by The 2022 midseason is just two weeks away, and as promised last week, the college football rankings got a major shakeup as the top 25 rivals squared off in conference play. Well, guess what?! The same will be true this week with three such games between ranked opponents along with a series of rivalry matchups that will help clear up the College Football Playoff picture early.
No. 8 Tennessee looks to continue its resurgence behind Hendon Hooker as it travels to No. 25 LSU, which is upset to host an important game in the sunlight. No. 19 Kansas hosts No. 17 TCU in a surprise battle of Big 12 undefeated teams as both programs prepare to lean on their high-powered offenses to continue their upward trajectory. No. 11 Utah hopes to continue its rebound from its season-opening loss to Florida and regain its spot as the top team in the Pac-12 (as projected this preseason) when it visits undefeated No. 18 of Utah. Additionally, No. 1 Alabama (vs. Texas A&M), No. 2 Georgia (vs. Auburn), No. 3 Ohio State (at Michigan State) and No. 4 Michigan (at Indiana) all hope to avoid the upset as a double-digit favorite from teams that know them very well.
By the time Saturday’s action is over, many conference title pictures will be clear, and there may even be noticeable changes in Jerry Palm’s bowl projections (look for those on Sunday). Be sure to stay with CBS Sports all day for college football coverage from kickoff and beyond. Let’s take a look at our experts’ picks for the best games in Week 6.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All weather Eastern
No. 8 Tennessee at No. 25 LSU
Noon | ESPN, fuboTV (Try Free) — Auburn racked up 438 yards against LSU’s defense last week, which is concerning given how weak Auburn has been offensively this season. While LSU pulled off a big road win, much of it was likely due to a +3 margin. Replicating that against Tennessee’s high-powered offense could be a problem. LSU shouldn’t have much trouble scoring against the Volunteers, but Tennessee is more consistent offensively and should be able to get past the Tigers. Prediction: Tennessee -3 — David Cobb
No. 17 TCU at No. 19 Kansas
Noon | FSI, fuboTV (Try Free) — Unfortunately, Kansas’ winning streak likely ends here. As good as the Jayhawks have been, TCU is the best, most complete team they’ve faced. I’m afraid the Horned Frogs will be too much for me to handle. However, I don’t think the Horned Frogs will be so far that the Jayhawks won’t cover. KU had its worst offensive performance of the season against Iowa State, but won with its defense. This is an encouraging sign moving forward. Also, while TCU is the most complete team Kansas has faced, they aren’t particularly special on the defensive end and have given up a lot of explosive plays. Not good news for a team facing this Kansas offense. I expect a lot of points and neither team to be too far away from the other. Prediction: Kansas +7 — Tom Fornelli
Auburn at No. 2 Georgia
3:30 pm | cbs, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app — Auburn couldn’t have picked a worse time to take on Georgia at Sanford Stadium. Robby Ashford won’t get the same production through the air because of a strong Georgia defensive front and a secondary that will take advantage of the pressure the front seven creates. The sloppy play of the last two weeks will force Kirby Smart to keep his foot on the gas more than he usually batted, leading the Bulldogs to an easy cover. Forecast: Georgia -30 — Barrett Sallee
No. 11 Utah at No. 18 UCLA
3:30 pm | Fox, fuboTV (Try Free) — I was impressed by what I saw from Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Bruins against Washington last week, but he had too much of an impact down the line in this game. Yes, there were questions about the Bruins because they had played a soft schedule up to that point, but a solid offensive performance against Washington didn’t do much to convince me. The Huskies moved the ball effectively against UCLA’s defense and offered little defensive resistance. That won’t be the case for a Utah defense that ranks 13th nationally in passing percentage, 15th in points allowed per drive and fourth in EPA (expected points added) per snap. What would worry me even more if I were a UCLA fan is that the Utes rank eighth nationally in pressure percentage, and Thompson-Robinson has never fared well when pressured. Prediction: Utah -3.5 — Tom Fornelli
No. 3 Ohio State at Michigan
4 pm | ALPHABET, fuboTV (Try Free) — If I’m betting the spread, I’m leaning toward Ohio State -25.5, but with questions about the availability of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson, I’m not so sure. It’s entirely possible the Buckeyes will build an early advantage and take their foot off the gas to rest some frazzled players and save for upcoming games against Iowa and Penn State. Additionally, while Michigan State’s biggest problem has been its defense, the team’s offense hasn’t been great either. When you consider all of this, the under seems like the best play on the board. Forecast: Below 65 — Tom Fornelli
Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama
8 pm | cbs, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app — Texas A&M may have one of the 10 worst scoring offenses at the Power Five level, but I have to believe that the same coach who put Zach Calzada in position to succeed against a solid Alabama defense will be able to get more than 13 or 14 points credited to the Aggies on the implied score of that point spread and overall — 38-14 based on the Alabama-24 and over-under 51.5. Plus, Alabama — with or without Bryce Young — will put up at least 40 in this game. It may be a sweat, but series trends support a higher-scoring game when these two meet. Prediction: Over 51.5 — Chip Patterson
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 6, and which Top 25 favorite will fall hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has produced more than $3,100 in winnings over the past six-plus seasons — and find out.
