Under-the-Radar Games: Week 5

Ah, Week 5. Time for some of those 4-0 (or 3-0 with a bye...or 2-0 Cincy) teams to actually step into a challenge! It seems the number of ranked matchups has been lacking a bit this season so far, leaving me to rack my brain for what could really be some meaningful "under the radar" games. So, as always, here we go!

Army at Yale
That's right - an FCS team hosting an FBS team...and a non-scholarship FCS team to boot! At one point the service academies and the Ivy League were the biggest thing in college football. And then...came the World Wars. Above everything else, I'll be interested to see what the atmosphere's like for this one...a true rarity!

　

Maryland at Indiana
The first conference game for Maryland as a Big Ten member (and the final conference debut of the early 2010's Conference Realignment saga...at least amongst Power-conference teams). Rutgers already had theirs, losing closely against Penn State at the end (an entertaining game that I featured in an "Under the Radar" post!). With the Hoosiers fresh off a road win against a ranked SEC team, can they keep the fun going and knock off a Terrapins team that just got a good win against Syracuse?

Fun fact: since 2011, teams are 3-8 in their "power conference" debuts:
2011 Utah: L at USC
2011 Colorado: L vs Washington State
2011 Nebraska: L at Wisconsin

2012 Texas A&M: L vs Florida
2012 Missouri: L vs Georgia
2012 TCU: W at Kansas
2012 West Virginia: W vs Baylor

2013 Pitt: L vs Florida State
2013 Syracuse: L vs Clemson

2014 Louisville: W vs Miami
2014 Rutgers: L vs Penn State
2014 Maryland: TBD at Indiana

　

Cincinnati at Ohio State
With East Carolina getting so much buzz due to its impressive 2-1 mark against "Power 5" teams, the Bearcats look to prove that they, too, are a legitimate contender in the American. They hope to do this by knocking off a big boy of their own. With the Buckeyes already having suffered one streak-breaking loss to Virginia Tech (first home opening loss since 1989), they hope to keep an even longer one intact: no in-state losses since 1921. With so much at stake for both teams, it'll definitely be interesting to see how this one turns out.

　

Memphis at Ole Miss
Ole Miss is just one game away from what could be a dream weekend: a Top 10 showdown with Alabama, in Oxford, and its first time ever hosting College Gameday. But first comes that team from nearby Memphis. The Tigers gave UCLA everything the Bruins could handle a couple of weeks ago, and if the Rebels are looking ahead too much, this game (and thus the glitz of next weekend) just might pass them by.

　

Duke at Miami
An ACC Coastal game with a host of possibilities. For the Blue Devils, this is a game of opportunity. A win here, and the country will really be wondering about Duke Football once again. For the Hurricanes, this is a game of redemption. With two losses already, including one conference loss, Miami cannot afford to move to 0-2 in ACC play (though to be fair, Duke started out at 0-2 in ACC play last year before winning the remaining 6 games and claiming the outright Coastal title). If they do, things could turn really dark really quickly for the pre-season Coastal Division favorites.