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Can the Big 12’s undefeated survive Week 5?
The Big 12 has only three teams left that remain undefeated in the 2024 season.
Can the BYU Cougars, UCF Knights and Utah Utes survive Week 5?
No. 22 BYU at Baylor, 12 p.m. EST, Fox
Redshirt junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been a productive component of the BYU Cougars’ offense, going 72-of-115 for a 62.6% completion percentage across four games. However, it has been a solid defensive performance that has allowed BYU to go undefeated into the fifth week of the season.
The defensive unit has already tallied eight total turnovers, including five interceptions and three forced fumbles. Up front, the stout line has recorded seven sacks and 22 tackles for loss since the start of the year. For a team that finished 5-7 on the season in 2023, the roster has pieced impressive victories together, including beating SMU on the road and dominating league Kansas State this past Saturday at home.
This weekend, the Cougars travel to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears (2-2), with head coach Dave Aranda’s squad fresh off an avoidable loss to Colorado. BYU statistically has recently fared best with afternoon and night matchups. All 2023 games in the morning or noon kickoff slots became losses, which is why Big 12 fans should tune in to this early matchup to see if coach Kalani Sitake has the Cougars ready to bear hunt.
Colorado at UCF, 3:30 p.m. EST, Fox
Gus Malzahn must now put his Knights against the very team that rallied to overcome the Baylor Bears last week: the Colorado Buffaloes, with the dynamic duo of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
The 3-1 Buffaloes have not looked their best in the first third of the season, while the Knights have been quietly building a resume to put the Big 12 on notice. Their first conference matchup saw them taking TCU the distance, and they are currently first in the country in rushing with 375.7 yards per game.
There will be a lot of eyes in Orlando this weekend as coach Deion Sanders brings Colorado to a lower elevation, and Malzahn isn’t looking ahead to next week's matchup with the University of Florida, stating (via The Coloradoan), “(It's) a big game for us being at home. Real excited for our fanbase and it's a really good opportunity for our program.”
Arizona at Utah, 10:15 p.m. EST, ESPN
Apart from BYU, many believe that the Utah Utes have the stingiest defense in the conference. This will be tested against one of the most talented wide receivers in the country in Tetairoa McMillan and the versatility of dual-threat quarterback Noah Fifita.
Utah is coming off a hard-fought victory against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, looking to maintain momentum as the Utes roll through a very manageable slate of conference games to come.
Arizona presents one of the final major obstacles within this series of upcoming matchups, making it advantageous that it happens in Salt Lake City. The 10:15 EST start time is familiar to both teams, so this should be a matchup garnering national attention as Saturday’s slate of top-25 matchups draws to a close.
More must-reads:
- Surprising BYU cracks the AP Top 25
- Deion Sanders flips four-star DB from Penn State to Colorado
- The 'Most receiving yards in the CFP era' quiz
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'Look out for this dude': Former NFL exec has warning about unexpected SEC quarterback
Former Alabama QB has bold prediction for Kalen DeBoer, Ty Simpson
Greg McElroy may have a slight bias towards the Alabama Crimson Tide. He did play there, after all, and he helped the Tide with the 2010 BCS title game. So yes, the former Alabama quarterback turned ESPN commentator might be partial to the Crimson Tide, but he did make some good points recently when giving a prediction for the 2025 SEC Championship game on the "Always College Football" Podcast. McElroy predicts that in head coach Kalen DeBoer's second season, the Tide will make the SEC Championship game. He sees them facing off with Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns, though he does see Texas winning that game. “I just think with some of the youth that Texas has, particularly at quarterback, particular at wide receiver and some of the guys that will be rolling in on defense, they’re a little bit deeper and have a slightly higher ceiling than Alabama at this point," McElroy said (h/t On3). Losing the SEC Championship game would be disappointing in Tuscaloosa, but it is a step up from last season when DeBoer went 9-4 with an embarrassing 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Alabama being in the SEC title game would certainly mean that the Tide would be in the College Football Playoff conversation, and that's really the minimum standard in Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban brought six national championships home. For what it's worth, McElroy does think DeBoer has the pieces to be a contender this season, though, and it starts with newly named starting quarterback Ty Simpson. "I think Ty Simpson, their new starting quarterback, is a great fit for what Kalen DeBoer wants them to to be," McElroy explained. "He’s going to be a distributor, he’s going to get the ball out of his hands quickly, he’s going to make great decisions, he’s not going to put the defense in harm’s way by turning it over. I think Alabama is poised to make a run this year in a lot of different areas" A run to the SEC title game and CFP would be a huge step up for DeBoer in Year 2. Alabama fans will certainly be hoping that McElroy's bold prediction will come true.
