Week 6 college football preview

Kentucky travels to Athens to take on Georgia in Sanford Stadium this weekend and a sizeable portion of the Big Blue Nation will tune in to that.

But there’s a lot of other consequential college football to be played and Cats Illustrated is previewing all of that.

The biggest Vanderbilt-Alabama game we can remember

Alabama is a 10.5-point home favorite against Vanderbilt and that alone is newsworthy given the modern or all-time history of college football. There are a lot of people who would not be surprised to see Vanderbilt knock the Tide off in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has looked very strong lately and may be emerging again as a strong contender but they aren’t far removed enough from struggles to assume invincibility. Johnny Manziel is giving Diego Pavia advice and we have seen craft playmakers behind center knock off Bama before. This is an historic moment for Commodore football, just as last year’s win against Alabama will never be forgotten.

We learn about Texas this weekend

Nothing Florida has done this year should inspire a lot of faith that the Gators are poised for something big. But No. 9 Texas is only a 4.5-point favorite going into Saturday’s game in the Swamp. In spite of a good game last time out, Arch Manning is a big reason for that. His struggles against legitimate competition in his first full season as a starter have caused many to quickly bail on the Longhorns. Florida lost at home to USF and it could get ugly in Gainesville, but Billy Napier is talking about another turnaround. At the very least, Manning on the road in the SEC is a big story for a team that still has national championship aspirations.

Is Miami-FSU back?

That might be dramatic. It’s certainly not on the level that it has been in a couple of different eras but this is a huge game in the ACC. Miami looks like one of the best teams in the country early in the season and is unbeaten on the road against No. 11 FSU, coming off a loss to UVA. It’s close to a must win for Florida State but it is not for the Hurricanes. Still, the Hurricanes are viewed strongly enough they are 4.5-point favorites.

Michigan and Wisconsin moving different directions

Michigan is almost a three touchdown favorite at home against Wisconsin this weekend. In many past years this would be one of the top games in the Big Ten. In spite of that early loss to Oklahoma it does appear as though the Wolverines are an improved team, while a loss would drop the floundering Badgers to 2-3. Wisconsin has quietly been trending downward quite a bit as a program. Maybe that has been quiet because the consistency of their against-the-odds success was never taken for granted but always praised.

Clemson vs UNC: The ACC’s Disappointment Bowl

Going into the 2025 college football season the two most excited fan bases in the ACC might have been at Clemson and North Carolina. We heard all about how the Tigers were stronger in certain positions than they have been in years and with a Heisman contender at quarterback it was likely Clemson would compete on the national level. Instead, Clemson is 1-3 after a home loss to Syracuse. Nobody expected nearly as much from North Carolina in Bill Belichick’s first year, but nobody also anticipated the way the Tar Heels have been wiped out in both games against power conference games, TCU and UCF. North Carolina has been so bad the Tigers are 14.5-point road favorites.

Navy may cruise to Commander-In-Chief Trophy

Navy (4-0) takes on Air Force (1-3) in the first of three games that will decide the annual CoC Trophy. Army is also only 1-3 to start the year so the Midshipmen, -12.5 this weekend, are strong favorites to win the hardware. But it still has to be won.

How bad will it get at UCLA?

With DeShaun Foster’s short-lived tenure at an end the 0-4 Bruins, already saddled with ugly losses to non-power conference foes, play host to Penn State a week after the Nittany Lions lost at home to Oregon. It’s hard to find wins on the Bruins schedule. UCLA and North Carolina look like two of the worst teams in the country from the major leagues.

Don’t sleep on Notre Dame

The Irish are three touchdown favorites at home against Boise State. Many of you will read this and roll your eyes. Notre Dame has already lost two games. But they did lose those games very narrowly against Texas A&M and Miami, which may be two of the better teams in the country in what looks like a wide open season. This team seems to have some issues to improve on but don’t be surprised if they build momentum over the season and there’s a debate about whether they belong in the playoff.

Does Mississippi State get a wake up call?

The Bulldogs are 16.5-point road underdogs going into a game at still-unbeaten A&M. If Mississippi State can play A&M tough it would fundamentally change how we think about the Bulldogs, as more of a mid-tier SEC team than bottom tier, because you’d have to consider that along with strong showings against Arizona State and Tennessee. Then again, A&M still has SEC title aspirations in an open year.

Louisville favored at home against Virginia

Maybe folks don’t think Virginia will handle the afterglow of success after that emotional win against Florida State, but the No. 24 Cavaliers are 6.5-point underdogs on the road at Louisville. The Cardinals are undefeated and found a way to win against Pitt after trailing but Louisville remains undefeated. Clemson and SMU have five losses between them (though SMU hasn’t played an ACC game yet) and Florida State now has a league loss, so the Cardinals have a clear path in the ACC. It’s important for them to protect home field this weekend.

Is Texas Tech the best team in Texas?

With Arch Manning’s struggles have come the question: Is Texas Tech the best team in the Lone Star State? Both Texas and Texas A&M might have something to say about that but the Red Raiders have pushed their chips all in on becoming a football superpower in a changing era for the sport. The No. 11 Red Raiders are 11.5-point road favorites at 3-1 Houston.