The question that just won’t go away this week is one we won’t be able to answer, at least not anytime soon. It’s fun to speculate anyway. Here’s our 10 burning questions for Week 5.

  1. After last year’s embarrassingly public hand-wringing over Les Miles, LSU finally pulled the plug earlier this week. In today’s instant gratification society, the biggest question quickly turned to: Who will replace Miles as head coach? In the immediate future, the answer is simple: defensive line coach Ed Orgeron has been named interim coach. However, LSU offers strong resources and is located in a recruiting hotbed, although the pressure is sky-high. Just ask Miles. Vegas oddsmakers have already thrown out a list of fascinating names, and Orgeron is pretty high on the list for long-term replacements.
  2. LSU’s homecoming game against Missouri might not be a total cakewalk. LSU’s defense is statistically third-best in the SEC just behind Florida and Alabama, while Missouri’s offense is statistically the best in the SEC. How will LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda stop Drew Lock and the Missouri offense? Also, will LSU’s offense look any different?
  3. Which Tennessee team will show up at Sanford Stadium — the team that looked overmatched against Florida during the first half or the team that looked unstoppable against Florida in the second half? During the second half, playing with a backup quarterback finally showed in a big way for Florida. How will true freshman Jacob Eason perform against the Tennessee defense? He’s shown impressive flashes but has been inconsistent on the whole.
  4. Does Nick Chubb play for Georgia on Saturday? Chubb worked his tail off this offseason to come back and have an impressive performance against North Carolina. Last week, he was ineffective against Ole Miss and left the game early with an ankle injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to play in Saturday’s game, which would carry a lot of emotion due to his injury occurring against Tennessee in a painful loss last season. Chubb’s physicality would be a huge boost for Georgia’s chances of an upset.
  5. Who gets the share of carries for Alabama against Kentucky? Damien Harris is questionable for this game, so either Joshua Jacobs, Bo Scarbrough or B.J. Emmons figures to receive a fair number of carries. Will one of the three backs have a breakout performance?
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

  1. Under Nick Saban, Alabama has contained Kentucky’s running game extremely well. Kentucky’s best day on the ground in three games against Alabama’s defenses was a 133-yard effort on 38 carries in 2009. In 2013, Kentucky rushed 34 times for 94 yards (2.8 yards per carry) and 20 times for a meager 35 yards (1.8 yards per carry) in 2008. How will Stanley “Boom” Williams fare against the Alabama defensive front? Williams is probably the toughest running back Alabama has faced this young season.
  2. How many points will Ole Miss score against Memphis? If it can score 45 against Georgia and 43 against Alabama, there’s no telling how many points Ole Miss will score against Memphis.
  3. Is Louisiana-Monroe a trap game for Auburn? In 2012, the Tigers needed overtime to beat the Warhawks, 31-28. On the surface, Auburn is a huge favorite with good reason. The Tigers are coming off an emotional win against LSU, but could the team get caught looking ahead to an important road conference contest against Mississippi State?
  4. Can Florida recover from the Tennessee hangover? On paper, the team should shut out Vanderbilt and recover from a forgettable loss at Neyland. Now, the team finds itself in the state of Tennessee for a second straight week against a team that did upset the Gators in 2013, although that’s the Commodores’ only win against them dating back to 1989.
  5. Just how good are the Aggies? If Texas A&M can throttle a quality team like Arkansas, what is it capable of doing against a rebuilding team like South Carolina? The last time the Aggies played in Columbia, the team beat the Gamecocks, 52-28.