2023-24 NCAA Football (Week 5)

Games I saw (some of):

(1) Georgia 27-20 Auburn

A much better game than I was expecting. This year's Georgia team is nice but they lollygag on both sides of the ball and I don't see them going undefeated or being an unstoppable juggernaut come tourney time. Not saying they're not the best (they might be) or that they can't win it all again (they can), just saying they're not as blistering as the last coupla seasons. This Bulldog squad can be got, just a matter of time to see if they do get got.  (Oh but that TE Bowers, he's for real! That dude will soon enough be some NFL QB's favorite security blanket) Good for Auburn, I wasn't in on their QB but the D and the RB have some spice.  

(8) Southern Cal 48-41 Colorado

Man, the Colorado hype train just keeps rolling--and I'm probably ready to climb aboard! I saw it with my eyes: USC was curb stomping Colorado, just pummeling them Scorsese-style, then outta nowhere Colorado turned it around and looked dominant for the final quarter. And I don't mean that USC was mailing it in with their big lead--no, there was more to it. Colorado came to life and truly bested the Trojans for about a third of this game and had some real intensity to it. I don't know how to describe what I'm seeing, but when Colorado gets destroyed by a conference opponent they still manage to look like the better team. It feels like Colorado won--even though they were never close! I dunno, man, I dunno what's going on. Colorado is sugar rushing over its own hype and it's working, they're scary and I'm glad I'm not playing them. 

(11) Notre Dame 21-14 (17) Duke

Good game! Felt like Notre Dame had this in hand but in the 2nd half Duke came alive and made a real barn burner out of it. I kinda liked Duke's QB, he had moxy. As for the Irish, they're good and maybe after the grudge match with Ohio State last week, they just didn't bring their A game but I suspect they're better than this. That said, Duke played well down the stretch and really made Notre Dame work for it, which is probably good for the Irish. This may well be the game they look back on as their turning point.  

Top 25

Handled their business

(1) Georgia, (2) Michigan, (3) Texas, (6) Penn State, (7) Washington, (8) Southern Cal, (9) Oregon, (11) Notre Dame, (12) Alabama, (14) Oklahoma, (19) Oregon State, (20) Mississippi, (21) Tennessee, (23) Missouri, (25) Fresno State

Bad beat

(10) Utah

Going against a PAC-12 offense on the road is always tough, looks like Utah as well as they could at Oregon State.  Not a bad loss. 

(17) Duke

Duke was plucky, even made a game of it in the 2nd half. Really liked Duke's QB, he got hurt late, not sure what's up with him. A good showing (in prime time!) for the Blue Devils. 

(24) Kansas

A coupla years the Jayhawks went into Texas and got a stunning W....that was then, now UT is back, baby, and though the game was kinda close for a while, the Longhorns busted out when they were good and ready. Not a bad L for Kansas, a nice W for Texas. 

Not so good

(13) Louisiana State

Weird year for the Tigers: the offense looks good (really?) but the defense is not intimidating (really?). Not sure I get the new-look LSU but if you consider that last year they overachieved, then this year is kinda set up to be a little disappointing, no? 

Next week's intriguing matches:

(12) Oklahoma @ (3) Texas (all right, the Red River Rivalry is back to the marquis match it used to be; I'm in, this is a good test for both sides)

Maryland @ (4) Ohio State (not saying Maryland is going to win at OSU but they've been playing and the Buckeyes are good not great right now, this could be a nailbiter)

(23) Louisiana State @ (21) Missouri (meh, two ranked SEC squads is always worth checking out, I suppose)

(13) Washington State @ UCLA (if this was in Pullman I wouldn't think twice about it, but the Bruins got a real shot at an upset at home)

(11) Alabama @ Texas A&M (Alabama seems to be getting their shit together but they always struggle at College Station; I got a feeling they won't struggle this year....but I've felt that before)

(20) Kentucky @ (1) Georgia (I'm not saying Kentucky will beat Georgia, but these two are as close as they've been in a long long time; UGA might think this is an easy W but they'd better bring their A game, which is something we haven't seen yet this season)

(10) Notre Dame @ (25) Louisville (normally the Irish schedule is a bunch of a chumps and a coupla unwinnable matches but this is their third straight ranked opponent and the Irish skin best be getting thicker)