After four weeks of overpowered matchups, conference football is officially here. From now on, the games are going to be a lot closer, and the race for the conference championship spots begins. Week five has many intriguing matchups, and a rematch of one of the best games from last season is where this review starts.
Is Alabama Back?
The 17th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and the 5th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs have developed a strong rivalry over the years, with the teams meeting in numerous National Championship games. Things are a little different for Bama now, as coach Kalen DeBoer is struggling to live up to the high expectations, having lost many key games. A defeat here could end their CFP chances. When these teams met last year, one of the best games in recent memory was played. Will we get the same here?
The Bulldogs had the opening possession of the game but were unable to capitalise on it, quickly handing it over to Alabama. In response, Bama was able to open the scoring. Led by quarterback Ty Simpson, the Crimson Tide offense slowly made its way down to the Bulldogs’ six-yard line. Here, he found Germie Bernard for the touchdown pass.
This lead was added to at the beginning of the second quarter, with Simpson finding Isaiah Horton for a six-yard touchdown pass. However, Georgia was able to quickly respond to this, with quarterback Gunner Stockton finding Colbie Young for a 38-yard touchdown pass.
However, the Bulldogs would make a mistake on their next drive. Nate Frazier would fumble the ball deep in the Bulldogs’ territory, with the ball being recovered by the Crimson Tide. But, even with the very short field, they were unable to find the endzone, having to rely on a 24-yard field goal from Conor Talty to get something from the drive.
Georgia was able to recover from the mistake on their next drive, with Stockton and company being able to make their way down to the Bama’s two-yard line. Here, Chauncey Bowens found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to make it a three-point game. This did not last long, as Simpson would find the endzone on the next drive to extend the lead for Alabama.
This meant that at halftime, the Crimson Tide had a 24-14 lead over the Bulldogs.
Alabama had a good chance to further extend its lead on the first drive of the second half. The Crimson Tide got the ball into field goal territory, but Talty missed his kick from 43 yards out. In response, the Bulldogs were able to find the end zone. Josh McCray scored a one-yard rushing touchdown to again make it a three-point game. With a whole quarter left to play, could we see a comeback?
No. In fact, we would not see anything else on offense from either team in the rest of the game. The closest the Bulldogs came to the endzone was a fourth and 1 down on Bama’s eight-yard line. They failed to convert this.
This means that, after a less-than-stellar second half, the number 17-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide had defeated then number five-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 24-21.
This game promised a lot, but underdelivered at times. However, with two young and inexperienced quarterbacks at the helm of both teams, it was always going to be a game like this. For Alabama, this win puts them back into the conversation for the CFP, and they have avenged the early-season defeat to Florida State. They improved to a 3-1 (1-0 SEC) record. As for Georgia, an improvement needs to be seen if they are going to contend for the national championship this year, and they fall to 3-1 (1-1 SEC record)
Next week, Alabama faces Vanderbilt (who defeated them last season), while Georgia faces Kentucky.
Overtime Oregon
The number three-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions have been able to put themselves into the conversation for the national championship. However, they have not faced a single test in the first few weeks of the season. The massive test came this week in the form of the number six-ranked Oregon Ducks. These teams are chasing Ohio State for the Big Ten Conference, so a win tonight will significantly help their chances of making the championship game. But who would win?
The first quarter would not be entertaining, with the first two drives ending in punts, and then Oregon turned the ball over on downs near the middle of the field. From this drive, the Nittany Lions would regain possession and score the first points of the game. Led by quarterback Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions’ strong running back pairing of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton was able to move the ball down to the Ducks’ 32-yard line, where the drive stalled. Here, Ryan Barker successfully kicked a 49-yard field goal attempt to give Penn State the lead.
In response, Oregon was also able to get the ball into field goal territory and attempt a kick. However, Atticus Sappington’s 47-yard attempt missed. He would have more success on the following Oregon drive, where he was able to put a 42-yard attempt through the uprights to level the game.
That was all the notable moments from the first half, meaning that the Nittany Lions and Ducks were tied 3-3 as they returned to the locker rooms.
