Maybe the schedule makers thought we would wish a breather after Georgia–Alabama final week? There’s just one ranked matchup throughout your entire slate and nothing that jumps out on paper. That mentioned, there are some intriguing matchups that would yield probably telling outcomes. No judgment if you happen to go for the pumpkin patch this weekend, however no sense in complaining a couple of full day of school soccer, both.
Let’s rank the highest 10 video games of Week 6, beginning with honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable Point out: Syracuse at No. 25 UNLV (Fri.), Pitt at North Carolina, Navy at Air Power, West Virginia at Oklahoma State, No. 15 Clemson at Florida State, James Madison at ULM, No. 11 USC at Minnesota
(All level spreads come from BetMGM; click on right here for reside odds. All kickoff occasions are Jap and on Saturday except in any other case famous.)
10. SMU (4-1) at No. 22 Louisville (3-1), Midday, ESPN
Two groups the jury remains to be out on. Louisville has top-of-the-line offenses within the nation and outgained Notre Dame by greater than 100 yards final Saturday, however the Playing cards couldn’t overcome their first three turnovers of the season in a 31-24 loss. SMU has discovered methods to place up factors — besides within the loss to BYU, the place the Mustangs had been held with no landing and made a change at quarterback. Their greatest win is a 66-42 barnburner over TCU within the Iron Skillet. Louisville’s offensive firepower appears to be like extra promising, and receiver Caullin Lacy returned in opposition to Notre Dame, however ideally this recreation will inform us one thing concerning the ACC.
Line: Louisville -6.5
9. Texas Tech (4-1) at Arizona (3-1), 11 p.m., Fox
Huge 12 After Darkish, that includes two groups which have located themselves on the prime of the league standings within the early going. Texas Tech has rebounded from a shaky begin with three straight wins and the highest-scoring offense within the Huge 12, bolstered by the return of a wholesome Tahj Brooks at working again. Arizona equally responded to a blowout loss to Kansas State with a street win at Cam Rising-less Utah. Each groups are streaky however have explosive offenses, which ought to make for a enjoyable, late-night matchup. Take the over.
Line: Arizona -6.5
8. UCF (3-1) at Florida (2-2), 7:45 p.m., SEC Community
Florida head coach Billy Napier survived a street win at Mississippi State and subsequent bye week, now the hot-seat watch resumes in Gainesville. There may be some kerosene drizzled round this in-state matchup, the primary leg of a prolonged 2-for-1 sequence that was agreed to when UCF was nonetheless a Group of 5 program. Florida followers have lengthy seemed down on the Knights, and up to now, this system didn’t see any cause to comply with a real home-and-home. It ought to supply some bulletin-board materials for a UCF workforce that could be a street favourite and appears to be charting a extra encouraging course than the Gators. Napier’s dismissal has seemingly grow to be inevitable, but when Florida loses to UCF in The Swamp, it’s robust to check him lasting by means of the weekend.
Line: UCF -2.5
7. No. 10 Michigan (4-1) at Washington (3-2), 7:30 p.m., NBC
It’s wild to assume that simply 9 months in the past, these groups confronted off within the nationwide championship. Now they meet as newly realigned convention foes in a recreation that couldn’t crack the highest half of this week’s checklist. Each packages have had appreciable turnover coming off historic seasons. Michigan — regardless of getting dealt with at house by Texas, pulling out some slender victories and an incapability to throw the ball — remains to be a top-10 workforce. Washington has suffered a pair of robust losses to Wazzu and Rutgers, however can declare a top-20 offense and top-10 protection when it comes to yards per play. We’ll see how a lot an edge in continuity issues for Michigan and if it has sufficient successful DNA to get a street upset and dangle within the Playoff dialogue for an additional week.
Line: Washington -1.5
6. No. 8 Miami (5-0) at Cal (3-1), 10:30 p.m., ESPN
ACC After Darkish! ESPN’s “Faculty GameDay” is headed to Berkeley for this one, broadcasting at 6 a.m. native time — a full 12-and-a-half hours earlier than kickoff. Miami lastly seemed mortal in its controversial Friday night time win over Virginia Tech, together with a pair of interceptions by quarterback Cam Ward and a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. Cal’s protection has been stable to date as properly, rating within the prime 20 in yards per play and factors allowed. Nonetheless, the final time we noticed the Golden Bears a few weeks in the past, they earned the ignominious distinction of being the one workforce to face Florida State and lose this season. Possibly the West Coast journey has an impression on Miami, however to tug off an upset, Cal will most likely want an enormous recreation from working again Jaydn Ott, who has but to completely erupt as he works again from harm.
