2016 College football look ahead: Week 5

Photo Credit: Chris Asbrock (FTI Sports stock photo)

by Chris Asbrock

The college football schedule this weekend is the best since the season opened five weeks ago. There are three games that feature both teams ranked in the top 10 in the rankings. At the end of the weekend, there will be at least three teams that would have suffered their first loss of the season. The question would remain on how costly that loss could be to those teams. Let‘s take a look at a few of the main storylines from this week.

1. Can Colorado continue their hot start?

How the Colorado Buffaloes are not ranked is stunning. Coming into the season, not much was expected from the team in Boulder, but the Buffaloes have been impressive in all four of their games so far. Colorado has outscored their opponents 169-97 so far, that’s including a road loss to #4 Michigan. In that game, the Buffaloes took it to Michigan, early and often, before the Wolverines came back to thwart the upset bid. Coach Mike MacIntyre did a great job of having his players shake off that loss as they went up to Oregon and upset the Oregon Ducks.

Up next for Coach MacIntyre is a very winnable game against an Oregon State team that has struggled all season, defeating only Idaho State. With most of the focus on the Stanford/Washington game, the Colorado Buffaloes will once again be overshadowed. A win over the Beavers this weekend will put the Buffaloes in a great spot to start the season with a 5-1 record.

2. Top 10 matchups dominate schedule

As previously mentioned, there are three games that feature top 10 teams battling it out. Two of those games will be played in primetime, with #7 Stanford and #10 Washington kicking it off tonight. The big ones on Saturday are #8 Wisconsin traveling to Ann Arbor to take on #4 Michigan. The nightcap is headlined by Heisman front-runner Lamar Jackson and #3 Louisville traveling to Death Valley to take on #5 Clemson. With these being conference games, these matchups will go a long way in determining the conference champion and possible playoff participants.

With Stanford playing on the road tonight, we will get a good glimpse at the Washington Huskies and if they are for real. The Huskies are led by quarterback Jake Browning who has thrown for 904 yards and 14 touchdowns. If Browning continues to play well, the Huskies can make a lot of noise in the Pac 12 and the make a serious run at the college football playoff.

3. Can Oklahoma, Oregon and USC rebound from tough losses?

Three of the powers in college football are having a season that is so far forgettable. The Oklahoma Sooners, Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans are all coming off tough losses that have ended any hope for a college football playoff appearance. All is not lost for these teams just yet. A win for these teams can help build some confidence and help propel them into contention for a conference championship. These three teams have the talent to rebound quickly but it is crucial for them to get it started this weekend.

College Football Playoff Pairings: