CFB Blitz: Week 5 takeaways

College Football Blitz recaps the most important developments from the day's top games and examines their significance moving forward.

Alabama still owns Kirby

Nick Saban isn't standing on the opposing sideline, but it's clear Kirby Smart still has an Alabama problem. The Crimson Tide dropped Smart's record to 1-7 versus his former employer with a hard-fought three-point win Saturday. The victory also snapped the Bulldogs' 33-game home winning streak, which was the longest active in the nation.

So, what's the problem for Smart with Alabama? It often boils down to major struggles in the secondary and an inability to slow down the Crimson Tide's passing attack - a surprising area of weakness for a team that's sent endless defensive backs to the NFL. Last year's affair featured a 374-yard showcase by Jalen Milroe. This time, it was Ty Simpson's turn. The first-year starter lit up Georgia in the first half before finishing with 276 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs again looked unprepared from the jump after falling down early in last year's thriller between the two rivals.

Simpson has been a revelation for the Tide since the opening-week loss to Florida State, with the offense looking very much like the high-octane attack Kalen DeBoer showed with quarterback Michael Penix at Washington. Eight different receivers caught passes in the win, as Simpson directed traffic beautifully.

Georgia had great success running the ball, but some puzzling play calls in crucial moments ended up being its downfall. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo called on running back Cash Jones for two conversion attempts late, but the 180-pound back didn't get the necessary yardage either time. Jones is a useful player in certain situations. Neither occasion fit the description Saturday.

Both teams are very strong and will certainly be major players in the SEC, but the Tide faithful can once again hold a victory over Smart for another year.

Oregon has a star at QB

Oregon may have actually upgraded at quarterback with Dante Moore taking over at starter this season. That seems wild to say given that Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel both finished third in Heisman voting during their respective tenures in Eugene and are now in the NFL. But Moore showed Saturday that he's arguably the nation's top passer. Standing against more than 100,000 people in a White Out atmosphere at Beaver Stadium would cause issues for just about anybody, but Moore often looked like he was playing seven-on-seven with his boys at the local field. He finished the double-overtime win with nearly 75% of his passes completed, 248 passing yards, and three scores. He added another 35 yards on the ground and helped Oregon go 5-for-7 on fourth-down attempts, including a crucial conversion in the first overtime.

The Ducks brought back a number of players from their Big Ten title-winning roster last season, but the major question was Moore being the new No. 1 at quarterback. He's emphatically answered that he's that dude.

Penn State needs Allar to be elite

While Moore showed out in a big way Saturday, we're once again left wanting more from Drew Allar in a big game with Penn State. The Nittany Lions quarterback remains an enigma, occasionally flashing all-world talent that's attracted plenty of NFL attention and otherwise presenting incredibly underwhelming stat lines against top opposition. Allar has been the starter for three years but hasn't topped 20 completions in any of his biggest games.

2025 vs. Oregon: 14-for-25, 137 yards
2024 vs. Ohio State: 12-for-20, 146 yards
2024 vs. Oregon: 20-for-39, 226 yards
2024 vs. SMU: 12-for-22, 127 yards
2024 vs. Boise State: 13-for-25, 171 yards
2024 vs. Notre Dame: 12-for-23, 135 yards
2023 at Ohio State: 18-for-42, 191 yards
2023 vs. Michigan: 10-for-22, 70 yards
2023 vs. Ole Miss: 19-for-39, 295 yards

Allar has thrown for an average of just 166 yards in these matchups as a result of conservative play-calling, questionable decision-making, and spotty receiver play. That seemed to be where things were headed Saturday, with Penn State having just 62 passing yards through three quarters. However, after trailing by two touchdowns, James Franklin and Co. opened the playbook for Allar, who drove the team down the field twice to send it to overtime.

But just when it looked like Allar would earn his signature win and silence his critics, an interception in double overtime ended things abruptly and left more questions than answers.

Penn State is still very much a playoff contender and a top-12 team in the country. However, for Franklin and the Nittany Lions to finally get national respect against top competition, Allar needs to give them 60 minutes of elite-level play. He's yet to show that ability.

First Lane wins, then he trolls

You can argue where Lane Kiffin ranks among the top coaches in college football, but there's no question he's No. 1 when it comes to trolling.

