College football is moving into October, which means we’ve seen just enough football to know what teams are going to have a chance to reach the College Football Playoff this season. The schedule in Week 6 offers one of the most exciting sets of matchups we’ve seen in college football this year since the first week of the season. This weekend offers a great opportunity to see what college football teams are viable championship contenders and what teams are pretenders.
To keep up with all the action, here are six college football games you must watch this weekend.
Texas vs. Oklahoma, Noon
With a pair of 2-2 teams facing off, the Red River Rivalry doesn’t have quite as much luster as it usually does, but this is still one of the best rivalries in college football. Once again, Texas head coach Charlie Strong finds himself on the hot seat, as the Inquisitr previously reported that it may be time for Texas to move on from Strong . The team’s opening weekend win over Notre Dame is now a distant memory, but a Longhorn win over Oklahoma could give Strong some positive momentum and give him a chance to remain the football coach at Texas beyond this season. Strong is taking over control of the defensive play calling this week, and it’ll be interesting to see if that makes any difference against an Oklahoma team that has had no problem scoring points this season, despite suffering losses at the hands of Houston and Ohio State.
LSU at Florida, Noon
These are two bitter rivals that almost always produce a memorable college football game. Florida is expecting quarterback Luke Del Rio to return from injury this week, which should give the team a boost.
Good News Gator Fans! QB Luke Del Rio Is Expected To Play Against LSU https://t.co/WzDo9UVut1
— Hail Florida Hail (@HailFloridaHail) October 4, 2016
Meanwhile, LSU running back Leonard Fournette is unlikely to play, which could hurt the Tigers, even after last week’s offensive explosion against Missouri.
(Tiger Rag) Ed Orgeron: Leonard Fournette, Will Clapp and Foster Moreau all likely out for Florida game https://t.co/rztmmjX2No #LSU
— ?LSUSportsNews? (@LSU_Sports_News) October 5, 2016
Behind interim coach Ed Orgeron, the Tigers still have hopes to win the SEC West, but only if they win the rest of their games, and that includes finding a way to win Saturday in the Swamp.
Florida State at Miami, 8 p.m.
College football is always better when Florida State and Miami are playing meaningful games, and this game is definitely meaningful. The Hurricanes are No. 10 in the polls by virtue of a 4-0 start, albeit against a rather easy schedule, making this Miami’s first true test of the season. The Seminoles are likely out of the College Football Playoff picture with two losses this season, but Florida State would love nothing more than to play the role of spoiler against Miami. If that’s not enough to get you interested, this game could be played amidst rain and wind created by Hurricane Matthew, which should make for a sloppy but entertaining college football game.
Washington at Oregon, 7:30 p.m.
This game could signal a changing of the guard in the Pac-12. Washington blew away Stanford last week, and they’re looking to do the same to Oregon this week. A win for the Huskies would give them complete control of the Pac-12 North and solidify their standing as contenders to reach the College Football Playoff. Meanwhile, Oregon is trying to stop a three-game losing streak, a sentence you’d never expect to hear about the Ducks a couple years ago. If Oregon can pull off the upset at home, it’s most likely going to occur in a high-scoring game, making this a good, old-fashioned college football shootout.
Tennessee at Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m.
The way Tennessee has come from behind this season makes them must-see TV for any college football fan. Late-game fireworks, including last week’s Hail Mary against Georgia, have made the Vols 5-0 and thinking about the SEC Title Game and the College Football Playoff heading into Saturday’s showdown with the Aggies. Of course, Texas A&M has already beaten two ranked teams this season and looks poised to add a third ranked team to its resume before the College Football Playoff committee meets for the first time. But even if the Aggies are able to build a big lead early, no lead against Tennessee has been safe this year, potentially setting up what could be another unforgettable finish.
Alabama at Arkansas, 7 p.m.
College football’s top-ranked team is about to get its toughest test of the season thus far. Alabama survived a trip to Ole Miss last month, but a Saturday night with Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks could be a more difficult matchup for the Crimson Tide. The last time Nick Saban’s team visited Arkansas, they were lucky to escape with a one-point win. Saturday’s game could be just as close, making it another huge test for freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts. This week begins a stretch of three straight games against ranked teams for Alabama, and the Crimson Tide definitely can’t afford to look past Arkansas, or else they could suffer a loss that shakes up the entire college football world.
[Featured Image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]