sport news NCAAF Games of the Week - Week 6: Texas A&M-Alabama, Kansas-TCU, Tennessee-LSU, ... trends now

We swear we're not fortune tellers, we just might be that good at providing you a perfect array of perfect college football games to pique your palate.

In our honorable mentions, TCU stomped Oklahoma en route to getting ranked and Texas A&M was stunned by Mississippi State.

Then for our five main courses, Iowa State-Kansas was decided by a field goal, Oklahoma State-Baylor was a shootout with the Cowboys getting revenge, Kentucky-Ole Miss wasn't decided until the final minute, Arkansas played three good quarters against Alabama, and NC State fell in a nail biter to Clemson.

This week, we visit some classic and heated rivalries in the Big 12 and SEC, we return to the Sunflower State and the now-ranked Jayhawks, and our game of the week is one that has been anticipated since a war of words began over the summer.

Honorable Mentions

Oklahoma Sooners (3-2) v. Texas Longhorns (3-2) (Saturday @ Noon ET / ABC / Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX) Yes, the Red River Rivalry is an important fixture in the American college football landscape. Yes, we need to cover it. But this game might be one of the least-important trips to Dallas in a while. Both teams are unranked for the first time since 1998 and for only the fifth time since World War II. Tune in for the pageantry, but this might be worth avoiding if you're unattached to the teams. Auburn Tigers (3-2) @ no. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) (Saturday at 3:30ET / CBS / 'Between the Hedges' Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA) Yes, the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry (as opposed to the South's Oldest Rivalry a.k.a. North Carolina-Virginia) is an important fixture in the American college football landscape. Yes, we need to cover it. But this game might be one of the most lopsided affairs in the history of this contest. Auburn isn't ranked for this game for the first time since 2015. The last time they were unranked and UGA was in the top-five, the Bulldogs destroyed Auburn 38-0. One look at Georgia being -29.5 favorites tells you why it's here and not getting a more comprehensive writeup. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-2) @ no . 23 Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-1) (Saturday @ Noon ET / SECN / Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS)  After falling to Texas A&M in heartbreaking fashion two weeks ago, Arkansas had the chance to upset the Tide when Bryce Young went down with an injury. Instead, they gave up over 200 rushing yards to Jahmyr Gibbs and 'Bama remained undefeated. Mississippi State got back in the top-25 after being their twice last season. The first time they were ranked came after beating a 12th ranked Kentucky team. They lost the next week to an unranked Arkansas team. Can history repeat itself in Starkville?

Game 1:  Washington State Cougars (4-1) @ no. 6 USC Trojans (5-0)

Saturday @ 7:30PM ET (FOX) / 'The Grand Old Lady'  Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA 

USC has done well in the start of the Lincoln Reilly era, going 5-0 their first time since 2006 (if we don't count their six-game COVID year schedule). 

QB Caleb Williams is fourth in the Pac-12 in passing yards (1,402), tied for fifth in passing TDs (12), and tied for best in interceptions thrown (1). WR Jordan Addison is one of the best deep threats in the conference and the country with 442 receiving yards and T-6th nationally with six receiving touchdowns.

Washington State (Wazzu) is 4-1 for the first time since 2018, back when Gardner Minshew led them to an 11-2 record. Their only two losses that year were to rival Washington and USC, who beat the Cougars by only three points. This year, their only loss was to a ranked Oregon team they could have beaten if it weren't for a wild pick-six at the end to put the Ducks ahead.

Three different receivers have over 280 yards on the season and QB Cameron Ward has 1,445 yards this year in a continuation of Mike Leach's Air Raid offense. However, they aren't one-dimensional, with RB Nakia Watson grabbing 312 rushing yards. 

Defensively, this should be fun. USC has a top-three pass defense in the conference, which should do well against Wazzu's air attack. Wazzu has a top-three run defense and has given up the second-least points in the conference, which should do well against USC's balanced attack.

USC can be beaten. The Oregon State Beavers laid the blueprint. In USC's closest game of the season so far against the Beavers, the Trojans were held to 357 yards with only 180 yards of passing. USC only won by three on a TD pass with less than 1:15 to play.

Even if the Cougars decide to let the Trojans run all over them, like the Beavers did, they have a shot if they can prevent the passing attack from running everywhere on them. Otherwise, their hopes of being ranked again may be dashed.

Game 2: no. 11 Utah Utes (4-1) @ no. 18 UCLA Bruins (5-0)

Saturday @ 3:30 ET (FOX) / Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

Since losing the first game of the season to a Florida team that seemed to have flamed out, Utah has put together a tidy little four game win streak against a fellow state school, a former Mountain West rival, and two Pac-12 teams.

But they play back-to-back ranked teams starting this weekend with a road trip to Pasadena. The Bruins are not a team to be trifled with, but Utah should be prepared.

Starting on defense, the Utes are top-ten in passing yards allowed and top-15 in total yards allowed as well as points allowed. After letting Florida put up 29 on them, they haven't given up more than 16 points in their last four games.

Offensively, it's still a passing game that dominates for Utah. QB Cameron Rising is top-15 in the country for passing TDs. Tight end Dalton Kincaid is top-15 in the country in receiving TDs. WR Devaughn Vele and TE Brant Kuithe both have over 200 yards at 269 and 206 respectively. 

We've gone over Utah a few times before, but this is the first time we're talking about the amazing job the UCLA Bruins have done under former Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly. 

It all starts with fifth-year senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. In five games, he's amounted over 1,200 passing yards and over 223 rushing yards for a combined 14 total touchdowns. In last week's upset win over then-no. 15 Washington, DTR completed 24 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He tacked on 53 rushing yards and a rushing TD for good measure.

He's not the only contributor to the running game. RB Zach Charbonnet is one of the top-40 rushers in the country by rushing yards and is top-30 by rushing touchdowns.

This game has the potential to be the closest of all these mentioned on the list. It has all the potential of  Pac-12 After Dark insanity, but conveniently played at midday. Expect a good bit of scoring in this one.

Game 3: no. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (5-0) @ no. 25 LSU Tigers (4-1)

Saturday at Noon (ESPN) / 'Death Valley'  Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

We've spoken a few times about Tennessee (spoiler alert,

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