Last week, the college football season shifted into a new gear. We got an epic matchup of top-five teams in Alabama-Georgia, a game that exceeded all expectations. We got three other ranked-versus-ranked matchups, we had a Hail Mary fall just short in Miami as part of another wild Friday night, and we got statement wins from teams like UNLV. It was a lot.
This week ... doesn't seem like as much. There's only one ranked-versus-ranked game, and it's No. 9 vs. No. 25. "College GameDay" is in Berkeley, home of the only team that has lost to Florida State. (This is awesome, by the way. But it's definitely weird.) Weeks like this look like momentum killers on paper. Of course, these are the weeks that end up having about 75 chaotic and amazing endings and upset bids -- like Week 2, which looked like a down week and was instead my favorite week of the season thus far. Plus, we always have questions, and we're always on the hunt for more answers.
Instead of focusing on the biggest games and top four or five storylines of the week, as these Friday previews normally do, I'm instead asking 10 medium-sized questions that we should get answered while waiting to see which frantic finishes we'll be following. Here's everything you need to know -- and ask! -- for Week 6. (All times are Eastern.)
Jump to a section:
Mizzou-Texas A&M | Clemson-FSU | Miami-Cal
Auburn-UGA | Iowa-Ohio State | Michigan-Washington
Ole Miss-South Carolina | Syracuse-UNLV | SMU-Louisville
Navy-Air Force | Chaos superfecta | Week 6 playlist
Is Missouri ready to play like a contender?
No. 9 Missouri at No. 25 Texas A&M (noon, ABC)
Top-10 teams are supposed to beat Boston College and Vanderbilt by more than nine combined points. Despite a solid overall defensive showing, Missouri hasn't really lived up to its preseason hype, but then again Eli Drinkwitz's Tigers also haven't had to yet. But they have to now. Texas A&M has its flaws, but the Aggies are better than both BC and Vandy, and it's time for an underachieving offense to find fourth or fifth gear.
Mizzou and A&M have been similar teams. Neither loses ground much on offense, and neither has turned the ball over much. But Mizzou has gained 20-plus on just 4.8% of snaps (114th), A&M 5.7% (96th). A&M has bounced between two different quarterbacks, with Conner Weigman struggling and then getting hurt and the more run-oriented Marcel Reed starting the past two games (both wins). Mizzou, meanwhile, has one quarterback who hasn't quite rediscovered last year's magic.