This article is part of our The Spread Offensive series.
Tired of Lamar Jackson? So was Clemson. OK, so the Tigers' defense didn't exactly "hold down" the Heisman frontrunner, who passed for 295 yards and one interception, while rushing for 162 yards and two more scores Saturday. Still, Clemson did enough to sprint to a 28-10 halftime lead, overcame adversity down the stretch when the Cardinals briefly took the lead, and then finally shut the door on Jackson and the Cards in the red zone on that final, fateful drive. Of course, if Louisville wideout James Quick realized where he was on the field, things might have ended up differently.
Still, Deshaun Watson was nearly as dynamic as the aforementioned Jackson, tossing five touchdown passes while also rushing for 91 yards in a battle that actually lived up to the hype. The Tigers now have a fairly easy road to the SEC title game, particularly if Florida State continues to crumble.
The Washington Huskies are 5-0? The Washington Huskies are 5-0!
Yes, you read that correctly. The Huskies spanked Stanford, 44-6, on Friday night, giving U-Dub a signature win while also showing that the Huskies just might be for real. Jake Browning threw for three touchdowns and the two-headed monster of Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman rushed for 174 yards and three more scores. Perhaps nothing was more impressive than the Washington defense holding Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffrey to just 79 yards from scrimmage, though. The Huskies face rival Oregon this weekend looking to end a 12-game losing streak.
Tired of Lamar Jackson? So was Clemson. OK, so the Tigers' defense didn't exactly "hold down" the Heisman frontrunner, who passed for 295 yards and one interception, while rushing for 162 yards and two more scores Saturday. Still, Clemson did enough to sprint to a 28-10 halftime lead, overcame adversity down the stretch when the Cardinals briefly took the lead, and then finally shut the door on Jackson and the Cards in the red zone on that final, fateful drive. Of course, if Louisville wideout James Quick realized where he was on the field, things might have ended up differently.
Still, Deshaun Watson was nearly as dynamic as the aforementioned Jackson, tossing five touchdown passes while also rushing for 91 yards in a battle that actually lived up to the hype. The Tigers now have a fairly easy road to the SEC title game, particularly if Florida State continues to crumble.
The Washington Huskies are 5-0? The Washington Huskies are 5-0!
Yes, you read that correctly. The Huskies spanked Stanford, 44-6, on Friday night, giving U-Dub a signature win while also showing that the Huskies just might be for real. Jake Browning threw for three touchdowns and the two-headed monster of Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman rushed for 174 yards and three more scores. Perhaps nothing was more impressive than the Washington defense holding Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffrey to just 79 yards from scrimmage, though. The Huskies face rival Oregon this weekend looking to end a 12-game losing streak. This would seem to be as good of a year as any for that drought to end.
Rivalry Game Alert!
In another battle for bragging rights, recruiting and more, Florida State travels to Miami to participate in a rivalry with suddenly renewed interest due to the resurgence of the Canes. Miami finally played a semi-real squad at Georgia Tech last weekend, handling the Yellow Jackets, 35-21. Brad Kaaya got the publicity at quarterback prior to the season, and rightly so. Kaaya will be playing on Sundays in an NFL stadium near you as early as 2017. However, it has been the running game along with Miami's defense that should be turning heads. Miami running back Mark Walton has rushed for 445 yards and eight touchdowns through four games, and he's splitting carries with Joseph Yearby. In fact, it was Yearby who led Miami in rushing against Georgia Tech.
Still, the play of the defensive front led Miami to its latest win. The Canes were fueled by back-to-back defensive scoops and scores in the second quarter. Miami has yet another outstanding class of linebackers, led by freshmen Shaq Quarterman and Michael Pinckney, who already appear on the verge of stardom. Miami also had eight tackles for a loss against the Yellow Jackets, including three by ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week Trent Harris.
Still, two questions remain: Are the Canes for real? Are the Seminoles finished? Last Saturday's stunning loss to UNC at home on a 54-yard field goal dropped FSU to 3-2 and nearly pushed them out of the Top 25. Coach Jimbo Fisher has had to answer questions about taking over the LSU job, and the Seminoles have given up big play after big play on defense. Clearly, the defense misses Jalen Ramsey, who left for the NFL, and Derwin James, who has been sidelined due to injury.
The Seminoles still have the big uglies on the offensive and defensive line, though, along with plenty of skill players on the outside. FSU has also had Miami's number lately. After Florida State had to deal with Wide Right after Wide Right after Wide Right in the 90s and 2000s, the Seminoles have won six in a row and nine of the last 11 matchups against the Canes.
Still, this season feels like the balance of power may start to be shifting now that Mark Richt has Miami under his reign. Florida State will have to avoid the big plays in this contest, while Miami will look to exploit FSU's weakness with athletes like Stacy Coley, Walton and Yearby. The Seminoles would also be smart to feed Dalvin Cook, who dismantled Miami in 2015 for a staggering 269 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns. This Miami defensive front seven seems up to the task, but certainly has not faced a running back of Cook's caliber thus far in 2016.
Other Notable Games for Week 5
There are three other games pitting ranked opponents against each other this weekend, and while they may not have the luster of last weekend's tilt like Wisconsin-Michigan or Louisville-Clemson, there is still plenty at stake.
No. 25 Virginia Tech at No. 17 North Carolina
"Is the Hokie Pokey really what it's all about?"
The ACC has six ranked teams in the top 25 for the first time since 2006. Fresh off that stunning win over Florida State, the Tar Heels face a surging Hokies squad that has only lost to No. 8 Tennessee. UNC's Mitch Trubisky passed for a staggering 405 yards and three touchdowns against the Seminoles, while Virginia Tech QB Jerod Evans also passed for three touchdowns against ECU, and now boasts a 13:1 TD:INT ratio on the year.
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas A&M
"Who would win in a fight, a Volunteer or an Aggie?"
How about yet another seamless transition? The Vols have been playing with fire but ultimately have not been burned just yet. They stormed back from a huge deficit versus rival Florida, then won on a Hail Mary to stun Georgia. Will facing a third-ranked team in a row spell doom for the Volunteers? Or can they squeak past the 12th Man to set up a matchup of undefeateds when they play host to Alabama on Oct. 15? Trevor Knight will certainly have something to say about that, as the Oklahoma transfer has brought some stability to the quarterback position in College Station.
No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 Arkansas
"Offensive Linemen Get No Respect"
Oh no, he didn't! Alabama exercised its demons earlier this season at Ole Miss, and the Tide looked primed for yet another deep run into the College Football Playoff. The Hogs are built on defense and running the football, but can Rawleigh Williams succeed against that ferocious, talented Alabama front seven? Quarterback Austin Allen will also have to make some plays. Allen has 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last four games, but has not faced a defense quite like this. Alabama also has a difficult stretch coming up, playing the Hogs and Vols on the road, followed by a home date with Texas A&M. Those next three games should tell us a lot about freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts, who hasn't found much resistance thus far in 2016.
