FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” game takes place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this weekend as the No. 12-ranked Wolverines, fresh off a victory over USC, take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big House (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App).
There are plenty of intriguing storylines heading into this game, including the play of Michigan QB Alex Orji, who is set to make his second career start this weekend. The junior signal-caller attempted only 12 passes in his team’s 27-24 win over USC, completing seven of them for just 32 yards. Orji also added 43 yards on the ground, but it was the Kalel Mullings show this past weekend as the Wolverines’ senior back carried the ball 17 times for a career-high 159 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
There are several other eye-catching matchups across the country in Week 5, including Colorado traveling to Orlando to take on UCF in a Big 12 showdown (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App). The Buffaloes are fresh off a memorable comeback win over Baylor, which included late-game heroics from both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Meanwhile, the SEC will take center stage Saturday night, when No. 2-ranked Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa to battle No. 4-ranked Alabama in one of the most anticipated games of the year.
FOX Sports college football writers Laken Litman, Michael Cohen and RJ Young are here to preview the biggest storylines heading into Week 5.
Michigan earned a potentially season-defining win against USC last weekend while running the ball 46 times and only attempting 12 passes. Is this a sustainable offensive game plan for the Wolverines?
Laken Litman: No.
Yes, Michigan finally showed off its powerful running game, led by Kalel Mullings, who piled up 159 yards on the ground with two touchdowns. But while Mullings figures to be a major part of this offensive identity moving forward, Michigan will struggle if it can’t throw the ball downfield. Quarterback Alex Orji, who took over for Davis Warren, is more comfortable running than passing.
Whenever Michigan faces a better defense that can stop the run – Ohio State, Indiana and even Northwestern have better rush defenses than USC – the Wolverines could get into some trouble if they remain one-dimensional.
Michael Cohen: It’s sustainable to a certain degree. The way Michigan’s offensive line asserted itself against USC was particularly impressive considering just how one-dimensional the Wolverines became with Orji atop the depth chart. Orji, who was making his first-career start, completed seven of 12 passes for 32 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and an average depth of target that was only 7 yards downfield, which ranked tied for 88th out of the 119 quarterbacks with at least 15 dropbacks in Week 4, according to Pro Football Focus. His longest completion was a 10-yard connection to tight end Marlin Klein. No other tight end or receiver caught a pass longer than 5 yards. In other words, not only were the Trojans keenly aware that Michigan was going to run the ball on nearly every play — the Wolverines finished with 46 rushing attempts and only 12 passes — but they also knew any pass Orji might attempt would almost certainly be within a few yards of the line of scrimmage. Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn could sell out against the run without any fear of his secondary being beaten by a vertical passing game.
That Michigan still ran the ball for 290 yards and three touchdowns and averaged 6.3 yards per carry speaks to the brute force its players exhibited in the trenches, a formula that might be replicated against some of the more aerially challenged teams on the Wolverines’ schedule — the kinds of opponents who can be dragged into a rock fight. Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan State and Northwestern all rank outside the top 50 nationally in scoring offense, which suggests that Michigan can lure them into slower, more grinding affairs that transform time of possession into a particularly telling statistic. It’s against the more explosive offenses like Ohio State (52.3 points per game), Oregon (36.7 points per game) and Indiana (50.5 points per game) that such a run-pass imbalance becomes more problematic. The Wolverines enter Week 5 ranked 129th in passing offense, worst among the Power 4 schools.
RJ Young: It might be. I say that with all sincerity because I didn’t think it was possible for Michigan to beat what was the No. 11 team in the country with a pass-happy offense and play-caller with a record for scoring. But that’s what happened. Michigan ran 10 plays for 89 yards on the game-winning scoring drive, completing just one pass while trailing by four and needing a touchdown to win.
If Michigan feels comfortable running against seven- and eight-man boxes for the rest of the season and can still get the result it did, who am I to say this team must use this marvelous invention known as the forward pass? After Week 4, “man-ball” is just a euphemism for Michigan.
Colorado is another team that earned a massive win last weekend, defeating Baylor thanks to late-game heroics from Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Can you think of any previous example where two players have been so directly responsible for their team’s success?
RJ: Baker Mayfied and Dede Westbrook in 2016. Mayfield had 285 completions that season, 80 were to Westbrook. Mayfield passed for 3,965 yards, and 1,524 were to Westbrook. Mayfield threw 43 TDs, and 17 were to Westbrook. Oklahoma won the Sugar Bowl following that season.
They were so formidable that each was invited to the Heisman ceremony alongside Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson. Mayfield finished third in the voting, and Westbrook finished fourth — five spots ahead of Christian McCaffrey.
There is precedent for what Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are doing. But there is no precedent for what Hunter is doing all by himself.
Michael: The short answer is no. Given what Hunter is doing on both sides of the ball this season, it’s extremely difficult — and perhaps impossible — to find another duo that is influencing the outcome of games the way he and Sanders are this season. As a wide receiver, Hunter ranks fourth nationally in receptions (37), sixth nationally in receiving yards (472) and is tied for fifth nationally in receiving touchdowns (five) while logging 259 snaps. As a cornerback, he has allowed 11 receptions for 75 yards, zero touchdowns and an NFL passer rating of 59.2 in 265 snaps. He has also tallied one interception and one game-clinching forced fumble in an overtime victory against Baylor last weekend. Sanders, meanwhile, ranks fourth nationally in passing yards (1,340) and is tied for seventh nationally in passing touchdowns (12) while playing behind a shoddy offensive line that is surrendering 15 quarterback pressures per game, according to Pro Football Focus. What they’re doing for the Buffaloes is truly incredible.
One other historical duo worth mentioning, however, is the quarterback-running back tandem of Pat White and Steve Slaton at West Virginia, two players who became synonymous with everything the Mountaineers did on offense under head coach Rich Rodriguez. In 2006, White and Slaton were responsible for more than 79% of West Virginia’s offensive touchdowns during an 11-2 campaign that ended with a No. 10 ranking in the final AP Poll. In 2007, White and Slaton were responsible for more than 70% of the team’s offensive touchdowns during another 11-2 campaign that ended with a No. 6 ranking in the final AP Poll. But neither of them played defense.
Laken: Never. At least not directly in this same way. Last week’s win over Baylor was the perfect encapsulation of how critical this duo is, from Sanders’ Hail Mary to Hunter’s forced fumble in overtime. These two always give Colorado a chance to win, no matter what.
With Kansas State suffering a 29-point loss to BYU in Week 3 and Utah beating Oklahoma State on the road without Cam Rising, it seems like the Utes are the early-season Big 12 favorite, and then everything is wide open after that. Colorado gets Utah, Kansas State and Oklahoma State at home this season. With that, what is the ceiling for Deion Sanders’ team?
Michael: It feels like the ceiling is somewhere around a 7-5 overall record which, if achieved, would send Colorado to a bowl game for the first time since 2020 and only the second time since 2007. The Buffaloes have finished .500 or better just twice since former head coach Gary Barnett was forced to resign near the end of the 2005 campaign, so even finishing 6-6 would constitute a massive achievement for head coach Deion Sanders in his second year at the helm. And with his two best players almost certainly leaving for the NFL at the end of this season — Shedeur Sanders and Hunter will both be draft eligible in 2025 — there’s some added pressure on Sanders to reach a bowl game before they exit the program.
For as spectacular as Shedeur Sanders and Hunter have played thus far, and for as spectacular as they might be in the coming weeks and months, there are still some significant limitations on what Colorado can achieve. Despite revamping the offensive line, the Buffaloes are still tied with South Carolina and Cal for the most sacks allowed in college football (16), a pattern that threatens the health of their star quarterback. Despite adding former Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden in the transfer portal, the Buffaloes are still 130th in rushing offense at 68.8 yards per game, an inefficiency that thrusts even more of the offensive burden onto Shedeur Sanders’ shoulders. And a defense that was among the worst in college football last season still ranks outside the top 75 overall despite noticeable improvements to the front seven. Those are difficult problems to overcome in a conference as balanced as this year’s Big 12 seems to be. As of right now, three of Colorado’s remaining eight games are against ranked opponents.
Laken: Going to a bowl game seems realistic for Colorado this year, as Deion Sanders’ team is already halfway to eligibility with winnable games left on the schedule. Of course, the Buffaloes got off to a 3-0 start a year ago before losing eight of their final nine games. But this year’s team is an improved group.
However, there are still issues to work out. The offensive line is a liability, just like last season, and has already given up 16 sacks in four games. Shedeur Sanders always gives you a chance to win, but his OL needs to help him out.
Aside from Hunter, the defense has struggled. Ranked No. 79 in the country, it’s giving up 359.3 yards per game under new coordinator Robert Livingston. The unit will be tested this week when it goes up against undefeated UCF and the nation’s No. 1 running game.
Looking ahead, the matchups don’t get easier. On the bright side, the toughest remaining opponents – No. 23 Kansas State, No. 10 Utah and No. 20 Oklahoma State – are all at home. Will they win the Big 12? Probably not. But the postseason is possible.
RJ: I’m reluctant to put a number on this because I want to give that team the benefit of playing through the season and finding out just how far Shedeur Sanders and Hunter can take this program after a year of playing at the highest level of college football. With Colorado traveling to Orlando to take on an undefeated UCF team, the Buffaloes have an opportunity to earn their fourth win before October arrives, and perhaps a fifth game in a season. So, for now, let’s make their ceiling five games. And then we can build a new floor if they reach the fifth.
No. 4 Alabama hosts No. 2 Georgia in a top-five showdown this weekend in Tuscaloosa. What do you expect to see in this game and should the winner of this matchup be considered as an early-season lock for the new 12-team College Football Playoff?
Laken: One of the biggest matchups in this game will be Alabama’s offense vs. Georgia’s defense. The Crimson Tide have a healthy offensive line with left tackle Kadyn Proctor back in the lineup, and the Bulldogs could also return defensive starters, like Warren Brinson and Mykel Williams, who have been dealing with injuries. Jalen Milroe is one of the most explosive players in the country and is effective with his arm and with his legs. He has 14 touchdowns through three games this season (eight passing, six rushing), but Georgia faced him last year in the SEC championship game (and sacked him four times) and knows what to expect.
It’s still early in the season and both of these teams have challenging schedules ahead. As we know, things tend to get wild in college football, especially later in October and November. But at this point, it would be safe to assume the winner of this matchup will put itself in an ideal position to become a CFP lock.
RJ: I’d like to see the Georgia I was promised in the preseason. The team that couldn’t understand how it could’ve been left out of the College Football Playoff after losing in the SEC title game. The one that claims to spare no quarter and ask for none as it occupied the vacuum left vacant by Nick Saban at Alabama. The one with a dozen NFL Draft picks on either side of the ball at any time and the one with more five-stars than Michelin counts chefs. I want to see Georgia dominate what many believe is one of the five best teams in the country and an arch nemesis in the era of the CFP. Show me your teeth, Dawgs.
Michael: One of the most intriguing subplots during what should be a terrific football game between two of the nation’s best teams is whether an Alabama offense designed by head coach Kalen DeBoer and coordinated by Nick Sheridan can continue generating the type of field-tilting gains it has enjoyed with relative frequency during the early part of the season. The combination of a strong-armed quarterback in Jalen Milroe and a speedy receiving corps led by true freshman Ryan Williams and Washington transfer Germie Bernard means the Crimson Tide launch numerous deep passes each week. Alabama enters the showdown with Georgia tied for 10th nationally in scrimmage plays longer than 40 yards with seven and tied for 10th nationally in scrimmage plays longer than 50 yards with four. Williams, the former five-star prospect, is Milroe’s primary target and leads the country in yards per reception with an incredible average of 28.5 yards. He’s caught 10 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns overall.
How that style of football translates against a Georgia defense known for its depth of talent remains to be seen. The Bulldogs lead the nation in passing defense and have surrendered a meager 91.3 yards per game through their first three contests. That includes only one pass play longer than 20 yards, only one pass play longer than 30 yards and zero pass plays longer than 40 yards. The Bulldogs are also one of just four programs that has yet to allow a passing touchdown this season, along with Minnesota, UAB and BYU. Something has to give on Saturday.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.
Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
