The first five weeks of the college football season have been fun, but now it's time to get serious. It's Georgia-Bama time. OU-Texas time. USC-Penn State might not be as big as it seemed it would be, but that's fine, since UCLA-Oregon and Nebraska-Indiana are much bigger. Week 6 gives us some big-time matchups in big-time Big Ten and SEC venues, and in at least one case, with big-time weather.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 will separate some wheat from chaff, and both North Dakota State and Boise State face stiff tests in the Group of 6. Friday night should offer clarity on Florida State's rebound hopes and Iowa's potential playoff push. Missouri looks to avoid the SEC's Main Character Curse, the race for the ACC's No. 2 spot heats up, and Jeremiah Smith goes for a third straight 200-yard game.
We're only through 19 of 72 SEC conference games, and we're already down to three unbeaten teams in league play: Alabama, Georgia and Texas. At most, we'll have only two left after Saturday. Even with heavy rain threatening, the No. 2 Georgia at No. 6 Alabama game at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC is a helmet game. Smart's Bulldogs are 114-16 since 2017, but just 2-7 against the Crimson Tide. Georgia has won its first three SEC games by an average of 41-15.
Alabama looks like its best team since about 2022, pairing stellar run defense with one of the highest-upside offenses in the country. Keelon Russell is nearly on pace for 4,000 passing yards and 800 non-sack rushing yards, and the Tide have scored at least 45 points in every game. The No. 1 Texas vs. Oklahoma game at 3:30 p.m. ET offers a contrast, as Oklahoma's offense ranks 112th in both yards per play and points per drive while committing 10 turnovers against an expected 5.3.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing