Keelon Russell absolutely went off for Alabama this weekend, officially marking his coming-out party as one of Week 5’s biggest winners. The sophomore quarterback outdueled Kamario Taylor on the road, delivering the Crimson Tide their fifth straight dominant victory. While a bunch of AP Top 25 teams like No. 20 Houston were challenged, and even battled big deficits, Russell and Alabama handled their business.
Alabama’s Death Machine is Back, Baby!
Beware, college football, because the Alabama death machine has officially returned! The Crimson Tide rolled into a nationally-ranked Mississippi State stadium and just dropped kill shot after kill shot on Kamario Taylor and the Bulldogs. Mississippi State turned the ball over four times, with Taylor responsible for two on the first two drives, setting up a massive blowout. But seriously, the real story here was Russell under center. The kid was absolutely sensational, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns, plus adding another score on the ground. With Russell leading the charge, Alabama’s offense is starting to look shockingly similar to the unstoppable Michael Penix Jr. unit DeBoer had running wild at Washington. There’s a ton of football left, no doubt, but the Tide is already looking like a legit national championship contender.
Weekend Whiffs: Florida’s Collapse and Texas Tech’s Offensive Nightmare
Not everyone had a weekend to remember, though. Down in Gainesville, No. 8 Florida completely imploded against Missouri, becoming the only top 10 team to fall. Ouch. On the coaching front, it looks like the Shane Beamer era might be toast at South Carolina after they blew a mind-blowing 17-point lead in the first half against No. 24 Kentucky. The Gamecocks just made countless mistakes down the stretch, letting Kentucky push the game.
Then there’s Texas Tech. While they managed to tack on a few extra points against Colorado late, their offense is officially in deep trouble. After getting a field goal on their first drive, Texas Tech went on to punt twice and turn the ball over on downs twice in their next five possessions, trailing 7-6 late in the third quarter. This Red Raiders offense just cannot generate consistent production to make up for a defense that’s clearly diminished after losing multiple starters to the NFL Draft. Even with three starters back on the offensive line, that unit just can’t find its rhythm. Young quarterback Will Hammond needs to get more downfield passing going, but honestly, the whole team needs to step up and give the kid a chance to grow.
A lot of college football is still to come, but the landscape definitely shifted dramatically this weekend. For teams like Alabama, it’s full steam ahead, but for others, there’s some serious soul-searching to do before next week’s matchups.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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