College Football’s Week Five:
DG’s “Pick Six” Includes Georgia-Alabama,
Louisville-Notre Dame, Friday Night Hurricanes?
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
Each week during college football season, we offer a “Pick Six” package of intriguing matchups — three “local” games that include one or more North Carolina-based team and three “national” contests that involve the Atlantic Coast Conference and/or the most prominent intersectional games.
Week Five: Top “National” Games
Game One
#2 Georgia (3-0) at #4 Alabama (3-0), Sat., 7:30 pm (ABC/ESPN+)
Latest Betting Line: Bulldogs a two-point favorite
It may surprise a lot of people beyond “SEC Country” to learn that Alabama has won eight of the last nine games in this rivalry, including the 2021 and 2023 Southeastern Conference championship games, with the only Georgia victory in the past 16 years being the Bulldogs’ win over the Crimson Tide in the national championship game at the end of the 2021 season.
Of course, coach Nick Saban was in charge of that very long period of Alabama dominance over the Bulldogs, and he retired after last season, so now it’s up to new Tide coach Kalen DeBoer — formerly a very successful head coach at Fresno State and Washington — to keep the Tide rolling in this prominent rivalry.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, a long-time Alabama assistant (2007-15) under Saban, has won two of the last three national championships, and his Bulldogs have averaged a stunning 12 wins per year over the last seven seasons, during which the Dawgs have finished in the national top eight every year.
Over the last three-plus seasons, Georgia’s record is — wait for it — 45 wins and two losses. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Bulldogs are in the midst of one of the greatest dynasties in the history of college football.
The Dawgs are only a two-point favorite in this one, in part because the game is in Tuscaloosa and in part because UGa — which destroyed Clemson, 34-3, in its season opener — really struggled offensively and barely survived Kentucky in a 13-12 road game last week. Meanwhile, Alabama has completely destroyed all three of its 2024 opponents, including Wisconsin 42-10 on the road last week.
A lot the focus in this one will be on the quarterbacks, top NFL prospect Carson Beck of the Bulldogs and Jalen Milroe of the Tide. Also keep an eye out for Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, who’s been one of the best freshmen in the country so far this season, although this time he’s going up against a Georgia defense that has given up only six points per game so far this season.
Game Two
#15 Louisville (3-0) at #16 Notre Dame (3-1), Sat., 3:30 pm (Peacock)
Latest Betting Line: Fighting Irish a six-point favorite
With their 31-19 home win over Georgia Tech last week, the Cardinals — who played Florida State in last year’s ACC title game, remember — finally showed that they deserve their national ranking and should be considered among the three or four best candidates to end up in this year’s ACC championship game, perhaps behind only Miami and Clemson in the revised conference pecking order.
Seventh-year senior Tyler Shough (“Shuck”) is playing very well as Louisville’s new starting quarterback. He’s completed almost 70 percent of his passes in coach Jeff Brohm’s offense, with eight touchdown passes and zero interceptions. That’s about as efficient as it gets. Wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks, an Alabama transfer and former prep All-American, appears to be having his college break-out campaign; he’s leading the ACC with almost 100 receiving yards per game.
The Louisville defense, led by fifth-year senior end Tramel Logan (a South Florida transfer) and fifth-year senior cornerback Quincy Riley (a Middle Tennessee State transfer who arrived in 2022), also has been very impressive so far this season. The Cardinals are yielding only 11 points and 269 yards per game. Both of those numbers rank among the ACC’s leaders.
Notre Dame, of course, is led by former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard. The Irish beat former Duke coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M in College Station in their season opener, but then they were shocked at home by Northern Illinois. Since then, Notre Dame has absolutely pummeled both Purdue and Miami-Ohio, and the Irish defense looks especially good this season.
Louisville proved against Georgia Tech that it was ready for a step up in competition, after dining on cupcakes in its first two games. Now this trip to the hallowed grounds of Notre Dame Stadium offers the Cardinals one more very challenging step up that competitive ladder.
Game Three
Virginia Tech (2-2) at #7 Miami (4-0), Fri., 7:30 pm (ESPN)
Latest Betting Line: Hurricanes a 19-point favorite
This game is worth highlighting, in part, because this week’s Friday night television window offers only two games — Hokies at Hurricanes in the ACC, and 3-1 Washington at 3-0 Rutgers in the Big Ten (on FOX) — so this will be a lot of folks’ first or maybe second chance to see this highly ranked Miami squad in an up-close-and-personal sort of way this season.
Quick aside: For what it’s worth, both of Virginia Tech’s losses this season were very close games. Coach Brent Pry‘s Hokies fell at Vanderbilt in overtime and more recently 26-23, at home, against undefeated Rutgers.
Here’s the bottom line with the Hurricanes, at least in late September. They have the best offensive numbers in the ACC (52.3 points per game) and the best defensive numbers in the ACC (10.3 points per game).
The Canes also have several of the most impressive transfers in the conference, including the Preseason ACC Player of the Year in Cam Ward, the Washington State transfer and fifth-year senior quarterback who has absolutely lived up to the hype so far. Ward has a 72 percent completion rate and is averaging 360 passing yards per game, with 14 touchdowns against only two interceptions.
In addition, the Miami coaches have at least four different running backs they really like, including dependable Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez (an All-Pac-12 player) and thrilling true freshman Jordan Lyle, who was a big part of coach Mario Cristobal’s most recent recruiting class. They also have at least five very talented wide receivers, led by fifth-year senior Xavier Restrepo, and some quality tight ends, including redshirt junior Elijah Arroyo, who’s always been talented but often limited by injuries. The UM offensive line is one of the best in the ACC, too.
On defense, Tennessee transfer Tyler Baron appears to be one of the premiere d-linemen in the ACC, linebacker “Kiko” Mauigoa looks like an all-conference player for the second year in a row, Washington transfer “Meesh” Powell has quickly become one of the better safeties in the league, and cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. (a local product who began his college career at West Virginia) has emerged as yet another NFL prospect.
One last thing about Miami, because a lot of people offered double-takes in the preseason, when we regularly mentioned the Hurricanes as a serious contender for the conference title. Over its two decades as an ACC member, UM has fallen short of big preseason expectations so frequently that it’s become a running joke of sorts.
This is Year Three for Cristobal as the head coach at his alma mater, though, and that’s often the time that a new staff’s recruiting can more fully dominate the team’s depth chart. That’s exactly what’s happening right now, with both high-profile incoming transfers and Cristobal’s high school recruits from back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes.
Also, Miami is one of the only teams in the ACC that returned eight of its 10 full-time assistant coaches from last year, including both coordinators, Shannon Dawson on offense and Lance Guidry on defense. That sort of staff continuity can help a lot, and it may be a significant part of Miami’s success story so far this season.
NOTE: For the complete Week Five schedule (including television/streaming options) for all ACC and state of North Carolina teams, please click HERE.
