Week five’s matchups had some great finishes, highlighted by Georgia’s late-game comeback against Auburn and Notre Dame’s game-winning drive over Duke. However, we did not see many upsets or a big shake-up in the rankings. But this weekend may be a little different, with several ranked matchups including the long-awaited Red River Showdown. Here are the top five college football matchups for week 6.
5. No. 20 Kentucky (5-0) at No. 1 Georgia (5-0)
When: Saturday, 7:00 pm ET
Where: Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA
Where to watch: ESPN
Spread: Georgia (-14.5)
One of the top matchups of Week 6 features two undefeated SEC teams battling for the top spot in the SEC East. Kentucky is coming off of a blowout victory over rival Florida, where Ray Davis ran for 280 yards and three touchdowns. But Quarterback Devin Leary has struggled thus far, completing only 57.7% of his passes. Defensively, they are among the best, holding teams under 300 yards per game. The Wildcats will need another Heisman-level performance from their star running back to keep this game close. Georgia barely escaped Auburn with a win thanks to the late-game heroics of Brock Bowers. Like Kentucky, the Dawgs hang their hat on defense and a strong running game to compensate for their mediocre quarterback play. Nevertheless, they should be able to hold off Kentucky if they can race out to an early lead. The Wildcats do not have the firepower to fight back from a multi-score deficit.
4. No. 10 Notre Dame (4-1) at No. 25 Louisville (5-0)
When: Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Where: Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY
Where to watch: ABC
Spread: Notre Dame (-6)
As I mentioned in last week’s article, Notre Dame will be making frequent appearances in my top five because of their surprisingly difficult schedule. The Irish are facing their third ranked opponent in a row and will continue that streak next week against USC. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because Louisville is a sneaky good team that should not be overlooked. They had a really bad outing on the road against NC State, but hung on for a 13-10 victory to remain undefeated. Regardless, Louisville still has a very dangerous offense which ranks 11th in yards per game. Ultimately, I don’t think it will be enough to take down a great Irish team that has been lights out defensively.
3. No. 23 LSU (3-2) at No. 21 Missouri (5-0)
When: Friday, 9:00 pm ET
Where: Memorial Field, Columbia, MO
Where to watch: ESPN
Spread: LSU (-4)
The two Tigers in the SEC will face off for the third time in history. LSU is barely hanging in the top 25 after losing in a 55-49 shootout to Ole Miss. Their offense is flat-out elite, but their defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed. However, that may not be as big of a problem against a team like Missouri, who have failed to score over 40 points in a game this season. Surprisingly, Missouri has won their last four games by a single possession, so don’t let their undefeated record fool you. But their quarterback Brady Cook has played great football so far, completing 74.5% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. It’s tough to have a lean on this game, but LSU’s offense looks too good to be slowed down by Missouri.
2. No. 11 Alabama (4-1) at Texas A&M (4-1)
When: Saturday, 3:30 pm ET
Where: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Where to watch: CBS
Spread: Alabama (-1.5)
Alabama is slowly but surely working out the kinks in their offense. They scored their first 40-point game against a Power 5 opponent last weekend, but there’s still plenty of cause for concern as Jalen Milroe only attempted 12 passes all game. Once again, no Alabama runningbacks or receivers rushed or received for over 100 yards. Bama still looked pretty one-dimensional, relying on defense and a strong run game to take down Mississippi State. Out of all the week 6 matchups, I’m most worried about the Tide getting upset. I think the unranked Aggies should be favored at home in this one. They slipped up badly in Miami but have made big improvements after switching to Max Johnson at quarterback.
1. No. 12 Oklahoma (5-0) at No. 3 Texas (5-0)
When: Saturday, 12:00 pm ET
Where: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
Where to watch: ABC
Spread: Texas (-5)
The Red River Rivalry tops our list of week 6 matchups, and for good reason. This will be the first time since 2011 that both of these teams are facing off undefeated. The winner of this game will have a wildly easy road to the College Football Playoff, as both teams have no more ranked games as of now. Texas will have a good chance to be the top team in the country with a win. Coincidentally, the last time Texas reached No. 1 was after a win over Oklahoma in 2008. Both of these teams have made massive improvements defensively as they make their transitions to SEC football, but Texas seems like a team with very few weaknesses, if any. Their quarterback is playing at a Heisman level and defensively they rank 17th in the country. For Texas to truly be back, they will need to prove it with a statement win over their biggest rival.
Honorable Mentions:
Maryland (5-0) at No. 4 Ohio State (4-0)
No. 13 Washington State (5-0) at UCLA (3-1)
No. 24 Fresno State (5-0) at Wyoming (4-1)
All odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook
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