely win at defending SEC East champion Missouri. Nebraska and Penn State may still be the Big Ten's only viable Playoff teams, but the sky isn't falling at the same rate it was a week ago when the Big Ten was 1-10 against Power 5 teams. Of the Big Ten's three losses to non-Power 5 teams, all were against programs from the MAC.
Key remaining games:
6. American
Vs. Power 5: 3-13
Vs. Non-Power 5: 2-5
Best wins:
East Carolina 28, Virginia Tech 21
East Carolina 70, North Carolina 31
East Carolina has the inside track for a New Year's Six bowl, and it may stay that way unless Cincinnati makes a statement against Ohio State or Miami.
Key remaining games:
Cincinnati at Ohio State, Sept. 27
BYU at Houston, Oct. 9
Miami at Cincinnati, Oct. 11
7. Mountain West
Vs. Power 5: 3-16
Vs. Non-Power 5: 6-4
Best wins:
Colorado State 31, Colorado 17
Nevada 24, Washington State 13
Boise State 34, UL Lafayette 9
This is not the Mountain West you remember. The three Power 5 wins are over Colorado, Washington State and Wake Forest
8. Conference USA
Vs. Power 5: 0-15
Vs. Non-Power 5: 12-2
Best wins:
UTSA 24, Houston 7
Western Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 31
Louisiana Tech 48, UL Lafayette 20
Marshall 44, Ohio 14
Conference USA had better hope its perfect mark against the MAC and Sun Belt and 3-1 record against the American is enough to put its league champion (read: Marshall) into a New Year's Six game. It sure isn't C-USA's goose egg against the Power 5 and pair of FCS losses (FIU to Bethune-Cookman and Louisiana Tech to Northwestern State).
Vs. Power 5: 3-16
Vs. Non-Power 5: 3-8
Best wins:
Bowling Green 45, Indiana 42
Northern Illinois 23, Northwestern 15
Central Michigan 38, Purdue 17
The MAC has more wins against the Big Ten (three) than it does against the American, Conference USA, Mountain West and Sun Belt combined (two, that third non-Power 5 win was over Army).
10. Sun Belt
Vs. Power 5: 1-7
Vs. Non-Power 5: 2-9
Key wins:
Arkansas State 21, Utah State 14
ULM 17, Wake Forest 10
League favorite UL Lafayette's losses to Louisiana Tech and Boise State put a damper on the conference, but Arkansas State has proven to by pesky once again.