First, let's cover the football, which is exactly what Ole Miss did at a very high level Saturday to hand No. 4 LSU its first loss of the season. The final score shows a five-point win, but make no mistake - this wasn't a close contest. Led by Division II transfer Trinidad Chambliss, Kiffin's electric offense piled up 480 yards on one of the top defensive units in the nation. In three starts, Chambliss has successfully risen multiple levels of college football, and he's already cooking at an elite level under Kiffin. After Saturday's result, it's clear the Rebels have their replacement for Jaxson Dart.

Now, let's get into the fun stuff. Less than 30 minutes after the contest, Kiffin took to social media to post a quote from LSU head coach Brian Kelly earlier in the week stating the Tigers would win the Magnolia Trophy.

Kiffin also took a playful shot at LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks during the postgame interview after Kiffin's daughter hard-launched her relationship with the Tigers captain days earlier.

This Ole Miss team might just be Kiffin's best so far, with an emerging star at quarterback proving the perfect catalyst for his offense. We're just not sure the world is ready to handle playoff-level trolling from Kiffin should the Rebels get there.

Kelly's offense offering no answers

He may want to wait a few days to let Brian Kelly cool off, but I implore Michael Cauble of WBRZ-TV to once again ask the Tigers' coach about the team's offensive issues. By now, you've likely seen the video of Kelly unloading on the reporter for questioning the 4-for-14 performance on third-down attempts versus Florida two weeks ago.

"It’s one game," Kelly said Sept. 13. "Last game, we were great on third down."

Let's just say Kelly won't be too pleased when he checks the box score Saturday night. A 2-for-11 showing on third-down attempts against Ole Miss means LSU's offense is now 10-for-36 on those plays versus power conference competition this season. That figure would rank 131st nationally.

Cauble also asked following the Florida game why the Tigers couldn't run the ball - something Kelly refuted heavily based on a 51-yard scamper in the final minute to ice the game.

"We can run the ball," Kelly added. "Did you see the last play of the game? That’s all you need. You just need one. Those are ridiculous questions. And I’m getting tired of it."

Again, let's hit the box score for some evidence that, no, LSU absolutely can't run the ball. Take away the yardage lost to sacks and the Tigers gained 65 yards on the ground at an average of 3.1 yards per carry - a mark that would sit 124th nationally.

You could wonder whether the timing of the questions posed to Kelly two weeks ago was appropriate, but nobody will raise an eyebrow this time around. Following next week's meeting with South Carolina, LSU faces a trio of ranked opponents as SEC play heats up. Unless the Tigers start moving the ball on the ground and keeping the offense on the field, it's hard to see them navigating that gauntlet, no matter how dominant the defense can be.

Auburn wasting money on offense

Imagine paying three highly respected chefs millions of dollars to run your restaurant and then equipping the kitchen with an oven that doesn't work and a fridge that won't keep food cold. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Auburn's offense. There aren't many offensive players in the country collecting more NIL money than Jackson Arnold, Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. this year, but their talents are being wasted due to an offensive line that can't block anybody. A week after allowing 10 sacks in the loss to Oklahoma, the Tigers gave up five more in a narrow 16-10 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.

Just how bad did Auburn's offense look on the road? As Jesse Palmer said on the ESPN broadcast during the second half: "If Auburn's offense had just stayed at the hotel, I think they would still have a chance to win."

That's both a shot at the offense and a nod to how incredible the defense performed drive after drive. Even the Tigers' lone touchdown came from an interception that put them at the 2-yard line.

Auburn grabbed preseason headlines with the news that it would implement three different play-callers on offense - one for each down. Clearly whoever is calling the plays on third down needs to be stripped of their duties, as the unit went 0-for-13 versus the Aggies.

Notre Dame shows tough Love to Arkansas

Two things we already knew were confirmed early Saturday: Jeremiyah Love is the best running back in college football, and the Razorbacks' defense is arguably the worst at the power conference level. Notre Dame absolutely torched Arkansas on the road, leaning on Love during a ridiculous first half that featured him reaching the end zone four times.

