Week 5 of the college football season didn’t disappoint with the USC Trojans at the top of the list of contenders that suffered upset losses. The Trojans had been flirting with disaster a couple of times this year. They struggled to put away California until late in the game and they also needed overtime to be a Texas team that they were supposed to roll. It finally caught up with them last week when the Washington State Cougars beat them on Thursday night.
Another ranked team that got a rude wakeup call was the LSU Tigers, who embarrassed themselves at home to the Troy Trojans. The Tigers had won 49 straight non-conference home games but the Trojans whipped them from start to finish, dominating in almost every facet of the game. They’re clearly a program that’s in the midst of a lot of turmoil and have fallen out of the Top 25 as a result.
The page now turns to Week 6 of the season and a handful of key games that will be in the spotlight. Here is a look at the top televised games for Week 6 of the college football season.
#13 Miami @ Florida State
Saturday, 3:30 PM ET – ESPN
This matchup was circled on most calendars before the season started as one that would have major implications in the ACC. It still does only it’s Miami that is undefeated heading in to Week 6 while the Seminoles are 1-2 after losing their star quarterback Deondre Francois for the season. The Seminoles have been an abject disaster and now, for the first time in a while, the Hurricanes head into this matchup with the upper hand. We’ll find out very quickly whether they’re deserved or not. While they’re a program on the rise, this will be a tough test for them in a “prove-it” type of a situation. Florida State still has enough offensive punch to give the Hurricanes a tough test at home and it will be interesting to see if they can pull out the win in front of their fans and a national audience.
Pick: Florida State -1
#1 Alabama @ Texas A&M
Saturday, 7:15 PM ET – ABC
The top-ranked team in college football has been absolutely dominant while winning five straight games to open the season. Now they will face their toughest test yet on the road against a talented Texas A&M team in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the week. The Aggies can’t be overlooked after improving to 2-0 in SEC play following a big win over South Carolina. The Tide have outscored their SEC opponents 125-3 in their two conference wins so it will be interesting to see if Texas A&M can at least slow their roll.
Pick: Texas A&M +25.5
Michigan State @ #7 Michigan
Saturday, 7:30 PM ET – ABC
Wolverines fans understand that there are no guarantees when it comes to their role in one of the biggest rivalries in college football. Michigan State will always be a tough test for Michigan and that won’t change this season. The Spartans actually looked pretty good in their win over Iowa so they will have some momentum and confidence on their side heading in to this matchup. Meanwhile, Michigan will have an extra week of preparation after a bye week. The Wolverines might win this game but it should be closer than most expect with the Spartans capable of covering as 13.5-point underdogs.
Pick: Michigan State +13.5
California @ #6 Washington
Saturday, 10:45 PM ET – ESPN
The Golden Bears are coming off a pair of double-digit losses to USC and Oregon and we don’t expect them to upset Washington on the road this week. However, considering who is under center for the Huskies this should be a fun late game to watch. Washington quarterback Jake Browning has thrown for 1,251 yards and 12 touchdowns with three interceptions while leading his program to the best record in the Pac-12 and the No. 6 ranking in the entire country. The Huskies can help their case for a playoff spot with another convincing win this week and they should have no problem against California in the late ESPN game.
Pick: Washington -26
Click here to bet on the football futures for the 2017 NFL season right now. DSI will have all of the latest lines, spreads and props for this year’s action!
