What does Week 6 have in store for all you college football enthusiasts?
From Big 12 offensive fireworks to Big Ten slobber-knockers, to statement games that could determine whether or not folks get to keep their jobs, we’ve got you covered with the most interesting storylines for the upcoming weekend of college football.
1. Cody Kessler tries to stay hot at home against Washington
USC (No 19) isn’t getting a lot of national hype right now, and neither is Kessler, who has quietly put together a phenomenal campaign to date. The Trojans will be front and center in a prime-time matchup at home against Washington on Thursday, though, and it’s a perfect platform for Kessler to showcase his mastery in front of a national audience.
Even in the game in which Stanford shocked USC, Kessler was stellar. Thanks in part to the outstanding play of receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, the senior quarterback has completed 73 percent of his passes, averaging 10.63 yards per attempt, and has 15 passing touchdowns compared to just one interception.
Washington’s defense is pretty darn good, though, so it’s not a given Kessler and the USC offense will stay hot at home this Thursday night. The Huskies have allowed just two passing touchdowns, have forced five interceptions have racked up eight sacks and opposing quarterbacks have completed just 56.1 percent of their passes.
When discussing the challenge of facing this stout defense, USC offensive coordinator Clay Helton remarked on the team discipline the Huskies have shown.
“They don’t blow assignments,” Helton said, per ESPN.com. “They make you go the long way. It’ll be a tough challenge for us.”
Conference battles are always hard to predict. As we saw when Stanford went into the Coliseum and dominated the Trojans in Week 3, the rankings rarely have much to do with the outcome.
This contest will be nationally broadcasted on ESPN starting at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
2. Will Leonard Fournette run away with the Heisman against South Carolina
At this point, the Heisman Trophy is still sort of up for grabs as we near the midway point of the 2015 season, but Fournette is pulling away from the field at a breakneck pace. The sophomore broke an SEC record last weekend by posting his third straight 200-plus-yard game, and he’s already being hailed by many NFL scouts as the next Adrian Peterson.
Head coach Les Miles knows his star running back is capable of making an explosive play at any given moment.
“There’s not a time where you hand him a ball that he doesn’t have an opportunity to hit a home run,” Miles said, via Fox 8 in New Orleans.
The Gamecocks could be victim No. 4 for the relentless running back to go over 200 yards. South Carolina’s defense hasn’t been much of a brick wall this year for opposing ground attacks, allowing 170 yards per game, 4.9 yards per carry and nine rushing touchdowns on the season.
This is a game LSU (No. 7) should win handily, but perhaps the home crowd will spur the Gamecocks to victory. Stopping Fournette will be item No. 1 on the to-do list for South Carolina, but there’s a good chance head coach Steve Spurrier won’t get to check off that box in this contest.
Those interested in watching Fournette make another defense look silly should tune in to ESPN at noon ET on Saturday.
3. Will Ohio State finally look like a No. 1-ranked program against Maryland?
Ohio State (No. 1) does not deserve the top spot in the rankings. But with the other top teams from last weekend also failing to make any kind of a statement, or losing altogether, the voters kept the Buckeyes at No. 1. A close examination of the tape, though — with no preconceptions and tossing out last year’s national championship — would lead you to the conclusion that Urban Meyer’s program isn’t up to snuff.
Not since Week 1 have we witnessed the excellence you would expect out of a top team.
In the four games since, Ohio State’s offense has sputtered like a Model T, rather than the Lamborghini Gallardo it’s supposed to be. Neither Cardale Jones nor J.T. Barrett has been able to get the thing out of second gear, and former quarterback turned receiver Braxton Miller has been a ghost since Week 2 in the passing game.
Perhaps we’ll see a wrinkle near the goal line this week, as Meyer has suggested Barrett might be in line for some snaps in that area of the field.
Maryland shouldn’t offer much resistance this weekend, especially considering the Buckeyes are at home. Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines handles the Terrapins with ease last weekend, and Ohio State should do the same. If the team’s struggles continue, however, then the Buckeyes absolutely must not retain the top spot heading into Week 7.
