College football Week 5: 15 players to watch

Most people think about Jonathan Taylor when discussing the Badgers, but their defense has simply been amazing. They opened the season with shutouts of South Florida and Central Michigan, but it was the Badgers' domination of Michigan last week that raised eyebrows. Baun — he's the team's top tackler, and he has recorded three sacks already — was a quarterback in high school but has used his athleticism to become a ranging linebacker. Wisconsin faces last year's Big Ten West division champ, Northwestern, on Saturday. Look for Baun to have another big impact. 

Benjamin hasn't been as explosive as he was last season when he rushed for over 1,600 yards and scored 18 touchdowns, but that is because defenses have committed to shutting him down. His per-carry average has dropped to 3.8, but he has still scored three touchdowns and is coming off arguably his best game of the season, albeit in a loss to Colorado. The Sun Devils travel to Berkeley to face a California team that is surging and is willing to play in lumbering and physical games. Arizona State and Benjamin don't mind getting a little dirty either.

Book looked good in the Irish's loss to Georgia. He threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions were killers. He has not only taken control of the offense...but honestly he is the offense. Notre Dame has really struggled running the football, which has made Book the key to nearly everything the Irish do on offense. Even though they lost to Georgia, their showing still gives them an outside shot at a Playoff spot. Virginia comes calling to South Bend this weekend in a key pseudo-ACC matchup. 

For whatever reason, Ohio State is flying a bit under the radar this season. The Buckeyes haven't had the competition yet to truly test Ryan Day's squad, and if people are talking about Ohio State they are chatting up new quarterback Justin Fields. Meanwhile, Dobbins is just chugging along, fifth in the nation in rushing despite playing in blowouts and with some fine backs playing behind him. Last week in the 76-5 blowout of Miami-OH, he carried the ball just eight times but one went for a touchdown. He's averaging 7.0 yards per carry and will get to finally go up against better competition when the Buckeyes travel to Nebraska this Saturday, which is notable since the last two seasons have seen their playoff hopes end with big losses at Big Ten West opponents. In each of those games, Dobbins had poor showings so it is imperative he gets going to stave off yet another upset. 

Eason has been outstanding in three out of four games, with the one dud coming in the Huskies' lone loss of the season. In the three wins, he has completed 77 percent of his passes for 901 yards and 10 touchdowns. Washington hosts USC in one of the more intriguing games on the schedule. UW is already 0-1 in conference play, so another loss could end its hopes at a league crown. 

If the Northwestern Wildcats want to get back to the Big Ten championship game, they will need a huge defensive performance Saturday against Wisconsin. After a poor showing in a loss to Michigan State last week, Fisher and the Wildcats defense need to come up huge against a Badgers team that features one of the best running backs in the nation. Fisher going up against Jonathan Taylor will be one of the better chess matches this weekend and while the linebacker can't be in on every play, he needs to have his fingerprints all over this game. If not, Northwestern's dream of another division title could be over.

You probably haven't watched Liberty play football, like, ever, but Gandy-Golden is a reason to remind yourself to check in on the Flames from time to time. Gandy-Golden is a big play receiver. Last week against Hampton, he caught just four passes but they went for a total of 181 yards and two went for touchdowns (including a 73-yarder). So far this season, he is averaging 22.7 yards per catch and is thriving in Hugh Freeze's fast break offense. Liberty hosts New Mexico, which has given up 52 points per game this year, on Saturday. Expect more big plays. 

Sure, most people will come out of Washington State's 67-63 loss remembering UCLA's epic 32-point comeback, but you must be in awe of what Gordon did in that game. He completed 41 of 61 passes for 570 yards and nine touchdowns.  Yes...NINE touchdowns!  He leads the nation in passing yards, completions, passing attempts and touchdown passes while throwing just four interceptions on the season. With the Cougars' hopes of a College Football Playoff spot all but dashed, a Pac-12 title is certainly at play as they head to Salt Lake City to face one of the nation's top defenses in Utah, which is are coming off its own tough loss to a Los Angeles school. Gordon can't expect another 570 yard showing, but he will need to move the ball effectively if Washington State is going to upset the Utes. 

