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What to Watch in CFB Week 5
Sep 28, 2020, 10:57 AM
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Now it's starting to feel like a real CFB season! The SEC has started, the Tigers are playing this weekend, and the Gamecocks are 0-1!
There are no Thursday night games this week and the Friday night games are for folks really jonesing for a football fix: Campbell at Wake (7PM, ACCN) and Louisiana Tech at #22 BYU (9PM, ESPN2).
SCAR at #3 Florida
12PM ESPN
Why should I care?
Florida has inexplicably risen to #3 in the polls behind a big win over Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. Yeah, totally justified. The Gamecocks take the new Offense and store-brand-Trevor Lawrence on the road to The Swamp to see if they can field a punt.
TCU at #9 Texas
12PM, Fox
Why should I care?
You probably missed it last Saturday but Texas needed OT to survive a pretty bad Tex Tech team so they probably don't have any business in the Top 10 right now. All that to say, a mediocre TCU team really could pull the "upset."
Mizzou at #21 Tennesse
12PM, SECN
Why should I care?
Despite a big win in Columbia in front of a crowd fired up by the spur-less giant #### statue, I did not watch a Top 25 team in the Vols on Saturday night. Guarantano could not hit the broad side of a barn and the Vols did just about everything they could to lose that one--lucky for them, the Gamecocks were also trying to lose... Mizzou did about what you'd expect against Alabama, which is to say lose really badly. Still not convinced Tennessee is any good so I think this one will be close.
NC State at #24 Pitt
12PM, ACCN
Why should I care?
Despite being down literally 23 players on Saturday night, the Hokies put a beatdown on Dave Doeren and the Wolf Pack, which is to say, they are not a good team... Pitt is 3-0 and, despite a solid win over a ranked (at the time) Louisville team last week, dropped in the polls. We'll need the Panthers to keep winning and staying ranked and it's always fun watching Doeren lose so, win-win?
#13 TAMU at #2 Bama
3:30PM, CBS
Why should I care?
Arguably the game of the week. TAMU is paying Jimbo Fisher $70million to lead Vandy 7-5 at halftime so this is put-up-or-shutup for him. Fisher has had Mond at QB now for 3 years and, while Bama looked typically strong against Mizzou, this isn't an invincible Saban squad. This is pretty close to a must-win game for Jimbo and the Aggie.
#12 UNC at BC
3:30PM, ABC
Why should I care?
The Eagles followed up a surprising win over Duke with a comeback squeaker win over Texas St last week so they probably aren't in a position to knock of the Tarheels. It will be the Tarheels second game in action after a win over 'Cuse in the opener and a canceled game vs Charlotte.
USF at #15 Cincinnati
3:30PM, ESPN+
Why should I care?
Probably not one to actually watch but maybe worth following the score and, if you have ESPN+, flipping over if it's close to see how Jeff Scott's boys stack up against the class of the AAC in the Bearcats.
VT at Duke
4PM, ACCN
Why should I care?
Despite a half-strength team, the Hokies looked strong in their long-awaited debut vs. NCST this weekend. The voters rewarded them by dropping them completely out of the Top 25.... Chase Brice struggled last week (4 INTs...) and does not have the talent around him to really showcase his skills. We need the Hokies to keep winning so we can notch a ranked road win in December.
Jacksonville St at FSU
4PM, ESPN3
Why should I care?
This one is noteworthy for two reasons and two reasons only: 1) Former Clemson transfer Zerrick Cooper is the starting QB for the Gamecocks (coming off a very good 2018 season but a not-so-great 2019 season) and 2) Just how bad are the Seminoles? Objective observers do not expect Norvell to right the ship overnight but are they even going to show signs of improvement? Losing to an FCS school would be a new low for the once-proud program. JSt had their opener postponed and only play 3 other games this year so this is their Super Bowl. Just sayin'...
#7 Auburn at #4 UGA
7:30PM, ESPN
Why should I care?
The Tigers looked pretty strong on Saturday in Chad Morris's debut as OC knocking off a ranked (why?) Kentucky team. The Dawgs on the other hand? Woof... They trailed a bad Arkansas team 5-7 at the half (the Mighty SEC's 2nd of 2 7-5 halftime scores on Saturday) before benching starter D'wan Mathis for Stetson Bennett and pulling away in the second. Will JT Daniels be cleared to play for UGA Saturday or will they have to go with Bennett again? I bet Dr. Kirby will have a prognosis. I like the Tigers in this one.
Arkansas at #16 Miss St
7:30PM, SEC Alt (?)
Why should I care?
After knocking off the Defending Champs, Mike Leach's Bulldogs climbed all the way to #16 this week. Are they actually that good or was LSU that overrated? A bad Arkansas team will be a good barometer.
#18 Oklahoma at Iowa St
7:30, ABC
Why should I care?
Oklahoma went ahead and got a loss of the way early this year, allowing Kansas St to mount a furious comeback down 35-14. Will they win out and creep into the CFB Playoff again or can the Cyclones save us yet another year of watching OU get blownout by someone in the Semi Finals? Go 'Clones!!
#20 LSU at Vandy
7:30PM, SECN
Why should I care?
Guess reloading after a Natty isn't as easy as other Tiger teams make it seem, huh LSU? Clemson's "rebuilding" teams end up in the Playoffs, LSU's lose to Miss St at home... Luckily for the Bayeux Bengals, they get a bad Vandy team to regain their morale. Struggle with the Commodores, however, and you're gonna start seeing some ornery Cajuns...
UVA at #1 Clemson
8PM, ACCN
Why should I care?
The Cavs are coming off an 18-point win over Duke. After digging themselves into a 10-point hole in the 1st quarter, the 'Hoos outscored the Blue Devils 38-10 the rest of the way. So while it's just Duke and UVA isn't the UVA team that won the Coastal last year, they're still the best team we've played to date. Hopefully the Tigers will have social distanced during the bye week and we won't see too many Virus-related absences.
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