NCAA Football 2018 Week 6 picks

Thurs Oct 4
Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Houston Cougars:  Houston is the last American Athletic team to play a conference game.  They should start with a big win.  HOUSTON

Fri Oct 5
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Louisville Cardinals:  Neither team is playing well, so which one will prevail here?  Georgia Tech has been pathetic on the road, while Louisville has played well at home.  I think both trends will continue here.  LOUISVILLE

Utah State Aggies at BYU Cougars:  BYU has played well, but have had trouble closing games.  Utah State has been able to do that, and done it well.  UTAH STATE

Sat Oct 6
Top 25
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks:  Alabama is clearly the strongest team, and I don't see that the Razorbacks have the tools to upset the Tide.  ALABAMA

Indiana Hoosiers at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes:  Indiana has a good offense, and Ohio State starts slowly, so the Hoosiers may gain a first quarter lead, but Ohio State will close this down by the end of the third quarter.  OHIO STATE

Vanderbilt Commodores at #4 Georgia Bulldogs:  Vandy can surprise opponents, but I don't think they will here.  GEORGIA

Texas Longhorns at #5 Oklahoma Sooners:  This year's version of the Red River Rivalry comes with an inconsistent Texas team and an underachieving Oklahoma team.  That makes the game ripe for an upset, but I'll give Oklahoma a slight edge.  OKLAHOMA by three points

#6 Clemson Tigers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons:  Wake Forest looked good until conference play.  They can't seem to keep up with their conference foes. Clemson wants a strong victory to compensate for the near-loss against Syracuse.  They should get it.  CLEMSON

#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Virginia Tech Hokies:  The Hokies started the season strong, and then faltered.  They recovered last week, but is it enough?  The Irish started slowly but have been getting stronger, as their massacre of Stanford demonstrates.  This might be a close game, but I think the Irish will continue to roll.  NOTRE DAME

#8 LSU Tigers at #17 Florida Gators:  Florida has been getting stronger, and they may just be strong enough to beat LSU.  If this game is within one score near the end of the game, I favor Florida.  However, if the Gators have to come back too much, LSU will pull this out and survive a Florida comeback.  LSU

SMU Mustangs at #9 UCF Golden Knights:  This one won't be close.  UCF

Kansas Jayhawks at #10 West Virginia Mountaineers:  Kansas has been playing well this season, but they haven't been able to close games.  West Virginia can.  WEST VIRGINIA

#11 Kentucky Wildcats at Texas A&M Aggies:  The Wildcats are a hot team.  A&M can play well, but they are too inconsistent to count on.  They also have turnover problems, and the Wildcats will capitalize on that.  KENTUCKY

Arizona State Sun Devils at #12 Colorado Buffaloes:  Herm Edwards is improving the Sun Devils.  They still have distance to go, but the Buffaloes have to watch for an upset here.  COLORADO

Maryland Terrapins at #14 Michigan Wolverines:  Michigan has had to come back in the fourth quarter most of the season.  Maryland might prevent that, but remember how close Texas came to coming back in their game.  I like Michigan's chances, but this game will be really close.  MICHIGAN

Nebraska Cornhuskers at #15 Wisconsin Badgers:  Wisconsin rested last week, but they didn't need to. Nebraska is the worst team in the division, and Wisconsin is the best.  WISCONSIN

#16 Syracuse Orange at Pittsburgh Panthers:  Pitt is not playing well, while Syracuse is playing outstanding!  The national analysts blasted Syracuse for their four-point loss to Clemson, and took away their Top 25 ranking, but I know better.  Watch out for Syracuse!  SYRACUSE

Florida State Seminoles at #18 Miami Hurricanes:  When these two meet, it can be unpredictable. The Seminoles have recovered from an atrocious two-game start, but the Hurricanes will be too much of a challenge for them.  MIAMI

#19 Iowa Hawkeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers:  These two are pretty easily matched.  That will lead to a close game, and Iowa seems to handle close games better.  IOWA

#20 Auburn Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs:  It seems like the Bulldogs are starting to falter, and this game will either prove or disprove that.  If the Bulldogs keep it close, then they are still a threat.  If Auburn coasts, the Bulldogs are done.  I think Auburn will win, but it might be close.  AUBURN

#21 Washington Huskies at UCLA Bruins:  The Bruins stink.  WASHINGTON

Utah Utes at #22 Stanford Cardinal:  Utah is struggling this season, but they would love to give Stanford their second loss in a row.  I think they will fall short, but this game will be close enough to scare Cardinal fans.  STANFORD

Tulane Green Wave at #23 Cincinnati Bearcats:  This should be a pretty game for Cincinnati.  CINCINNATI

Iowa State Cyclones at #24 Oklahoma State Cowboys:  The Cyclones can be tough, but the Cowboys offense should overwhelm them.  OKLAHOMA STATE

Boston College Eagles at #25 North Carolina State Wolfpack:  It's the Eagles offense against the Wolfpack defense.  In these types of matchups, usually the defense wins, so I'll pick the Wolfpack.  NC STATE

Big Ten
Northwestern Wildcats at Michigan State Spartans:  Northwestern's only win was on the road, but that doesn't mean they'll win this one.  MICHIGAN STATE

Illinois Fighting Illini at Rutgers Scarlet Knights:  The Illini get to win their first conference game as they face the worst team in the conference.  ILLINOIS

Other Games of Interest
San Diego State Aztecs at Boise State Broncos:  The Aztecs are the most unimpressive 3-1 team, as they were terrible in their one loss and not dominant in their three wins.  Boise State should roll against them.  BOISE STATE

Washington State Cougars at Oregon State Beavers:  The Beavers are a bunch of underachievers this year.  They often have one home win a year that is an upset, but I'm not sure they'll get theirs this year.  WASHINGTON STATE

Fresno State Bulldogs at Nevada Wolf Pack:  Nevada is a decent team this year, but the Bulldogs are a powerhouse.  This is their first conference game, and they will prove that they are a major contender for the conference title.  FRESNO STATE