Urban Meyer pushes for Chargers or NFL to suspend Jim Harbaugh
Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer thinks the Los Angeles Chargers or the NFL should take it upon themselves to punish Jim Harbaugh. On Aug. 15, the NCAA punished Michigan for violations connected to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh received a 10-year show-cause order. During Wednesday's episode of "The Triple Option" podcast, Meyer compared Harbaugh's situation to that of Jim Tressel in 2011. Meyer argued that the league or the Chargers should suspend Harbaugh, like the Indianapolis Colts did to Tressel. "There's an elephant in the room here, boys, though, that no one's talking about," Meyer said. "When Jim Tressel was fired at Ohio State and he was given a suspension, Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League, came out and said that, 'We're going to honor that suspension.' And you remember, he went to the Indianapolis Colts to work in the replay room or something. "The Colts, because of the respect they had for the NCAA and the suspension, you realize suspended Jim Tressel? So he was unable to perform his duties for the first six games of the year for the Indianapolis Colts. I think we all know the answer. Any chance that Roger Goodell and the NFL, of course not. And I don't know why." There is a belief that Harbaugh bolted to the Chargers after winning the national title in 2023 because he knew the NCAA was getting ready to punish the Wolverines. A six-game suspension is not comparable to a 10-year show-cause order, and punishing Harbaugh so lightly would be more symbolic than substantive. Frankly, it's bad business for the league to suspend Harbaugh and to connect the outspoken head coach to a trivial scandal that happened in college. Punishing Harbaugh would draw unwanted attention to the Chargers and the league, who knew what happened before he jumped to the NFL before the 2024 season.
Milwaukee Brewers: 1 sleeper candidate if Joey Ortiz misses substantial time
The Milwaukee Brewers are currently awaiting further results as to the status of their starting shortstop Joey Ortiz’s hamstring. He injured his left leg running to first base on Thursday, August 21, which was a separate injury from when his entire right leg went numb a few days ago after he fouled a ball off of his knee. With an MRI pending, the Brewers will soon know the severity of Ortiz’s hamstring injury. If he is forced to miss substantial time, which is generally likely with this kind of soft tissue injury, then Milwaukee may soon be exploring ways to re-align and re-enforce their infield without their gold glove caliber shortstop. Here, we take a look at one sleeper candidate the Brew Crew may utilize if Ortiz is forced to miss substantial time. Raynel Delgado is having a tremendous season in the minor leagues 25 year old infielder Raynel Delgado was signed to a minor league contract with the Brewers last November and is enjoying another great season in Triple-A. Last year, at the Cleveland Guardians Triple-A affiliate, Delgado slashed .275/.365/.426 with 22 stolen bases and just a 24% strikeout rate while walking 11% of the time. This year has been more of the same, with a .271/.348/.370 slash line, 33 stolen bases, 21% strikeout rates, and 9% walk rate. Where would Delgado fit on the Milwaukee Brewers active roster? If the Brewers were going to promote Delgado in Ortiz’s presumed absence, second base would likely be where he lands, but he has played third base, shortstop, and the outfield this season. A move like this, would likely shift Brice Turang over to shortstop for the short term. A corresponding 40-man roster move would have to be made if Delgado was selected to join the Brewers. Taking Oliver Dunn’s spot is one possibility, as he has struggled mightily in his second season with the organization. With Ortiz potentially going to be sidelined, the Brewers will need to get creative to fill the void in the infield. Whether it’s moving Brice Turang to shortstop, promoting a versatile player like Delgado, or leaning on internal depth with someone like Monasterio, the club has options. With a playoff push in full swing, it will be interesting to see which direction Milwaukee goes and who ultimately gets the call to help hold down the fort should Ortiz miss time.
Brian Robinson Jr.'s next destination just became painfully obvious
Brian Robinson Jr. is being shopped for a potential trade by the Washington Commanders. And his next destination could be a little clearer based on an unfortunate incident around the league. The Commanders have decided that Robinson doesn't have a future in Washington. He was once projected as a starting option, but has now fallen out of favor for whatever reason. Those in power don't think he can offer what they require, and general manager Adam Peters is looking to extract something in return for a player who's out of contract next spring. What the immediate future holds for Robinson is unclear. It won't be in Washington after he got sent to the shadows, but there could be a few potential suitors for his services if the compensation isn't too steep. Dolphins could call Commanders about Brian Robinson Jr. amid injury crisis One team rumored to be interested just got a big reason to make a splash for Robinson. The Miami Dolphins are desperately short of experienced running backs. There is a lot at stake for head coach Mike McDaniel in 2025, but fresh problems are cropping up in the backfield that could jeopardize their chances. De'Von Achane is currently on the sidelines. He could be joined by Jaylen Wright after he was helped off the practice field. And this didn't look like an injury that he could shake off quickly, according to those in attendance. If Wright is forced to miss time, that leaves the Dolphins relying on rookie Ollie Gordon II and journeyman veteran Mike Boone as their running back options. While the Oklahoma State product has promise, asking him to accumulate starting duties in Year 1 seems like a stretch. Even if Warren and Achane are healthy, Robinson could be an upgrade on any physical runner Miami has in between the tackles. The Commanders are eager to get the former third-round pick out of Alabama out of the equation. Any offer is better than nothing, something that would also relieve some burden on the salary cap along the way. Other teams are also reportedly looking for running back upgrades before the season. This is playing right into Peters' hands. Still, whether Robinson is someone worth giving up draft capital for with his ceiling all but reached is another matter. Time will tell on both fronts. However, fans can expect this situation to be resolved before attention turns to trimming the roster down to 53 players. And the Dolphins represent a legitimate landing spot. More Commanders news and analysis
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