Saturday rundown: Takeaways from Week 5's top games

theScore runs down the top storylines and developments from Saturday's college football games and what they might mean moving forward.

Are the Big 12's playoff hopes already in trouble?

It's barely October, the Big Ten and Pac-12 haven't started playing yet, and the Big 12's chances at the College Football Playoff might rely solely on Oklahoma State.

It wasn't a good day for the conference's playoff aspirations. Here's where the Big 12 is left after Week 5 and Saturday's whirlwind of action.

No. 18 Oklahoma dropped to 0-2 in conference play after falling at Iowa State for the first time since 1960, while No. 9 Texas lost to TCU at home. Those results put the Cyclones in a three-way tie for first with Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Unfortunately, both the Wildcats and Iowa State suffered resume-killing nonconference losses to Arkansas State and Louisiana, respectively. That leaves the Cowboys, who head to Baylor next week, as the only 3-0 team in the conference.

As for the usual powerhouses? Next week's Red River Rivalry game between Oklahoma and Texas will be only the third time over the last 20 years that both schools enter coming off a loss.

The gap between Georgia and Auburn is obvious

There's little doubt Georgia belongs in any conversation about the elite SEC teams this season. And after Saturday, it's clear Auburn shouldn't be in the same discussion. The blockbuster matchup of the day turned into a dud, with the fourth-ranked Bulldogs steamrolling the seventh-ranked Tigers.

Gus Malzahn's offense was no match for Georgia's dominant defense, with the Tigers barely topping 200 total yards. Their rushing attack was held under 40 yards, a week after only posting 91 against Kentucky. Unless Auburn can find some sort of run game to take the pressure off of Bo Nix, points will be hard to find for the SEC West outfit.

Georgia's offense may not be the most explosive in the conference, but Stetson Bennett once again ran a very efficient game for Kirby Smart on Saturday. The Bulldogs' running game and defense alone will keep Georgia battling for the SEC East title regardless of who's under center long term between Bennett and JT Daniels.

Mississippi State is riding the Leach roller coaster

Through two weeks with a new head coach in Starkville, here's what Mississippi State's resume looks like.

Week 1: Beat defending national champion LSU on the road with quarterback K.J. Costello setting the SEC single-game passing record in his first game with the program.
Week 2: Lose at home as 17.5-point favorites to an Arkansas team that entered with 20 straight SEC losses.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mike Leach experience.

One week after Costello's record-setting performance in his opening contest with Mississippi State, the high-powered offense and its coach came crashing back down to earth versus Arkansas. The Razorbacks held the Air Raid attack to just 313 passing yards on Saturday while forcing a punt or turnover on downs seven times. The victory was Arkansas' first in the conference since Oct. 28, 2017, and it will certainly get people to temper their expectations of Leach and the Bulldogs.

Like any previous stop in the coach's career, when the offense is clicking, it's a beautiful sight. When the offense is stagnant, Saturday's result happens.

Alabama's arsenal of weapons is unfair

In last year's 47-28 win over Texas A&M, Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa threw for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III also starred with five catches for 88 yards and a score. All three of those players are now in the NFL, and that made absolutely no difference against the Aggies this season.

Mac Jones looked very comfortable for Alabama en route to 435 passing yards and four touchdowns, and the receiving trio of Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, and John Metchie torched the defense for 16 catches, 386 yards, and four scores. With the win, Nick Saban improves to 20-0 versus his former assistants, and Texas A&M can wonder for another week why it gave Jimbo Fisher a contract worth $75 million.

SMU is the first to 4-0

There's only one 4-0 team in the country, and it's the SMU Mustangs. While COVID-19 cancellations have certainly played a role in that distinction, there's no doubt that Sonny Dykes' program has been impressive.

The Mustangs' toughest test came Saturday against a Memphis squad playing its first game since Sept. 6. That showed early when SMU raced out to a 24-3 lead thanks to Shane Buechele and Reggie Roberson Jr.'s 70- and 85-yard touchdown connections. Memphis roared back to even the contest at 27 before Chris Naggar's game-winning field goal sealed SMU's victory.

There will be concern after Roberson left the matchup with a non-contact knee injury, but the hopes for an AAC title are certainly high in Dallas.

Texas has a Gary Patterson problem

While Texas likes to fancy itself the big program in the state, it was Gary Patterson and TCU who once again had the last laugh. For the sixth time in seven years, the Horned Frogs emerged from the annual rivalry game as victors. This time it was a goal-line fumble by the Longhorns' Keaontay Ingram in the dying minutes that decided the 33-31 result.

Neither side had much to cheer about for most of the game, with the teams combining for a whopping 26 penalties for over 200 yards. Sam Ehlinger had four touchdown passes, but Patterson's defense once again held the Texas quarterback in check, limiting him to 17-of-36 passing for just 236 yards. TCU maintains bragging rights for another year, and another dubious result can be added to Tom Herman's resume over the last 365 days.

Florida's explosive offense rolls on

Frustrating. Stomach-churning. Painful. All of these terms accurately described the experience of watching Florida's offense in the post-Tim Tebow era. Now, however, Gators fans have finally been rewarded for their patience in the form of the Kyle-to-Kyle connection. The dominant quarterback-tight end duo of Trask and Pitts delivered once again in Florida's 38-24 win over South Carolina, connecting for two more touchdowns. That brings the pair's total to a whopping six on the year. An even better sign for Florida is that it's not just Pitts who's tormenting defenses. Eight other Gators caught throws from Trask, who's reached 10 TD passes on the season. The defense remains a work in progress, but Dan Mullen's offense deserves to be recognized as one of the country's best units.