Week 6’s top 10 college football games: Miami-Florida State, Vandy-Bama and Texas Tech-Houston – The Athletic
Much like tee shots in the fairway, we don’t complain about college football Saturdays. Each one is precious. But we can also be honest: This week does not present the most thrilling slate of games. On paper, at least. Even if you include Thursday and Friday, only 12 matchups feature a pair of teams with winning records.
There are still some fascinating and high-stakes games on this list, though, on top of the fact that the more unassuming weekends tend to spark the most chaos. And among those games between winning opponents is a Friday night Conference USA clash between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (4-1) and Delaware Blue Hens (3-1), the latter in its first season as an FBS program. There are cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes to see them.
Here are the top 10 games of Week 6, starting with a few honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable mention: Western Kentucky at Delaware (Fri.), Wisconsin at No. 20 Michigan, Clemson at North Carolina, Syracuse at SMU, Michigan State at Nebraska, Kansas at UCF, Duke at Cal.
(All point spreads are courtesy of BetMGM. All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)
10. Minnesota (3-1) at No. 1 Ohio State (4-0), 7:30 p.m., NBC
So the Buckeyes might just be a buzzsaw? Again? Ohio State, boasting a top 15 offense and top 10 defense, went on the road to Washington and held a solid Huskies team to 6 points and just 1-for-11 on third downs. It doesn’t mean the reigning champs are unbeatable — they proved it last season against Michigan, with arguably a more talented roster — but Minnesota will have to be at its absolute best to pull off what the spread says would be a massive upset in Columbus.
Line: Ohio State -24
9. Boise State (3-1) at No. 21 Notre Dame (2-2), 3:30 p.m., NBC
The Irish took out some frustration with a 56-13 thumping at Arkansas last week that has some folks looking at Notre Dame with fresh eyes after the 0-2 start. Boise State has taken a quieter route to 3-1, losing the opener to South Florida but settling in after that. Notre Dame will be a different beast for the Broncos, thanks in part to Irish redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr, who completed 22 of 30 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns in Fayetteville.
Line: Notre Dame -20.5
8. No. 9 Texas (3-1) at Florida (1-3), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
We considered leaving this game off the list, largely because of how bad the Gators have been. But the characters and storylines are too interesting to ignore. Texas quarterback Arch Manning finally flashed his potential in the Longhorns’ last game, albeit against a bad Sam Houston team. The doubters are still out in full force, but the performance was encouraging enough to warrant tuning in for this game. Meanwhile, hot-seat watch rides again for Florida’s Billy Napier, who has struggled to pull any semblance of consistency out of quarterback DJ Lagway or the team. And yet, Texas is just a touchdown favorite.
Line: Texas -7
7. Washington (3-1) at Maryland (4-0), 3:30 p.m., BTN
Put a protective shell of respect on the Terps’ name! Maryland is one of only three FBS teams that haven’t trailed all season, according to TruMedia stats, joining Miami and Texas Tech. But the Terps have a penchant for starting fast before falling off as the season wears on, and Washington is the best team Maryland has faced. We’ll see if the Huskies can overcome the body-clock challenges for a West Coast team traveling 2,500 miles east.
Line: Washington -6.5
6. No. 24 Virginia (4-1) at Louisville (4-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
Beware the ‘Hoos. Florida State went into Charlottesville last Friday and got upset by Virginia, capped by one of the quickest field stormings you will ever see. The Cavaliers make their first appearance in the AP Top 25 poll under coach Tony Elliott and, since 2019, against an undefeated Louisville squad that roared back from a 17-0 deficit at Pitt for a 34-27 win. (Beware the ball boy, too.) That was the stiffest test thus far for the Cardinals, who are aiming for the program’s second 5-0 start in three seasons under coach Jeff Brohm.
Line: Louisville -6.5
5. No. 14 Iowa State (5-0) at Cincinnati (3-1), noon, ESPN2
Big wins for both programs last week. Iowa State, which had slipped under the radar a bit, handled Arizona, and Cincinnati marched down the field for a late go-ahead touchdown in a road win over Kansas, posting 603 yards. Iowa State’s Rocco Becht and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby are two of the more underrated quarterbacks in the country, and both teams have a prime opportunity Saturday. A road win for ISU keeps it neck and neck with Texas Tech atop the Big 12 hierarchy, and the Bearcats can plant their flag in the Big 12 conversation. Keep an eye on the Cyclones secondary, which lost its two best starting cornerbacks to injury in recent weeks.
Line: Cincinnati -1.5
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown for 1,103 yards and seven touchdowns this season. (Charles McQuillan / Getty Images)
4. Mississippi State (4-1) at No. 6 Texas A&M (4-0), 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
The Maroon Bowl! Mississippi State dropped a late lead in an overtime loss at home to Tennessee, but it might be the most improved power conference team in the country in coach Jeff Lebby’s second season. The Bulldogs already have a nonconference win over Arizona State, and a road upset at Texas A&M would really put people on notice. That’s a tough task against an Aggies team that showed it can win 41-40 on the road against Notre Dame with almost 500 yards of offense, then win 16-10 at home against Auburn while holding the Tigers under 200 yards.
Line: Texas A&M -14.5
3. No. 11 Texas Tech (4-0) at Houston (4-0), 7 p.m., ESPN
It seems like money well spent for the Red Raiders, who are 4-0 for the first time since 2013, which is also the last time they climbed this high in the AP Top 25 poll. The offense has been strong, but it’s a top-five defense that has Tech looking like a true contender in the Big 12 (and beyond), led by first-year coordinator Shiel Wood, who was hired away from Houston in the offseason. Houston needed 17 straight points for an overtime comeback win over Oregon State last Friday, but credit coach Willie Fritz and the Coogs, also 4-0 for the first time since 2016.
Line: Texas Tech -11.5
2. No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0) at No. 10 Alabama (3-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC
Your eyes do not deceive you: That’s Vanderbilt — undefeated Vanderbilt — in a marquee game against Alabama. Again. Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia, the ageless wonder and Heisman contender, is coming off a six-touchdown performance and looking to play Bama spoiler for the second year in a row. He even stoked the flames a bit, telling On3 that if his Commodores “play our game, it won’t be close.” That’s quite the statement considering the Tide are out for blood after last year’s upset and fresh off an impressive road win over Georgia in which quarterback Ty Simpson completed 24 of 38 passes for 276 yards with three total touchdowns and zero turnovers.
Line: Alabama -10.5
1. No. 3 Miami (4-0) at No. 18 Florida State (3-1), 7:30 p.m., ABC
Virginia spoiled what could have been an undefeated showdown of top-10 teams, but this is still a stellar rivalry game that has produced its share of drama over the years. It’s the first road game for the Hurricanes, but both of these teams have been tested to this point. Florida State enters with one of the best offenses in the country — averaging 600 yards a game — and has done much of its damage on the ground. But Miami’s defense has been impressively stingy, led by defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. Miami will need to handle the road environment, and quarterback Carson Beck, who has thrown three picks in the last two games, will have to take better care of the football.
Line: Miami -4.5
(Top photo of Carson Beck: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
