COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS: WEEK 6 MATCHUPS GIVE POWER FOUR CONTENDERS CHANCE TO JOCKEY FOR POSITION
It’s too early to call it Separation Saturday, but this week’s college football schedule will start establishing the pecking order in the Power Four conferences.
In the Southeastern Conference, the Georgia-Alabama winner will be 4-0 in league play and ahead of the pack along with Texas, assuming the Longhorns beat Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game in Dallas.
In the Big Ten, Ohio State has an easy assignment playing Maryland at the Horseshoe, but Indiana faces its toughest game to date at Nebraska and Oregon hosts a much-improved UCLA.
In the Atlantic Coast Conference, Miami gets the week off while the other two unbeatens in league play try to keep pace. Pittsburgh hosts North Carolina and Duke visits Georgia Tech.
In the Big 12, Texas Tech and surprising Baylor are off while BYU plays Iowa State at home and Utah hosts Kansas. Oklahoma State can show its a contender with a home win over UCF.
The picks, with rankings and betting lines. All games Saturday unless noted:
No. 1 Texas vs. Oklahoma (plus 8 1/2) in Dallas
Oklahoma’s defense is strong enough to keep this close, and quarterback John Mateer got a vote of confidence from Brent Venables this week. That doesn’t change the fact the Sooners’ offense is a mess.
Pick: Texas 21-14.
No. 2 Georgia at No. 6 Alabama (minus 2)
Keelon Russell and the Crimson Tide are on a roll and playing at home, as long as a tropical storm doesn’t interfere. Georgia’s big offensive numbers have come against a schedule that ranks in bottom quarter of FBS.
Pick: Alabama 31-28.
Stanford at No. 3 Notre Dame (minus 38 1/2)
Fighting Irish had trouble putting away North Carolina last week. That shouldn’t be a problem against Stanford, which is playing back-to-back games in the Eastern time zone.
Pick: Notre Dame 52-10.
Maryland at No. 5 Ohio State (minus 34 1/2)
Buckeyes have scored at least 52 points in six of nine meetings since Maryland joined the Big Ten. They might score 62 or more this time.
Pick: Ohio State 62-21.
No. 7 Indiana (minus 7 1/2) at Nebraska
Turbo Richard-Lee Bebee Jr. at running back and Charlie Becker-Nick Marsh at receiver for the Hoosiers are the best combos in the nation. Cornhuskers have lost 30 straight to Top 25 opponents.
Pick: Indiana 38-17.
Iowa State at No. 8 BYU (minus 10)
Cougars are tough on Friday nights in Provo, and they’re going for a third straight 5-0 start. Aiden Flora’s prodigious production against West Virginia won’t carry over for the Cyclones.
Pick: BYU 39-19.
No. 9 Mississippi at Vanderbilt (plus 9)
Rebels have had an extra week to stew over their loss to Florida. Let’s see if they’ve tightened up a defense that’s last in the SEC.
Pick: Mississippi 30-27.
No. 10 LSU at Kentucky (plus 8)
LSU’s Sam Leavitt has had a couple nice outings but has thrown at least one interception in every game. Kentucky is tough at home.
Pick: LSU 27-24.
Kansas at No. 12 Utah (minus 15)
Utes are well-rested after an open date and are giving up just 10.3 points per game. Wayshawn Parker piled up 174 yards rushing against Iowa State and might go off again against the Jayhawks.
Pick: Utah 35-13.
Texas A&M at No. 14 Missouri (minus 3 1/2)
Missouri’s Jamal Roberts ran for 211 yards against Florida and is second in the SEC at 121 yards per game. No player has run for 100 against the Aggies this season.
Pick: Missouri 27-21.
No. 15 Tennessee (minus 13 1/2) at Arkansas
Look for the Volunteers to give Arkansas a steady dose of DeSean Bishop. Razorbacks have allowed 15 rushing touchdowns, tied for most in the nation.
Pick: Tennessee 41-10.
