What to Watch, Week 6: Time to start separating the contenders from the pretenders
After a dud college football slate a week ago, college football is back with a vengeance this week with a slew of games between conference foes and ranked teams. Here’s a look at what you should be watching in Week 6::
Game of the week:
No. 3 Alabama at No. 11 Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. ET
Did Ole Miss poke the bear again? Last year, quarterback Bo Wallace said he thought the Rebels could score on the Tide and he was shut out. This year, safety Cody Prewitt said Alabama wasn’t as good as they have been. Nothing good will come of that talk. This is an Alabama team that’s way better on offense with quarterback Blake Sims, receiver Amari Cooper and a slew of strong running backs. Ole Miss will have to play its best football if it wants to keep pace. That will be no small feat for Wallace, who has struggled with turnovers against the better defenses he’s faced this season.
Game to watch:
No. 6 Texas A&M at No. 12 Mississippi State, 12 p.m. ET
This game should be a lot of fun. Mississippi State shocked the country two weeks ago with an upset victory against LSU and it’s had an extra week to prepare for an A&M team that struggled with Arkansas and needed overtime to win. Mississippi State has not faced an offense as good as A&M, so this will be a challenge for that defense. If the Bulldogs can keep the Aggie offense at bay, they’ll have a chance. But if A&M is allowed to play at its quick pace, this game could get out of hand quickly.
Also check out…
No. 19 Nebraska at No. 10 Michigan State, 4:15 p.m. ET
Now we get to find out how good Nebraska really is. This is the marquee game for both teams in what are otherwise pedestrian conference schedules and the winner could be a contender for the College Football Playoff. Both of these teams can score, but Michigan State has more diversity and more weapons. If the Spartans can limit Huskers’ running back Ameer Abdullah, they’ll win the game. However, there haven’t been many teams this season that have been able to do that.
Don’t waste your time with:
No. 7 Baylor at Texas, 3:30 p.m. ET
Earlier in the week, one of Texas’ players said something to the effect of Baylor is Baylor and Texas is still Texas. And it’s that particular attitude that’s going to get Texas beat — again. While Texas might be the flagship school, it is no longer the football superpower it once was. Baylor will take great pride in reminding the Longhorns of this on Saturday. Baylor’s offense is built for speed and Texas’ defense doesn’t have the horses to keep up. This one will be over early.
Keep an eye on:
Brandon Harris, QB, LSU
Harris, a freshman, earned the starting nod after accounting for five touchdowns in LSU’s 63-7 win against New Mexico State. He also has seven touchdowns in seven possessions. However, putting up similar numbers against Auburn at Jordan-Hare would be an enormous feat. Still, if he can play as well against the reigning SEC champions as he has against other teams, all might not be lost for the (LSU) Tigers, who are fighting to get back into the SEC racve after an early loss to Mississippi State.
Upset alert:
No. 9 Notre Dame (+2) at No. 14 Stanford, 3:30 p.m. ET
Stanford is getting the advantage in this game because of its defense and because it’s played a better schedule, but Notre Dame has proven to be a much better program than many expected, especially offensively. Everett Golson has been trying to prove he’s a better quarterback than he was a couple years ago and this game could go a long way toward making that point. Stanford’s offense has looked spotty at times, so if Notre Dame can get the Cardinal in an early hole, it should win this game.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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