Hogs Haven
There were a few matchups I had my eye for potential upsets in Week 5, but I was completely blindsided by some results. Penn State, fresh off of an overtime loss to Oregon, went to UCLA and suffered a second loss in a row. The Bruins had not even won a game this season, but found a way to take down the Nittany Lions, a team ranked #2 less than a month ago. Where will Penn State go from here? Texas went up against a Florida team that had struggled against ranked teams. The Gators were able pull out the win against the Longhorns and send them falling further down the rankings. The Alabama vs. Vanderbilt game that I thought might go Vandy’s way was close early, but Alabama executed well in the second half and came out on top.
Alabama will have another test on its hands as it takes on unbeaten Missouri. Ohio State will look to remain #1 by beating #17 Illinois. Years ago, a matchup between Oregon and Indiana might not have garnered much interest, but with both teams ranked in the top 10, it should be a competitive game. Last but not least, a Red River Rivalry game between Texas and Oklahoma would have been more interesting if Texas was still ranked, but nonetheless, it is always worth a watch.
Below are a few players who had a good week and might be able to help out the Commanders. Let me know what you think about these prospects and feel free to post players that stood out to you.
Let’s get the bad out of the way: Avery Johnson has to improve his decision making. Late in the game, he threw an interception that allowed Baylor to get back into the game and ultimately beat Kansas State. If that can be improved, his skillset makes him a candidate to play in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. The dual-threat QB is 6’3”, but only 193 lbs. As a runner, he accelerates quickly and has good speed in the open field. He has a quick release as a passer, and is fairly accurate with a repeatable throwing motion. Johnson went 29 of 45 for 344 yards, two TDs, and the aforementioned pick. He also added 72 yards and a TD on the ground on 10 rush attempts.
Jam Miller missed the beginning of the season as he recovered from surgery for a dislocated collarbone. The Crimson Tide took down Vanderbilt because he was a difference maker for the team At 5’10’, 211 lbs, Miller is a compact runner that displays good vision and burst through the hole. While I wouldn’t say he is elusive, he can make defenders miss with subtle fakes once he gets in space. His speed at his size is impressive, but I would like to see him run with more power given his size....
