It was Survival Saturday as 10 ranked teams lost and several others struggled to get by. Here are my 10 takeaways from Week 5:
1. Alabama can get by without Bryce Young — for now. Backup redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe stepped up to help lead No. 2 Alabama past No. 20 Arkansas after quarterback Bryce Young went down in the second quarter with a shoulder strain. The Crimson Tide has plenty of talent and experience to get by without Young for a while, but they could use the help of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner when they travel to Knoxville to take on Tennessee in two weeks.
2. Clemson appears back in playoff form. After shaking off some early-season rust, Clemson seems to have found its playoff form. The Tigers dispatched ACC Atlantic challengers Wake Forest and NC. State in back-to-back weeks as quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has returned to his freshman self, completing 66% of his passes for 580 yards and 6 TDs while rushing for 125 yards and 2 TDs in the past two weeks.
3. Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin makes an early statement. Playing in the SEC West, it’s easy to get overshadowed by Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M, but Ole Miss is quietly off to its best start since 2014. The Rebels have been known for their explosive offense under coach Lane Kiffin. Still, it’s been boosted by its outstanding defense, holding Kentucky to 19 points and forcing two turnovers, including a critical fumble to seal the win Saturday.
4. New coach, same old issues at Oklahoma. New Oklahoma coach Brent Venables was supposed to inject a new toughness into the Sooners’ defense, but that hasn’t been the case with OU allowing 509 yards and 668 yards of offense in back-to-back losses to Kansas State and TCU. The Sooners, who were preseason favorites, limp into this week’s Red River Showdown with Texas looking to avoid a 3-game losing streak for the first time since 1998.
5. Texas A&M continues roller-coaster season. It’s safe to say that the 2022 season has been disappointing for Texas A&M. The Aggies started as a preseason top-10 team. Still, offensive struggles saw Jimbo Fisher’s team drop a home game to Appalachian State and now a blowout loss to Mississippi State. Texas A&M is last in the SEC in total offense and the quarterback position is a mess with both Max Johnson and Haynes King struggling.
6. Clock ticking on Bryan Harsin at Auburn. There were three coaching vacancies in September and as the calendar turns to October, expect more. It seems Bryan Harsin has been on the perpetual hot seat since he stepped off the plane on the Plains, but after surrendering a 17-0 lead to LSU in a 21-17 loss, it feels like the 45-year-old coach’s time at Auburn could be quickly winding down.
7. The best team in the Big Ten West is anyone’s guess. While Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State dominating the headlines in the Big Ten East, losses by Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin (which fired coach Paul Chryst) this weekend have created a logjam in the Big Ten West, where six teams remain tied at the top, including Northwestern (1-4) and Nebraska (2-3). So much uncertainty at the top has opened the door for a team like Illinois (4-1), which is off to its best start since 2015.
8. The Big 12 has been turned on its head. With perennial powers programs Oklahoma and Texas facing early struggles, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU have taken advantage of the situation and climbed to the top of the Big 12 standings. Kansas, Oklahoma State and TCU are among the 16 remaining undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision while Kansas State has back-to-back wins over Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
9. Duke isn’t just a basketball school anymore. Duke snapped a 13-game losing streak in ACC play with its win over Virginia Saturday night. The Blue Devils have eclipsed their win total from last season and the previous season and are off to their best start since 2018. With the ACC Coastal again in chaos, thanks to Pittsburgh’s loss to Georgia Tech, could this be the year Duke wins its first division crown since 2013?
10. This could be a banner year for the Pac-12. Even as the Pac-12 fights to remain unified and relevant, this has been one of the strongest starts for the league, with as many as six teams in the hunt for the conference championship. USC and UCLA remain unbeaten while Oregon, Utah, Washington and Washington State each has one loss. The Trojans remain the best hope for a playoff spot, but it’s been quite a while since the league has looked this good.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