South Carolina at No. 16 Florida (minus 13)
With back-to-back games coming up against Texas and Georgia, Gators want to flush what happened last week at Missouri in a hurry. A Gamecocks team in disarray is just the tonic.
Pick: Florida 36-21.
UCF at No. 18 Oklahoma State (minus 9)
UCF blew a 17-point, third-quarter lead at Houston last week, has injury issues and goes to Stillwater on an 11-game road losing streak. Cowboys are coming off an open date.
Pick: Oklahoma State 35-13.
No. 19 Southern California at Penn State (minus 1)
Nittany Lions got outmuscled by Northwestern and fans are starting to squirm because of new coach Matt Campbell’s 0-2 start in Big Ten play. USC struggles on the road and is playing in the Eastern time zone for second time in four games.
Pick: Penn State 27-24.
No. 20 Iowa at Washington (minus 3)
Hawkeyes could be without QB Hank Brown, who appeared to hurt his shoulder against Ohio State and is questionable.
Pick: Washington 23-17.
No. 21 UCLA (plus 11) at No. 13 Oregon
Bruins are out to a surprising 4-0 start and can score in bunches. So can Oregon, and the Ducks are at home and in good hands whether Dante Moore or Dylan Raiola starts.
Pick: Oregon 34-28.
No. 22 Houston at Kansas State (minus 2 1/2)
A fun nugget is that Houston QB Conner Weigman is facing the team coached by his former Texas A&M offensive coordinator, Collin Klein, who benched him in 2024 and replaced him with Marcel Reed.
Pick: Kansas State 30-27.
No. 23 Boise State at Fresno State (plus 6 1/2)
The teams play for something called the Milk Can Trophy, and the Bulldogs have had possession of it for three years. Fresno State has allowed a total of 43 points over its last four games.
Pick: Fresno State 23-22.
North Carolina at No. 25 Pittsburgh (minus 4)
Pitt fifth-year QB Holden Geriner will make his first career start in place of Mason Heintschel (ACL). Tar Heels are 1-5 on road under Bill Belichick.
Pick: Pittsburgh 32-26.
Bye weeks: No. 4 Miami, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 17 Mississippi State, No. 24 SMU.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 6: AS USUAL, STAKES HIGH FOR GEORGIA-ALABAMA; BRUINS FACE BIG TEST AT OREGON
It will be a top-10 matchup between teams in The Associated Press Top 25 when No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama face off Saturday night.
So what’s new?
What’s new is No. 21 UCLA elbowing its way into the Big Ten conversation in Bob Chesney’s first season. The Bruins, mostly dreadful for two years, are 4-0 and already have one more win than they did last season. They will face their biggest challenge so far when they visit No. 13 Oregon.
As for Georgia and Alabama, no two teams have played each other so often for high stakes the last dozen or so seasons, but this isn’t your typical rivalry where the schools are on each other’s schedule year after year. Seven of the last 11 meetings have taken place at neutral sites — five SEC championship games and two national title games — and only four were regular-season games.
That makes it a rivalry game you often have to hope for — maybe the best kind.
The fact the Bulldogs haven’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2007 probably should be taken with a grain of salt. But it’s notable that Matthew Stafford, who’s still slinging it for the Los Angeles Rams in his 18th NFL season, was the last Georgia QB to leave Bryant-Denny Stadium with a victory.
In the Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 25 Pittsburgh moves on without injured quarterback Mason Heintschel and will try to go 6-0 when North Carolina visits. The Tar Heels squandered a 14-point lead against Clemson and hung with Notre Dame into the second half before losing a second straight game, and now coach Bill Belichick faces mounting pressure with Duke and Miami still on the October schedule.
The Big 12’s main event is under the lights Friday when Iowa State visits No. 8 BYU. The Cyclones get the late-night window to show off emerging star running back Aiden Flora, who may be the best player you’ve never heard of. Last week he ran for three touchdowns and a career-high 212 yards and passed for two TDs against West Virginia.
