Mississippi State's matchup against Alabama was billed as one of the best quarterback battles of the season. Instead, it proved to be a coming-out party for Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell, who emerged as one of the biggest winners of Week 5. The sophomore outdueled Kamario Taylor to deliver the Tide a fifth straight dominant victory.
Several other AP Top 25 teams were challenged, including big deficits by No. 20 Houston. Outside of No. 8 Florida, all of them eventually managed to pull through. There are plenty more matchups to keep an eye on as we head into primetime.
Four ranked teams play road games, including No. 4 Miami traveling to Clemson. A few other teams in the late-night slate can make statements, including Baylor-Arizona State and Cincinnati-Arizona. Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 5 before the evening slate.
Beware, college football: the Alabama death machine is back. The Crimson Tide went on the road against a nationally-ranked Mississippi State and delivered kill shot after kill shot to Kamario Taylor and the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs turned the ball over four times, including two from Taylor on the first two drives, to set up a blowout victory.
But the story of the day was under center, where Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell was sensational. The sophomore threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. With Russell under center, Alabama's offense is starting to look like the unstoppable Michael Penix Jr. unit DeBoer fielded at Washington.
There's a lot of football left, but the Tide look like a serious national championship contender. The Gators got plenty of love after crushing Ole Miss, including a rise into the AP top 10 for the first time since 2021. That trip won't last long after the Gators completely collapsed against No. 25 Missouri in a stunning 45-17 decision.
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