- BYU faces West Virginia in a Friday night Big 12 showdown.
- Iowa State visits Cincinnati for a key Big 12 matchup.
- Miami and Florida State clash in a top-25 ACC game on Oct. 4.
SALT LAKE CITY — Week 6 of the college football season brings no shortage of intrigue. From BYU's Big 12 showdown against West Virginia to Iowa State's trip to face Cincinnati, plus a top-25 clash between Miami and Florida State, this week's games are packed with storylines.
West Virginia (2-3) vs. No. 23 BYU (4-0)
Friday, Oct. 3, 8:30 p.m. MDT – LaVell Edwards Stadium (ESPN)
The Cougars host the Mountaineers in this Big 12 Friday night lights matchup.
Why West Virginia will win:
The Mountaineers are coming off a home loss to Utah last weekend in a game that wasn't close. West Virginia fell to 0-2 in Big 12 play and they face off against a BYU team that was in trouble early in their last game against Colorado.
It is unclear who will start at quarterback for the Mountaineers but Jaylen Henderson and Khalil Wilkins both have similar play styles to Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter. Salter looked good early on against the Cougars before drives stalled later in the game. If either quarterback can take advantage of their athleticism, it should give West Virginia a chance.
The Mountaineer defense will have to force Bear Bachmeier to make some mistakes as the freshman has been clean through his first four games in college. Getting some turnovers from a team that doesn't turn over could change the tide in this one.
Why BYU will win:
After falling down 14-0 early against the Buffaloes last week, BYU would go on to outscore Colorado 24-7 the rest of the game and hold strong on defense to prevent any chance of a comeback. It was the test that this entire team needed as the defense was put into tougher scenarios and the offense had to rally from an early deficit.
The Cougars have quieted any doubt thus far and should be considered the favorite in this matchup with West Virginia coming off a brutal loss to the Utes. The injuries have been mounting for the Mountaineers with running back Jaheim White already out for the season and starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol out for a couple weeks.
The night game home atmosphere has been a major advantage for BYU in the past and with how the team is playing on both sides of the ball lately it would be hard to see this team drop this one. West Virginia doesn't possess the offensive playmakers that Kansas had last year when they pulled off the upset at LaVell Edwards Stadium late last season.
If the Cougars can stick to their game plan and play clean football, they should take care of business and move to 5-0.
Line: BYU -19.5
Over/Under: 47.5
No. 14 Iowa State (5-0) vs. Cincinnati (3-1)
Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. MDT – Nippert Stadium (ESPN2)
The Cyclones take on the Bearcats in Cincinnati as these two meet in a key Big 12 matchup.
Why Iowa State will win:
The Cyclones get the job done every week and they handled their business against Arizona a week ago. Iowa State doesn't necessarily wow you with how they win games but they play smart football on both sides of the ball and are always well coached by Matt Campbell.
Entering Week 6, the Cyclones rank 18th in points allowed with 14.2 but they will be taking on a Cincinnati team that has averaged 39.5 points a game. Iowa State hasn't played a great offensive team yet but the Bearcats will be the best that this defense has seen thus far.
Limiting the Cincinnati offense will be key but can Rocco Becht lead this Cyclone offense to a shootout win if the defense is unable to stop Cincinnati?
Why Cincinnati will win:
The Bearcats have rebounded well after a Week 1 loss to Nebraska, defeating Kansas 37-34 last week. Their late game comeback was led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who helped lead the team to a touchdown drive to take the lead with 29 seconds left.
Sorsby has been one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the Big 12 over the last two years and he is on pace to have a better season this year than he did last year. Sorsby threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns in theur win over the Jayhawks and he has 14 total touchdowns to one interception this season.
The Bearcats will have a chance to dethrone the highest ranked team in the Big 12 at home this Saturday and if they are going to pull it off, Sorsby will have to continue to play at a high level.
Line: CIN -1.5
Over/Under: 53.5
No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0) vs. No. 10 Alabama (3-1)
Saturday, Oct. 4, 1:30 p.m. MDT – Bryant-Denny Stadium (ABC)
The Commodores travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide in a rematch of last year's matchup in which Diego Pavia helped lead Vanderbilt to a huge upset over No. 1 Alabama.
Why Vanderbilt will win:
Diego Pavia. The super senior may be the entire reason this team can beat the Crimson Tide for the second year in a row. The way the Commodore's quarterback plays the position and leaves it all out on the field every play is a major reason why Vanderbilt has started to make noise in a stacked SEC.
The belief that Pavia has in his teammates and this program has been infectious but the Commodores have a chance to exploit one of Alabama's weaknesses on defense. The Crimson Tide allowed 227 rushing yards to Georgia last week and are now without linebacker Qua Russaw after he suffered an injury. Vanderbilt enters this game averaging 223.4 rushing yards per game and they totaled 166 in last year's upset.
