We solemnly salute Week 5. It marks the first time in 15 years Les Miles has not paced a sideline as a head coach. We'll get over it, but it will take a while.
While a familiar face has left us (at least for a bit), let's get used to the interlopers. There are two giant top-10 games Saturday, each with an unexpected contenders.
Louisville (at Clemson) has made itself a nouveau rival in its third career meeting with the Tigers. The Cardinals have also made themselves national championship contenders.
Wisconsin and Michigan have played 64 times. Not many of those meetings included both teams in the top 10, and the teams haven't played at all since 2010.
Yay, expansion! Or rather, boo, the dilution of tradition.
After that, it sort of drops off. As of late Thursday, there were at least 14 games with point spreads of 16 points or more. For the first time in 15 years, Miles will be watching it all from his barcolounger with a beer. Or he should be.
1. Lamar Jackson's next test: They want to make Clemson-Louisville about the quarterbacks. They would be half right. This is about Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Clemson defensive line's duty to smash him. To this point, Jackson has basically batted away tacklers like they were ping pong balls.
Here comes a rebuilt Clemson D-line that is a salute to defensive coordinator Brent Venables' expertise. Ends Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell and tackles Carlos Watkins and Dexter Lawrence have combined for six of the Tigers' 13 sacks and 12.5 of the 38 tackles for loss.
Edge rushers Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd gave Alabama fits before departing for the NFL. Watkins and Wilkins are returners. Lawrence is an 18-year-old, 6-foot-5, 340-pound specimen who is second on the team in tackles. Something tells me Jackson isn't going to get his average in this one - 464 yards in total offense.
"That's No. 8?" Clemson safety Jadar Jackson asked this week. "I don't really feel we have to step out of our element or jump up another notch to stop him."
No matter the outcome, the ACC will reset itself for October.
2. Keep sleeping on Wisconsin (at your own risk): That tweet from Badgers' linebacker Vince Biegel has become a rallying cry. It was posted after Wisconsin routed Michigan State last week to move to 4-0. That it look Biegel until Week 4 to even tweet that much out reflects the rocky road ahead.
It is littered with potholes. Following this week's visit to Michigan, the Badgers play Ohio State, Iowa and Nebraska.
Who makes up the Big Ten schedule? Seriously. (Address all your correspondence, Wisco fans, to the perpetrator, Mark Rudner, Big Ten senior associate commissioner. Great guy.)
That's not a schedule, it's a forced march. For the third time in five games, the Badgers go in as an underdog. But they don't care about being a double-digit 'dog. "It doesn't matter," said T.J. Watt, J.J.'s brother and a redshirt junior linebacker. "Put us against the wall and we'll fight until the end."
Sleep on the Badgers at your peril. They are led by a redshirt freshman quarterback in Alex Hornibrook making his second career start. Few teams -- if any -- have accomplished more than Wisconsin, which has beaten two top 10 teams away from home. Why not make it three?
This is by far Michigan's toughest test. But the element of surprise should be gone. Wisconsin can and could knock off the Wolverines. If it does, just don't ask about next week. The Badgers may need a nap.
3. Is LSU throwing the season away? The question has to be asked as athletic director Joe Alleva and the Tigers go into their first game post-Les against Missouri. Ongoing coaching search. Staff shuffling. Revamped offense (in a week). Sure looks like the season's being chucked after four games.
Alleva says no. He told the Baton Rouge Advocate this is an "audition" for Orgeron. As for Coach O himself, don't even go there. The world's most lovable substitute teacher is entering his ninth game as an interim coach (6-2 at USC). He's not giving up on the season. Orgeron reportedly fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron himself.
Orgeron says he's changing the offense, making it sound like LSU is about to become Oregon. Orgeron is the one intending to get the permanent gig. If Tom Herman, Jimbo Fisher, Bobby Petrino (do I need to go on?) pass ... he may have a chance.
There is no question there will be a talent gap Saturday when Tigers meet Tigers. But LSU has frequently had a talent gap these past 20 games during which they are 12-8. That's why Les is in that barcolounger.
4. Proving it (again): Tennessee has played three quarters all season -- the second quarter against Virginia Tech (outscored the Hokies 24-0) and the second half against Florida (outscored the Gators 35-7)
In the other 13 quarters plus overtime, the score is 77-72 for the opposition. OK, maybe that's too harsh, but for those of you not convinced on the Vols yet, we give you Tennessee-Georgia. It was in this game a year ago that Nick Chubb suffered what could have been a season-ending injury. This week, he is dealing with a tweaked ankle.
The Vols haven't been on the road yet. And something tells me Sanford Stadium will be in full throat. Watch Tennessee DE Derek Barnett (tied for third nationally in active career sacks) vs. Georgia freshman QB Jacob Eason. Eason had a down game against Ole Miss. He'll have an up game against a Vols team still basking in the sunshine of a Florida win.
5. Your weekly dose of bad Big 12: Before the season, a weekend featuring Oklahoma-TCU and Texas-Oklahoma State looked bigger than what is going down Saturday. It's more now about how the league can keep from stepping in puddles. Example: If Oklahoma and Texas lose, they will go to Dallas on Oct. 8 for the annual Red River Shootout with a combined 4-5 record -- for the second straight year.
For now, questions linger: Did Oklahoma (1-2) over-schedule? Why isn't TCU's defense (65th nationally) better? Why can't Texas beat Oklahoma State? The Cowboys have won only six of 30 in the series, but four of those have come since 2010.
6. Under the radar: Arizona State heads to a vulnerable USC (1-3) with a chance to be 5-0 for the first time since 2007. Watch linebacker Laiu Moeakiola. The oft-injured senior is considered by some to the Sun Devils MVP to this point.
Sun Devils coach Todd Graham moved him to safety to keep him away from injuries in the box. After Texas-San Antonio scored on the first play of the second half on Sept. 16, Graham scrapped that plan and moved Moeakiola back to "spur" linebacker. The Roadrunners punted on six of their next eight possessions and ASU won by four.
You probably won't see him in the NFL, but you have seen him with a pick six this season and four forced fumbles. Combine that with the Pac-12's best offense (49 points), and the Trojans could drop to 1-4 for the first time since 2001.
7. Upset special: Syracuse can't stop air (111th in total defense). But guess what, neither can Notre Dame (103rd). Coming off the embarrassing Duke loss, the Fighting Irish go on the road with their will being questioned. Dino Babers' Orange offense can score (28 points per game) and fast (ACC-high 86 plays per game). Go with the Orange in a shootout. Then watch out. If you thought Duke was embarrassing?
8. Short gains: Notre Dame's defense could use the over-achieving linebacker Joe Schmidt, who held together the unit during last year's 10-3 season. Schmidt is currently in grad school at -- wait for it -- USC ... One betting site listed Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury as the third-best favorite to get the LSU job. I don't know much but that job ain't going to Kingsbury ... This is Miami's first legitimate test (vs Georgia Tech on the road). Mark Richt is 13-2 against the Yellow Jackets. Mark down the Canes for 4-0 ... Alleva on the LSU coaching search: "I am the search." All righty, then ...