The second half did not start well for Penn State, which had to punt on its opening drive. From this, Oregon was able to take full advantage of the situation. Starting from their 20-yard line, the Ducks’ quarterback Dante Moore was able to lead his offense down to the Nittany Lions’ 8-yard line. From here, he found Dierre Hill Jr for the touchdown pass to give them the lead.
This lead was expanded at the beginning of the final quarter, with Jordan Davison finding the endzone for an eight-yard rushing touchdown to make it a two-possession game.
It was here that the Penn State offense finally woke up. On their next drive, Allar found Devonte Ross for a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it a one-score game. Then, with 30 seconds left on the clock, the pair met up again, this time for a seven-yard touchdown pass to level the scores. The final Oregon drive went nowhere, which meant the game would head to overtime.
The Nittany Lions open the first “round” of overtime by finding the endzone, forcing the Ducks to go the same. They were able to, with Moore finding Jamari Johnson for a 2-yard touchdown pass. Then, to open the second period, Moore found Gary Bryant Jr for a 25-yard touchdown pass. This now meant that Penn State would need to find the endzone, or it would be game over.
Allar’s pass was intercepted, meaning that the number six-ranked Oregon Ducks had defeated the number three-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 30-24.
This was a very close game, something that we should expect from two potential national champions. This will help the Ducks in their battle with Ohio State, as they improve to a 5-0 (2-0 Big Ten) record for the season. As for Penn State, they fall to a 3-1 record (0-1 Big Ten).
Next week, Penn State faces UCLA, while Oregon has a rest week.
Ole Miss: National Champions?
The number four-ranked LSU Tigers have been doing enough to keep their winning record. They have not had any massive wins, but do come into their clash with the number 13-ranked Ole Miss Rebels with a 4-0 record. Ole Miss also comes into the game undefeated, thanks to backup starter Trinidad Chambliss’ strong performances. Can we see another win for the Rebels?
The first three drives of the game were not the best, with all ending in punts. It would be LSU who would break the deadlock. Tigers’ quarterback Garrett Nussmeier opened the drive with a 50-yard pass to Zavion Thomas. The offense would then move itself down to the Rebels’ seven-yard line. Here, Nussmeier found Nic Anderson for the touchdown pass.
Ole Miss would respond with a score of their own. The drive would stall deep in the Tigers’ red zone, before kicker Lucas Carneiro found the uprights from 25 yards out. Things would get better for the Rebels on the next drive, when they intercepted Nussmeier’s pass. Unfortunately, they were unable to do anything with the subsequent possession.
A few drives later, it would be Ole Miss making the mistake. On the endzone line, Cayden Lee would fumble the ball. This would be recovered by the Tigers’ defense, denying their chance to score. But the Rebels would be able to find the endzone on their next drive thanks to a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Kewan Lacy to hand them the lead. This lead would be extended on their next drive, thanks to Chambliss finding Lee for a two-yard touchdown pass.
This meant that at halftime, the Rebels had a 17-7 lead over the Tigers.
LSU would be able to get itself back into the game in the third quarter. Their drive stalled on the edge of the Rebels’ red zone, but kicker Damian Ramos was able to make a 39-yard field goal attempt. The luck would improve for the Tigers on the next drive when they intercepted Chambliss’ pass. Now with possession, the Tigers’ offense did not go far, but Ramos was able to make a 48-yard field goal. This meant that, going into the final quarter, the Rebels had a four-point lead.
This lead would be extended in the fourth quarter, further helping their chances of victory. Down at the Tigers’ six-yard line, Logan Diggs found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to make it an 11-point lead.
The Tigers had to find the endzone with their next drive if they were going to win this game. This is something that they were able to do, with Harlem Berry finding the endzone for a six-yard rushing touchdown to keep them in the game. Now with five minutes left to play, they first had to get possession off the Rebels before putting in a game-winning drive. Could LSU do it?
No. Ole Miss would never lose possession in those final minutes, meaning that the number 13-ranked Ole Miss Rebels had defeated the number four-ranked LSU Tigers 24-19.
