Conference play is fully underway for college football’s powers, and the return of rivalries has already brought chaos. Four AP Top 25 teams have already fallen, with more guaranteed to drop in the evening slate.
But even more than the losses, even more highly-ranked teams went through major battles. Five ranked teams picked up victories in one-score games, with many of the biggest stars in the sport coming up big in the most important spots.
Later on the docket, there are some serious heavyweight battles. No. 3 Penn State hosts No. 6 Oregon in a pivotal “White Out,” with the winner perhaps emerging as the new favorite in the Big Ten.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 5 heading into the primetime slate.
Arkansas’ Sam Pittman facing end of Razorback Road after historic loss to Notre Dame
Brandon Marcello
Loser: Arkansas coach Sam Pittman
The coaching carousel has already started churning, and the Razorbacks’ Pittman looks like the next on the chopping block. Arkansas had a historically terrible defensive performance in a 56-13 loss to No. 22 Notre Dame that ended with Pittman receiving boos as he left the field from a largely empty stadium.
Notre Dame obliterated Arkansas to the tune of 641 yards. Running back Jeremiyah Love alone posted 127 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns, while CJ Carr threw for career highs of 354 yards and four touchdowns. Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green played hard with 288 total yards, but the rest of the roster managed a cool 77.
After the game, Pittman acknowledged that fans are right to be angry with him. The loss to Notre Dame could be a final nail in the coffin.
Winner: Superstar receivers
There’s a receiver out in Columbus who gets a lot of spotlight (for good reason). That said, all the attention on No. 4 is hiding a tremendous wide receiver class across college football.
Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson got things started on Friday, posting eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns — including a game-winner — in a come-from-behind win against No. 24 TCU. USC receiver Makai Lemon was painfully close to replicating the feat, posting 11 catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. His apparent game-winner was later overrun after Illinois drove down for a game-winning field goal.
Elsewhere, Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson posted the first Jayhawks’ 200-yard game since 2017. Louisville’s Chris Bell looked like the new top target for the Cardinals with 10 catches for 135 yards and a score against Pittsburgh. With Texas A&M’s Mario Craver sidelined for a stretch, KC Concepcion came up big with seven catches for 113 yards.
The level of wide receiver play in college football is going through the charts.
Loser: LSU offense
After LSU’s 24-19 loss to No. 13 Ole Miss, Brian Kelly might owe WBRZ sports director Michael Cauble another apology. Kelly erupted at Cauble for asking about offensive struggles in a win over Florida — and especially failure to run the ball. All of those concerns came to fruition in the Tigers’ first loss of the year.
Ole Miss shut down the No. 4 Tigers’ offense to the tune of only 254 total yards. The Tigers failed to score 20 offensive points for the third time in three games against Power Four opponents, and the running game mustered only 57 total yards on 22 attempts.
But most critically, the offense simply couldn’t stay on the field. LSU’s first seven drives went five plays or fewer. By the time the unit started to find some consistency in the second half, it was too late. LSU simply can’t get away with getting bullied in the trenches to this level and expect to contend in the SEC.
Cincinnati has been brutal in close games under Scott Satterfield, losing nine of their last 10 single-score games. Even in Week 1, the Bearcats blew a close game against Nebraska. After sneaking by a talented Kansas squad in a 37-34 victory, the vibes seem to be shifting.
The Bearcats went down by four points with only 1:45 remaining, but underrated quarterback Brendan Sorsby led a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a game-winning run from Tawee Walker. Sorsby was sensational in the win, throwing for 388 yards, rushing for 52 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Cincinnati has been painfully close under Satterfield. Could the tide suddenly be turning?
Rumors of the No. 8 Seminoles’ return to prominence seem to be greatly exaggerated. In a trap game spot before a game against No. 2 Miami, Florida State collapsed 46-38 against Virginia in double-overtime. The Cavaliers scored two touchdowns early to take a 14-0 lead, and trailed for only about two minutes across the evening.
Florida State’s resurgent defense looked like 2024 against a rising UVA squad, giving up more than 200 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris scored five touchdowns to make up for his three interceptions, the final of which was a run to the end zone in double-overtime that clinched the game.
The opener against Alabama still buys the Seminoles some credibility, but wins against East Texas A&M and Kent State don’t move the needle. The matchup against No. 2 Miami suddenly becomes a must-win, especially as Clemson and Florida fall out of the AP Top 25. There can be no more hiccups.
Winner: Survival
There are weeks to put up style points, but sometimes, getting an addition to the win column is enough. No. 11 Indiana followed a demolition of Illinois by needing a late interception to survive Iowa, 20-15. No. 16 Georgia Tech had an even closer scare, forcing overtime with two seconds remaining and getting a stop on a two-point conversion to beat Wake Forest 30-29. No. 1 Ohio State shook off a slow start to outlast a hungry Washington team 24-6, while No. 23 Illinois drove for a late field goal to beat No. 21 USC 34-32. Picking up wins — even ugly ones — count just the same in critical conference title races.