Given the state of the Razorbacks, let's not make sweeping conclusions on how good quarterback CJ Carr may be. Ah, forget that. He's unquestionably on track to be the first pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Okay, maybe not, but his brilliant play in just his fourth career start has added a passing element to the Irish attack that we aren't accustomed to seeing. With 354 yards and four touchdown passes Saturday, Carr is now averaging 272 passing yards on the season and has a 9-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Having two losses already, the Irish might need some help to make the playoff. However, their offense is capable of taking out anybody in the country.

Speaking of being taken out - that's exactly what will happen to Sam Pittman as the head coach at Arkansas. It's officially a matter of when, not if, he's relieved of his duties following another embarrassing loss. His tenure started with such promise, but it's clear that change is needed in the program.

Ohio State might be allergic to upsets

The logic of "It's college football, upsets are a virtual guarantee" likely doesn't apply to Ohio State this year - expect maybe when it faces Michigan, but that almost doesn't count as an upset at this point. The Buckeyes' defense simply won't allow it, with Saturday's road performance against Washington supplying the latest evidence. Ohio State held Demond Williams Jr. and the Huskies' offense to just 234 total yards, sacked the talented quarterback six times, and posted nine tackles for loss. Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald, in particular, lived in the backfield, combining for five sacks and a whopping eight tackles for loss by themselves.

With the defense nearly pitching a shutout, Julian Sayin didn't have to do much on offense in his first road start. You'd never know he hadn't done it before, as the former five-star recruit completed 22 of 28 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. Sure, it helps throwing to freaks like Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss, but Sayin's pocket presence resembles that of an NFL veteran, not a first-year starter.

New year, same USC

You didn't think USC had changed, did you? The faces may differ year to year, but once again the Trojans' defense simply couldn't secure a crucial victory. This time, the defeat came at the hands of Illinois, a team fresh off a 53-point beatdown loss to Indiana. The Illini ran up over 500 yards of total offense on the Trojans before kicking a game-winning field goal at the gun.

There's no question Lincoln Riley is an offensive genius who could probably get 250 passing yards and two touchdowns out of you or me. His latest star quarterback, Jayden Maiava, took advantage of a depleted Illinois secondary with 364 yards through the air. It didn't matter. Wideout Makai Lemon again showed he's a virtual cheat code with 11 catches for 151 yards and two scores. It didn't matter.

Whether it was Luke Altmyer's 328 passing yards or the Illini rushing for 171 on the ground, time and again the Trojans couldn't get stops. That was never more evident than during the final drive, as they allowed 55 yards in the last 1:51 to set up the winning kick.

The Trojans will score plenty of points this season, with Maiava and Lemon sure to garner Heisman attention. However, as long as the defense remains a liability, that's the only hardware they'll have a shot at.

Elliott-Morris marriage a dream for Virginia

It might've taken three full seasons, but the Tony Elliott hire appears to be paying off for Virginia. Elliott jumped to the Cavaliers following a highly successful run as Clemson's offensive coordinator with the promise of lighting up scoreboards in Charlottesville. That's finally happening, thanks to transfer quarterback Chandler Morris. After hanging 46 points on Florida State on Friday, Virginia is now 11th in the nation in scoring, having put up at least 45 in all four home games thus far. Morris' addition has completely changed the trajectory of the program after the offense ranked outside the top 90 in scoring each of the past two seasons. Anything can happen in the ACC, but the Cavaliers have a dream schedule the rest of the way with zero ranked teams on the slate. Perhaps the only thing more impressive than their offense is the efficiency in which the student body storms the field.

Don't bail on Florida State

Look, does it stink to go on the road and get field-stormed in conference play? Absolutely. But if you were high on Florida State before Friday's loss, you should remain firmly in your seat on the Seminoles' bandwagon. If Duce Robinson holds onto a perfect toss by Tommy Castellanos in overtime, we might be having a different conversation now. However, we should have a discussion about how much Castellanos is too much Castellanos.

Gus Malzahn's offense has always leaned heavily on its quarterback, but there's no world where 32 passing attempts and 14 rushes is a winning mix for the starting QB. Not surprisingly, the increased number of passing attempts led to two interceptions by Castellanos. With Miami's vaunted pass rush coming to Tallahassee next week, look for Malzahn to emphasize the ground game in an effort to bounce back.