By Chris Carlson: Week 5 gave fans a hell of a ride with a total of 8 ranked teams falling to the wayside including 6 of those were unranked . TCU, Tulsa, Arkansas, N.C. State all earned surprising wins. Week 6 has a plethora of interesting matchups of ranked vs. ranked and a few games flying under the radar that could result in two things we love most upsets or drama-filled endings. Not only the SEC, but the ACC and Big-12 feature meaningful games in Week 6.
Marquee Matchups
#1 Clemson vs. #7 Miami: The Canes come into this marquee matchup on fire after destroying their rivals FSU, at 3-0 Miami has finally found a QB D’Eriq King and an offensive coordinator to boot. Clemson of course returns the best signal caller in the country Trevor Lawrence and a host of quality players that have become accustom to being a winner. Lawrence hasn’t thrown an interception in 314 attempts the most in school history and 3rd longest streak in the ACC. Both teams can move the ball and put up points so it will likely be the defense that plays a major part whether it’s a timely turnover or forcing field goals instead of touchdowns. Clemson wins and it’s just a matter of covering the 15-point spread.
The Pick: Clemson 37 Miami 27
#3 Georgia vs. #14 Tennessee: The Volunteers have won 8 games in a row and now have an opportunity to make a huge statement. The problem with getting overly hyped about this win streak is the fact that Tennessee hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent. Georgia on the other hand is coming off a resounding victory over Auburn and look in much better shape at quarterback then they did in the opener versus Arkansas. The talent gap is fairly wide as is the ‘been there done that mentality’ that’s imbedded in the Bulldogs program having been so close to a national title. Although, the Vols are improved as a team and there QB Jarrett Guarantano is solid but it won’t be enough to defeat Georgia.
The Pick: Georgia 31 Tennessee 20
Under The Radar
#22 Texas vs. Oklahoma: Normally the Red-River rivalry would be getting a bunch attention this week but Texas recently loss to TCU and the Sooners are 0-2 in conference play. This game could be in the barnburner section because it will obviously be played at a high level, well at least on the offensive side of the ball. Longhorn QB Sam Ehlinger is a stat-machine and as we know the Lincoln Riley system always produces video game numbers. With a over/under set at 72.5 points what’s not to love, unless you’re a throwback purist that hates high scoring games. Sooner QB Spencer Rattler is a talented player but this podcaster will put his money on the vet in Ehlinger to steer Texas to a razor-close victory in the closing minutes.
The Pick: Texas 37 Oklahoma 34
Saturday Upset Special
N.C. State tries to make it back to back upsets, last week is was Pitt this week it’s Virginia as a 7-point underdog.
Hardcore Barnburners
#5 North Carolina vs. #19 Virginia Tech: This ACC matchup is a bit of a proving ground for these highly-ranked squads to see which one is the real deal or just overrated with the funky AP Top 25 this year.
Kansas State vs. TCU: The Wildcats got a tremendous upset over Oklahoma and the Horned Frogs recently beat Texas which lines up very nicely for a competitive game with an old school feel compared to the air-it-out teams the Big-12 is known for in the 2000’s.
Against The Spread
South Carolina will get their first victory of the season but it may not be by the 13.5-point spread over a tricky Vanderbilt club.
Take it to the window
#4 Florida will defeat #21 Texas A&M and cover as a 5-point favorite.
Quick Hits Recap
-Iowa State shocked Oklahoma giving the Cyclones their 1st win at home over the Sooners since 1960.
-Oklahoma moves to 0-2 in the Big-12 for the first time since the 1998 season.
-TCU continued their dominance over Texas since joining the Big-12 with a 33-31 win making them 7-2 facing the Longhorns dating back to 2012.
-Arkansas’s upset over red-hot Mississippi State snapped a 17-game losing streak to AP ranked teams.
-Tulsa put a halt to Central Florida’s 21 straight home victories with a 34-26 victory.
-BYU QB Zach Wilson threw for 325 yards and scored 5 combined touchdowns in a 45-14 beat down of Louisiana Tech.
-SMU WR Reggie Robertson already has 3 catches of at least 50-yards including 70 and 85 yard touchdowns on the season.
Written by Chris Carlson Host of The College Ball Show Podcast available at blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio & Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio