College football is unpredictable and delightful, and that’s why we live for what happens on Saturday. And the fifth Saturday of the 2024 season did not disappoint, from Kentucky’s stunning upset of No. 6 Ole Miss to a chaotic game in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Every Sunday I publish my key takeaways from the college football weekend. I highlight the most interesting storylines, follow the College Football Playoff contenders, and specifically call out individual and team achievements that deserve the spotlight.

These are my top tips from week 5:

1. Jalen Milroe had his Heisman moment.

I’m sure every voter had his or her eyes on the events in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Saturday night. (plus the last minutes). Milroe was sensational, repeatedly picking apart Kirby Smart’s defense. Alabama scored touchdowns on each of its first four possessions, Nick Saban punched the ball and by halftime Milroe accounted for 305 yards of offense and three touchdowns. Colorado’s two-time star Travis Hunter was also great through the first month of the season – and I loved him striking the Heisman pose after his interception against UCF on Saturday – but Milroe is the one who should be considered the frontrunner for the most the sport’s prestigious individual award as the calendar turns from September to October.

2. Georgia is still one of the best teams in the SEC – and the country.

I have to admit, I wrote off the Bulldogs a bit after they went down 28-0 on the road. I don’t think I was alone. But what Georgia did defensively in the second half against Alabama was remarkable and a credit to both the players and coach Kirby Smart, who you know came into action at halftime. That gave Carson Beck and his offensive weapons (which admittedly aren’t nearly as powerful as in recent years) time to get back into this game. I know Georgia fell short, but I can’t help but be impressed with the team I saw in the second half. That’s a Bulldog team that can compete with anyone in the country, no matter where the game is played. I might even feel better about Georgia vs. Texas (or any other elite team with a non-dual-threat quarterback) than I do about the Dawgs’ matchup with a team like Alabama. Either way, I’m not writing this team off after the comeback we saw in enemy territory on Saturday night.

3. Ole Miss may be a pretender. But Kentucky can also be legitimately good.

It’s still early in the season and one loss doesn’t disqualify anyone — let alone an SEC team expected to be in the mix for a spot in the CFP at large — but what we saw from the Rebels on Saturday was at its at least a little worrying. All those points and explosive plays we had seen for weeks against overmatched competition were nowhere to be found against Kentucky’s tough defense. The Wildcats played strong against then-No. 1 Georgia two weeks ago as well, but ultimately fell short (and left us all still sad about that decision to punt!). It was a similar situation, but a different outcome against No. 6 Ole Miss on Saturday, when Mark Stoops made a brave fourth-down call from deep in Kentucky’s own territory, leading to the eventual game-winning touchdown, thanks to a bit of clumsy luck .

Ultimately, this is the kind of game Kentucky often loses, which makes it remarkable that the ‘Cats won it. It’s also the kind of game that a serious CFP candidate shouldn’t drop, and that’s what worries me about the Rebels. They have to be tougher than that.

4. Miami is flawed, but somehow still undefeated.

The ‘Canes are still probably the team to beat in the ACC, but they aren’t an overwhelming favorite after a shaky win over Virginia Tech on Friday night. They were THIS CLOSE to losing a final game that took about 10 minutes of real time to sift through. For the record, I think the call for an incomplete pass was correct, but the process that got to that point was a mess. I wish we could give officiating crews the ability to say, ‘Hey, we couldn’t see this play and won’t make a ruling on the field. We’ll just send it to replay!’ But alas.

This weekend reminded me of the Cam Ward Experience from his Wazzu era. There were some great highs, but also some brutal lows. And it was the same against Virginia Tech, Heisman-caliber moments mixed with bad turnovers. We’ll see how Miami responds to this close call – especially on the defensive side of the ball, which has struggled mightily against a Hokie offense that hasn’t been all that potent thus far.

5. Jeremiah Smith is already one of the best receivers in college football, if not the best.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day was effusive in his praise for his true freshman receiver in the spring when I visited Columbus. I was surprised because it’s rare for a head coach to actually buy into the hype surrounding a potential star before he’s even played once. But he knew what he had in Smith, and he knew how we would all react if we saw him in action. Smith is just an incredible talent with incredible hand-eye coordination and body control. The one-handed grab he had against Michigan State was just the latest highlight in a long streak that has been building since Week 1. He’s already in uncharted territory as a Buckeye; the record for true freshmen in the state of Ohio is eight touchdowns. Through four games, Smith has five touchdown catches.

