The College Football Playoff picture is about to get a lot clearer, and Week 6 is built to shake things up in a hurry.
The SEC is front and center again, with Saturday offering a real chance to sort out who belongs in the playoff conversation and who is just hanging around because of the number of losses already on the ledger. Alabama’s home date with Georgia is the big one to watch, and it comes with plenty of pressure attached.
Kalen DeBoer is usually at his best in these spots, but Bryant-Denny Stadium could deal with weather, and Georgia is waiting next week. That leaves the Crimson Tide needing a top-shelf performance if they want to still be unbeaten by Sunday.
Georgia, meanwhile, gets its first true measuring-stick game of the season. The Bulldogs may not be the highest-ranked SEC team, but Saturday night against Alabama will tell everyone whether they are the team to beat in the conference.
There’s plenty of playoff intrigue elsewhere, too. Boise State has no reason to relax just because the Pac-12 looks workable on paper. Fresno State is dangerous enough to make Saturday night uncomfortable for the Broncos, and another loss is very much on the table.
BYU is also in the spotlight after taking care of Iowa State on Friday night. The Cougars can now shift their full attention to a much-hyped matchup with Notre Dame, though injury concerns are a real issue for Kalani Sitake’s team.
Without tailback LJ Martin, the offense has looked disjointed. Miami has its own health-related priorities this weekend as it uses its off week to try to get healthier and get a few players back in the starting lineup before next Saturday.
Ole Miss, after its first loss of the season, has been waiting to get back on the field and wipe the slate clean. Vanderbilt gives the Rebels a solid chance to do that on Saturday afternoon. Florida also gets a home test that feels far more interesting than usual, with South Carolina coming in and Gamecocks pass rusher Dylan Stewart back in the mix.
Some of the other matchups on the board lean heavily toward the ranked teams. Ohio State has Maryland coming to the Horseshoe, and the Terps know full well that Jeremiah Smith is not someone you can reasonably cover with one defender. Nebraska faces a difficult assignment against Indiana, which at least brings a Top 25 ranking into the road trip.
Notre Dame gets a chance to settle in before its next major challenge. Stanford used to be capable of springing an upset on the Irish in South Bend, but that feels far less likely now with the Cardinal in rebuilding mode. For Notre Dame, it’s a useful chance to clean up both sides of the ball before the trip to BYU.
Then there’s the Red River Rivalry, where anything can happen. Texas has to be sharp against Oklahoma, because the Sooners would love nothing more than to pull the upset at the Cotton Bowl and get their season moving in the right direction.
PODCAST: Listen to Sports Illustrated’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, hosted by Pat Forde, on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s college YouTube channel or on SI TV.
In Other News...
BYU's Biggest Offensive Concern Didn't Go Away In The Iowa State Win
BYU got a much-needed win over Iowa State, and Bear Bachmeier had a hand in just about all of it. The quarterback threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 yards on the ground, giving the Cougars enough juice to control the game even without injured running back LJ Martin in the lineup.
Kalani Sitake liked the result, but the bigger offensive question still lingers. With Martin sidelined, BYU leaned heavily on Bachmeier and did not get the kind of production it usually wants from the rest of the backfield, leaving the Cougars with a familiar development task as they move deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Got The Breakout It Needed Before Notre Dame
Missing its top offensive threat in LJ Martin, BYU still found a way to leave Iowa State with a 21-10 win, and the performance came at a timely moment with Notre Dame looming. The Cougars needed someone else to carry the load, and sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier answered with his most complete showing yet, throwing for 329 yards and adding a career-high 109 on the ground.
Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga II also became important pieces in the passing game, giving BYU a different kind of balance when it needed it most. For a team trying to sort out its identity heading into a marquee matchup, the bigger question now is whether this kind of all-around production can hold up when the competition level rises again. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Looks More Dangerous After Another Statement Win
BYU kept rolling with a 24-10 win over Iowa State, another performance that gave the Cougars more evidence they belong in the national conversation. The game had the kind of defining moments that tend to stick with a team for a while, from an Iowa State penalty on Aiden Flora to a jarring collision involving BYU tight end Roger Saleapaga II and safety Eddie Lemos, but the Cougars kept finding answers and improved to 5-0 on the season.
The biggest swing came when Bear Bachmeier connected with Legend Glasker on a 75-yard touchdown pass, a play that helped separate BYU and underscored how dangerous this offense can be when it gets a crease. With contributions from other players and the usual pregame activity around former BYU players and officials, it felt like another night that reinforced the Cougars confidence, while also hinting there may still be more to come from a team that has started the year with real momentum. [Read more 🡒]