College football has started. It is now time for loads of football every Saturday. Here are five things to watch for in college football week 6.
1. Will Bo Nix Get Another Big Win?
One of the best games of the weekend has the Auburn Tigers taking on the Florida Gators in Gainesville. This is a top-10 matchup, which gives Auburn another chance for a big win, even if Florida is on thier second-string quarterback.
The most important thing for Auburn is the progression of young quarterback Bo Nix. He has been able to lead the team to good wins over Oregon, Texas A&M and Tulane, but he will have to play even better down the stretch to keep the Tigers unbeaten. Florida’s defense is tough and should give them a test that is similar to ones they may see down the road. If Nix gets another big win under his belt, his legend will only grown more.
2. Michigan State Upset
Ohio State is firing on all cylinders after going into Lincoln and destroying the Cornhuskers. It wasn’t much of a surprise, but what has been is just how well the Buckeyes have looked under Ryan Day. They are now widely regarded as one of the teams playing the best in the country, even though they haven’t played the toughest schedule yet.
That will change when the Buckeyes play Michigan State this weekend. The Spartans aren’t as good as past years, but they have knocked off Ohio State before. Mark Dantonio’s teams thrive in the underdog role. With it being Ohio State’s toughest game yet, can Michigan State cause problems for the Buckeyes?
3. Can Michigan Rebound?
There is no doubt that Michigan had Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff expectations on their minds heading into this season. Things have not gone as planned. After a narrow escape against Army, Michigan was run out of the stadium by Wisconsin. They beat Rutgers last week, but in order to bounce back from their loss to the Badgers, Michigan needs to beat someone better.
They will get their chance this week as they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa is undefeated and plays physical football, something that Michigan has failed to do this season. The Hawkeyes will want to keep their record intact for a chance at the Big Ten Championship Game and possibly more postseason opportunities. For the Wolverines to win this game, they will need to play their best game of the season by far.
4. A Battle for AAC Supremacy
Last season, UCF won the AAC and got invited to a New Year’s Six Bowl Game. It wasn’t anything new for the Knights, but they also had some tough in conference competition they had to go through. One of those teams was the Cincinnati Bearcats, who finished their season with 11 wins last year. This weekend, the Knights will have to go to Cincinnati to prove they are still the best team in the conference.
Both teams already have a loss this season and won’t want to get another one this early in the season. UCF lost to Pitt to end their regular-season winning streak of over two years. They still sport an offense that ranks sixth in the league with 49 points per game. Cincinnati lost to Ohio State, but is coming off of a game where they blew out Marshall in a 52 point performance. It will be a fun one on Friday night in the AAC.
5. Justin Herbert vs. Cal’s Defense
Cal may have lost to Arizona State on Friday, but they still are a solid team. They have a great defense, which led them to an undefeated record in the first place. That defense will need to be at their best to give themselves a shot to win the game.
For Oregon, the Ducks will want to keep their winning streak going since their opening-weekend loss to Auburn. A big part of their success is because of quarterback Justin Herbert. If he can stay hot the rest of the season, Oregon will likely win the Pac-12. It will also help Herbert’s draft stock.
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