Week 6 Football: What to watch

Welcome to another week of college football! Man, I’m just so happy!

Only one game Thursday night (at least in the college ranks), and it should be a good one. Had D’Eriq King not transferred to Miami, this one likely would be looking completely different, but minus a talent like King leading Dana Holgorsen’s offense, this should be a close one. Holgorsen has the better name recognition (to go along with his unmistakable skullet), but Tulane’s Willie Fritz is the better coach in this game.

The ACC gets the college football world to itself Friday night as Louisville takes on Georgia Tech. With Malik Cunningham back healthy for the Cards and extra time since their last game for Scott Satterfield to prep, I’m taking Louisville big in this one.

Speaking of GT and the ACC, the Sagarin ratings are throwing some serious shade towards a couple ACC teams (Georgia Tech, Florida State), and let me just say that I am all here for it! With full understanding of the implications of what I’m about to say and how it will almost assuredly lead to a future butt-whoopin’, Florida State has looked like straight up garbage so far this year. The fact that the SP+ ratings have them at #46 makes you question the validity of that entire advanced ranking system. So far this year, FSU got beat by a GT team that’s still somehow ranked lower than them by both SP+ and Sagarin, then got their doors blasted off by rival Miami, and then last week trailed at halftime - and again late in the 3rd quarter - against a Jacksonville State team that went just 6-6 last year in the FCS ranks and hadn’t even played a game yet this year.

So, yes, thank you, Sagarin, for actually displaying in your ratings system an appropriate ranking for how Florida State has looked thus far this year. (rant over)

I also appreciate the fact that Sagarin ranks UNC significantly lower than SP+, but that’s just me being petty. Go VT!

Saturday’s early slate of games is pretty strong, and we’ll all be watching State-Virginia as soon as the clock hits noon. Texas-Oklahoma has lost some of its allure with both teams already being saddled with losses this year, but that rivalry is always a good one.

Not a lot going on in the mid-day games other than to see if this Tennessee team is for real (I have my doubts) and if Pitt can make State’s win last week look even better.

In the evening slate of games, Nick Saban gets to take Lane Kiffin to the woodshed in the first matchup between the two coaches since Saban resurrected Kiffin’s career. Their only other ever head-to-head tilt was in 2009 when Kiffin’s lone Tennessee team lost a 10-12 “thriller” to Bama.

The evening slate of games also features an AAC pillow fight between the two worst rated programs in that conference. I’m sure I’ll be the only one watching that game while the rest of the world (and me, too) tune in to the Miami-Clemson game. Is Miami for real? We’re about to find out.

Also keep an eye on that Mississippi State vs Kentucky game. Mike Leach teams are always must-watch entertainment, and now you don’t have to stay up past midnight to see it!

Rankings for SP+ Ratings and Sagarin Ratings listed, respectively, ahead of each team’s name. [Note: SP+ is now ranking the 126 teams that are scheduled to play this year. Sagarin is ranking all 257 FBS and FCS teams.]

Thursday

67/69 Tulane @ 60/70 Houston - 7:30pm - ESPN

Friday

35/52 Louisville @ 56/107 Georgia Tech - 7:00pm - ESPN

Saturday

64/54 NC State @ 38/34 Virginia - 12:00pm - ACCN

8/10 Florida @ 29/56 Texas A&M - 12:00pm - ESPN

23/25 Virginia Tech @ 11/26 North Carolina - 12:00pm - ABC

17/19 Texas @ 10/31 Oklahoma - 12:00pm - FOX

120/174 Louisiana-Monroe @ 81/110 Liberty - 12:00pm - ESPNU

88/71 Duke @ 86/78 Syracuse - 12:30pm - ESPN3

22/21 Tennessee @ 4/2 Georgia - 3:30pm - CBS

25/37 Pittsburgh @ 59/53 Boston College - 4:00pm - ACCN

63/58 Kansas State @ 41/33 TCU - 4:00pm - FOX

2/4 Alabama @ 45/46 Ole Miss - 6:00pm 7:30pm - ESPN

119/129 East Carolina @ 101/117 South Florida - 7:00pm - ESPN+

9/16 Miami @ 3/3 Clemson - 7:30pm - ABC

46/95 Florida State @ 5/7 Notre Dame - 7:30pm - NBC

47/23 Mississippi State @ 42/47 Kentucky - 7:30pm - SECN

104/124 Charlotte @ 107/118 North Texas - 8:00pm - ESPNU