College Football Week 6 Preview

Week 5 provided the best stack of top matchups so far this season with another major SEC battle on the year that had national title implications. Now as the schedule starts to load up with conference games, upset alerts should be up and there will be near playoff type of games between some opponents in their respective conferences with title hopes on the line. For the most part, the top 10 has navigated the first month nearly unblemished and there has been some type of shuffling at the bottom of the top 25 each week. Another few big games await this weekend as a few teams can continue to show where they stand among the best.

Looking back at the games highlighted, South Carolina and UCF lived up to the expectations of a game between a top tier SEC team and a rising AAC squad who was undefeated. In the end, the Gamecocks were a little too much but they were tested to the limit. Washington continued to show they are putting it together through the air and on the ground and will get two back to back opportunities against Stanford and Oregon to solidify where they stand in the Pac-12 and potentially among the top teams. Speaking of the Pac-12, Oregon again ran up over 50 points in a win while Arizona State took a close game against USC and bulldozed them in the second half.

With my top 5 for Week 5, I went 5-0 bringing my record to 22-3 on the year. Virginia Tech was able to take a complex option offense for Georgia Tech and break it down. Their offense made some strides during the game and did enough to match their defense to win a thrilling and close ACC battle on a Thursday night. While they were showing some signs of taking a step forward as a team, Mississippi might have overestimated their ability and underestimated Alabama. The Rebels were never really in the game against the Tide as Alabama took advantage of mistakes and their usual efficiency did the rest in an easier than some expected win as they keep themselves positioned for another title. Alabama was able to get revenge for a loss last year to Texas A&M by beating them earlier this year in a rematch. Oklahoma suffered a close loss themselves last year and were able to enact their own bit of revenge against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish fell into an early hole and similar to their game against Michigan; they could not complete the comeback against a very good team. Notre Dame has continued to miss opportunities and make a couple of mistakes and Oklahoma was there to take advantage as they look to be emerging as the best team in the Big 12.

Ohio State has been running the table since the start of the 2012 season under Urban Meyer and they got the best test of the year against Wisconsin but they continued to find a way to win in the end. The Badgers kept it close and had a lead fairly late in the game but could they could not provide themselves enough of a cushion. The defense was picked apart by QB Braxton Miller in his return and the Buckeyes will have a chance to prove themselves again this week on the road in another crucial Big Ten matchup with Northwestern. Without a doubt, the game of the weekend and possibly the year was Georgia surviving an intense contest with LSU. As great as Alabama at Texas A&M was earlier this year, this SEC battle had multiple lead changes and you never really felt like one team was in control. Georgia QB Aaron Murray took another step forward in proving some doubters wrong when it comes to his performance in big games as he was stone cold on a game winning drive late in the 4th quarter as both quarterbacks and their offenses put on a show. Both teams now have 1 loss and yet could still see each other in Atlanta later this year if they can win out or simply navigate the always tough SEC conference schedules.

Now comes this week's games to spotlight and the weekly top 5.

Games to highlight in Week 6:

Georgia Tech at #15 Miami (FL): The Hurricanes are starting to look like a team to reckon with again in the ACC and could take another step forward this week as their offense is starting to really click.

#25 Mississippi at Auburn: Mississippi is coming off their first loss and travels to another school in the state of Alabama to face Auburn, who is playing much better overall this year and could provide for a close battle for positioning in the SEC West.

Minnesota at #17 Michigan: Michigan returns from a week off and gets a Minnesota team that may be coming off its first loss but they have looked like a gritty and tough team. This might be a game that comes either way for Michigan in terms of either a major statement that they are fine or one where they can't fight back to win.

Arkansas at #18 Florida: Arkansas has come up a little short the last two weeks and Florida has not looked overly impressive all year so this game could be a push and pull for two teams who need a win regardless of records.

Missouri at Vanderbilt: Missouri is undefeated and looks a lot more dangerous on offense this year and this game could be a chance for them to take a step forward in the SEC after a rough slate last year.

West Virginia at #19 Baylor: These two teams provided a points epic last year and expect lots of points again however the majority of them will be coming from Baylor as they have looked on par with Oregon when it comes to scoring at will but do not dismiss West Virginia entirely after they slowed down a very good offense in Oklahoma State last week enough to edge out a win.

Top 5 Games of Week 6 (22-3):

5) TCU at #13 Oklahoma: TCU is accustomed to winning double digit games the last few years but this year they have been met with a bit more struggle than normal. The Sooners are right about on par with most Bob Stoops teams are playing well enough to take advantage of mistakes and limit their own. TCU will come to play inspired cause of the competition and they will keep it close but it will not be enough as the Sooners get a late score to seal the game. PICK: OKLAHOMA

4) #23 Arizona State at Notre Dame: The Sun Devils have looked pretty dominant early on and are a close nailbiting loss to Stanford from being undefeated. Notre Dame must avoid what happened to USC to stay in this one because if they turn it over early like they did against Oklahoma; they might not be able to come back as Arizona State can truly bury them if desired. Playing at home will provide some inspiration for the Fighting Irish and it will be a back and forth type of game with some timely scoring. QB Tommy Rees will conduct a major drive in the 4th that allows them to go ahead and an equally crucial defensive stand will allow them to pull the somewhat upset. PICK: NOTRE DAME

3) Maryland at #8 Florida State: Maryland has surged to an undefeated record this year but to take nothing away from that it has not been as impressive as Florida State. The Terrapains are 0-11 in Tallahassee and QB Jameis Winston for the Seminoles has been one of the most dynamic players in college football this year. The combination of those aspects will be what sets the tone and this does not look to even be close based on the talent of the Seminoles. It will be a mere tune up game likely for the Clemson game in two weeks. PICK: FLORIDA STATE

2) #3 Ohio State at #14 Northwestern: Ohio State needed to bring everything against Wisconsin at home. Now they head on the road against possibly one of the best Northwestern teams in school history. The Wildcats see this opportunity as a statement game as well as a step along their path to winning a Big Ten crown and possibly more. The Buckeyes will need to be leery early of what will likely be an aggressive approach by the home team. If they can weather the first half, they will likely take the same approach as last week and wear away at Northwestern doing enough to get that go ahead score and hold on late. PICK: OHIO STATE

1) #16 Washington at #5 Stanford: It is unfortunate that this game takes place after 10pm on the east coast cause this really could be the best game of the week. Stanford is able to slow down teams and attack efficiently on offense while Washington can quick strike and stand toe for toe in this one. The QB/HB duo in Washington flies under the national media's radar for the most part as the Huskies have slowly provided solid wins in each game so far while Stanford epitomizes a complete team effort that does not make too many mistakes. The Huskies will find themselves behind most of the game but will keep fighting back until the end. A late drive and chance to tie or go ahead falls short for Washington as Stanford does enough much like against Arizona State. PICK: STANFORD

Another couple of top 25 matchups highlight this week's schedule as each week becomes that much more important as the road to the national title continues. There are a few good ones this week with the best two starting late in the Saturday slate.