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College football always delivers. It does not matter what conference. It does not matter what part of the country. It does not matter the weather, the school, or the month. If you are tuning in on your TV or spending a weekend on campus, there is always a chance something incredible happens. Investing time into this sport typically pays huge dividends for the fans.
I was in Oxford, Mississippi, for the showdown between LSU and Ole Miss. We knew it should be a fun game between two long-time SEC rivals. What was unexpected was that the whole experience turned into a show for the ages, during both the game and the winning celebration for the Rebel faithful. It was the biggest story of the weekend and provided us with both a boom and a bust for the week.
We are approaching the halfway point of the season, and the contenders are starting to announce themselves, and the pretenders are fading away. Every week, the wins and losses carry a little more weight as we move closer to December. Let’s jump into the booms and busts for Week 5.
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College Football Booms From Week 5
Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss is an obvious choice. The Oxford football scene had everything you could want. The Rebs just had to take care of business on the field. The issue was in doubt for most of the second half, but the defense did just enough to complement an offensive performance for the archives.
Red Zone Rebels 🍿
706 Total Yards of Offense! #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/oaSXI3Tjat
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 1, 2023
The thought of 706 total yards without a turnover or giving up a sack is so ridiculously impressive. Coach Lane Kiffin is as bright an offensive mind in college football and has his team in the thick of the SEC West race. We award bonus points for the assumed recruiting boost that his program will enjoy from Saturday night’s festivities.
Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Head Coach Johnathan Smith has something going in Corvallis. He landed prime quarterback transfer D.J. Uiagalelei, and things have been going the Beavers’ way ever since. Playing with the extra motivation of an unsettled future due to conference realignment, Coach Smith has his players playing good football in the 2023 season.
A win in Week 5 over a good Utah team is a resume builder, not only for this season but also for future seasons. A stingy defense and opportunistic offense have this program rolling.
Maryland Terrapins
Coach Mike Locksley has his Maryland Terrapins undefeated at 5-0, and it’s hard to believe that they haven’t cracked the AP rankings yet. The Terps have yet to play any elite opponents, but that will all change as they travel to Columbus to take on Ohio State this week.
Taulia Tagovailoa prances into the end zone 😮💨pic.twitter.com/cZs7wZTyK3
— College Football On ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsCFB) September 30, 2023
Maryland has been methodically beating opponents every week, including Big Ten rivals Michigan State and Indiana most recently. This team can score, and it will be exciting to see how they fare against the Buckeyes on the road.
College Football Busts From Week 5
Louisiana State Tigers
The first month of the 2023 season has not been kind to LSU. They have dropped their two marquee games against Florida State and Ole Miss on Saturday. Brian Kelly is 4-4 in his last eight games, and while the seat isn’t quite hot, the pilot light is activated. This hire might not be the home run the LSU administration thought they hit when they gave Kelly that mega contract in December 2021.
It has only been a year and a half, but this is the SEC West. Pressure comes at you fast, and the folks in Baton Rouge will not tolerate this for long. LSU has work to do.
2023 was supposed to be a year where South Carolina kept climbing towards the elite of the SEC East. Through Week 5, that has not happened. Coach Shane Beemer’s squad is 2-3, with two defeats coming from SEC East teams. The Gamecock’s offensive line struggles continued on Saturday as Tennessee’s defense had its way with them to the tune of six sacks and an interception.
Kamal Hadden hit the Prime Time Shuffle after the Pick-Six ⚡️ @Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/j1MgfVCh4M
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 1, 2023
Returning starting quarterback Spencer Rattler was viewed by many as a potential Heisman candidate, but it looks like South Carolina will be fighting for bowl eligibility instead. Upcoming games against Texas A&M, Clemson, Kentucky, and Missouri could make that difficult.
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Sam Pittman era started with a bang. That is beginning to feel like a long time ago. Arkansas has been spinning its wheels for a couple of seasons, and their loss to arch-rival Texas A&M on Saturday dropped them to 2-3. An October slate featuring road games at Ole Miss and Alabama will determine if quarterback KJ Jefferson and his fellow Razorbacks can salvage what is likely his final season in Fayetteville.
While there are plenty of opportunities left on the schedule, Coach Pittman and company have left themselves little margin for error after a pedestrian September.
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