- Florida is predicted to upset No. 7 Texas, while Penn State is expected to have a lackluster win against UCLA.
- Cincinnati could continue its hot streak by defeating Iowa State, and Florida State may bounce back by beating rival Miami.
- After a big win, Virginia is predicted to lose on the road to an undefeated Louisville team.
Given the amount of high-impact games in last weekend, it appears Week 6 will be a sort of calm after the storm. However, the schedule on tap for Saturday still provides potential for some eyebrow-raising moments across the country.
And we’ve seen time and time again that the schedules that don’t have a multitude of matchups that will have bearing on the College Football Playoff race often produce surprises. The challenge is trying to forecast when those upsets or results of significance will take place.
USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here to provide some answers. Matt Hayes, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Blake Toppmeyer weigh in with their bold predictions for Week 6 of the college football season.
Billy Napier, Florida take down Texas, Arch Manning
The hottest of hot seats may belong to Billy Napier, but it’s about to get cooler. The Florida coach always seems to perform best with his back up against the wall and this week’s matchup against No. 7 Texas with his team 1-3 qualfies. The Longhorns, meanwhile, might be looking ahead to next week’s showdown with Oklahoma. Expect the home crowd to be a factor and a strong defense that harasses Arch Maning to be pivotal as Florida gets to celebrate a big win. — Matt Hayes
Penn State damages CFP hopes against UCLA
We know Penn State can’t win big games, but they sure can take those gimme ones. The Nittany Lions head West to take on winless UCLA in what will likely be a Rose Bowl filled with more visiting fans. However, it won’t be a cakewalk. Playing with nothing to lose, UCLA actually makes things interesting and forces Penn State to play all four quarters. While the Nittany Lions win, the performance against one of the worst teams in the country won’t help the argument this team deserves to be in the playoff conversation. — Jordan Mendoza
Cincinnati continues upset run with Iowa State win
Cincinnati stays hot and beats Iowa State to throw the Big 12 race into further chaos. In addition to moving the Bearcats up the standings, a marquee win against the Cyclones would go a long way toward securing another year for coach Scott Satterfield. UC has been very good all year and particularly the past three games, rebounding from a narrow loss to Nebraska in the opener to look like one of the top offenses in the conference. Few quarterbacks have been playing better than Brendan Sorsby. — Paul Myerberg
Florida State bounces back with defeat of Miami
A week ago, the Seminoles were getting exposed on defense while getting beat on the road at Virginia. So conventional wisdom would be that a visit from the rival Hurricanes would go poorly this week. But that loss actually might work in Florida State’s favor by getting them refocused and Miami overconfident. The Hurricanes have risen into the top five but haven’t yet gone on the road. We’ll see how good Carson Beck and the rest of the team function in a tough environment. The bet is they won’t pass the test. — Erick Smith
Virginia stumbles at Louisville after Florida State win
Let’s give credit where due. Virginia’s victory against Florida State was a true program changer, a much needed ray of light for a team that has struggled for relevance for years amid a multitude of issues on and off the field.
But sometimes in college football, winning the game after the game is the hardest thing, and the Cavaliers are about to learn this lesson at unbeaten Louisville. The Cardinals had to work a bit harder than they’d have liked to get out of Pittsburgh with a win last week, and they’ll be very happy to be back at home. Add in the uncertainty of UVa quarterback Chandler Morris’s hand injury, and Saturday shapes up to be a back down to earth affair for the Cavaliers as the Cardinals stay undefeated for another week. — Eddie Timanus
Another rough day for UCLA, Nico Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleava, aka “Mr. April,” will continue his quest to become “Mr. Winless” at UCLA after taking a pay cut to leave Tennessee, a playoff contender. Penn State heads west with a perfect opportunity to lick their wounds while basking in some sunshine and playing in front of a friends-and-family crowd at the Rose Bowl. Drew Allar might never look closer to a first-round NFL pick than he does in this get-right game against UCLA. Meanwhile, Iamaleava has a good chance to throw for at least 85 yards. — Blake Toppmeyer