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If college football Week 6 is anything like Week 5, we could be in for more upsets. Last week, fans were left stunned by several major outcomes concerning highly ranked teams.
Ole Miss was shocked by Kentucky in front of their own home crowd. Meanwhile, Georgia nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback but ultimately fell short, losing yet another game to Alabama. Now, both the Rebels and Bulldogs find themselves in must-win mode heading into Week 6.
But they’re not the only ones. This week, a total of eight teams are in desperate need of a win. Let’s take a look at who they are.
No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs
Opponent: Auburn Tigers
How good is Georgia football? Well, despite their loss to then-No. 4 Alabama, the Bulldogs only dropped three spots to No. 5 in the rankings. That isn’t all that surprising, considering Georgia is 43-3 in its last 52 games. This team is still one of the best in the country, yet a sense of unfamiliar anxiety has started to creep into Athens lately.
Before their showdown with the Crimson Tide last weekend, where they found themselves down 30-7 at halftime, the Bulldogs were already struggling. They managed just 13 points against Kentucky the previous week. In hindsight, the Wildcats' upset over a Top-10 Ole Miss team last week might have eased some nerves, but there’s still uneasiness surrounding Georgia football that hasn’t been felt in quite some time.
Remember, when Georgia faced Auburn on the Plains last year, it was a close one. The Bulldogs need a convincing win in Week 6 over the Tigers to silence some of those lingering doubts.
UCLA Bruins
Opponent: @ No. 7 Penn State
New UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster hasn't had the best start to his first season. Then again, the Bruins have faced one of the toughest schedules in the country so far. After a win over Hawaii in Week 1, UCLA has dropped three straight games—all to teams that are now ranked in the AP Top 25.
The Bruins are averaging just 14.8 points per game, and things won’t get any easier as they prepare to face No. 7 Penn State and their seventh-ranked scoring defense in Week 6. It’s been a brutal start to the season for UCLA.
No. 22 Louisville Cardinals
Opponent: SMU Mustangs
The ACC doesn't boast many ranked teams, so if the Louisville Cardinals want to keep their spot in the Top 25, they need to handle business against the SMU Mustangs on Saturday in what is now a conference matchup.
Louisville suffered their first loss last weekend in a ranked showdown against Notre Dame on the road. Fortunately, that defeat doesn’t affect their ACC aspirations, as they remain 1-0 in conference play. However, SMU is coming off a dominant win over Florida State. Should Louisville fans be worried?
If Louisville has plans to return to the ACC title game, a victory over SMU is a must.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Opponent: Pitt Panthers
The legacy of Mack Brown seems to take another hit with every disappointing North Carolina loss. Two weeks ago, the Tar Heels gave up 70 points to James Madison, and just last week, they blew a 13-point lead to fall by one to their archrival Duke. While it's just a single conference loss, Pitt now rolls into Chapel Hill for another ACC matchup in Week 6 that could at least begin to heal some wounds.
How long is Brown's leash here, though? With North Carolina's season on shaky ground, can they afford another embarrassing loss?
No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels
Opponent: @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Things could go south quickly for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss if they’re not careful. Last week's upset loss to Kentucky was far from how the Rebels envisioned starting SEC play. The defeat raised serious questions about their legitimacy, particularly on offense, which had been steamrolling their first few opponents.
Despite the setback, not all is lost for Ole Miss, including their College Football Playoff hopes. However, heading into a tough environment like South Carolina for a bounce-back game is far from an easy task. A win in Week 6 is crucial for the Rebels.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Opponent: @ Stanford
Virginia Tech dropped to 2-3 last week in a road loss to Miami, a game many thought they should have won. The Hokies appeared to secure a Hail Mary touchdown in the final moments, poised to pull off an upset against their ACC rivals. However, the officials overturned the call in what was an extremely controversial decision. A defeat like that can seriously dampen a team's morale for the rest of the season, making it crucial for coach Brent Pry to rally his squad as they head out west to face Stanford in what is now a conference matchup.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Opponent: West Virginia Mountaineers
The last two weeks for Oklahoma State have not been good ones. The Cowboys, after starting out 3-0, have lost two straight. And what's worse, they were both Big 12 conference losses to Utah and Kansas State. Even with the Big 12 as wide open as it is, losing three in a row may be all but it for the Cowboys, should they take the loss to the Mountaineers on Saturday.
No. 8 Miami Hurricanes
Opponent: Cal Golden Bears
Miami may have escaped with a win last Friday night, but in many ways, it felt like a loss. The initial call on Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones' Hail Mary pass was overturned by ACC officials, controversially handing the game to the Hurricanes and keeping their undefeated record—and Top 10 status—intact.
Miami didn’t resemble the dominant team that started the season. Instead, they appeared vulnerable in several areas. Week 6 is an opportunity for the Hurricanes to prove that last week was a fluke and that they are not the frauds everyone is now calling them. Overcoming the challenges of travel and a late kickoff (10:30 p.m. EST), they'll need a decisive win against a solid Cal team on the road to secure another conference victory.
