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Notre Dame on alert?

Posted on by Vanessa
Notre Dame on alert?

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We have been trained to expect unpredictable results every Saturday in college football. What we still cannot understand is when these excitements and surprises will happen.

Last week saw shocking results that eliminated undefeated teams and several games with astonishing results. This week the schedule should allow for more of the same. Could one occur when No. 1 Georgia visits No. 4 Alabama? What about the three other ranked games pitting the top 25 teams or as the teams continue their initial forays into conference play?

That's why the USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here. Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken give their bold predictions for Week 5 of the college football season:

USC gets defensive again

The Trojans really had no business losing to Michigan, considering the Wolverines didn't even try to develop a passing game and used big runs to win their way. But USC's next opponent, Wisconsin, is no longer the old-fashioned power running football of the past, averaging just over four yards per carry this season. The Badgers' passing game is even worse, and to pull off an upset they'll have to play a complete game and hope for some sloppy play from their opponents. However, USC will take advantage of its superior offensive skills and should have no trouble getting its first-ever Big Ten win. – Scooby Axson

GAMES TO WATCH: Analyzing the seven biggest matchups in Week 5

EXPERT SELECTION: Week 5 personnel predictions for every Top 25 matchup

Duke and Indiana…undefeated in football?

It's been decades since Duke and Indiana started a football season 5-0. The last time Duke did this was in 1994. Indiana's best start dates back to 1967. Granted, the schedule wasn't tough, but the Blue Devils and Hoosiers are real. Curt Cignetti provides Indiana's offense while the Duke defense is strong. They will have their first tests this weekend when Duke plays rival North Carolina and Indiana hosts Maryland. Both well-known basketball schools are trying hard to maintain their perfect records this week. They're not College Football Playoff contenders (yet), but something special is happening in Durham and Bloomington. – Jordan Mendoza

Kansas State bounces back against Oklahoma State

After a shocking 38-9 loss last weekend at Brigham Young, Kansas State gets back on track with a home win against Oklahoma State. A week after the Cowboys were overwhelmed by Utah's run, the Wildcats are running a similar game plan behind quarterback Avery Johnson and reasserting themselves as one of the Big 12's best teams and a playoff contender. Two straight losses would essentially ruin Oklahoma State's chances of reaching the conference title game and playing for a playoff spot. – Paul Myerberg

Arkansas beats Texas A&M and finally gets out of the slump

Things have been difficult for the Razorbacks in close games. Arkansas has a 3-10 record in one-score contests over the past three seasons, with its most recent loss coming in overtime at Oklahoma State in Week 2. Expect another close matchup for Sam Pittman's team on their annual trip to Arlington, Texas to face the Aggies. This time the outcome will be different as Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green gets the most out of each Texas A&M opponent – either Connor Weigman, returning from injury, or Marcel Reed, who led the team in the last two games led to victories. The win for Arkansas will make Pittman's hot seat much colder and move Arkansas closer to a bowl game. – Erick Smith

RJ Harvey erupts as Central Florida beats Colorado

When Colorado visits Central Florida, there will be plenty of star power on the field. The Buffaloes will of course have two-way standout Travis Hunter as well as quarterback Shedeur Sanders. But the player of the game will come from the other side.

UCF fans already know what running back RJ Harvey is, and the rest of the Big 12 is starting to learn. TCU learned about him the hard way a few weeks ago when he scored three touchdowns and had a two-point reception as the Knights rallied from a 28-7 deficit to win 35-34 in Fort Worth. This season, Harvey is averaging 7.6 yards per rushing attempt while shredding Colorado's ground defense by just over four yards per drive. Look for Harvey to hit the century mark again as UCF moves to 4-0. –Eddie Timanus

Jeff Brohm leads Louisville past Notre Dame

It feels like we talked about Jeff Brohm going to Louisville for years before it happened. And then it happened and Brohm does exactly what everyone expected him to do: he wins with extremely high odds.

Oddly enough, though, Louisville seems to be slipping under the radar more than ever, and it's hard to figure out why. Since arriving in Louisville, Brohm is 13-4 and has performed very well against ACC competition. The only losses he lost last year were at Pittsburgh and in the conference title game against Florida State.

Despite being a touchdown underdog in South Bend, Louisville finds a way to beat Notre Dame, just like it did last year. And the reason for that is because Brohm is simply a far better coach than what we've seen from Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. The Cardinals are seriously underrated and will show it this weekend with quarterback Tyler Shough (8 TDs, 0 INTs) putting them near the top 10. — Dan Clouds

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