2015 College Football Predictions – Playoff Contenders Stock Report: Week 5

2015 College Football Predictions: Playoff Contenders Stock Report – Week 5: We are just four weeks into the 2015 college football season, and we have already seen plenty of upsets. Alabama, USC, Stanford, Oregon and Arizona State are just a few of the teams mentioned in the preseason title conversation that have suffered losses, and TCU and Ohio State have had close calls. The upsets should only continue to come as conference plays heats up, and with that in mind, here is a look at the times that are rising and those that suffered blow in Week 4 of the season. Plus, don’t forget to check NSAwins.com out this weekend for premium expert college football picks against the spread.

2015 College Football Predictions – Playoff Contenders Stock Report: Week 5

Stock Up

A road win against Oregon would have been a big boost for the Utah Utes regardless of the score, but after smoking the Ducks 62-20, Utah is building some serious momentum. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, but armed with a solid defense and a suddenly explosive offense, the Utes could amass one of the most impressive resumes in the country if they can run the table. For now, wins against Michigan and Oregon look pretty good.

After a shaky performance at BYU two weeks ago, the UCLA Bruins stepped up in a big way, crushing a ranked Arizona team on the road. Freshman QB Josh Rosen is getting better, and he is surrounded by a ton of firepower. Plenty of ranked opponents remain, but the Bruins are firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation after such an impressive road win.

The Week 1 loss to Utah doesn’t look so bad anymore, and the Michigan Wolverines are now 3-1 after a 31-0 beatdown of a ranked BYU team. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has the defense playing at a high level, and he is establishing a power running game behind De’Veon Smith. In the top heavy Big Ten, the Wolverines are suddenly in position to make a run. If they can upset either Michigan State, Ohio State or both, the turnaround could happen a lot sooner than expected.

While teams with title aspirations want to look dominant every week, surviving a close game, as the TCU Horned Frogs did in Week 4, can ultimately be just as important. TCU’s title hopes were on life support. Facing a fourth and goal, a tipped pass seemingly signaled the end of the game. However, the tipped ball landed right in hands of RB Aaron Green for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown. No, it was not pretty, but if the Horned Frogs run the table, it probably won’t matter. Most teams have at least one scare during the year, and TCU may have just survived its scare.

Stock Down

Ohio State showed last season that a team can overcome an early loss to reach the College Football Playoff, but there is no way the Oregon Ducks are competing for a title this year after a 62-20 destruction at the hands of Utah. Without Marcus Mariota under center, the normally unstoppable Oregon offense isn’t scaring anyone. It is looking like a rare down year for one of the power programs.

A loss to Notre Dame two weeks ago wasn’t ideal, but a loss to Duke this past weekend destroys any hope the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets had of making any noise on the national stage. The triple-option attack that confused lesser opponents hasn’t been nearly as effective against teams with better athletes. After being a trendy sleeper following two big offensive efforts to open the year, the Yellow Jackets are back to being just another team in the ACC.

Their offense looked unstoppable in the first three weeks of the season, but the Arizona Wildcats got a rude awakening in their first big game, suffering an ugly 56-30 loss at home against UCLA. A victory would have vaulted the Wildcats into the top 10 conversation. The ugly nature of the loss puts them on the backburner.

Get more 2015 College Football betting odds for the 2015 season updated daily on NSAwins.com including updated odds to win the 2016 National Championship.