There’s only one college football team in the FBS division with a 4-0 record right now. Before you think of Clemson or Alabama, remember that the ACC and SEC delayed the start to their season. The only team that has four wins against zero losses is Southern Methodist, who made it into the AP top 25 this week, jumping to #18 after holding off then-#25 Memphis, 30-27. There is at least one unranked team (Kansas State) that deserves consideration, given that they have beaten Oklahoma this year, but the rankings are all about records at this point. We also saw Mississippi State, who beat LSU a week ago, lose at home to Arkansas, who had lost 20 straight SEC games ahead of Saturday.
So it’s a topsy-turvy 2020 so far in college football. Take a look at our top NCAA Football betting picks for Week 6.
NCAA News:
Top Picks, Odds & Predictions for Week 6
Texas (+2.5) vs Oklahoma
Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Saturday, October 10
12:00 pm ET, FOX
Usually, this game features at least one of the top football programs in the nation and takes place among the pageantry and buzz of the State Fair of Texas. The fair is canceled for 2020 due to COVID-19 (although you can still drive through, take a picture with a masked Big Tex, and get some of that fried fair food to go), and both Texas and Oklahoma are out of the top 20. This is just the second meeting since 2020 when neither team was ranked in the top 20. Texas has dropped to #22 after losing at home to TCU, while Oklahoma, after losing to Kansas State at home and Iowa State on the road, has its first losing streak since 1999.
Texas leads the all-time series, 62-48-5, although the Sooners have dominated the series in recent years. One thing that has remained true is the close nature of the rivalry game in jost cases. For six straight years, the final score has been one possession or less. Oklahoma still can’t get stops on defense, which wasn’t as much of a problem when they had the likes of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray or Jalen Hurts at quarterback, but this is a bit of a down year. Texas still has Sam Ehlinger at quarterback, and he has played consistently, but the Texas defense has struggled also. Given two iffy defenses, I like the Sooners to win a shootout.
Final Score Prediction:
Oklahoma 44, Texas 41 | Check the Odds
Tennessee (+14) at Georgia
Saturday, October 10
3:30 pm ET, CBS
Tennessee comes in with a 2-0 record, including a 35-13 shellacking of Missouri in their last game. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has 449 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, completing over 61 percent of his passes. Tailback Ty Chandler has run for 176 yards and a touchdown, while Eric Gray has run for 145 yards and scored twice. The only receiver with more than 100 yards is Josh Palmer (156 yards, 1 TD). On defense, Trevon Flowers and Henry To’o To’o are tied for the team lead with a dozen tackles each.
Georgia also comes in at 2-0 after rolling over Auburn, 27-6. Quarterback Stetson Bennett has established himself as the starter with 451 yards and three touchdowns, completing almost 65 percent of his passes. His top target has been Kearis Jackson, with 15 catches for 209 yards. Zamir White has been the top runner with three touchdowns and 159 yards on the ground. Nakobe Jean leads the team with 11 tackles. Tennessee showed a lot of grit to win at South Carolina last week, but Georgia’s defense just smothered a talented Auburn offense. Watch this line, but I do think Georgia covers it as is.
Final Score Prediction:
Georgia 34, Tennessee 13 | Check the Odds
Mississippi State (+3) at Kentucky
Saturday, October 10
7:30 pm ET, ESPN SEC Network
Which Mississippi State team will show up on Saturday — the team that overwhelmed the LSU defense in their opener or the team that could only manage 14 points at home against Arkansas? We’ve seen what the Air Raid can do — and what happens when it collapses — in just two weeks. Quarterback K.J. Costello has 936 passing yards in two games, but his 6:5 TD:INT ratio will not work for the Bulldogs. Osirus Mitchell is the team leader in receiving, with 12 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Kylin Hill (158) and Ja’Vonta Payton (145) are the other two wide receivers who are over 100 yards on the young season.
Kentucky went to overtime with Ole Miss on Saturday but ended up falling, 42-41, thanks to a missed extra point. The Wildcats are a run-first team, as Asim Rose (148 yards) and Christopher Rodriguez Jr (146 yards, 2 TD) are the two featured backs. Quarterback Terry Wilson leads the team in rushing with 171 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He has also thrown for 390 yards, a score and a pick with a completion rate just below 70 percent. Mississippi State has done well stopping the run this year, so I see them going to Kentucky to get a win.
Final Prediction:
Mississippi State 27, Kentucky 24 | Check the Odds
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