College football Week 5 watchability rankings: All eyes on the SEC

Four weeks into the 2024 college football season and the Southeastern Conference once again looks like the deepest league with the best teams.

There are five SEC teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll this week: No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 6 Ole Miss, with No. 11 Missouri just outside. All six teams are undefeated, and a few are in must-watch games this week.

Headlining the group, of course, is Georgia at Alabama, which might be a preview of the SEC title game in Atlanta during the first weekend of December. It’s the first real test for Kalen DeBoer’s Crimson Tide, which is coming off a bye week after stomping Wisconsin 42-10 at Camp Randall Stadium in Week 3. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are coming off a bye, too, after just squeaking past Kentucky in Lexington on Sept. 14.

Texas is hosting what might be the worst team in the conference in Mississippi State, but the Longhorns are worth paying attention to in what will probably be a blowout because Arch Manning may start again for Texas’ SEC debut. Ole Miss, which has the highest scoring offense in the country, hosts a Kentucky team that held Georgia to 13 points.

Elsewhere in the league, Arkansas travels to AT&T Stadium to face No. 24 Texas A&M. Both teams are 3-1, and both represent the same thing to their opponent: a signature win. Beating the Aggies in Arlington would be a nice resume booster for Sam Pittman as he continues to coach for his job, while a win over the Razorbacks could present a bit of proof-of-concept for first-year A&M coach Mike Elko.

No. 21 Oklahoma goes for a bounce-back win at Auburn, while No. 14 LSU hosts a feisty South Alabama team.

As college football continues to evolve with realignment and NIL news bubbling up this week, one thing remains the same: the SEC is still king.

Best Game of the Week: No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. – ABC

It’s early, but there’s an easy argument to make that this is the most consequential college football game of the regular season.

It’s Alabama against Georgia. The Crimson Tide versus the Bulldogs. The best of the SEC West against the best of the East.

What more do we need to say here?

Game that might have an impact on the College Football Playoff: Washington State at No. 25 Boise State

Saturday, 10 p.m. – FS1

For one-loss Boise State, this is a game they probably have to win if they want to get into the playoff as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. For Washington State, if the undefeated Cougars want to even sniff a chance at getting an at-large bid, this is a marquee game they have to capture a victory in – and there aren’t really any more opportunities on Wazzu’s schedule to get a win like this one, against a ranked opponent.

Even if Wazzu does run the table, the playoff committee is probably going to freeze them out in favor of whoever the fourth-best SEC team is. They’ll get treated like Florida State last season, and UCF in 2017, but they’ll have a fun and compelling case to claim the national title for themselves anyways.

But, setting the playoff aside for a moment, you should watch this game because it’s a regional matchup between two fun offenses that are going to be in the same conference soon. Wazzu is scoring 46.2 points per game – 13th best in the country – and Boise put 34 points on Oregon in a narrow defeat.

Weird Weeknight Game of the Week: Virginia Tech at No. 7 Miami

Friday, 7:30 p.m. – ESPN

Miami looks like the best team in the ACC right now, and the one with the best quarterback in Cam Ward. But it also feels like the Hurricanes are due for a bit of ACC chaos. What better setting against an old Big East rival on a Friday night?

Awesome Group of Five matchup worth watching: South Alabama at No. 14 LSU

Saturday, 7:45 p.m. – SEC Network

OK, I’m cheating a bit here because obviously LSU isn’t a Group of Five team, but South Alabama very much is, and they have an explosive offense that is worth watching – one that scored 87 points against Northwestern State and one that hung 48 points on Appalachian State in Boone.

And the leader of this offense is a man named Fluff Bothwell, a 5-foot-10, 219-pound wrecking ball true freshman from Oneonta, Alabama. He leads the Sun Belt in rushing yards (359) and rushing touchdowns (six) and has the potential to do some damage against an LSU defense that is allowing 119 rushing yards per game, which is 11th amongst all SEC teams.

Fear the Fluff, Tigers.

Sickos Guilty Pleasure Game of the Week: Army at Temple

Thursday, 7:30 p.m. – ESPN

Temple finally got a win last week, beating Utah State 45-29.

And that was all well and good, but now the Owls are going to the wood-chipper again. Two weeks ago, they faced a Navy team that beat them 38-11. And, oh, look – here comes another good triple-option team, one that is outscoring opponents by an average score of 34-9.

If you’re a sicko who loves watching the triple-option executed at the highest level, this is the game for you.

“Look At Us, Who Would’ve Thought?” Matchup of the Week: Western Kentucky at Boston College

Saturday, Noon – ACC Network

Both of these teams are 3-1 and won last week in wild comebacks.

The Eagles marched down the field, covering 75 yards in six plays under three minutes, capping off the drive with Thomas Castellanos finding Lewis Bond for a 42-yard score. On the next possession, Boston College picked off Michigan State to seal the win.

Western Kentucky’s win was even more improbable. After trailing by 11 points, the Hilltoppers scored 16 straight unanswered points to take the lead. With 37 seconds to go, WKU could’ve just kneeled on the ball three times and punted the ball away, but instead ran the ball, which quarterback Caden Veltkamp fumbled away. A few plays later, Toledo had a chance to win the game but threw an interception instead.

Here’s hoping the Eagles and Hilltoppers create another memorable finish.

Also watch…

No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State: Saturday, Noon – ESPN

No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. – Peacock

North Carolina at Duke: Saturday, 4 p.m. – ESPN2

No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. – NBC