Your college football Week 6 guide starts with a Saturday that stacks two of the sport’s biggest games on the same day. First, No. 2 Georgia visits No. 6 Alabama under the lights. Meanwhile, No. 1 Texas meets Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl. For the full preview, see our Georgia-Alabama breakdown of the loaded slate. Before the games, here’s what happened last week. After that, we rank every game worth your remote by how much it matters.
Week 5 Recap Before Our College Football Week 6 Guide
Last weekend did what Saturdays do best. It broke a few brackets and a few hearts, which is why any college football Saturday guide has to start there. Missouri hammered Florida 45-17, and the Gators had been sitting at their highest ranking since 2020 before the loss. As a result, in the latest AP Top 25, Missouri jumped 11 spots to No. 14 while Florida fell eight to No. 16.
Alabama also made its own statement by beating No. 16 Mississippi State 56-23. For example, quarterback Keelon Russell went 16-of-22 for 285 yards and three touchdowns, according to Fox Sports. Meanwhile, No. 5 Ohio State won at No. 14 Iowa 31-14, and receiver Jeremiah Smith broke the school’s receiving touchdown record along the way. If you want more of the weekend’s biggest swings, read our recap of the biggest wins, wild stats and rankings shakeups.
Then came the chaos. Minnesota beat Michigan 20-14, and that was P.J. Fleck’s first win over the Wolverines. Likewise, Kentucky beat South Carolina 35-34 in overtime on a two-point conversion, after trailing by as many as 17 before halftime. And in the FCS ranks, Idaho knocked off No. 1 Montana State 35-34 with a two-point try of its own, per NCAA.com. Nebraska, for its part, moved to 5-0 for the first time since 2016 with a 48-23 win over Maryland.
College Football Week 6 Guide, Game 1: No. 2 Georgia at No. 6 Alabama
When and where to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Likewise, ESPN College GameDay is on site. If you want streaming options, check ESPN’s schedule.
Both teams are 5-0, so this is the game that tilts the SEC and the playoff picture. Alabama is a slight favorite at about 1.5 points, according to ESPN’s DraftKings line. However, the number opened with Georgia favored and flipped the same day. Meanwhile, reports put the total anywhere from 51.5 to 55.5.
The offenses are loud. Georgia averages 51.4 points per game and allows 13.4, while Alabama averages 49.6 and allows 20.8, according to Sports Betting Dime. On the injury front, Georgia will reportedly play without running back Bowens, per ESPN’s Week 5 takeaways page.
The stakes are real. CBS Sports puts Georgia’s playoff odds at 93.1% and Alabama’s at 81.8%. In addition, a win would push them to 97.7% and 93.5%, per CBS Sports.
Expected score: The models are split. Dimers projects Alabama 29, Georgia 24, while WagerTalk has Georgia 24, Alabama 20. CBS’s pick is Georgia, by a late squeaker. Translation: nobody knows, and that’s why you’re watching.
This Weekend’s College Football Games: No. 1 Texas vs. Oklahoma (Red River Rivalry)
When and where to watch: 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The 122nd edition of the Red River Rivalry pits the nation’s top-ranked team (4-0) against an Oklahoma squad that’s 2-2. In addition, both are coming off a bye. Texas is a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 39.5, per CBS Sports, though the line opened at 9.5.
History says don’t relax. Last year, an unranked Texas beat No. 6 Oklahoma 23-6, and Steve Sarkisian is 3-1 against Brent Venables in the series. Texas is also just 1-3 against the spread this season, a wrinkle bettors have noticed. For more, our Red River Rivalry preview on Arch Manning and a struggling Oklahoma digs deeper.
Expected score: Dimers projects Texas 24, Oklahoma 17. Meanwhile, prediction markets give the Longhorns about a 74% chance, per Rocky Top Insider.
College Football Viewing Guide: Texas A&M at No. 14 Missouri
When and where to watch: 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC from Columbia, Missouri.
Missouri is riding the biggest rise in the poll after the Florida demolition. The Tigers are 3.5-point favorites with a total near 49. Can a new top-15 team handle a noon crowd and a ranked-team hangover? We’ll find out early, so this noon kickoff opens the viewing guide for the day.
Expected score: Missouri 27, Texas A&M 24 by our read of the line.
College Football Week 6 Guide Pick: No. 9 Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
When and where to watch: 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN from Nashville.
Ole Miss (3-1) is a 9.5-point favorite with a total of 54.5. The Rebels beat LSU last week in the SEC’s spin-the-wheel standings. Still, a trip to Nashville is exactly where a ranked team stubs its toe, so this game earns a spot in the college football Week 6 guide.
Expected score: Ole Miss 34, Vanderbilt 24.
