Top 10 games to watch Week 6 of college football season

Week 5 brought some of the most exciting games of the 2025 college football season to date. Oregon won in double overtime at Penn State while Alabama made a statement, ending Georgia’s 33-game home-winning streak.

Week 6 does not have as many top-25 matchups. On3 is breaking down the top 10 games of Week 6 with College Football Playoff implications across the board.

No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama

Location: Tuscaloosa
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC

Vanderbilt is 5-0 for the first time since 2008 as quarterback Diego Pavia continues to make his case for the Heisman Trophy. Last season, Pavia led Vanderbilt to its first win over an AP top-five team in program history. Vanderbilt was 0-60 all-time against AP top-five teams. The Commodores had lost 23 consecutive games to Alabama, dating back to their last win in September 1984. Pavia and Vanderbilt are a proven commodity at this point, and Alabama will be ready following last year’s loss and coming off a win at Georgia.

Line: Alabama opens as a 12.5-point favorite vs. Vanderbilt, per BetMGM

No. 3 Miami at No. 18 Florida State

Location: Tallahassee
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC

One of the most heated rivalries in college football, Miami quarterback Carson Beck has looked comfortable with the Hurricanes since transferring in from Georgia. Florida State faltered for the first time on Friday night with an overtime loss at Virginia. Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. will test Florida State’s pass protection. Outside of CFP implications, Saturday night will also be for bragging rights and recruiting momentum.

No. 9 Texas at Florida

Location: Gainesville
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN

Despite a loss at Miami entering the bye week, Florida decided not to fire Billy Napier after a disappointing month of September. But with Texas set to visit The Swamp, it will put Napier’s future to the test as the Gators look to pick up their first FBS win of the season. For Texas, it’s the second road test of the year for Arch Manning and his first SEC road trip.

Mississippi State at No. 6 Texas A&M

Location: College Station
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: SEC Network

In Year 2 under Mike Elko, Texas A&M looks like a legitimate national title contender. The Aggies picked up a last-second win at Notre Dame and followed it up by holding onto a win Saturday over Auburn. They’ll face another SEC challenge this weekend with upstart Mississippi State visiting College Station. The Bulldogs are 4-1 and took Tennessee down to overtime on Saturday night.

No. 11 Texas Tech at Houston

Location: Houston
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN

One of the storylines of the 2025 college football season has been Texas Tech’s roster construction. The Red Raiders spent over $28 million on this year’s team. But it’s starting to show value on the field, highlighted by a blowout road win at Utah. Texas Tech is coming off the bye and will visit Houston, which is 4-0 and off to its best start since 2016 when they opened with five straight wins.

Washington at Maryland

Location: College Park
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: Big Ten Network

The Huskies hosted No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday, playing close for the first three quarters before the Buckeyes pulled away. Maryland is off to a 4-0 start and is already 1-0 in Big Ten play. The Terrapins have been led by true freshman quarterback Malik Washington, who has thrown for 1,038 yards with eight touchdowns and just one interception.

Boise State at No. 21 Notre Dame

Location: South Bend
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC

Notre Dame made a statement Saturday that it is not out of the CFP conversation. The Fighting Irish delivered a 56-13 loss to Arkansas as CJ Carr matched a Notre Dame freshman record with four touchdown passes and Jeremiyah Love caught two touchdown passes and rushed for two more. Boise State struggled to start the season with a loss to USF but has rebounded to win three straight.

No. 24 Virginia at Louisville

Location: Louisville
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN2

Virginia picked up a win over No. 8 Florida State on Friday night, with fans rushing the field in a great moment for the Tony Elliott era. The Cavaliers will now visit Louisville, which held on for a win at Pitt over the weekend. USC transfer quarterback Miller Moss passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns — including two in the fourth quarter — and ran for another in the Cardinals’ 34-27 comeback win at Pitt.

Michigan State at Nebraska

Location: Lincoln
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Channel: FS1

After a loss to Michigan at home, Nebraska hit the bye week. Now the Cornhuskers will have their shot at redemption with Michigan State visiting Lincoln. The matchup pits two Big Ten programs working to climb back to the top of the Big Ten. It could be a hinge game for bowl eligibility, looking forward, too.

Minnesota at No. 1 Ohio State

Location: Columbus
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC

Ohio State will get a night game with Minnesota visiting Columbus on Saturday night. The Buckeyes are coming off a West Coast trip to Washington and walked away with a 24-6 win. Drake Lindsay threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday as Minnesota rallied to defeat Rutgers 31-28. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 with their lone loss coming at Cal.