College Football Teams on Upset Alert in Week 5

Upsets are an inevitable part of college football. It is what makes the game all the more intriguing. Already in 2013, we've seen Towson beat Connecticut, North Dakota State upset Kansas State, and Eastern Washington shock Oregon State. Although unpredictable, there are a few hints and clues to what the college football realm might surprise us with this week.

#5 Stanford at Washington State

Stanford is coming off an impressive 42-28 win over previously ranked Arizona State. The Cardinals dominated the first half and Arizona State could never catch up despite a great effort. Stanford will travel to Seattle, Washington, to take on Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars in what would seem like an easy victory. Washington State is off to a hot 3-1 start, which is even more impressive taking into consideration that the Cougars won only 12 games between 2008 and 2012.

Washington State has struggled this year in turnovers and offensive efficiency, but the Cougars have already upset USC. Stanford may be one of the best all around teams in the country when you look what they are able to do on both sides of the ball. But Washington State head coach Mike Leach has been in this position before. The greatest example being a Texas Tech victory over Texas in 2008 when he was still with the Red Raiders.

One of Stanford’s best defensive players, safety Ed Reynolds, will be suspended for the first half of this game after being ejected for targeting Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly. Inexperience in the secondary could hurt Stanford. If the Cougars want to win they cannot turn the ball over. Quarterback Connor Halliday has thrown eight interceptions so far this season. Stanford will be on upset alert and does not need to underestimate Washington State.

#23 Wisconsin at #4 Ohio State

If not for a controversial call in Wisconsin’s game over Arizona State, the Badgers may be undefeated. That result might be debatable, but one thing fans can be sure of is Wisconsin has a chance to beat Ohio State.  Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller is expected to make his return from a knee injury in this game, which means Ohio State may get off to a shaky start. Wisconsin’s defense, however, will need to shut down the Buckeye’s offense no matter who is playing quarterback.

Wisconsin has two weaknesses in this game: 1. The Badgers are playing in a hostile environment. 2. Head coach Gary Anderson is still in his first season and might not have the experience on a national stage.

Time of possession will be crucial in deciding on who wins this game because both teams have such great offenses. In statistical comparisons, these two teams are almost identical. Badger quarterback Joel Stave will need to have the game of his life with help from running back Melvin Gordon to dominate the time of possession. Ohio State is the clear favorite, but its fans' hopes of making it to the national title could be crushed if the Badgers bring their “A” game.

Arizona at #16 Washington

Washington has slowly started climbing their way into the top 25 rankings while Arizona is undefeated but unranked. The Huskies opened their season with a dominating 38-6 victory over Boise State. Quarterback Keith Price is one of the most underrated players in the nation and has a great running back in Bishop Sankey behind him.

Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez is trying to prove he is an elite coach by turning the Wildcats around and so far he has been successful. Washington will be Arizona’s first real test and pulling the upset would ultimately win them a spot in the top 25. Illinois racked up 24 points on the Huskies defense so this could be a shootout between two great offenses.

Arizona running backs Ka’Deem Carey and Daniel Jenkins carry the load in Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense. The Wildcats' defense will have to put pressure on Keith Price and force turnovers to win this game. But that might prove difficult because Washington has the third best offense in the country. If Arizona can match that offense, they have a good chance to win.

#20 Florida at Kentucky

This may turn out to be one of the more remarkable games of the week. Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel broke his leg against Tennessee and will miss the rest of the season. Tyler Murphy will start in his place. It'll be interesting to see if he can improve an offense that's struggled tremendously with turnovers all season long. If not for the Gator’s defense, Florida might have lost to Toledo or Tennessee.

Kentucky has had their own share of problems with a 1-2 record that includes a loss to Western Kentucky. However, the Wildcats gave Teddy Bridgewater and a top 10 Louisville team all it handle. Bridgewater has produced some of the best stats in the country and is a Heisman contender, so it's fair to say the Wildcats may give Tyler Murphy some trouble.

In 2007, Kentucky upset eventual national-champion LSU in overtime in Lexington. An upset over Florida would give head coach Mark Stoops superstar status. It would give Florida head coach Will Muschamp a chance to buy a plane ticket to Austin and replace Texas head coach Mack Brown. If Kentucky can bring the same intensity they brought in the first half against Louisville and bring it the entire game against Florida, they can win this game. Even if Florida does prevent the upset, are the Gators still contenders for the SEC East?

#21 Ole Miss at #1 Alabama

Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze is on top of the world right now. He brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the history of Ole Miss and his team is 3-0. Can the Rebels upset Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium? Is that even possible? Johnny Manziel thought so last year when he led Texas A&M to a shocking upset over the Crimson Tide.

Alabama has struggled on both sides of the ball from issues on the offensive line to injuries to not playing with the same intensity one expects from Alabama. If there is any team on Alabama’s schedule that Nick Saban should be afraid of, it is Ole Miss. Bo Wallace has established himself as a great leader and quarterback for Ole Miss. Wallace is the second leading rusher behind running back Jeff Scott. The Rebels are one of the more experienced teams in the conference.

History says the Rebels cannot beat Alabama. Ole Miss has only won nine times in this series, the last win coming in 2003. History also says the Rebels can upset the number one team in the country. Top-ranked Florida lost to Ole Miss in the Swamp in 2008 and still went on to win the national championship.

The Rebels also had an extra week to prepare for this game. If Alabama doesn't give Ole Miss the respect it deserves, fans could watch the giant fall in Tuscaloosa for the second straight season.