NCAA FB Preview Week 5

Sadly we head into week 5 of the college football season this weekend which means we are almost to the halfway point! The football seasons fly by in college football with teams only playing between 11-12 games each, so each Saturday is extremely important to the conference and playoff standings.

Let’s take a look back at the week 4 top performances, and look ahead toward week 5

Arkansas Big Win

Arkansas has the look of a team that could go on to do something special this year after another impressive win over Texas A&M in Dallas. Arkansas has had four losing seasons in a row and coach Sam Pittman has done an incredible job getting the Hogs into the national spotlight in only his second season in Fayetteville.

Arkansas has a big matchup this weekend on the road at Georgia and heads into the game as 18 point underdogs. Arkansas has the athletes on the offensive and defensive line to hang with Georgia and I like the Hogs to be able to hand with Georgia in Athens.

Notre Dame Steps Up

The Irish seem to never get the benefit of the doubt in big games and a perfect example was them being big underdogs in a game vs. a Wisconsin team that has looked shaky all year. Notre Dame put up 31 points in the 4th quarter and had 5 takeaways which led to a 41-13 win.

The Irish are 4-0 and have a huge matchup with Cincinnati this week, which could be a playoff game in itself with the winner likely to run the table from here out and have a great shot at making the CFP.

Michigan Rolls

Michigan is off to a strong start as they enter conference play

The Michigan Wolverines got a big home win over Rutgers to get to 4-0 and are another surprise this season. Jim Harbaugh came into the season with plenty of pressure on him to win now and he has delivered so far this season. Michigan heads on the road to Wisconsin this week and Nebraska next week, and they have a real shot at the Big 10 title this year with Ohio State looking like they are in full-on rebuilding mode.

Top Matchups for week 5

Notre Dame vs. Cincinatti

The Irish are looking like a strong contender for the CFP this year

One of the biggest games of the weekend is an unlikely top 10 clash between Cincinnati and Notre Dame who will face off in South Bend. Both programs have been on the rise in recent years and this game will be huge for the winner and likely catapult them into the top 5. The SEC and Pac 12 look like they are in a down year this season, so both Notre Dame an Cincinatti both have a realistic shot to win the National Championship with the way the season could shape up.

Pick: Notre Dame

Arizona State vs. UCLA

A big game out west in the PAC 12 south as the Sun Devils travel to UCLA in a game that will likely determine who comes out of the Pac 12 south to face Oregon in the Pac12 title. Both teams have shown flashes this year but also have suffered disappointing losses as favorites in non-conference games.

I like UCLA to take care of business at home and get on a roll before their showdown with Oregon at home on Nov 3. With the odds the way they are now head straight to Betway and put money on the Bruins.

Pick: UCLA

Heisman Update For Week 5

Matt Corral and Bryce Young sit at the top of the Heisman odds leaderboard sitting at +175 to win the trophy. Ole Miss and Alabama square off this weekend so the odds are that one of them will be the solo favorite with the other falling down the leaderboard. Spencer Rattler (+1600) and JT Daniels (+1600) are the next highest favorites and a player to keep an eye on is Desmond Riderr from Cincinnati (+1600). With a big game against Notre Dame and an easy schedule down the stretch, Rider could become the new favorite heading into next week.

CFP Favorites

Alabama is still the favorite but has some question marks on defense

• Alabama +175
• Georgia +188
• Ohio State +1400
• Oregon +1550
• Oklahoma +1750
• Penn State +3400
• Cincy+ 4500

We have a deep roster of teams that still have legit shots at the title this year which is great for fans across the country. Clemson already is out of playoff contention, and Alabama does not look nearly as dominant as they did in recent years. It will be great to get a break from the typical Alabama vs. Clemson national title game this year!