Week 6 of the College Football season is upon us and while it's not nearly as eye catching as the slate of games in Week 5, this still has a chance to be a magical weekend. This weekend has a few massive matchups between rivalry games and conference games that could lead to big storylines. Even if there aren't as many big games, and it's a down weekend, we've learned that in College Football chaos happens when you least expect it.
Now that we've seen almost every team play 5 games, the races for the College Football Playoff and the conference championships are shaping up. Leaving the weekend, we'll certainly have some stunning upsets, more hot seat talk with potential firings, and tons of debate over where everyone will rank in the Top 25.
The 10 storyline games everyone needs to keep an eye on in Week 6
Boise State Broncos Vs #21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Every game for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish going forward is a must watch as any loss will likely eliminate their chances of making the College Football Playoff. In this game, the Boise State Broncos could give the Fighting Irish another tough test especially is the Irish defense struggles. The Broncos have started to round into form after their loss to USF and if they can push Notre Dame, it'll be interesting to see how they respond.
Michigan State Spartans Vs Nebraska Cornhuskers
While neither of these teams are ranked in the Top 25, Michigan State and Nebraska facing off is fascinating. Both sides have solid quarterbacks in Aidan Chiles and Dylan Raiola and a big performance by either in a win could vault them into the wide-open Heisman Trophy race. The loser of this game is likely out of the race for the Big Ten while the winner could get themselves back on track.
#24 Virginia Cavaliers Vs Louisville Cardinals
The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off of the biggest win of the Tony Elliott era after knocking off Florida State. Now, Elliott and his team have a chance to be the dark horse team in the ACC and if they beat Louisville on Saturday, it'll move them one step closer to that point.
The Louisville Cardinals are a team that's knocking on the door of the AP Top 25 and a win over Virginia could get them inside that mark. The Cardinals got their first ACC win last weekend knocking off Pittsburgh and after some early struggles they should be ready to go. Miller Moss and Isaac Brown could be one of the most lethal duos in the league and in this game, the two will need to power the Cardinals if they're going to compete for the ACC.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Vs #6 Texas A&M Aggies
Last weekend, despite the fact that they lost, Mississippi State proved that they're the real deal under Jeff Lebby. Now the Bulldogs have another chance to pick up an upset win as they face a red hot Texas A&M team in College Station. The Aggies defense was incredible last weekend against Auburn but, the offense struggled for the first time all season. If Texas A&M doesn't take this team seriously, we could find ourselves watching a close game late.
Washington Huskies Vs Maryland Terrapins
The Washington Huskies had their hopes of making the College Football Playoff hurt last weekend as they were dominated by the Ohio State Buckeyes. Jedd Fisch will look to get his offense back to it's high flying form after the group was contained by Ohio State. While you'd normally look at this Maryland team as one that Washington should beat, that's not certain.
The Maryland Terrapins have been one of the biggest surprises of the season jumping out to a 4-0 start with a win in Big Ten play. Freshman quarterback Malik Washington has been exciting for the Terps and as he continues to get better, this team gets tougher to beat. If Maryland can pull off a win in this game, you have to start considering them a dark horse in the Big Ten.
Clemson Tigers Vs North Carolina Tar Heels
Coming into the season, many thought that Clemson and North Carolina could be a pivotal game in the ACC race. Fast forward 4 games for each team and this game resembles more of a matchup between disasters. Dabo Swinney will be looking to get his team back on track by punishing a far inferior opponent while Bill Belichick could pick up a signature win.
#11 Texas Tech Red Raiders Vs Houston Cougars
On Saturday Night, two of the Big 12's best teams and unbeaten teams face off when Texas Tech and Houston clash. The Red Raiders have the best roster in the Big 12 and already picked up a key win over Utah but, we haven't seen them since that game where Will Hammond replaced an injured Behren Morton. The Cougars are off to a 4-0 start and with Conner Weigman at quarterback, they have the talent to upset anyone. This game will have a massive impact on the race for the Big 12 Championship and it'll be a massive test for the Cougars.
#16 Vanderbilt Commodores Vs #10 Alabama Crimson Tide
In 2024, Diego Pavia pulled off the unthinkable knocking off Alabama who was the top ranked team at the time. This challenge is much tougher as Pavia heads to Tuscaloosa and the Crimson Tide won't be overlooking him this time around. After losing to Florida State, Alabama has looked focus and will be coming off of a massive win over Georgia. It will take an incredible effort from Diego Pavia but, time and time again he's proven we shouldn't count him out.
#9 Texas Longhorns Vs Florida Gators
After both teams spent the week on the bye, the Texas Longhorns face off against the Florida Gators in a fascinating matchup. This game will be the biggest test Arch Manning has had since Ohio State as the Gators defense hasn't been the problem and could expose him once again. If Manning struggles and Texas somehow loses, the Longhorns playoff hopes will be all but, washed away as they'd have to go on an incredible run the rest of the season.
The Florida Gators have fallen to 1-3 and every game at this point feels as if it could be Billy Napier's last. DJ Lagway and the offense haven't clicked yet but, if they can find a way to do so against Texas, they could end up shocking the Longhorns.
#3 Miami Hurricanes Vs #18 Florida State Seminoles
This game should've been one of the most exciting of the year and of the ACC slate but, the Florida State Seminoles taking a loss last weekend against Virginia dealt a blow to the game. Nonetheless, these teams are finally both good at the same time which should give us a heated, emotional back and forth game. The Hurricanes have looked like one of the best teams in the Country and could knock the Seminoles out of Playoff contention while FSU could climb right back into the Playoff picture and the ACC race with a win.
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