Week 6 College Football Schedule: No. 15 Tennessee at Arkansas
When and where to watch: 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network from Fayetteville.
Tennessee is a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 51.5. The Vols need a clean road win to stay in the SEC chase, while the Razorbacks have nothing to lose. In fact, that’s the kind of game that makes the Week 6 college football schedule so tricky for favorites.
Expected score: Tennessee 35, Arkansas 20.
No. 10 LSU at Kentucky: A College Football Saturday Guide Staple
When and where to watch: 7:00 p.m. ET from Lexington. ESPN lists the kickoff time, but confirm the TV channel on ESPN’s SEC schedule.
Kentucky is 4-1 and dropped out of the poll after that overtime nail-biter. LSU, meanwhile, is 4-1 after the Ole Miss loss. Wildcats fans will remember how close their team came last week, so they’ll hope for a repeat of the magic. Any college football Saturday guide should circle this one for the evening slate.
Expected score: LSU 28, Kentucky 21.
South Carolina at No. 16 Florida: This Weekend’s College Football Games Continue
When and where to watch: 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network from Gainesville.
Florida is an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 59.5, and coach Jon Sumrall’s first season needs a bounce-back after the Missouri loss. South Carolina is dealing with turmoil too, because coach Shane Beamer suspended star defender Dylan Stewart indefinitely after a sideline confrontation. Among this weekend’s college football games, that adds a wild card.
Expected score: Florida 34, South Carolina 21.
The Rest of the Ranked Slate in Our College Football Week 6 Guide
Every other ranked game also belongs in this college football Week 6 guide, so here is the rest of the card:
- No. 7 Indiana (5-0) at Nebraska (5-0): 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX, Lincoln. Indiana is a 7.5-point favorite. A win would be Nebraska’s biggest of the year. Expected score: Indiana 30, Nebraska 24.
- Stanford at No. 3 Notre Dame: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock. Notre Dame is a 38.5-point favorite, per NBC. Expected score: Notre Dame 45, Stanford 7.
- No. 21 UCLA (4-0) at No. 13 Oregon: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. ESPN reports Oregon quarterback Moore is out and Raiola will start. Expected score: Oregon 27, UCLA 24.
- No. 19 USC at Penn State: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock. The Trojans rallied from 11 down last week to beat Washington. For the matchup details, confirm them on NBC’s page. Expected score: Penn State 27, USC 24.
- UCF at No. 18 Oklahoma State: 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2. Oklahoma State is a 10.5-point favorite. Expected score: Oklahoma State 31, UCF 20.
- North Carolina at No. 25 Pittsburgh: 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN. Pitt is a 3.5-point favorite and leads the ACC at 5-0. Expected score: Pittsburgh 24, North Carolina 21.
- No. 22 Houston at Kansas State: 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX. The Cougars rallied from 17-0 down against UCF last week. Expected score: Houston 28, Kansas State 24.
- Maryland at No. 5 Ohio State: 4:15 p.m. ET, BTN, per FBSchedules. Jeremiah Smith is already drawing Heisman talk. Expected score: Ohio State 42, Maryland 14.
- Kansas at No. 12 Utah: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. Night owls, this one’s yours. Expected score: Utah 31, Kansas 21.
Also on the board: No. 8 BYU hosts Iowa State, No. 20 Iowa plays at Washington, and No. 23 Boise State is at Fresno State, all this week. Check ESPN’s full schedule for kickoff times and channels. On the other hand, No. 4 Miami, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 17 Mississippi State and No. 24 SMU appear to be off this Saturday.
More Games for Your College Football Week 6 Guide Viewing
Beyond the ranked matchups, these games round out the college football viewing guide for the day:
- Duke at Georgia Tech: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2.
- Virginia Tech at Cal: 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network.
- Syracuse at Virginia: 7:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network.
- Wake Forest at NC State: 12:00 p.m. ET, The CW.
- Arizona at West Virginia: 12:00 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV and HBO Max, per Sports Media Watch.
- Tulane at Army: 12:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network.
- UConn at Temple: 3:45 p.m. ET, ESPNU.
- UAB at Memphis: 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2.
- Hawaii at Arizona State: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS1.
Here’s the Thing About This College Football Week 6 Guide
This is the Saturday where the SEC sorts itself out. Georgia and Alabama are both unbeaten, Missouri just proved it belongs, and Florida needs to prove last week was a blip. Georgia, for its part, is coming off a 63-3 rout that vaulted it to No. 2 in the AP Top 25. The new AP poll arrives Sunday, so if Alabama wins in Tuscaloosa, a climb toward No. 1 is not out of the question.
Predicted scores above come from betting and model sites and our own read of the lines. Because lines move, check kickoff times and TV windows before you settle in. Then grab your snacks and clear the couch. Saturday is going to be loud.
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