CFB: All Eyes on Week 5

The first four weeks of the college football season have been exhilarating, but Week 5 is a whole different type of monster, one that we have not had the pleasure of seeing yet this season.

There are three top-10 matchups, starting on Friday night at 9:00 PM ET with No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington. That is followed by a matchup the following afternoon in Big Ten country when No. 8 Wisconsin visits No. 4 Michigan at 3:30 PM ET. The final showdown is slated for prime time on Saturday night in Death Valley as No. 3 Louisville takes on No. 5 Clemson at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.

I will break down each matchup with players to watch and predictions, followed by a section about where the six teams go from here, in terms of their division and conference races and even potential College Football Playoff berths.

No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington: Both teams went down to the wire in Week 4 as No. 7 Stanford took down UCLA 22-13 after trailing 13-6 in the fourth quarter. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 138 yards. No. 10 Washington went on the road and squeaked out a 35-28 overtime win against Arizona. Jake Browning threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Washington has had an easy route to 4-0, defeating Rutgers, Idaho, Portland State, and Arizona, so it is hard to say if the Huskies are legitimate Pac-12 contenders but from what I have seen from Browning, Myles Gaskin, and the Washington defense, their basement is a 10-win season.

Stanford has taken down three power five opponents in their first three matchups, beating Kansas State and USC at home before defeating UCLA on the road to improve to 3-0. The Cardinal are the reigning Pac-12 champions and have set their sights on returning to the title game and possibly taking the next step and making it to the College Football Playoff this time around.

The Huskies have been very good on offense, averaging 45.8 points and 445.3 total yards per game. Their defense has been tough to budge so far but their competition is so low that it is hard to know if their 14.5 points allowed per game is going to continue. Stanford's defense has been dominant through the first month of the 2016 campaign and I tend to trust this defense because they have been so consistent throughout the years and have played better competition. It is hard to trust such a young and inexperienced team in Washington. The Cardinal defense gives up just 95.3 rushing yards per game and in my opinion, will shut down Gaskin on the ground.

McCaffrey on the other hand, was slowed down (for his standards) against UCLA, so I fully expect him to come out on fire and with the mindset of taking over from the opening kickoff. McCaffrey has 436 yards and three touchdowns through the first three games, and I think he is due for an explosion.

Prediction: No. 7 Stanford over No. 10 Washington, 24-17.

No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan: The Badgers and Wolverines opened conference play with big time victories last week, as Wisconsin walked into East Lansing as underdogs and left with a 30-6 beatdown of No. 8 Michigan State. Michigan obliterated Penn State 49-10, in the biggest margin of victory for either team in the all-time series.

Wisconsin is off to a great start, one of the best starts in program history, as it is the first time they have beaten two top-10 teams in the same season, and it is only September. The Badgers upset No. 5 LSU in Week 1, before winning back-to-back games against Akron and Georgia State, and then upsetting Michigan State.

Michigan has played very well in their first four games but like so many other teams, it is hard to judge the Wolverines because of who they have played. Hawaii, UCF, Colorado, and Penn State are not poor competition, but they also are not top tier teams.

The Badgers are a solid offensive team, averaging 30.8 points and 410.5 yards per game, but the other side of the ball is their bread and butter. The Badgers' defense is one of the best in the country, dominating opponents en route to impressive statistics; 11.8 allowed points and 277.0 allowed yards per game.

The Wolverines have similar numbers on the defensive side of the ball as Wisconsin, but Jim Harbaugh's squad has been miles ahead on offense. Michigan averages 52.0 points per game, 467.8 yards per game, while only giving up 13.8 points and 269.8 yards per game.

Michigan's backfield is going to be the key to this game. Wilton Speight, quarterback, is having a good start to his season, throwing for 875 yards and nine touchdowns to just one interception. Deveon Smith, running back, has 259 yards and two scores on 39 carries. If the U of M backfield can be successful, Michigan is going to protect their home field.

Prediction: No. 4 Michigan over No. 8 Wisconsin, 27-18.

No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson: Louisville got a rest from ACC play after playing two straight conference foes, as they took on and defeated Marshall 59-28 in Week 4. Clemson looked the part of defending National runner-ups as they fought off a rokus Georgia Tech crowd, winning 26-7.

Louisville has been one of the best offensive teams in the country, led by Heisman front runner Lamar Jackson (1,330 yards, 13 touchdowns). The Cardinals are averaging 63.5 points as they have beaten Charlotte, Syracuse, No. 2 Florida State, and Marshall all by at least 31 points.

Clemson struggled out of the gate with a tough road game at Auburn, as they could only generate 19 points in a six point win against the Tigers. That was followed by another six points victory against the lowly Trojans of Troy (30-24). It seems like, at least for now, Clemson woke up in Week 3 and 4, with resounding wins against South Carolina State (59-0) and Georgia Tech (26-7).

The Cardinals are known for their offense so far this season, as they average 363.8 passing yards, 318.2 rushing yards, and 682.0 total yards per game. The defense has played well but not as well as it could, giving up 22.5 points and 278.3 yards per game.

Clemson was supposed to have the best offense in the country this season, returning 2015 Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson, Wayne Gallman, Mike Williams, Jordan Leggett, and others, but it is actually the Tigers' defense that is making the most noise. Clemson gives up just 11.0 points, 218.5 yards, and 92.8 rushing yards per game. I believe the Clemson defense will force mistakes by Jackson and give the Louisville offense fits.

Watson has 996 yards and nine touchdowns so far this season, and I think he is set to have a huge performance. In his first three years of school, Watson has performed the best in the biggest of games, and well, this is a huge stage. I think Watson and his backfield mate, Wayne Gallman (256 yards, 3 touchdowns) will have big games and the Clemson defense will be stout enough to win.

Prediction: No. 5 Clemson over No. 3 Louisville, 30-26.

Photo Credit: Zimbio.com.