The last time we saw Jackson and the Terps, he laid a major egg in a 20-17 loss to Temple. He completed just 15 of 38 passes for 183 yards, which was a far cry from his performance in Maryland's two wins where he threw seven touchdowns and completed 58 percent of his passes. The Terrapins host a Penn State team with an elite defense (it hasn't allowed more than 17 points in a game this season). If Maryland wants to make a dent in the Big Ten, it needs to pull off the upset and Jackson needs to have a big game. 

Lamb hasn't put up the stats you were expecting him to have this season. In three games, he has caught just nine passes for 229 yards, but three of those were for touchdowns. Much of that production came in a 70-14 win over South Dakota. So what's the problem? Sure, Jalen Hurts' ability to run the ball has created a new dynamic in the Sooners offense, but what Lamb is lacking in quantity he is getting in quality — he's averaging over 25 yards per catch. Oklahoma opens Big 12 play this weekend against Texas Tech. Expect more big plays and a lot of scoring and, I believe, a breakout game for Lamb. 

Nix is actually near the bottom of the SEC in passing yards and rating, but there is one stat that he's doing extremely well with — turnovers. Since he threw two interceptions in the first half of the season opener against Oregon, he's not turned the ball over. Auburn relies on defense and a solid ground game to win games, but Nix has been composed in running the offense. If he can just be a bit more accurate with some opportunities he gets then the offense will be so much tougher to deal with. The freshman certainly is a guy to watch in the championship race. Auburn hosts Mississippi State this Saturday. 

No. 18 Virginia gets its shot on the big stage, as it travels to Notre Dame to face the Irish. If you haven't seen the Cavaliers this season then you need to know about their quarterback, Bryce Perkins. Perkins leads UVA in passing yards (843) and rushing yards (193 yards). He's not as dynamic a dual threat as, say, Jalen Hurts, but he is perfect for what the Wahoos do. Perkins had a serious neck injury while at Arizona State and thought he wouldn't play again, but a strange road eventually led him to Virginia where he has become the best signal-caller at the school since Matt Schaub. Now Virginia has resurrected a program that went 2-10 in 2016, and Perkins has an opportunity to make a huge statement this Saturday. 

No matter who the quarterback is for the Trojans, Pittman is ready to catch some passes. USC is on its third quarterback this season after JT Daniels' season-ending injury in the opener and Kedon Slovis' head injury last week. Matt Fink came in against Utah and was confident throwing the ball, which was a boon for Pittman. The son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Sr. caught 10 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown, his best game of a sparkling senior season. Through four games he's already caught 31 passes for 437 yards and three touchdowns which puts him on pace to set career records in each category. USC goes up the coast to Washington to face another good defensive squad. Pittman doesn't care who's defending him nor who's throwing him the ball.

Who knew that Wake Forest-Boston College would be a huge game in the ACC Atlantic Division race? The Demon Deacons are 4-0, and Surratt has been a major part of their success. He has caught at least one touchdown in each game for Wake Forest, and his five scores have already eclipsed his total from last year. He has caught at least six passes in all four games and has three games of at least 100 yards. 

Nothing in the Bruins' first three games would suggest what Thompson-Robinson would do against Washington State last weekend. After struggling in losses to Oklahoma and Cincinnati, he was magnificent against the Cougars — passing for 507 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 57 yards and two more scores in leading UCLA to a 32-point comeback win. This was a much-needed boost for a program that has nearly hit rock bottom in 2019 and now shows some promise going forward. Next up is a fun matchup in Tuscon against an Arizona team that also enjoys playing a bit loose. Is this Thompson-Robinson's breakout moment that will turn around the season and, possibly, Chip Kelly's tenure with the Bruins? We shall see.