Upset Central

Be honest. Did you see that coming? Week 5 was a wild roller coaster of upsets and crazy finishes, as half of the top eight teams in the nation fell from the undefeated ranks. Which schools were lucky enough to slide past their underdogs with victories, and which teams forfeited their perfect records on Saturday?

Hello Crimson Tide! After dropping its SEC opener against Ole Miss, the Alabama Crimson Tide came back with a vengeance in its obliteration of No. 8 Georgia. Alabama looked unbeatable in every facet of the game, and they certainly reminded the world of football that they are still a force to be reckoned with. The undefeated Bulldogs were favored in this highly anticipated matchup, but that didn't seem to matter as Alabama cruised to a 38-10 victory, kicking off upset week with a statement.

            
                              This image is provided by Daniel Shirey.

Georgia wasn't the only SEC powerhouse to collapse on Saturday, as the No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels fell by an identical score of 38-10! The Florida Gators came out swinging against Ole Miss, and they used their speed to hand the Rebels their first loss of the season. On the road, Ole Miss appeared lost and confused as the Gators flew right by them. Could this be the beginning of a shift in power that finally puts Florida back on the map?

Numbers 3 and 8 weren't the only top ten teams to collapse this weekend, as teams ranked sixth and seventh also suffered defeat Saturday night. No. 6 Notre Dame fought for its life against No. 12 Clemson, but despite an incredible fourth quarter comeback, the Irish fell short by a score of 24-22. After scoring a touchdown with only seven seconds lefts, Clemson was able to hold off a potential game-tying two point conversion to seal the victory. No. 7 UCLA wasn't even able to keep it close in their loss, as Arizona State put the hammer down on the Bruins for a 38-23 upset. UCLA, many experts' pick to reach the championship, will need to regroup and settle down if they are to climb back into the playoff hunt.

            
                       This picture is compliments of Richard Mackson.

Elsewhere in the nation, the top two teams from the Big Ten came dangerously close to tarnishing their perfect records. No. 1 Ohio State needed every inch of Ezekial Elliot's 274 yard rushing performance to slip past an upset-craving Indiana squad. Indiana squandered a golden opportunity to tie the game late, but they couldn't pull it off as the Buckeyes survived by a score of 34-27. No. 2 Michigan State fell asleep at the wheel and nearly allowed a feisty Purdue team to erase a 24 point deficit! Purdue also came up short on its final drive, and the Spartans were able to breathe easy with a 24-21 escape.

Two games this upcoming week stand out among the rest, so be sure to watch these battles on Saturday. No. 23 California travels to No. 5 Utah to try and pull of another huge upset; I'm predicting they run out of gas in the second half, and Utah pulls away with the victory. Also, keep an eye on the Big Ten matchup between No. 13 Northwestern and No. 18 Michigan. Both teams are riding high tides of momentum, and it should be a tight game to the finish. I'm predicting Michigan steals the win in dramatic fashion.

            
                            This photo is courtesy of Patrick Mansell.

Get ready for homecoming as Penn State takes the field against Indiana. It should be a great game in front of thousands of fans, so cheer on your Nittany Lions to the victory!