This Weekend in College Football: Week 6

Due to circumstances, this will be quick. As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

11:30: Navy @ Air Force (CBS): Navy is 0-3 against FBS competition this year, including last week’s 12-0 defeat to San Jose State. It’s hard to see how they’re going to beat Air Force.

Noon:

  • Kansas @ Kansas State (FX): No wizardry should be needed for the Wildcats to prevail.
  • Northwestern @ Pennsylvania State (ESPN): Penn State has won three straight, which is probably three more than some would’ve predicted they’d win all year. Nonetheless, I think Northwestern will beat them.
  • Arkansas @ Auburn (ESPN2): This one has the potential to be awful. I’ll take the Tigers, narrowly.
  • Connecticut @ Rutgers (ESPNU): I’m going with Rutgers because they didn’t lose to Western Michigan this year.
  • Boise State @ Southern Mississippi (FSN): It’s weird to say that a mid-major team has been disappointing, but that’s how USM partisans are summing up this season. Boise had no great expectations this year, coming in with major college football’s youngest roster. Both parties will be thankful that today’s forecast does not call for any rain, unlike the deluge last weekend’s game was in. Also, Boise should win.
  • Boston College @ Army (CBSS): Army is just plain bad this year. So bad even Boston College can beat them.
  • Michigan State @ Indiana (BTN): Sparty should pick up his first Big Ten win of the year down in Bloomington.
  • Mississippi State @ Kentucky (SEC): Once every few years, Kentucky fields a team capable of putting up a fight. This isn’t one of them.

12:30: Virginia Tech @ North Carolina (ACC): VPI has had its struggles this year, but Carolina still has no legitimate victories this year, so I’ll take the Hokies.

3:00:

  • Arizona @ Stanford (FOX): Even with last week’s upset at Washington, this is still a plenty capable Stanford team. And they have the capability to beat Arizona.
  • Virginia @ Duke (ACC): UVA has lost three straight, most recently losing to Louisiana Tech’s spread attack. Duke also likes to spread ’em out and throw the ball, which does not bode well for UVA. Yes, folks, I am predicting Duke to win an ACC game.

3:30:

  • Louisiana State @ Florida (CBS): I’m not sure anyone expected the Gators to get out of September 4-0, but here we are. That said, I think their luck runs out against LSU.
  • Illinois @ Wisconsin (ABC/ESPN2): Oof. Okay maybe we expected Illinois to be awful but Wisconin’s best win so far this year is probably their narrow win over Utah State. Yeah. They should still beat Illinois though.
  • Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (ABC/ESPN2): Texas Tech’s undefeated season ends here.
  • Georgia Tech @ Clemson (ESPN): What do you even say after getting run out of your own stadium by Middle Tennessee State? Anyway, the general rule for Tech-Clemson is “narrow GT win” or “Clemson blowout”. Despite that, I think it’s really anyone’s guess what will happen up there later today. Not much else to say, really.
  • Wake Forest @ Maryland (ESPNU): Speaking of not much to say, uh, Maryland I guess.
  • Iowa State @ Texas Christian (FSN): I still like TCU to win here even minus their starting QB, but it will just be that much harder.
  • Tulsa @ Marshall (CBSS): While doing the bare minimum amount of research I do for these things, I discovered that Tulsa is 63rd nationally in passing but 12th in rushing, whereas Marshall is 3rd in passing and 65th rushing. Almost completely opposite of what I was expecting. That said, I still like the Golden Hurricane here.

4:00: Michigan @ Purdue (BTN): If this Michigan offense can’t get better against Purdue, than who will they get better against? Reluctantly going with the Maize and Blue here.

7:00:

  • West Virginia @ Texas (FOX): I hope you like points! That said, WVU is definitely more proficient at this scoring thing, while it feels like Texas is still getting the hang of it.
  • Georgia @ South Carolina (ESPN): Going with South Carolina here for reasons I don’t fully understand.
  • Texas Agricultural and Mechanical @ Mississippi (ESPNU): This one could get ugly for Ole Miss.
  • Vanderbilt @ Missouri (SEC/FSN): It looks like Mizzou will probably get their first SEC conference win against the Commodores, but I sort of hope they don’t.

7:30: Miami @ Notre Dame (NBC): This suddenly became an interesting game once again in the past two weeks, as the Hurricanes seem to have found themselves a quarterback. If he’s on his game, this will be by far the confident and competent offense the so-far stout Notre Dame defense has faced all year. I’m actually giving a slight edges to the ‘Canes.

8:00:

  • Nebraska @ Ohio State (ABC): Ohio State seems to be the spiritual successor of Auburn from 1993, where the Tigers were also on probation but went undefeated anyway. I like the Buckeyes here,
  • Florida State @ North Carolina State (ESPN2): I like FSU’s chances to continue their rampage through the ACC here. It’s just like the good ol’ days. Well, if you’re a FSU fan at least.
  • Hawaii @ San Diego State (CBSS): Neither of these teams is very good, but I’ll take the one that didn’t have to fly halfway across the Pacific.

10:30: Washington @ Oregon (ESPN): Washington attempts to make it two weeks in a row with a big upset. But this time, they’ll be on the road in Eugene and facing the most well-oiled offensive machine in the country. I can’t say I like their chances.