6. Army and Navy are 4-0 for the first time since 1945.

Yes, you read that correctly. These two service academies haven’t both been this good to start a season since the year World War II ended. Not only is it fun for those of us who love the sport to see the Army and Navy play well – even though there are still over two months to go before they face off in their traditional rivalry game – but it is quite fascinating because it can actually have an impact on the CFP! Both teams are eligible for the championship berth in Group 5 in the new 12-team bracket, even though the Army-Navy game will take place a week after the American Athletic Conference championship game. And both teams currently lead the AAC standings. It’s a cool, if unlikely, scenario to argue for.

7. The death of the Big Ten East has been a boon for Indiana and Rutgers.

No one was happier to see the new divisionless Big Ten schedules than Rutgers and Indiana. Finally, after a decade spent in the East Division with annual games against some of college football’s biggest powers, these two schools no longer have schedules that require you to record three or four losses right away. Indiana is 5-0 for the third time in program history in Curt Cignetti’s first season as head coach, backing up all his big talk. Rutgers is 4-0 for the first time in more than a decade, with a remaining schedule that does not include Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State or Oregon. Most years we’d be talking about whether Rutgers and Indiana can reach the six-win threshold for bowl eligibility. Now we might discuss how good a bowl game they can make. And that’s pretty cool.

8. UNLV seems fine without Matthew Sluka.

Sluka’s NIL sorority dominated the news cycle this week, but had no impact whatsoever on the Rebels when they actually took the field against Fresno State on Saturday. UNLV crushed Fresno State 59-14 in the Mountain West opener, a margin of victory that spoke volumes about how the Rebel squad felt about the now former starting quarterback who left the team three games into the season due to money he thought he was owed was. Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 182 yards and ran for another 119 yards for four touchdowns in his first start. I think UNLV will do just fine without Sluka for the rest of the trip.

9. Time is running out for Baylor’s Dave Aranda. And Sam Pittman. And maybe ultimately Hugh Freeze?

Hot Seat Watch 2024 is in full swing as Baylor suffered its third loss in four games and Arkansas snatched defeat from the jaws of victory for the second time this season. These are tough losses these teams are suffering! The Bears lost to a red-hot BYU team after completely collapsing against Colorado last weekend. Aranda had a fantastic season, going 12-2 in Year 2, but things have gone downhill since then. It’s hard to justify him staying here after the September Baylor has had so far.

It may also be the end of the line for Pittman at Arkansas, following a loss to a beatable Texas A&M team against his backup quarterback. He started the season in one of the hottest seats of anyone, and the Razorbacks then proceeded to blow the game against a mediocre Oklahoma State team despite nearly doubling the Pokes in total yardage. The easy (or hard) part of the Arkansas situation is that Pittman hired his likely successor – Bobby Petrino – this offseason. That could mean a quick change, or it could give Arkansas players room to make a decision later this season. We’ll see what happens in Fayetteville, just as we’re keeping an eye on the goings-on in Auburn, Ala. This Freeze hire isn’t working, as evidenced by the embarrassing losses to Cal, Arkansas and Oklahoma this season alone. (We can’t ever forget New Mexico State, either.) This is a so-called offensive guru overseeing quarterbacks who can’t stop turning the ball over and costing the Tigers the win. And that puts you on the hot seat.

10. The GVB has not lowered the stakes for games such as Alabama-Georgia.

There’s been a weird story this season from national pundits claiming that top-five showdowns like the one in Tuscaloosa are somehow meaningless in the era of the 12-team playoffs. They think it’s a bad thing that the loser of this Georgia-Alabama game can still easily make the College Football Playoff — which is why they think the expanded Playoff devalues ​​the regular season. I can’t imagine anyone watching Alabama-Georgia on Saturday feeling like it was pointless. Or that knowing the loser of the game was still alive and well in the CFP race took away from an incredibly entertaining game that will likely have a huge impact in the SEC race.

Try telling Kalen DeBoer that that game didn’t matter. I’m sure he would tell you that it certainly was.