Tennessee looks to continue its winning streak this week against Texas A&M.
So much has changed in the last five weeks of college football. Teams went from being in the top five to unranked and from unranked to the top 10. Last week alone we watched North Carolina take down an already struggling-to-stay-ahead FSU with a single field goal, Oklahoma State stun the now-unranked Texas Longhorns and Clemson overcome Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals. And, we aren’t even halfway through football season yet.
Week 6 might have only a single top-10 matchup, but it is likely that it will not be a boring week for college football fans. Multiple teams are on upset alert, and some take on age-old rivals.
So, in Week 6, make sure you don’t miss these games:
No. 20 Oklahoma vs. Texas
Saturday, Oct. 8 at noon ET | GameCenter
Yes, watch the under-performing Sooners take on the not-ranked Longhorns. Why? Because this remains one of the most interesting rivalries in college football history, and the added storylines of the 2016 season will make the matchup all the more entertaining.
The Red River Rivalry has taken place in all but nine years since 1900. And last year, Texas caused the only blemish on Oklahoma’s record in the regular season. In 2016, there is a bit more tension added to the game.
After a few rough losses to Houston and Ohio State, Oklahoma has dropped from being an obvious playoff contender in the preseason to a team with a potential finish outside of the top 25. Texas, on the other hand, first stepped onto the field looking to lack promise but surprised us with a big win over Notre Dame. After back-to-back losses against California and Oklahoma State, Texas looks to have taken a step backward. Now, pressure builds for the two teams to perform well. Jobs and program success look to be on the line coming into the game.
Both come into the Red River Rivalry with a 2-2 record and seem to be strong on offense but lack defensively, so it should be a high-scoring game that is likely to come down to few points in the last seconds, making the matchup an interesting game to watch for any fan of football.
No. 9 Tennessee vs. No. 8 Texas A&M
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET | GameCenter
After an insane last-second win over Georgia last week, the Volunteers posted their first 5-0 record since 1998, the last year they went undefeated and won the national championship, and now that they have broken into the top 10, they look to tally another ranked win towards their perfect 2016 record. The Aggies are also undefeated, but with wins over lower-ranked opponents, so this looks to be Texas A&M’s biggest test so far this year.
You can't write stuff like this. @Vol_Football will remember this play forever. https://t.co/pMQymhAvBm
— SEConCBS (@SEConCBS) October 1, 2016
A loss for Texas A&M here seems to be a fairly average occurrence. In 2014 and 2015, the Aggies went 5-0 before facing a tough team and losing. But, will this game turn out this way?
Tennessee has struggled to put points on the board until the second half of the game, and against the Aggies, the Volunteers just can’t do that. Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight knows how to make a ball fall into the hands of the many receiving weapons on the Aggies’ offense. If he is performing well, it may be a long game for the Vols.
However, the Vols’ quarterback equally remains a threat to Texas A&M. Once Joshua Dobbs is loose, he can move a ball down the field and make some seriously crucial plays to post a win, just look at that last pass he threw against Georgia. If the Aggie defense can’t stop him, Texas A&M will walk away with another 5-1 record at the end of Week 6.
Really, the game could go either way, and it should be one of the most exciting games of the week.
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Arkansas
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. ET | GameCenter
So far the Crimson Tide has been turning out wins like a well-oiled machine, and it doesn’t look like they will be slowing down anytime soon. However, going up against a ranked opponent may force Alabama to change a few gears.
Arkansas has been owning the clock this season, coming in at No. 15 in the nation with an average of about 35 minutes for its time of possession. Alabama ranks No. 24 with an average of about 33 minutes, so if the Razorbacks’ offense can keep the ball and make some serious plays, it might keep the score close against a team that has an average margin of victory of 31 points.
No. 10 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 23 Florida State
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. ET | GameCenter
Coming off of a few heartbreaking losses against Louisville and North Carolina, FSU travels to Miami looking to prove that they are better than their record and ranking reflects, whereas the Hurricanes come up against FSU in what could be considered their biggest test since Mark Richt took over.
RELATED: A look at the statistically even matchup between FSU, Miami
Looking at the statistics of each team, the two look to be fairly matched, especially when comparing the teams to the matchups between them in previous years. While Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya has more experience on the field than Deondre Francois, both look to be major threats to the opposing team’s defense. And both teams have stellar running backs in Dalvin Cook and Mark Walton.
Miami's defense remains one of the top in the nation.
However, Florida State will not go down without a fight and, again, are looking to prove that they are worthy of their former top-5 ranking, so it should be one of the better games to watch on Saturday.
Honorable mentions:
Auburn vs. Mississippi State
Saturday, Oct. 8 at noon ET | GameCenter
SEC West matchups usually turn out fairly interesting, and while Mississippi State hasn’t proven themselves to be the toughest competitor, a win over an Auburn team that defeated LSU could prove to be impactful for Mississippi State’s season.
No. 17 North Carolina vs. No. 25 Virginia Tech
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET | GameCenter
With similar records, these two teams will be battling for a better standing within the ACC. It may come down to the final seconds again for the Tar Heels.
No. 5 Washington vs. Oregon
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET | GameCenter
Washington hasn’t defeated the Ducks since 2003. This may be the Huskies' year to dominate Oregon on the field.