If the Commodores can run on this Alabama defense while Pavia makes the necessary throws, Vanderbilt will have a chance at another upset.
Why Alabama will win:
The Crimson Tide have had an interesting season after losing to Florida State in Week 1 but they may have the best win of the season now after a road win against No. 5 Georgia. This team has looked like a much better team since that loss to the Seminoles and they are led by quarterback Ty Simpson who has arguably been the best quarterback in the SEC this season.
Simpson has thrown for 1,138 yards and 11 touchdowns with no turnovers through four games. He has gotten more comfortable as the starter since the Florida State game, a game in which he actually played well in, and now the offensive line has played much better of late. Simpson has great receivers to throw to including Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard.
With the return of running back Jam Miller last week, Alabama's offense looks to be hitting its stride at a good time. They'll have a chance to keep rolling when they face this Vanderbilt defense that allowed 35 points to Utah State last game. This game could be a shootout but the Crimson Tide have better complimentary talent around their quarterback which could be the difference in this one.
Line: ALA -10.5
Over/Under: 56.5
Washington (3-1) vs. Maryland (4-0)
Saturday, Oct. 4, 1:30 p.m. MDT – SECU Stadium (BTN)
A battle of two exciting young quarterbacks takes place in College Park when the Washington Huskies take on the Maryland Terrapins.
Why Washington will win:
The Huskies are coming off a loss to the No. 1 team in the nation last week but had the Buckeyes in a one possession game entering the fourth quarter. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. was 18/22 for 173 yards but couldn't help his team find the endzone in the loss. He'll have to lead the offense to touchdown drives if Washington is going to keep up with a surprisingly good Maryland offense.
The Huskies will have to generate more turnovers than they did a week ago as they forced just one Ohio State turnover on a muffed punt. Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin played clean football and got more comfortable as the game went on. Forcing Maryland to make mistakes that they haven't so far this season will be key in this one.
Why Maryland will win:
The Terrapins are one of the surprise teams to start the season with their biggest win coming on the road against Wisconsin as 10.5 point underdogs. Freshman quarterback Malik Washington has been a standout among the great class of freshman quarterbacks in the country as he has thrown for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception through his first four games.
The Huskies will be the biggest test for Maryland so far this season but the Terrapins have some exciting young players outside of Washington that have taken this team to another level in head coach Mike Locksley's seventh season. The freshman pass rush tandem of Zahir Mathis and Sidney Stewart has transformed Maryland's front seven with Stewart leading all freshmen in the country with four sacks while ranking sixth among all players nationally.
Mathis isn't far behind Stewart and although he didn't record a sack against Wisconsin, he made seven tackles and blocked a kick. These young pass rushers, along with Washington, have a chance to make a statement this Saturday and show the Big Ten that the Terrapins have arrived.
Line: WASH -6.5
Over/Under: 52.5
No. 3 Miami (4-0) vs. No. 18 Florida State (3-1)
Saturday, Oct. 4, 5:30 p.m. MDT – Doak Campbell Stadium (ABC)
These longtime ACC rivals will face up in a top 25 matchup in a game that could key in determining who plays in the ACC Championship.
Why Miami will win:
The Hurricanes are coming off a bye week as they prepare to take on their in-state rivals. This is a big game for Miami as they could be staring down an undefeated regular season if they can get past the Seminoles this weekend as this is the last game of a tough stretch of games to begin the year.
After defeating Notre Dame, USF, and Florida, the Hurricanes have a chance to boost their resume and gain significant ground in securing a spott in the ACC championship. They have been battle tested with some tough matchups but have pulled through and even dominated at times.
Carson Beck has picked up right where Cam Ward left off with this offense but the Miami defense has also been much improved since last season. This Florida State offense leads the nation in scoring, averaging 53 points per game while the Hurricanes are holding opponents to 11.5 points per game which is good for ninth in the nation.
Beck has played in some tough environments during his time with Georgia in the ACC and Doak Campbell Stadium is among the toughest places to play in the country. If he can play a clean game while the defense does it's job, Miami might be looking at making it back-to-back wins over their rivals.
Why Florida State will win:
The Seminoles are coming off a double overtime loss to Virginia in what included one of the craziest field stormings college football fans have ever seen. Florida State will now have to regroup as they face the Hurricanes for the 70th time in program history.
As stated earlier, the Seminoles boast the best scoring offense in the nation but face their biggest test since upsetting Alabama in Week 1. The offense should still be able to put up enough points to win this game but it is their defense that has cause for concern after allowing 46 to Virginia.
Florida State's defense allowed 30 combined points in their first three games before the 46 point outburst and they will need to see that type of defense as they host a Miami team that is led by an experienced quarterback and talented receivers, including freshman standout Malachi Toney.
If the defense can have a much improved game and swarm like they did against the Crimson Tide, the atmosphere in Tallahassee may be too much for the Hurricanes to handle.
Line: MIA -4.5
Over/Under: 53.5
