College football Week 5 overreactions: Georgia’s Brock Bowers is a Heisman finalist, USC needs staff overhaul

As the 2023 college football season nears its halfway level, Week 5 delivered any other thrilling slate of video games. It noticed 3 top-10 groups get driven to the threshold through unranked festival, together with top-ranked Georgia wanting a last-second defensive stand to get through a very recreation Auburn squad. 

No. 7 Washington used to be a heavy favourite in opposition to an Arizona crew down its beginning quarterback, however the Huskies needed to make a overdue prevent of their very own in a slender 31-24 win. Eighth-ranked USC led 48-27 coming into the fourth quarter of its recreation in opposition to Colorado however took its foot off the fuel offensively. The Trojans did not rating within the ultimate quarter-hour, whilst Colorado discovered its footing and rode a 14-point surge to a close to disillusioned. 

Just out of doors the highest 10, No. 11 Notre Dame held off No. 17 Duke, because of a 30-yard landing run with 30 seconds left within the fourth quarter. The largest disillusioned used to be No. 20 Ole Miss knocking off No. 13 LSU in a recreation that noticed 104 issues — the highest-scoring FBS recreation but — and over 1,300 general yards of offense between the 2 groups. 

Even although none of those effects will motive a main shift at the school football panorama, there may be nonetheless lots to unpack after what may have been a seismic day. 

This season is as vast open as we have now observed in a whilst

For the primary time in what turns out like an eternity, there is not one crew obviously pulling clear of the remainder of the pack. Georgia is No. 1, and must be till anyone after all beats it, however the Bulldogs glance extra fallible than they’ve at any level all the way through their contemporary run. Washington used to be on an absolute tear ahead of it struggled with Arizona’s backup quarterback Saturday, elevating some pink flags. 

Texas is taking good care of trade, although the offense has had some relating to lulls that would harm the Longhorns in opposition to elite festival. Ohio State and Michigan have each had some lackluster performances this 12 months. This may just move on. Every early playoff competitor has its flaws. 

That’s a excellent factor. College football is higher when parity is top. It’s becoming that, within the final 12 months of its present structure, the race is extra thrilling than it’s been for the reason that College Football Playoff’s early days. 

Lincoln Riley needs to get occupied with his defensive staff

It’s arduous to consider that Riley watched his USC protection give up 41 issues and 560 yards in opposition to a Colorado crew that could not even transfer the ball in opposition to Oregon’s beginning lineup and idea “Yeah, that’s okay.” But that is the affect he gave all the way through his postgame press convention, the place he refused to confess that his crew has the similar defensive problems it has at all times had with Alex Grinch because the coordinator. 

It’s a disgrace that what must be a particular USC crew, led through probably the most best possible quarterback possibilities we have now ever observed in Caleb Williams, is doomed to fail as a result of its trainer’s blind religion in an assistant that has by no means delivered. It wasn’t simply Saturday. Grinch has been the only factor keeping Riley’s groups again for the reason that two first teamed up at Oklahoma in 2019. 

With the likes of Washington and Oregon at the time table, issues don’t seem to be going to recuperate. Making a midseason exchange may not subject at this level both. That used to be a determination that had to be made a number of months in the past, ahead of USC’s Pac-12 hopes hinged on a miraculous turnaround. 

Brock Bowers is a Heisman Trophy finalist

Brock Bowers is the most productive non-quarterback in school football. That commentary is not open for debate. It must take one thing disastrous — knock on picket — to stay him from achieving New York as a Heisman finalist on the finish of the 12 months. 

It’s arduous to search out a unmarried participant, out of doors of the aforementioned Williams, that persistently has a larger affect on his crew. Georgia can really feel assured in any deficit it faces as long as Bowers is at the box. Just watch the Auburn recreation. 

He singlehandedly willed the Bulldogs to victory within the fourth quarter, hauling in 130 receiving yards over the general quarter-hour. That integrated a decisive 40-yard landing catch-and-run by which he showcased a uncommon emblem of pace for a 240 pounder. 

TCU at a crossroads

No one idea TCU could be as excellent this season. The Horned Frogs stunned with a Cinderella run to the College Football Playoff nationwide championship in Sonny Dykes’ first 12 months after which misplaced nearly each standout participant that were given them to that time. Regression used to be obtrusive, nevertheless it used to be arduous to foresee issues going this dangerous. 

The Horned Frogs fell in opposition to West Virginia, a crew that most probably sought after not anything greater than a reason why to fireside its trainer coming into the 2023 season. That marked TCU’s moment lack of the season at house as a 14-point favourite, following a season-opening setback in opposition to Colorado. This is Dykes’ actual take a look at. What this system does from this second units the tone for the remainder of his tenure. 

Saturday value us a probably particular run

Duke misplaced extra than simply a recreation Saturday night time; the Blue Devils could have observed their hopes for a in reality particular season fade away. Mike Elko’s squad had a 14-13 lead overdue within the fourth quarter, however that evaporated when Irish working again Audric Estime plowed via defenders for a 30-yard landing with 31 seconds left. 

Then, on Duke’s ultimate offensive play of the night time, quarterback Riley Leonard used to be careworn through Howard Cross III, who were given a hand at the ball and compelled a fumble. As Cross fell to the turf, he landed on Leonard’s proper leg, bending it at an ungainly attitude. Leonard stayed down at the turf for a whilst, the ache obvious on his face. He could not put any weight on his proper foot as running shoes helped him off. 

He got here out of the clinical tent on crutches after the sport, refusing a cart to the locker room. The severity of the harm is unknown. It’s conceivable he comes again sooner or later this 12 months. If he does so quickly, this is (thankfully) a moot level. There’s no denying any time he is long past is a massive blow for a Duke crew that gave the impression able to make a run on the ACC championship for the primary time since 2013. Now their outlook, for the foreseeable long run, hinges on redshirt freshman Henry Belin IV.