There’s something special about October in college football. Sure, the cooler weather and fall foliage is part of it, but it’s also the on-field action.
October is when upsets can truly shock us; when hopes for a special season are either dashed or launched into the stratosphere. In the thick of conference play, October college football is when dramatic plot twists start to happen every few hours on a Saturday. October is when dark horses start to become front runners.
Week 6 is loaded with compelling matchups and we’re here to give you our picks for the most watchable games this Saturday.
5
Alabama vs. Texas A&M (8 p.m. ET on CBS)
Favorite: Alabama (-24)
Normally we wouldn’t offer such a hearty recommendation for a game in which Alabama is a three-touchdown favorite, but this one is an exception for a couple of reasons. The spicy tiff between Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban in the offseason has made this one of the most anticipated meetings of the season, and despite the one-sided predictions for this game’s outcome, that emotional and personal storyline still makes this one a compelling watch.
And that’s not even mentioning the fact that both teams head into this game with a lot of uncertainty about who will be lining up at quarterback. A&M’s struggles this season have reopened the competition under center while Alabama’s Bryce Young is dealing with a banged up shoulder and could lead to the first career start for backup Jalen Milroe.
4
Oklahoma vs. Texas (Noon ET on ABC)
Favorite: Texas (-7)
The Big 12’s two greatest villains are having a rough year, much to the enjoyment of their long-suffering conference brethren. Steve Sarkisian’s second season in Austin, which started off so promising with a near-upset against Alabama, went off the rails against Texas Tech. Meanwhile, Brent Venables’ has opened his tenure at Oklahoma with demoralizing losses to both Kansas State and TCU. Both schools need a win here badly to get fan enthusiasm back where they expect it to be.
The ultimate indignity for these two blue bloods may be that this isn’t the biggest game in the Big 12 this week. For more on that, keep reading…
3
LSU vs. Tennessee (Noon ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Tennessee (-3)
The fairy tale continues for Tennessee as it heads into October unbeaten after the longest and darkest of droughts in the program’s history. While this is certainly not a vintage LSU team, the Tigers have arguably one of the best conference wins in the league so far with a win over a surging Mississippi State and another on the road last week against Auburn. And while there are many things about this LSU program that can’t compare to championship seasons of the past, the crowd in Baton Rouge on Saturday is not going to be any less intimidating than it usually is.
If the Vols can pass this road test, one of the toughest in the SEC, it might be time to take them seriously as a potential threat to Alabama and Georgia.
2
UCLA vs. Utah (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX)
Favorite: Utah (-4)
The Pac-12 has quietly become one of the most compelling and competitive leagues in the Power 5 this season, and not just because of USC’s apparent return to the spotlight. From top to bottom, the Pac-12 may be one of the deepest leagues in college football this year, and Utah and UCLA are two key players in that storyline, with just one loss between them (Utah’s razor-thin loss on the road to Florida to open the season).
Both programs are playing some of the most balanced, consistent football we’ve seen out of the Pac-12 in years, and both could challenge for the conference title or even a playoff spot with a win in this matchup.
1
Kansas vs. TCU (Noon ET on FS1)
Favorite: TCU (-7)
It’s been a long time coming but Kansas and TCU are the belles of the ball this week in college football. With ESPN’s College Gameday on campus and the eyes of the college football world focused squarely on Lawrence, the Jayhawks have the opportunity to take their Cinderella story to the next level this weekend. But it won’t be easy.
The Horned Frogs’ dynamic duo of Max Duggan and Kendre Miller has been an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses, and Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels will need to be firing on all cylinders to keep up.
