Ohio State didn’t accumulate any additional data for its stocks this week, but the college football and larger sports world kept turning.
During the Buckeyes’ Week 5 bye, Kentucky showed why it might be one of the best teams in the SEC this year, Utah fell from the ranks of the unbeaten as another contender emerged in the PAC-12 and a star running back had a big day at Texas.
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Kentucky
Kentucky dismantled No. 22 Florida this week, with running back Ray Davis erupting for 280 yards, the third-most in a single game in school history. He added three touchdowns rushing and one touchdown receiving to that yardage total, outscoring the Gators’ offense all by himself in a 33-16 win for the Wildcats.
Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri now stand as the only three unbeaten teams remaining in the SEC. They landed at Nos. 1, 20 and 21 in this week's AP Poll, respectively.
Oregon State
The Pac-12 standings got a bit of a shakeup this week when No. 19 Oregon State upset No. 10 Utah by a 21-7 scoreline. Vaulting up to 15th in the rankings since that win, the Beavers held the Utes to a measly 198 yards of total offense, inching out to a 21-0 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard 4th-and-1 touchdown run and hanging on from there.
Jonathon Brooks
Texas continues to show all the signs of a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, and it isn’t only due to former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers or the Longhorns’ defense. Running back Jonathon Brooks has hit his stride replacing a top-10 2023 NFL Draft pick in Bijan Robinson. He gobbled up 218 yards in just 21 carries, his third consecutive 100-yard game, and scored twice during No. 3 Texas’ 40-14 dismantling of No. 24 Kansas.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Health
The off week couldn’t have come at a better time for Ohio State’s star wide receiver. Byes are always important for player recovery, and after Harrison rolled his ankle and then played through his pain against Notre Dame, an extra seven days to rest are just what the doctor ordered.
Stock Down
Georgia
Georgia limped to a victory over Auburn, 27-20, in a game that was tied entering the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and turned the ball over twice. That slog comes two weeks after a 24-14 scrape with another unranked team in South Carolina. It’d be a mistake to count the three-peat seekers out, but UGA has some work to do.
Fast starts for Penn State
Penn State hobbled out of the gates against a patchwork Northwestern squad Saturday, entering halftime tied 10-10 before an eventual 41-13 victory. The Nittany Lions have generally been a second-half team in 2023, averaging 23.6 points in the final 30 minutes of games as opposed to 17 prior to intermission.
Professional football in Ohio
The combined efforts of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals produced zero touchdowns this week. The Browns (2-2) were handed a 28-3 loss by Baltimore and the Bengals (1-3) were doused 27-3 by Tennessee. Joe Burrow looked about a mile short of 100 percent, still recovering from a calf strain.
Major League Baseball in Ohio
Neither the Cincinnati Reds nor the Cleveland Guardians will be part of the MLB’s 10-team playoff field when the postseason starts Tuesday. The Reds were eliminated in the final days of the season, but the year as a whole was a step in the right direction for Cincinnati with a winning record and a boatload of exciting rookies called up to the big leagues.