This game is being broadcast on the Big Ten Network starting at noon ET.
4. Holy Toledo!
It’s been three years since we’ve had a Toledo (No. 24) sighting in the top 25, and this is only the third time it’s happened since 2001. The Mid-American Conference leader is 4-0 heading into Saturday’s home game against Kent State.
The Rockets burst onto the national stage by downing Arkansas by a score of 16-12 in Week 3, as ex-Alabama quarterback Phillip Ely threw for 237 yards and showed excellent composure against the tough defense of the Razorbacks. The Toledo defense swarmed to the ball and did an excellent job executing the “bend but don’t break” philosophy, allowing just one touchdown in that contest.
In the weeks since that shocking victory, the Rockets have continued putting points on the board on offense and have been dominating opponents on the defensive side of the ball. The Golden Flashes have gone the opposite direction this year and enter the contest with a record of 2-3.
This MAC battle will be streaming live on ESPN3 starting at 3 p.m. ET.
5. Plenty of high-flying Big 12 action
If you’ve been keeping track of the college football action from week to week, then you’re well aware of the offensive prowess of the Big 12. Featuring TCU (No. 2), Baylor (No. 3), Oklahoma (No. 10), Oklahoma State (No. 21), and Texas Tech, this conference features must-see TV every weekend for fans who love to see touchdown after touchdown after touchdown.
Coming up in Week 6, Baylor is visiting Kansas, which features the 103rd-ranked defense in the nation. Don’t blink watching this one, because the Bears are going to go bananas against the Jayhawks. This contest will be broadcast nationally beginning at noon ET on FOX Sports 1.
Oklahoma should tee off on Texas, much like TCU did last weekend. The Longhorns don’t put up much of a fight defensively, and their special teams has been the bane of Charlie Strong’s existence the past few weeks. Fans eager to watch this likely blowout can tune in to ABC on Saturday at noon ET.
Texas Tech might exact some bitter revenge against Iowa State after being denied victory against TCU by the football gods and then getting hammered by the Bears last weekend. The Cyclones have been stout on defense this year but don’t exactly feature an offense that can trade blows with Patrick Mahomes and Co.
Perhaps the most intriguing battle features TCU heading to Kansas State, which has been doing a fine job defensively this year allowing just 18 points per game while shutting down opposing rushing attacks to the tune of just 71 yards per game (No. 3 in the nation). This game is being broadcast nationally on FOX starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
6. How will Georgia respond after getting blasted by ‘Bama?
It’s hard to gauge how the Bulldogs (No. 19) will respond after they were picked apart to the point of embarrassment last weekend at home against the Alabama Crimson Tide, 38-10. Georgia came into the contest ranked No. 8 and tried to intimidate the Tide even before the game started as dozens of players went over and “greeted” their rivals as they ran onto the field. A minor scrum ensued before the refs put an end to the mayhem.
In the end, it was clear which program was superior, and it’s not hard to imagine the Bulldogs suffered through some emotional doldrums in the days since.
The Volunteers haven’t been exactly dominant this year, too, meaning Mark Richt’s reeling program could be walking right into a trap game. For that reason, the head coach has issued a strong message to his team, as conveyed by defensive back Quincy Mauger:
“You can’t let one loss determine who Georgia football is. You’ve got to keep fighting,” he said, per the Athens Banner-Herald.
Safety Dominick Sanders added:
“We’re keeping our heads straight. We’re not going to let one loss bring us down. We’re going to maintain our work ethic.”
One way to ensure there is no let-down is to feature Nick Chubb more frequently than he was utilized in the bad loss to ‘Bama. Richt admitted he made a mistake by not calling Chubb’s number more frequently, and you can be sure that will be remedied against Tennessee — especially after watching him go 83 yards in a heartbeat.
This game will be televised nationally on CBS starting at 3:30 p.m. ET.
7. Slobber-knocker extraordinaire as Northwestern visits Michigan
This contest is the antithesis of what the Big 12 is all about, as these two Big Ten teams feature a rough-and-tumble identity that is predicated on stifling defense and running the ball down opponents’ throats.
Michigan (No. 18) features the No. 2 defense in the nation, while Northwestern (No. 13) is ranked No. 10. Both teams also average more than 200 yards per game on the ground offensively. Barring random crazy plays, nobody should be surprised if the two teams fail to combine for 25 points.
Both programs are undefeated so far, but the slight edge must be given to Michigan, which has shut out its opponents the past couple of weekends — not to mention the home-field advantage.
This slobber-knocker in the making will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
8. Gators rising in the SEC East
Florida (No. 11) has surprised many by going undefeated so far. The real kicker came last weekend when the Gators found a way to suck the life out of Ole Miss, which had been one of the hottest teams in the nation and was No. 3 heading into Week 5.
The undefeated record came with a bit of magic as well. If you remember, Tennessee should have really won in Week 4 at home, but head coach Butch Jones’ head-scratching decisions at the end of the game paved the way for a Gators victory.
The team’s next challenge on Saturday is Missouri, which is reeling right now. Starting quarterback Maty Mauk has been suspended indefinitely for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, and starting in his place is freshman Drew Lock. Lock completed a high volume of his passes last weekend but only managed to pass for 136 yards, throwing no touchdowns and an interception.
The opportunistic Gators defense will likely feast on his mistakes on Saturday. This game will be televised on the SEC Network beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
9. Al Golden’s statement game against Florida State
Miami head coach Al Golden has been hearing fans call for his job since the beginning of the season. Disgruntled fans have been flying “Fire Al Golden” banners around stadiums since early September, and the outcry only intensified last weekend when the Hurricanes lost to Cincinnati, 34-23.
Making matters worse, the upcoming contest against Florida State (No. 12) carries with it some deep-seeded implications. Miami has lost five straight against its in-state rival, and another loss could seal Golden’s fate.
Andrea Adelson of ESPN put it like this as it concerns Golden and the upcoming contest:
“A sixth straight loss to the Seminoles will be met with a disdain that even the much-maligned Golden has yet to experience in South Florida — with the majority of its schedule remaining (including a game against No. 6 Clemson on Oct. 24). Tension could reach combustible levels.”
Winning won’t be easy, either.
The Seminoles feature the nation’s No. 5-ranked defense in terms of yards allowed and is only giving up 11.5 points per contest. Offensively, Florida State’s engine is powered by running back Dalvin Cook, who is questionable with a hamstring and who has yet to practice this week. If he can’t go, then quarterback Everett Golson will need to step up his game.
This rivalry game will be televised in prime time on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
10. Jared Goff’s first true test against Utah
Many a football geek is already amped up for this Pac-12 battle, featuring the top pure passer in the nation going up against one of the best all-around teams. Cal has engineered an undefeated season to this point, and the past three games have come down to the wire with Goff performing admirably under pressure.
Goff is a pleasure to watch. He routinely pulls off plays you’d normally only see at the next level by the top passers in the league. When you’re drawing up a prototypical NFL franchise passer, he checks off all the boxes except for his rather slight build, which hasn’t been a deterrent to success for others such as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in recent history.
He’s been most compared to Rodgers, who also played at Cal. Here is another thing he has in common with the Green Bay Packers star — he’s immune to pressure.
“According to ESPN Stats & Information, over the last two seasons, Goff has thrown 16 touchdowns and no interceptions when blitzed,” per Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com.
Goff is likely to face plenty of pressure on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utes feature a bully of a defense that has dominated the likes of Michigan and Oregon already this season. Fans should expect a heavy dose of running back Devontae Booker as the Utes attempt to keep the ball out of Goff’s hands as much as possible.
This contest will be televised nationally on ESPN starting at 10 p.m. ET.