Alabama-Georgia classic tops college football’s Week 5 winners and losers

It took one quarter for new-look Alabama to assert itself as same-old Alabama. With coach Kalen DeBoer now calling the shots, the No. 4 Crimson Tide put No. 1 Georgia in an early hole and seemed poised to rout the Bulldogs in this marquee SEC matchup.

But Georgia crawled back, turning a would-be rout into an epic thriller that could be just the first of multiple meetings between these two rivals this season.

Buried under an early barrage, the Bulldogs crawled out of a series of multiple-score deficits to take a 34-33 lead with just over two minutes left. But the Crimson Tide responded with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe to freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams, converted the ensuing two-point play and then intercepted Carson Beck in the end zone secure a wild 41-34 victory.

Take a deep breath. This was four games in one: first, an Alabama rout; second, a Georgia surge to make things respectable for the Bulldogs; third, a Georgia comeback for the ages; and four, a response from the Crimson Tide to make things right in the final minutes.

In the end, a close game between two of the top teams in the Bowl Subdivision will give Alabama a major boost without doing too much damage to Georgia’s chances of reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Alabama started with a bang. The Tide led 21-0 after the first quarter and 28-0 not long into the second, taking advantage of one short field after an interception but otherwise slicing through the Georgia defense with touchdown drives of 70, 84 and 67 yards. This opening barrage sent a statement that’s impossible to ignore: Nick Saban may be gone, but Alabama hasn’t gone anywhere.

The marriage of DeBoer and quarterback Milroe continues to thrive, as expected. Milroe had 374 yards passing, a team-best 117 yards rushing and five total touchdowns. Williams led Alabama with 177 receiving yards, acrobatically dodging Georgia defenders with a series of highlight-reel plays that have made him one of the brightest young stars in recent SEC history. Again, a reminder: Williams is only 17 years old.

This loss would’ve spelled major trouble for Georgia as recently as last season. But the math behind the race for the national championship has been changed by playoff expansion, erasing the do-or-die mindset that has defined this series for almost a decade.

That leaves Alabama the winner while still leaving a clear avenue for Georgia to climb back to the top of the SEC. If Saturday night is any indication, the two will face off again in early December — and maybe again in January, if we’re lucky.

Winners

Notre Dame

No. 14 Notre Dame is never going to live down this month’s loss to Northern Illinois, especially with the Huskies dropping two of three since the upset in South Bend. But the College Football Playoff math still favors the Fighting Irish: win out and you’re (very likely) in the 12-team field. Saturday’s 31-24 victory against No. 17 Louisville will help repair Notre Dame’s reputation. In a game they had to have given the lack of major contenders on this year’s schedule, the Fighting Irish overcame a sloppy start to beat a team ranked near the top of the ACC. In fact, this win against the Cardinals may end up being the high point on Notre Dame’s record heading into the final playoff rankings in early December.

Kansas State

After a stunning loss at No. 22 Brigham Young last weekend, No. 25 Kansas State rebounded with a very solid 42-20 win at home against No. 20 Oklahoma State. With a balanced offense that accounted for 559 total yards — 300 yards running and 259 yards passing — the Wildcats showed why they are one of the elite teams in the Big 12 and a genuine playoff threat. While he had one puzzling interception and might’ve missed on one or two potential big gains through the air, quarterback Avery Johnson finished with 319 yards of total offense and five touchdowns. This performance puts KSU back on track to compete with No. 10 Utah and No. 19 Iowa State for the league’s playoff bid.

Kentucky

Confusing, confounding, impossible to predict and a team that could make some big noise on the way through SEC play. After losing by 25 points to South Carolina and barely losing to Georgia two weeks ago, Kentucky pulled off one of the shocking upsets of the season’s opening month by topping No. 5 Mississippi 20-17. Trailing 17-13 with about five minutes left, the Wildcats went 83 yards in six plays to take the lead and then made a big defensive stand to force the Rebels into a missed 48-yard field goal with under a minute remaining. With Vanderbilt, Florida and Auburn up next, Kentucky could get into the Top 25 before hosting No. 6 Tennessee in October.

Southern California

One week after coming up just short in a 27-24 loss at No. 12 Michigan, the No. 16 Trojans overcame a 21-10 halftime deficit and beat Wisconsin 38-21 for the program’s first win in Big Ten play. The second-half surge that nearly sparked a win in Ann Arbor didn’t immediately carry over against the Badgers, who made the most of three USC turnovers to jump in front at the break. But the Trojans dominated the final two quarters against the Badgers, delivering the coup de grace via a pick-six with five minutes left. USC also dominated possession and shut down the Badgers’ running game to avoid a loss that would’ve doomed any hopes of making the playoff.

