It was a wild weekend of college football in Week 6. Georgia discovered its offense. LSU and USC found their defenses just in time to squeak out narrow wins. And Mario Cristobal still refuses to take a kneel-down at the end of games.
However, we have to start with what was an epic Red River Rivalry game. Sooner QB Dillon Gabriel, who missed the RRR games last year due to concussion, passed for 285 yards with a TD and ran for 113 yards plus another score. But it was his poise while leading the Sooners downfield in the end, after Texas had gone ahead by 3 with just 1:17 left, for the game-winning touchdown with :15 left. The win did come at a cost for Oklahoma, as they lost leading WR Andrel Anthony to a season-ending injury. They also need to tighten up their special teams play, as they had a punt blocked for a TD, gave up a 1st Down on a fake punt, and missed a 44-yard FG attempt, among other things. But make no mistake, the Sooners are in the driver’s seat for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and a berth in the CFP.
Texas, meanwhile, just made too many mistakes to overcome – 3 turnovers and 9 penalties. And their offensive line, which looked pretty impressive in the Week 2 win at Alabama, struggled. Perhaps no moment was more emblematic of the ‘Horns struggles up front than when they failed to score in 4 tries on 1st-and-Goal from the 1-yard line early in the 4th Qtr. This loss doesn’t end their CFP hopes by any means. It simply negates their margin of error going forward. If they run the table, not a stretch given their remaining schedule, a rematch with the Sooners in Arlington almost certainly awaits. Win that to claim the conference title, plus that Alabama pelt nailed to the wall, and it’s hard to imagine they get left out at 12-1.
The biggest loser in this game was probably the Big 12 itself. As much as they wish to tout their remaining schools and new (and incoming) members – and rightfully so – it’s not hard to see how much they will miss when the Red River Rivalry is an SEC game starting next season. This was college football’s top-rated game of the weekend in terms of TV viewers, and with the Deion Effect wearing off slightly in Boulder, it’s hard to see anything that could replace it in the national consciousness. And just to prove a point, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey actually attended the game in person, while Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark skipped it. Ouch.
Just when you thought Georgia’s offense had left them in a vulnerable position as far as their quest to three-peat, QB Carson Beck goes out and has himself a day. Beck went 28 of 35 for 389 yards and 4 TDs against what had been a pretty decent Kentucky defense. The Bulldogs easily dispatched of the only ranked team they’ve faced so far this season 51-13. We’ll find out whether Beck has turned a corner or if Saturday was a one-off, but if he continues to be this efficient (12 different Georgia players had a reception, and four had at east 4 catches) then maybe Georgia has returned to their perch as the team to beat. Their defense definitely still looks the part.
Speaking of defenses, Alabama’s D had another stellar showing against Texas A&M, allowing just 3 points in the 2nd Half and finishing the game with a fierce pass rush as they held off an Aggie comeback to win 26-20. It was not all pretty for the Tide; they had 14 penalties for 99 yards and 2 turnovers, but that’s how they seem to win nowadays. Perhaps more importantly, the explosive playmaker they have lacked recently finally emerged in the form of former Georgia WR Jermaine Burton, who caught 9 passes for 197 yards and 2 TDs. If there are any roadblocks that will stand in the way of an Alabama-Georgia match in the SEC Championship Game, I’m not seeing who that could be right now.
Finally, I cannot let this Week 6 summary pass without commentary on what happened in Miami. While I don’t imagine many saw it live – it was late at night on the East Coast and the game was on ACC Network – I’m guessing by now everyone has heard about the Hurricanes’ loss to Georgia Tech in the most galling manner imaginable. Before I pile on Mario Cristobal for his inexcusable decision to run the ball and see it fumbled away versus taking a knee to safely run out the clock for the win, I have to call out the Hurricanes players who against an inferior Georgia Tech team put themselves in the position where this unlikely-but-still-possible sequence of events could be their undoing. Then, letting the Yellow Jackets complete 30 and 44-yard passes to score on you in just 25 seconds at the end of the game is shameful given the circumstances. That final 44-yard TD pass is the one time a prevent defense is exactly what you do. How does the defensive coordinator not have half the defense stationed at the goal line on that play?