Best game
No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC) at No. 6 Alabama (5-0, 3-0), 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
When you think of Georgia football under Kirby Smart, hard-nosed, suffocating defenses often come to mind. Since Smart took over in 2016, the Bulldogs have allowed 16.7 points per game, tied with Iowa for best in the nation over that span, according to Sportradar. Alabama has been right there with them.
But it’s offense, and lots of it, that has been the headliner through five games. Georgia’s 51.4 points per game ranks first in the nation and Alabama’s 49.6 is third.
The Bulldogs have popped 12 plays of 40-plus yards, most among Power Four teams, and the Gunner Stockton-led offense is the only one in the nation averaging better than 50 points per game.
Alabama is the only team to score at least 45 points in each of its games. First-year starting QB Keelon Russell averages 282.8 yards passing per game and an impressive 10.7 per attempt. He looked very comfortable in the spotlight in last week’s win at Mississippi State.
Heisman Trophy watch
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has put together back-to-back 200-yard receiving games to establish himself as the clear front-runner for the Heisman, at least among the wagering public. When the Buckeyes host Maryland, Smith could become the first receiver with three 200-yard games since Hawaii’s Ashley Lelie in 2001.
Smith’s 44 catches for 823 yards are the most by an FBS player through five games since Syracuse’s Amba Etta-Tawo had 47 for 840 in 2016, according to Sportradar.
Smith is a less-than-even-money choice at some online sportsbooks. Miami’s Darian Mensah and Alabama’s Russell both are at 7-to-1. Russell has an opportunity to tighten the race with a big performance against No. 2 Georgia.
Numbers to know
0 — Points allowed in the first quarter by Indiana, the only team to hold opponents scoreless the first 15 minutes.
3.6 — New Mexico’s turnover margin. The Lobos have 19 takeaways, eight more than the next closest team, and their one turnover is tied with Notre Dame and Indiana for fewest.
35.8 — Average points per game in Bowl Subdivision games, the highest through a Week 5 since 2018, according to Sportradar.
52 — LSU’s nation-leading number of big plays, defined as runs for 10-plus yards and passes of 20-plus yards.
6,621 — Elevation in feet of Air Force’s Falcon Stadium, which might be part of the reason it’s a touchback haven for kickers. None of a combined 39 kickoffs through four games have been returned.
Under the radar
No. 7 Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at Nebraska (5-0, 2-0), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)
The Cornhuskers have been a bit out of sight, out of mind as they’ve scuffled through Big Ten play and lost 30 straight to Top 25 opponents the last 10 years. The defending national champion Hoosiers, winners of 21 straight, could be looking at a trap game the week before they host No. 5 Ohio State.
The Hoosiers’ only real test has come against Northwestern, a 29-23 home win. The Huskers’ schedule has not been onerous, and when challenged by Michigan State and Maryland, they went on to win easily.
Nebraska is motivated to become nationally relevant again, and beating a top-10 opponent for the first time since 2015 would be a huge step.
Hot seat
South Carolina’s Shane Beamer undoubtedly is in trouble, but his massive buyout might buy him time.
The Gamecocks are coming off their eighth straight loss in a Southeastern Conference game, and 10th in 11, and this one was brutal. They blew a 17-0 lead at home against Kentucky and lost 35-34 in overtime. Boos rained down on Beamer as he jogged off the field. This week the Gamecocks visit No. 16 Florida, which will be looking for redemption after an embarrassing loss at Missouri.
Beamer appeared to break through in 2024 with a 9-4 season that included five straight SEC wins. The Gamecocks were picked fifth in the SEC in 2025, and Beamer was featured prominently in the Netflix preseason documentary “Any Given Saturday.” The Gamecocks are 6-11 overall and 1-10 in the SEC since.
Beamer’s salary is $8.25 million this season under a contract that runs through 2030. He would have been owed $24 million if he were fired after the Kentucky loss, according to The State newspaper of Columbia, South Carolina. That figure would drop to $22.8 after the final game.
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