Colorado

For the first time under Deion Sanders, Colorado looks like a legitimate Power Four team and a real contender to get to six wins and a bowl game. Facing off as two-score underdogs at Central Florida, the Buffaloes rolled over the Knights in a 48-21 win highlighted by a big night from Shedeur Sanders and more brilliant play from Heisman Trophy favorite Travis Hunter. Sanders completed 28 of 35 throws for 290 yards and three scores while Hunter had 89 receiving yards, a touchdown grab and an interception. Now 4-1 and 2-0 in the Big 12, Colorado needs just two more wins to reach the postseason for the first time since 2020 and just the third time since 2007.

UNLV

No. 23 UNLV had spent this week on the front page due to the drama surrounding former quarterback Matt Sluka, who started the first three games but left the program amid a stunning back and forth over his NIL package. Not that you could tell based on Saturday’s 59-14 rout over Fresno State. Sluka was not missed in the least: Backup Hajj-Malik Williams stepped into the starting role and was terrific, completing 13 of 16 throws for 182 yards and three touchdowns with another 119 yards and a score on the ground. The Rebels were able put this week in their rearview mirror and will remain among the leading contenders for the playoff among the Group of Five.

Losers

Mississippi

Stunning, to put things as lightly and kindly as possible. The Rebels had not lost as a double-digit favorite under fifth-year coach Lane Kiffin but never got into a rhythm due to Kentucky’s ability to control tempo, leading to the sort of loss that could mean the difference between an at-large playoff bid and a second-level bowl game. Looking toward December, the Rebels will have to take two of three against No. 13 LSU, No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 1 Georgia to be a factor in the playoff conversation.

Florida State

Bad has officially been replaced by worse, and the worst is hanging just around the corner. Florida State is now 1-4 after getting badly outplayed by SMU in the Mustangs’ home ACC debut. The 42-16 loss included everything the Seminoles do terribly: throw the ball, run the ball, block, tackle, score points, play football. And after steadying the ship with last week’s 14-9 defeat of California, the loss shows how far FSU has fallen since last year’s ACC championship. Just to reiterate: FSU lost by 26 points to SMU. If this wasn’t already certain, the Seminoles are the biggest disappointment of the season.

Alabama-Birmingham

The decision to hire Trent Dilfer — one of the least experienced head coaches in modern FBS history — has backfired terribly on UAB, which had posted six winning seasons in a row heading into 2023 but is now a woeful 5-12 under the former NFL quarterback after losing 41-18 at home to Navy. Hiring Dilfer in the first place over a bunch of qualified candidates, including former interim coach and current Louisiana-Monroe coach Bryant Vincent, gave the strong impression that UAB was a deeply unserious program. Now one of the worst teams in the American Athletic, the Dilfer-led Blazers are becoming a laughingstock.

Ollie Gordon

Has anyone seen Oklahoma State’s All-America running back? Don’t put all the blame on Gordon, who showed across the first two series against Kansas State that he’s still one of most top runners in college football. Let’s look instead at the Cowboys’ willingness to ignore one of the nation’s best skill talents: Gordon had 10 carries for 69 yards on those first two possessions but just five carries for seven yards the rest of the way. After going for 128 yards in the opener against South Dakota State, Gordon has just 208 yards in four games against FBS competition. His odds of taking home any postseason hardware are as dead as the Cowboys’ playoff hopes.

Wisconsin

The current state of Wisconsin football can be seen in a key fourth down in USC territory in the third quarter. Needing a yard, the Badgers lined up in shotgun, ran into the line of scrimmage and came up short. Ahead 21-17 at that moment, Wisconsin wouldn’t score again. This team is not physical, not athletic, not explosive, not tough and not built in any way that resembles the identity that defined the program for decades. Instead, this looks like a program in clear decline with no obvious path back to relevancy.

Mack Brown

The writing is on the wall for Brown’s second tenure at North Carolina after the Tar Heels coughed up a 21-20 loss to rival Duke. You have to wonder which is worse: Last week’s 70-50 loss to James Madison, which dropped 53 points at halftime, or giving away a 20-0 lead to your fiercest rival. The defeat to JMU was so terrible that Brown had to respond to rumors that he was planning to step down early in his sixth season. Handing away what looked like a surefire win against the Blue Devils raises the odds that this is Brown’s last season.