CFB Week 5 SB Poll Column

The Weekly College Football Column + A Progress Update

I’ll start this week’s football column with a life update:

-I am having so much fun covering the high school football scene in Delaware County for the Delaware Gazette. There is only three weeks left in the high school football regular season. I am so excited to see how the next few weeks play out. Writing my game story on Friday nights is the best part of my week. I feel like I am building a great relationship with the community, the players and the coaches that I get to talk to. I hope to do this every year from now on. Sportswriting is my true passion. I am determined to make a difference with my words.

-Sorry for not releasing anything last week, I was quite busy with school and other things and didn’t get around to it. It will never happen again.

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The Updated SB Top 25 Poll After Week 5:

1. Alabama

2. Georgia

3. Ohio State

4. Cincinnati

5. Oklahoma

6. Michigan

7. Iowa

8. Penn State

9. Oregon

10. Coastal Carolina

11. BYU

12. Auburn

13. Texas

14. Notre Dame

15. Ole Miss

16. Arkansas

17. Kentucky

18. Michigan State

19. Florida

20. Arizona State

21. SMU

22. UCLA

23. Fresno State

24. NC State

25. Oklahoma State

Just Missed: Clemson, Iowa State, San Diego State, Baylor, Wake Forest, Nevada, Louisiana, Stanford

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Heisman Watch:

1. Bryce Young

2. CJ Stroud

3. Matt Corral

4. Desmond Ridder

5. Bijan Robinson

6. Jake Haener

7. TreVeyon Henderson

8. Kenneth Walker

— Bryce Young has opened up a commanding lead in the Heisman race after five games. It is hard to see anyone passing him if Alabama keeps winning and he keeps playing like he has been. He has been the best QB in college football this year so far. He doesn’t make mistakes and he continually makes amazing plays, what more can you ask for in a QB.

— CJ Stroud’s 5 TD performance has moved him back into the race. It is fair to say he made his share of mistakes in the first three games of the season, but let’s not ignore the good that we saw either. In those games, he was very good, but the expectations for him to be perfect were just absurd and unrealistic. Resting his shoulder for a game worked wonders. It was so satisfying seeing him play his best ball on the road against the best Rutgers team since they joined the B1G. Stroud is sitting at 13 TD / 3 INT on the year, which are very good numbers. The only QB who has really played better than Stroud so far this season is Bryce Young. If Stroud can replicate his game against Rutgers for the rest of the year then it will be become a fun debate.

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OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS:

— I think Ohio State and Michigan are easily the two best teams in the B1G, but Iowa and Penn State are no slouch, they are both top 10 teams as well. The Iowa-Penn State matchup this week will tell us all we need to know, they both have insane defenses, but I think Iowa gets the job done at Kinnick. Michigan State is top 20 in my opinion, definitely the best team they have had since 2015 but still limited at times.

— Jim Harbaugh might have his best team at Michigan, at least the team that could go the furthest. They aren’t as talented as the 2016 team, but they are so balanced and playing out of their minds. Hutchinson has probably been the best defensive player in college football this season, I have no problem saying that. The offense is still a question but they seem good enough to beat almost anyone. I would love a world where Ohio State and Michigan both make the CFP and it is a real possibility if they both win out until “The Game” and continue playing like they are.

— The Georgia defense might be something we have never seen before. As a whole, they have been the most impressive team this season. They have arguably looked the best and played the toughest schedule so far.

— I would love nothing more than to see Texas upset Oklahoma on Saturday. That game never fails to deliver. I expect it to be a shootout as always. We will see if Casey Thompson has what it takes, he struggled a bit against TCU but was really good against everyone else.

— Kentucky is really 5-0 with a win over Florida. They are good, but I am not buying too much into the hype. Their offense does not move me. I have been impressed with Robinson and Levis but they still will barely score more than 20 against a good defense. They do have quite a favorable schedule after they face LSU this week, then Georgia next week. There’s a great chance they go 11-1 or 10-2.

— Assuming Cincinnati doesn’t slip up and lose to someone they shouldn’t, they will make the playoff this year. Their defense looks dominant. Sauce Gardner is special. Desmond Ridder looks better than ever, this Bearcat team is scary good, that is undeniable. They are a top 5 team and can challenge anyone. I don’t think they would beat Bama, OSU or Georgia but they would give them a better game than anyone else currently would.

— I think the OSU defense has turned the corner with Matt Barnes coaching them up. The secondary play has been so good the past two weeks. Denzel Burke is generational, there’s no other way to put it. I still want to see more pressure from our edges and the defensive line as a whole, true freshman DT Tyleik Williams cannot be the only one getting sacks. Ronnie Hickman is flying around and making plays in every game. Craig Young is getting an extended role and changing positions. The defense is clearly improving and if they keep playing like this, the Buckeyes will be in great shape to get back into national title contention.

— The Ohio State offense seems to be hitting its stride. If they keep playing like that, no team will be able to keep up with them. I expect the Buckeyes to win out, I think they are past the worst of it (the Oregon game). When Stroud is on like that, good luck stopping them. TreVeyon’s ability to take a handoff to the house is remarkable. We are so lucky that we get him for two more years.