Alabama might be back. We saw Saturday how good Keelon Russell has already become in his first season as the starter. This defense feels very much like the vintage Nick Saban units that terrorized college football for decades. Kalen DeBoer has needed time to get to this point, but he finally looks like the coach the Tide expected to succeed one of the best of all time. It feels like heresy, but it just might be fair to say the Bama is underrated based on how DeBoer’s first two seasons went — or at least worthy of a place in the national title conversation ahead of a showdown against Georgia this Saturday.
That’s not the only overreaction from Week 5; here’s what else has us overhyped as we reach the midway point of the season. Conference play is starting to ramp up, and we can finally start validating what we’ve seen from some of the top teams.Â
Alabama is underrated
The Crimson Tide are undefeated, a top-10 team and very much in the driver seat in the SEC title race. That said, it might be a bit of an overreaction to say they’re the best team in the conference just yet; after all, they’ve only played middle class teams like Mississippi State and Kentucky. While both are much better this year than they have been, they’re still not quite in the SEC's top tier. Bama’s first real test will be against Georgia in Week 5. If they pull out the win there, we can kick the hype into overdrive.
USC isn’t a College Football Playoff contender
Lincoln Riley is under immense pressure to turn USC into a College Football Playoff contender this season. Yet with each game the Trojans play, they look further and further away. The Washington game was yet another example of how frustrating the Riley era has been. And if he can’t figure it out this year, it may just never happen. The Trojans are still ranked, and closer to the CFP bubble than not. But they aren’t helping their case right now, and if things don’t change, it will be another disappointing season for Riley and the Trojans.Â
Pittsburgh is overrated despite AP top 25 debut
Remember when Florida State was dinged for Jordan Travis being hurt? How does Pittsburgh get the benefit of the doubt now, with Mason Heintschel’s season over after he tore his ACL against Virginia Tech? The Panthers held on for a miraculous win in Blacksburg and snuck into the AP top 25 poll at 5-0, essentially booting out Kentucky, which was No. 24 before an overtime win at South Carolina. Pitt are overhyped right now; the reality is, they haven’t really played anybody, and aside from a game against Miami later this year, don’t really have the schedule to justify moving ahead of a previously ranked team that won on the road.
BYU is nothing more than a threat in the Big 12
BYU felt it should have gotten into the CFP last year, but well, this year it’s clear they’re not quite the contender they thought they were. A one-possession win over TCU isn’t exactly resume-building. They’re struggling to pass the eye test, and in a conference that is kind of up for grabs at the moment, this was their chance to prove they're a legitimate Playoff-caliber team. Maybe they’re a contender in the watered-down Big 12, but that’s it. The Cougars will have quite a few chances to prove they’re for real — particularly when Notre Dame comes to town — but right now, they’re nothing more than one of the better teams in the Big 12.Â
Michigan’s CFP hopes are done
The Michigan Wolverines’ season is on the verge of collapse. They’ve lost two straight after collapsing at Minnesota, have an underperforming quarterback and at this point probably won’t find a way into the College Football Playoff. Michigan scored 14 points on Saturday, seven of which came via a pick-six, and looked like a team that won’t even be contending for a Big Ten title. They’re winless in their first two conference games, and now Kyle Whittingham is fighting to keep his job. Not literally, but if Michigan falls to 3-3 the season, it will be time for some harsh questions.
Baylor is the Big 12’s strongest team
Baylor hasn’t been getting much attention, but the Bears are quickly solidifying themselves as the strongest team in the Big 12. They lost to Auburn by just one point, but have won the last four games. Texas Tech isn’t as threatening as it was a year ago and BYU hasn’t quite looked like a dangerous team. Baylor has had an easy schedule to this point, but the way it dominated Arizona State, it’s time to start taking the Bears seriously. Their toughest games are in the last three weeks against Texas Tech, BYU and Houston. It could be the stretch that proves they are the new top dogs in the Big 12.
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