On paper, college football’s Week 6 appeared somewhat mundane. But as soon as the mud settled on Saturday’s motion, it ended up being one of the vital wildest weekends but. Seven groups ranked within the AP Top 25 misplaced, together with a few huge unranked upsets.
No. 12 Oklahoma proved its value via beating No. 3 Texas, handing the Longhorns their first lack of the 12 months and derailing their College Football Playoff hopes. It used to be a cornerstone win for Brent Venables and his program, who were given run off the sector a 12 months in the past in opposition to the Longhorns.
Meanwhile, No. 13 Washington State, No. 17 Miami and No. 24 Fresno State all misplaced to ranked combatants. Washington State used to be technically an underdog at the street in opposition to UCLA, so it wasn’t an disenchanted within the purest since. But the Cougars’ are one of the vital highest-ranked groups to lose to an unranked workforce this 12 months.
The divisional races within the SEC won some readability, as No. 11 Alabama held off Texas A&M and No. 1 Georgia demolished No. 20 Kentucky. Elsewhere, No. 21 Missouri misplaced to No. 23 LSU and now has floor to make up if it desires to keep within the SEC East race.
Suffice to say, there is a lot of floor to duvet from this slate. Here are our largest overreactions from faculty football’s 6th week.
What is Miami doing?
No, this query is not just directed against Miami’s superb blunder in its 23-20 loss to Georgia Tech. For the ones nonetheless outdoor the know, a fast recap: The Hurricanes had the ball in Yellow Jackets’ territory, up 20-17, with 30 seconds left to play. Georgia Tech did not have any timeouts. Instead of kneeling the clock, like every good workforce would do, the Hurricanes ran the ball. Don Chaney Jr. fumbled, Georgia Tech recovered and the Yellow Jackets went 74 yards in 3 performs to rating a game-winning landing.
The unhappy factor is, this is not new for Mario Cristobal. He did nearly the very same factor 5 years in the past at Oregon in a loss to Stanford. That’s proof that Cristobal has slightly grown as a trainer in that span, and it additionally raises the query: the place is Miami going?
Cristobal is nonetheless making the similar outdated errors. Miami has a difficult street forward with North Carolina, Clemson, NC State, Florida State and Louisville nonetheless at the agenda. With a loss like that in opposition to Georgia Tech, any of the ones 5 video games might be chalked up as a loss. Cristobal does not also have recruiting to fall again in this cycle. The Hurricanes’ 2024 magnificence lately ranks outdoor the top-15 of 247Sports Team Composite scores. Saturday would possibly not lend a hand in that division.
I’m now not suggesting the management wishes to make a transfer on Cristobal. That being mentioned, he higher supply some form of path or imaginative and prescient for this system. Soon.
LSU is wasting one thing special
LSU’s offense is taking part in neatly sufficient to win a nationwide championship, particularly given how huge open this season has been thus far. Quarterback Jayden Daniels is on a Heisman Trophy tempo. He ranks within the height 5 of virtually each and every main passing class, and his 19 touchdowns during the air in LSU’s first six video games are greater than he had all of remaining season.
All of this on height of the truth that he has 422 dashing yards and 4 touchdowns. LSU’s offense is hanging up numbers that may make its ancient 2019 squad inspired. And but it is all going to waste.
LSU is not going to make the College Football Playoff. The Tigers have already made certain of that with a 4-2 document on the halfway level in their season after protecting off No. 21 Missouri in a 49-39 victory on Saturday. It can nearly all be blamed on a shockingly unhealthy protection, which price LSU a recreation in opposition to Ole Miss regardless of the reality the Tigers scored 49 issues. At least Daniels can cling his hat on a incredible appearing in his ultimate 12 months of eligibility.
Every convention race is huge open
Except for one. Sorry that anybody ever doubted you, Georgia, however we are all consuming crow. The SEC nonetheless runs via Athens, Georgia, and it does not appear to be there is any person in both department that may do anything else about it. Maybe issues will alternate by the point the Bulldogs achieve Atlanta, however this one looks as if chalk.
Fortunately, the similar cannot be mentioned for every other energy convention. The ACC and the Pac-12 are each general logjams at this level. Picking a champion out of both league turns out like a entire dart throw — on no account one thing that may be performed with entire self assurance.
Michigan is the chances on favourite within the Big Ten, however you by no means know with Ohio State and Penn State striking round. Oklahoma is pacing the way in which within the Big 12, but no convention has a larger popularity when it comes to sheer chaos.
Oklahoma, welcome again to the College Football Playoff
Speaking of the Sooners, welcome again. What a activity Brent Venables has performed in a 12 months. Last season, Oklahoma did not rating in any respect in a 49-0 loss to Texas. Not handiest did OU rating first in Saturday’s Red River Rivalry, the Sooners saved scoring till they secured a 34-30 win in opposition to the third-ranked Longhorns — their largest rival.
Not simply that, however Oklahoma entered the College Football Playoff dialog in emphatic style. Looking forward, Venables’ squad would possibly simply have the very best trail left amongst reasonable playoff contenders.
There’s a excellent probability that Oklahoma does not see every other ranked workforce till the Big 12 Championship. On paper, its toughest last recreation is at the street in opposition to a Kansas workforce that would possibly now not have its beginning quarterback. BYU and West Virginia have had forged seasons so far, however the jury’s nonetheless out on whether or not or now not they are in truth excellent. Oklahoma’s method to the overall 4 is huge open.
The Mountain West may have a workforce in New Year’s Six
This is not even that daring of a prediction. The Mountain West is taking part in extra special football and, in case you are now not already paying consideration, that is your loss. It’s going to ruin the American Athletic Conference’s grip on New Year’s Six bowls and ship certainly one of its groups to a very distinguished postseason recreation.
And it would possibly not also be Boise State, which has the Mountain West’s inner most custom of constructing a New Year’s Six bowl, and used to be the convention’s remaining workforce to achieve that time in 2014. Instead, there are 4 MWC groups that would achieve that level.
Air Force is pacing the pack. The Falcons are 5-0 with a mean margin of victory of 25.4 issues. Fresno State used to be ranked No. 24 sooner than it misplaced to Wyoming Saturday evening, which places the Cowboys forward within the NY6 race. Wyoming already has a win in opposition to Texas Tech at the resume, and it driven top-10 Texas the entire method into the fourth quarter. Keep a watch on UNLV, as neatly. The Rebels are 4-1, their handiest loss coming at the street in opposition to No. 2 Michigan.
The Cover 3 workforce talks Oklahoma, Texas, Miami, Alabama, Texas A&M and extra. First, unpacking every other wild version of the Oklahoma-Texas competition and Miami’s late-game miscues sooner than diving into the projections for the brand new faculty football scores within the AP Top 25. Then it is on to the largest takeaways from Alabama’s win in opposition to Texas A&M, Louisville’s win in opposition to Notre Dame, how LSU downed Missouri and far, a lot more from a chaotic Saturday within the recreation.