CFB Week 5 knee-jerk reactions: Alabama, Ohio State pass tests

We’re almost halfway through the college football regular season and with a group of contenders already identified, it’s time to evaluate if they’re starting to crack under the pressure.

Here are some knee-jerk reactions from the Week 5 action:

Alabama is a clear-cut national title contender, Georgia was exposed

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart never had a Nick Saban problem, it was always an Alabama problem (1-6 all-time). Saturday night’s 41-34 score line doesn’t accurately reflect how poor the No. 2 Bulldogs looked against the No. 4 Crimson Tide, especially falling behind 28-0 in the first half.

‘Bama will take its place as the only true threat to No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State over the rest of the season. According to the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, the last time Georgia allowed more than 27 points in a game was the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State (a 42-41 win).

Stalled offense suggests Mississippi is a fraud

Once thought to be the overlooked contender for the SEC title, No. 6 Mississippi did not play like the nation’s top offense against Kentucky. That’s not to discount the Wildcats — they did hold Georgia to 13 points in Week 3 — but we all now know what that was really a precursor to. Heisman contender Jaxon Dart didn’t live up to his hype as one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, but there’s still room for redemption on the Rebels schedule with three ranked opponents remaining.

The Big 12 is starting to cannibalize itself

Like the Pac-12 before it, the Big 12 has inherited the annual tradition of being the competitive conference stacked with teams that can beat each other on any given Saturday. While that can be a point of pride, it severely narrows the chance of multiple teams from the conference making the expanded College Football Playoff. No. 10 Utah can no longer be considered the favorite to represent the Big 12 in the playoff after its 23-10 loss to Arizona (at least not until quarterback Cam Rising is back under center full time and healthy) and No. 20 Oklahoma State can be eliminated from contention after its 42-20 loss to No. 23 Kansas State while undefeated BYU (No. 22 at 5-0) and Iowa State (No. 18 at 4-0) can now formally enter the conversation.

Michigan is back in the playoff race (barely)

The No. 12 Wolverines escaped with a 27-24 win over Minnesota but one could argue a favorable call was a deciding factor at the end of the game. Nevertheless, Michigan at 4-1 (and owning a Top 15 win) can be reinserted into the playoff conversation — for now. Their resume currently holds up as a contender for the 12-team field, but the Wolverines continue to be on thin ice needing near-perfection the rest of the year to guarantee a spot. Circle Nov. 30 in Columbus, Ohio, on your schedules per usual.

Colorado is finally playing up to its potential

But for how long is the real question. The Buffaloes dominated undefeated UCF from start to finish on Saturday with quarterback Shedeur Sanders unleashing every weapon in his arsenal, including Heisman contender Travis Hunter. The two-way monster recorded 89 receiving yards, a touchdown and interception in Orlando. It’s too early to tell if Colorado is a Big 12 contender but the 48-21 win Saturday certainly was a reassuring follow-up to its overtime thriller over Baylor last week.

Ohio State is just getting warmed up

After out-scoring their bye-game opponents 149-20 in Weeks 1-3, the No. 3 ranked Buckeyes began Big Ten play with an emphatic 38-7 win over 3-1 Michigan State on the road. It’s understandable that Ohio State wouldn’t be taken as seriously until it played conference opponents but now’s the time to recognize it as a formidable challenger to the SEC favorites.

Notre Dame complicates the ACC’s bid for multiple playoff teams

The No. 16 Irish squeaked out a 31-24 win over No. 15 Louisville — despite dominating the turnover game with two fumble recoveries and an interception. Because Notre Dame is an independent but schedules closely with the ACC, if it wins out it would be 11-1 with a 5-0 record against ACC opponents. That could be enough to snag an at-large spot in the 12-team playoff, potentially over the ACC runner-up.