Week four of the college football season had plenty of big time games and provided some upsets also. These two reasons are a big contributing factor in why we love the college game, so let’s take a look at the main talking points from a riveting weekend of football.
1) Georgia Get Crucial Win Against Notre Dame
The marquee game of the weekend didn’t disappoint, with Georgia overcoming a very good Notre Dame side. The Fighting Irish tested Georgia on their home turf, and can take positives from a tough loss.
Georgia QB Jake Fromm was solid on the day, with D’Andre Swift good once again with 98 rushing yards and a touchdown. The defense for Georgia was key, forcing two turnovers and holding Notre Dame’s leading rusher to 21 yards. This was a statement win for Georgia and it’s play-off hopes, but Notre Dame ran them close and showed they are a very good side too.
2) Wisconsin Handle Poor Michigan Team
The top 15 matchup between Wisconsin and Michigan ended up being a convincing win for a good Wisconsin side. Star player Jonathan Taylor stepped up with 203 rushing yards and two touchdowns, showing his NFL potential on the national stage once again.
Michigan have been unconvincing in victories going into this game, and against better opposition they were punished for their mistakes. The passing game was solid if unspectacular, with the rushing game failing to get going all day. Wisconsin have jumped into the top ten now, with Michigan falling down to 20th.
Jonathan Taylor running in for one of two TD’s in a convincing Wisconsin win against a poor Michigan team. Surely NFL stardom beckons next for Taylor. Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images.
3) Jonathan Taylor Goes Off
Wisconsin running back has been a household name in college football for two years now, with yet another massive performance last weekend against good opposition. The junior is on pace to challenge the all-time leading rusher in college football, Ron Dayne with 7,125 yards.
After a 2,194 yard season last year, he’s started slow by his standards with 237 yards in their opening two games. Last weekend he almost doubled that with 203 yards against a respectable Michigan team. It’s likely Taylor will declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, but this could be the springboard for another massive season at Wisconsin.
4) Auburn Win Big Against Texas A&M
Auburn have emerged as a dark horse for the College Football play-off after two statement wins in their opening four games. They went into College Station to face Texas A&M and handled them 28-20 in a massive win for the team.
They proved their comeback win against Oregon wasn’t a lucky win, only allowing Texas A&M to score three points until a 17-point fourth quarter resurgence. True freshman Bo Nix was solid for the Tigers, and gains yet more valuable experience with this win. Texas A&M drop to 23rd with their 2-2 record, with Auburn rising to seventh.
5) Joe Burrow Goes Off in LSU Rout
LSU were always expected to beat an 0-3 Vanderbilt team, but the way they dismantled them with have their fans feeling good about the season ahead. QB Joe Burrow added to his rising hype with another masterful performance, this time against limited competition.
25-34 for 398 yards and 6 TD’s is video game numbers, as LSU routed them 66-38. Burrow has emerged this season and has led LSU into the play-off places, whilst also redefining him as a future NFL Draft prospect, both of which was not expected going into the season. He might also be a dark horse for the 2019 Heisman Trophy too.
LSU QB Joe Burrow barely needed to break sweat in a convincing win against Vanderbilt. He’s started off strongly and is quickly emerging as a top QB in college football. Photo: Associated Press.
6) UCF Dreams Shattered by Pitt
The ultimate underdog team in college football was the UCF Knights, but their dreams of finally being nationally recognised were badly damaged with this loss to a tough Pitt team. After last weekends big win against Stanford, UCF struggled in this 35-34 slug fest.
Pitt are a well coached football team, and it appears that after such a statement win UCF struggled with this tough following fixture. The loss drops them to 22nd in the AP rankings, and it will be tough for them to regain ground because of their conference schedule.
7) Wild Pac-12 Shootout in Washington
Many college football fans struggle to watch Pac-12 games because of their awkward timings for most of the country, but the fans who tuned in for this game got a treat. UCLA got an important 67-63 win against Washington State. Yes, that scoreline is correct.
Both QB’s threw for over 500 yards, with Washington State QB Anthony Gordon throwing 9 TD’s. This was a vital win for UCLA and Chip Kelly, who have struggled massively to start the season. This loss has cost Washington State a AP Top 25 berth, something they may struggle to regain this season.
8) Houston QB D’Eriq King to Transfer
Houston QB D’Eriq King has announced he is sitting out the rest of this season and intends to transfer from Houston. The new redshirt rule means although he has played in all four games this season, he can use this year to redshirt and save a year of eligibility.
This is likely to be a big talking point in college football, as this appears the first example of a player choosing to sit out and transfer for his best interests. Some will see it as a savvy move and a chance to transfer to a more established program, with some likely to see it as him being selfish and quitting on his team.
Houston QB D’Eriq King has made headlines with his plans to sit out and transfer next year, this is likely to be a major talking point for the game this season. Photo: Godofredo Vasquez/Houston Chronicle.
9) Biggest Week Four Performances
Aside from those already mentioned, there were some standout performances from week four of the college football season. LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase stood out with 229 yards and 4 TD’s in their rout of Vanderbilt. He’s quickly developed in Burrow’s favourite target, and the sophomore is sure to be garnering NFL attention with his performances.
The two QB’s in the UCLA – Washington State matchup deserve some attention, with UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson recovering from a poor start to the year with 507 yards and 7 TD’s in their win. Washington State QB Anthony Gordon going for 570 yards and 9 TD’s is insane numbers.
10) College Football Week Five AP Top 25 Poll
The newest AP Top 25 rankings have been released, with very few changes at the top. The top four remain the same, with the biggest change being Ohio State jumping Oklahoma because of their bye week for fifth. Auburn jumped to seventh, with Wisconsin breaking the top ten in eighth.
Notre Dame dropped to tenth with their loss, with Utah and Michigan the biggest losers, each dropping nine places to 19th and 20th respectively. After beating Utah USC are now 21st, with Washington State (19th), Arizona State (24th) and TCU (25th) dropping out this week.
That wraps up my recap of the fourth week of the season, if you have any thoughts on these talking points let me know in the comments section below or find me on Twitter @JWjournalism. Finally, a massive thank you to everyone who read this article I really appreciate it!
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