College Football Teams on Upset Alert in Week 5

Texas A&M has been an unstoppable force behind new quarterback Kenny Hill, who leads the SEC in passing yards and has thrown for 13 TDs to just one interception. That's helped the team average more than 55 points per game. Arkansas will have to get creative with its game plan to figure out a way to put pressure on Hill and that offense.

So why put them on upset alert? Because they have not been tested yet. South Carolina was suppose to do that, but Arkansas will be the first team that actually has enough offensive firepower to keep up with the Aggies. Bret Bielema's aggressive run-first offense has the Razorbacks atop the SEC in total rushing yards. What's even more impressive? Arkansas is third in the country in points per game right behind Texas A&M so scoring will not be an issue.

This one is setting up to be a pivotal conference matchup on Saturday. Arkansas has improved each week and can keep up with any team in the country, but no one has slowed down Kevin Sumlin's team. How will the Aggies react to being challenged for the first time?

South Carolina's up and down season includes an ugly loss to Texas A&M but a rebound for two impressive wins over Georgia and East Carolina. After struggling to beat Vanderbilt last week, one has to wonder if this team can compete in the East. The source of the problem appears to be on defense. The Gamecocks rank dead last in the SEC in total defense, which likely translates to trouble against a quarterback like Maty Mauk.

For Missouri, it's hard to believe that a team upset by Indiana a week ago will go into Columbia and come out on top. South Carolina has struggled against good passers like Kenny Hill and Shane Carden of East Carolina so having the SEC leader in passing touchdowns will be a key factor for the Tigers.

Some questions about the SEC East will get answered on Saturday. If the Gamecocks can't improve defensively, they could suffer another big conference loss at home.

Stanford put itself in a tough position in the conference by losing to USC earlier in the season. While there is plenty of football left to be played,there is little room for error. Statistically, Stanford still has the best defense in the country. The problem is that they have the second worst offense, production wise, in the conference. Kevin Hogan is the right fit at quarterback, but this team is more effective when they have a balanced attack. Barry Sanders Jr. and Kelsey Young need to amp up the ground game.

Washington has started the season 4-0 under Peterson, but the Huskies barely escaped upsets from Hawaii and Eastern Washington earlier in the season. Although it's not a normal characteristic of a Peterson-coached team, Washington is dead last in total offense in the PAC 12 behind Stanford. So how can they pull the upset? Their defense. The Huskies have the top two sack leaders in the country in Danny Shelton and Hau'oli Kikaha. Hogan will be pressured all night and if the ground game does not get going, then Washington will have an edge.

This should be a low scoring affair between two solid defenses. Stanford is the better overall team, but Chris Peterson may be the best in country at pulling upsets. Regardless of who wins, this one has the makings for a classic.

The Buckeyes were upset earlier in the season by Virginia Tech. So will they get upset for the second time in four games? There is a very strong chance. Ohio State has to find a way to minimize the output by Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel because they cannot put the game in hands of freshman J.T. Barrett. Urban Meyer is still one of the best coaches in college football, so we can only assume that he ironed out their problems during a bye week.

For Cincinnati, there's no question it has the offense to beat the Buckeyes. Kiel has 10 touchdown passes through two games and he's key to the team's success. If he has a big day through the air, it is hard to imagine the Buckeyes keeping up in their current state. Even with a solid offense, Cincinnati will still need a big defensive performance to win in a hostile environement. Last week's win over Miami (OH) was a struggle from the start, and the Bearcats only won by seven points.

The Bearcats can almost guarantee a spot in the top 25 with a win and the Buckeyes will certainly drop out with a loss. There are significant weaknesses in both teams so one small mistake could be costly. Ohio State is hard to beat at home, but Virginia Tech proved that it is possible.