As for Cristobal, this just appears to be who he is. When Miami hired him away from Oregon I was much more lukewarm than many others as far as how great a move this was for the ‘Canes after getting an up-close view of his coaching for four years. Last Saturday was not the first time an inexcusable late-game decision came back to bite him. That 2018 Stanford loss was the most egregious (until now), but there were other times his clock-management left much to be desired (the 2021 game against Stanford also stands out to me). Apparently, he didn’t learn and still has an aversion to the low-risk kneel down at the end of a game. Maybe all the negative attention he got this time will change him. He has other good qualities as a head coach. He’s great at recruiting and raised the level of talent at both Oregon and Miami. His players seem to respect him and play hard for him. But tactically something seems to be missing, and when you are competing agains the elite, that will doom you (and again, Georgia Tech is not Georgia here).
Rankings
My Four-Team Playoff if the season ended today
1. Michigan 2. Georgia 3. Ohio State 4. Washington
My Predicted Four Team Playoff
1. Georgia 2. Michigan 3. Florida State 4. Texas
If the 12-Team Playoff Started This Season
- Georgia (bye)
- Michigan (bye)
- Florida State (bye)
- Texas (bye)
- Ohio State vs 12. Air Force
- Oregon vs 11. Notre Dame
- Alabama vs 10. Washington
- Oklahoma vs 9. Penn State
Week 7 Picks
#8 Oregon at #7 Washington (3:30pm ET, ABC, Line: Washington -3)
The biggest Pac-12 game of the season so far. I feel like Oregon should be able to go into Husky stadium and put up high-30s to low-40s points, despite how tough it is to play there. The question will come down to whether or not the Ducks can slow down Michael Penix and Co. enough to outscore them. To do that, Oregon must be able to rush the QB and disrupt the passing game’s timing the way they did Sheduer Sanders in the Colorado game. Washington’s offensive line is much better than Colorado’s, so easier said than done. I still have a hunch the Ducks find a way.
Pick: Oregon +3 and S/U
#10 USC at #21 Notre Dame (7:30pm ET, NBC, Line: Notre Dame -2.5)
This might be one of the most important games for the overall perception of the Pac-12, and could determine how likely a 1-loss champ, and maybe even a 1-loss non champion, are to get in the CFP. The Pac had a terrific non-conference portion of the schedule, but unfortunately none of those early wins have aged well (none of those opponents are currently ranked. A USC win at Notre Dame will change that. All that said, I just don’t trust the Trojans defense, and I think their Irish counterparts will do just enough to disrupt Caleb Williams and Co. to outscore the Trojans.
Pick: Notre Dame -2.5 and S/U
#25 Miami at #12 North Carolina (7:30pm ET, ABC, Line: North Carolina -3.5)
I expect the Hurricanes are right well angry this week. At least they should be. And I think they are going to take it out on the Tar Heels to change the narrative after one of the worst debacles in college football history. They have the better defense, and their offense averages nearly 2 yards-per-play more than UNC’s. That all spells upset time to me.
Pick: Miami +3.5 and S/U
#18 UCLA at #15 Oregon State (8:00pm ET, FOX, Line: Oregon State -3.5)
Two very good defenses and teams who prefer to run the ball. I expect a fast-moving affair with not a lot of possessions, so the offense with the greater scoring efficiency has the edge, which is UCLA. Still, the Beavers are 14-1 in Reser Stadium since 2021, so I can’t bet against that either. I think it will be close enough to actually split my pick despite the tight spread.
Pick: UCLA +3.5, Oregon State S/U
College Football Analyst
Mike is a Baltimore native living in Portland, OR since 2007. He currently runs his own business specializing in video production and online marketing. Prior to that he was a legal technology consultant, worked for 9 years at Johns Hopkins University and served 6 years in the Air Force. He also enjoys travel, food, beer, and is a volunteer at the Oregon Humane Society.