This win continues the good start that Lane Kiffin’s team has made this season. They improved to a 5-0 (3-0 SEC) record and now must be in the conversation for the CFP. For LSU, this defeat will not help them, nor will it aid Garrett Nussmeier’s quest for the Heisman Trophy. They fall to 4-1 (1-1 SEC), and I fear we could be seeing a repeat of last season for LSU.
Next week, both teams are on a rest week.
How did the other ranked teams fare this week?
#1 Ohio State @ Washington
The number one-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes opened their Big Ten Conference schedule against the Washington Huskies. Rookie quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 24-6 win over the Huskies.
Auburn @ #9 Texas A&M
In a strong game for the defense of both teams, the number nine-ranked Texas A&M Aggies faced the struggling Auburn Tigers. The Aggies’ offense did enough to record a 16-10 win in this game.
#11 Indiana @ Iowa
After they demolished Illinois last week, the number 11-ranked Indiana Hoosiers faced the Iowa Hawkeyes. This was a much closer and low-scoring affair. A late 49-yard touchdown pass from Fernando Mendoza to Elijah Sarratt was enough to give the Hoosiers a 20-15 win to keep their undefeated record alive.
Arizona @ #14 Iowa State
The 14th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones kept their undefeated start to the season alive with a win over the Arizona Wildcats. Roco Becht scored three rushing touchdowns in the 39-14 win.
#15 Tennessee @ Mississippi State
The number 15-ranked Tennessee Volunteers had a scare in their game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs (one of the weaker teams in the SEC). Vols QB Joey Aguilar scored a late touchdown to level the scores, sending the game to overtime. Here, DeSean Bishop scored the winning touchdown to give Tennessee a 41-34 win over the Bulldogs.
#16 Georgia Tech @ Wake Forest
The strong-performing, 16th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets continued their strong start to the season with a win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This game was one of the many that went to overtime this week. Tech would win the game 30-29, thanks to a failed two-point conversion by the Demon Deacons.
Utah State @ #18 Vanderbilt
The number 18-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores prepared for their rematch against the Alabama Crimson Tide next week with an easy win over the Utah State Aggies. Commodores QB Diego Pavia threw for five touchdowns in the 55-35 win.
Massachusetts @ #20 Missouri
The number 20-ranked Missouri Tigers faced a straightforward game this week against the Massachusetts Minutemen. The newest member of the MAC wins typically 0-4 games a year, so it would never be a challenge for the undefeated Missouri Tigers. The Tigers won this game 42-6.
#21 USC @ #23 Illinois
After their demolition last week at Indiana, the number 23-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini faced the number 21-ranked USC Trojans. This was another game that went down to the wire, with a last-second field goal from Illini kicker David Olano giving them a 34-32 win.
#22 Notre Dame @ Arkansas
The number 22-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish faced the Arkansas Razorbacks this week in the battle between two struggling teams. Notre Dame was by far the better team in this game, with freshman QB CJ Carr throwing four touchdowns in a convincing 56-13 win over the Razorbacks.
#24 TCU @ Arizona State
The number 24-ranked TCU Horned Frogs faced the Arizona State Sun Devils in a closely fought game between two evenly matched teams. A late field goal from Jesus Gomez gave the Sun Devils a 27-24 win. While this is technically an upset win, given TCU’s ranked status, I would not call it a surprise.
#25 BYU @ Colorado
In a rematch of last year’s Alamo Bowl, the number 25-ranked BYU Cougars faced the Colorado Buffaloes. Now, without his son at quarterback, Deion Sanders is struggling to lead the Buffaloes to success. An early fourth-quarter touchdown from Cody Hagen was all that was needed to give the Cougars a 24-21 win over Colorado, adding more pressure on Coach Prime.
That was a look at Week 5 of the 2025 College Football season. Next week’s slate is headlined by Miami playing Florida State, as well as Vanderbilt hoping to get another win against Alabama, and the Texas Longhorns return to face the Florida Gators.
