Week six of college football promised to be one of the great weeks in college football history with six games played between ranked teams including several key conference showdowns. It didn’t disappoint with five of the top eight teams in the nation going down and leaving the rankings in complete shambles and the College Football Playoff situation wide open.
Thursday proved to be a harbinger of what was to come as the Arizona Wildcats traveled to Autzen Stadium in Eugene and took down the No.2 Oregon Ducks 31-24. Arizona’s redshrit freshman quarterback Anu Solomon threw for 287 yards and the Wildcats rushed for 208 as the Wildcats on the war in both trenches. The Cat defense sacked Duck quarterback Marcus Mariota three times and forced the Quack Attack Heisman hopeful into his first turnovers of the year. It was Arizona’s second straight win over Oregon and Cat backers won straight up getting better than three touchdowns and getting +800 on the money line. The total, which blew up from 74.5 to 81, never had a chance of going over after a 3-0 first quarter and a 7-3 half.
Friday’s schedule was the calm before the storm with the favorite and under cashing tickets in both games. Louisville has little problem dispatching Syracuse with a 28-6 road win. Brandon Radcliff ran for 110 yards and two scores while the Card defense chipped in with two picks and two safeties. In the late game, homestanding Fresno State took care of San Diego State 24-13 in Mountain West action. The Bulldogs intercepted Aztec QB Nick Bawden twice in the fourth quarter to ice things in “The
Battle for the Oil Can”.
The fireworks started early on Saturday as No.12 Mississippi State proved that it was for real by spanking No.6 Texas A&M 48-31. The Bulldogs dominated start to finish running out to a 28-7 lead early and then taking the foot off the pedal at 48-17 in the fourth. MSU QB Dak Prescott is drawing comparisons to Tim Tebow not only for wearing the No.15 but for throwing for TDs and running for three more. Aggie QB sensation Kenny Hill was not sharp and never got going throwing three interceptions to State linebacker Richie Brown who tied the school record. Things don’t get any easier for the Bulldogs this week who find themselves three-point home dogs to Auburn. More on the Tigers to come.
Keeping it in the Magnolia State, No.11 Ole’ Miss made it a banner day by stunning No.3 Alabama 23-17, closing out the Tide 13-0 late. It was just the third time in 81 games that Alabama was a loser under Nick Saban when up double-digits in the fourth quarter. Rebel quarterback Bo Wallace was masterful in running the Ole’ Miss offense throwing for two touchdowns and avoiding the costly turnover that have plagued him throughout his career. The Rebel defense held the Crimson Tide to just three second
half points and intercepted Blake Sims in the end zone with 37 seconds left to put Bama away. Mississippi was catching five and +160 on the money line. The high/low of 53 was never threatened.
No.25 TCU had been knocking on No.4 Oklahoma’s door the past couple of years, playing the Sooners close but never able to break through. Saturday, the Horned Frogs kicked the door in on the defending Big 12 champs. Frog QB Trevone Boykin accounted for 395 all-purpose yards and the defense cashed and Paul Dawson cashed a Trevor Knight pick six midway through the fourth to seal the deal. TCU enters the Top Ten for the first time since dominating the Mountain West and are right back at it again on Saturday traveling to No.5 Baylor.
It was a good old fashioned slobberknocker played in a driving rain in South Bend as No.9 Notre Dame got a late touchdown pass from Everett Golson to put down No.14 Stanford. The game featured just 35 first downs and only 575 yards of combined offense. The key to the game was the irish defense holding the Cardinal to just 47 yards rushing on 32 attempts. Golson’s winner came with 61 seconds left
on a fourth-and-11 play, finding TE Ben Koyack in the back of the end zone from 23 yards out. Golson is now 15-1 as a starter, the best in Irish football history. Notre Dame hosts North Carolina this week before traveling to Tallahassee to face No.1 Florida State on the 18th.
Any questions about No.5 Auburn being down a notch off last year’s breakout year under Gus Malzahn were answered on Saturday as the Tigers crushed No.15 LSU 41-7 to avenge a 35-21 loss last year. Nick Marshall threw for 207 yards, ran for 119 more and Cameron Artis-Payne added 126 on the ground as the War Eagle cruised to an easy win. Auburn’s 41 points tied the school record for most points in this rivalry. The winners easily covered a touchdown despite two starting linebackers and their right tackle not starting and either not playing or seeing
limited action.
The Late Show featured the last meaningful matchup in the Big Ten as unbeaten No.19 traveled to East Lansing to take on No.10 Michigan State. Sparty led 17-0 at the half and 27-3 but like Mississippi State, needed a pick in the end zone to put down the Cornhuskers who came roaring back late. Wide out Tony Lippett was the star of the show for Michigan State, scoring on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Connor Cook and also scoring on a 32-yard reverse. After an early loss at Oregon, Michigan State would appear to be in a good spot to run the table and come in through the back door in the end-of-year playoff after the Big Ten looked to be all but dead in the water.
This week’s schedule of ranked teams playing and other game of interest:
No.13 Georgia at No.23 Missouri (Georgia -3, 60) 12:00 PM EST
No.9 TCU at No.5 Baylor (Baylor -8, 66) 3:30 PM EST
No.2 Auburn at No.3 Mississippi State (Auburn -3, 63) 3:30 PM EST
No.12 Oregon at No.18 UCLA (Oregon -2.5, 69) 3:30 PM EST
No.3 Ole Miss at No.14 Texas A&M (A&M -2, 63.5) 9:00 PM EST
4-1 Duke at No.22 Georgia Tech (Georgia Tech -3, 58) 12:30 PM EST
4-1 Washington at 4-1 California (Cal -3.5, 71.5) 6:00 PM EST
3-2 USC at No.10 Arizona (USC -2.5, 68) 10:30 PM EST