Line: Miami -10.5
5. No. 12 Ole Miss (4-1) at South Carolina (3-1), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Was final week’s deflating house loss to Kentucky the actual Ole Miss, or will the Rebels return to their high-octane type? Lane Kiffin’s crew nonetheless has one of many prime offenses in faculty soccer at greater than 600 yards per recreation, however tallied simply over half of that in opposition to UK and managed to place solely 17 factors on the scoreboard. Now it faces a South Carolina workforce that smoked Kentucky on the street in Week 2, ought to have overwhelmed LSU and has a top-10 protection. The narrative on Ole Miss shortly shifted from being a Playoff workforce and dark-horse title contender to questioning whether or not the Rebs are a Potemkin village primed to break down underneath the burden of an SEC schedule. With the likes of LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia nonetheless lurking, Saturday’s journey to Columbia is a take a look at Ole Miss can’t afford to fail.
Line: Ole Miss -8.5
4. Rutgers (4-0) at Nebraska (4-1), 4 p.m., FS1
The Scarlet Knights keep chopping. It hasn’t been essentially the most convincing undefeated begin, however Rutgers is driving working again Kyle Monangai, who’s third within the FBS at 147.3 dashing yards per recreation. A house loss to Illinois and ugly win over Purdue took among the wind out of Nebraska’s resurgence, however the Cornhuskers are in place to succeed in bowl eligibility for the primary time since 2016. This recreation may very well be an inflection level for each groups. Nebraska has a bye up subsequent adopted by street journeys within the span of a month to Indiana, Ohio State and USC, all of that are ranked within the High 25. Rutgers, nevertheless, has a straightforward schedule by Huge Ten requirements, avoiding Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Michigan and Indiana. A win Saturday may probably set Rutgers on a path towards the Huge Ten title recreation, thanks partially to opponents it received’t should face alongside the best way.
Line: Nebraska -7
3. Iowa (3-1) at No. 3 Ohio State (4-0), 3:30 p.m., CBS
I understand there’s an enormous unfold on this recreation, however Ohio State has but to look on any of those weekly prime 10 lists, as a result of it hasn’t confronted a workforce ok to make a recreation fascinating. The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 195-27 (!!!) by means of 4 video games. Iowa could properly be part of that checklist of hapless challengers on Saturday, however the Hawkeyes are by far the hardest take a look at Ohio State has seen this season and will present a greater sense of simply how excessive the ceiling is in Columbus. It’s additionally a possible entice recreation for Ohio State, with a street journey to Oregon subsequent week and video games in opposition to Nebraska and at Penn State on the horizon. Iowa’s schedule eases up considerably after this one, however losses to Iowa State and the Buckeyes would actually dampen the Playoff resume.
Line: Ohio State -19.5
2. No. 4 Tennessee (4-0) at Arkansas (3-2), 7:30 p.m., ABC
Tennessee registered its lowest level whole of the season within the 25-15 street win at Oklahoma on Sept. 21, however the Vols have been one of the vital spectacular and balanced groups in faculty soccer, beginning 4-0 and ranked within the prime 5 for the primary time for the reason that program’s nationwide championship season in 1998. Convention losses by Georgia and Ole Miss additionally crack the window a bit extra for Tennessee to presumably attain the SEC Championship Sport for the primary time since 2007. There’s nonetheless an extended technique to go, with Alabama and at Georgia on the schedule, but when the Vols can break up these two and win out in any other case, that may be ok to get them there. Nonetheless, beating Arkansas isn’t a given. The Hogs rush for higher than 5 yards per carry and are ranked a decent thirty fourth in ESPN’s SP+.
Line: Tennessee -13.5
1. No. 9 Missouri (4-0) at No. 25 Texas A&M (4-1), Midday, ABC
Does this recreation deserve the highest spot? It’s roughly right here by default. Missouri is lingering within the prime 10 regardless of some wobbly wins over Boston Faculty and Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M is barely hanging on within the High 25, tied with UNLV for the ultimate spot. But it’s nonetheless an vital recreation. Is Mizzou a legit top-10 workforce or merely a paper tiger? Do the Aggies have sufficient to work their manner again into Playoff competition? I get it if the knee-jerk response is to wince at this being the very best recreation of the weekend, and perhaps I’m a university soccer populist for this take, however I like that an early October assembly between Mizzou and a rebuilding A&M has some significant big-picture stakes concerned.
Line: Texas A&M -2.5
(Photograph of Luther Burden III: Rick Ulreich / Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)
