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If one took a cursory glance at the college football schedule before the start of the season, one couldn’t help but notice that the Oct. 8 slate appeared quite enticing. It still is, but some of the games we had circled fall short of making our list of recommended viewing options.
That annual showdown in Dallas, which a writer from this publication who shall remain nameless pegged as the possible game of the year, might still indeed be exciting and fun but is now largely irrelevant in the big championship picture. Likewise, the highly anticipated Alabama-Texas A&M showdown fueled by the coaches exchanging verbal barbs in the offseason has lost some luster as the Aggies limp into Tuscaloosa with two losses and an underperforming offense.
As always, this is not to say that these contests and others won’t have the capacity to surprise and entertain, so keep that remote handy. But we think these six matchups have better potential as you plan your Saturday.
Saturday, FS1, noon ET
Why watch: Just like we all predicted, there is a battle of ranked teams in the Big 12 on the Week 6 schedule. Oh sure, we thought it might be ‘Red River,’ but here we are. The undefeated Jayhawks, 5-0 for the first time since 2009, host the red-hot Horned Frogs who are riding high themselves after blowing out Oklahoma. The game will feature two of the league’s most dynamic QBs. TCU’s Max Duggan put on a show against Oklahoma last week, while KU’s Jalon Daniels is averaging 262.4 yards of total offense himself. Both signal callers also have superb backfield support in the persons of Horned Frogs RB Kendre Miller and Jayhawk’ RB Devin Neal.
Why it could disappoint: The Jayhawks enjoyed a bit of good fortune last week to escape Iowa State with a three-point win. Their luck could run out as they encounter a TCU squad that has committed just one turnover all season and has an explosive offense.
Saturday, Fox, 3:30 p.m. ET
Why watch: The Bruins’ first four wins didn’t earn them much attention from poll voters, but they looked the part of a Top 25 squad last Friday toppling previously unbeaten Washington. They now host the defending Pac-12 champion Utes, who have been just as impressive since dropping their opener at Florida. While UCLA’s big night on offense with veteran QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the controls and RB Zach Charbonnet chewing up yards wasn’t a huge surprise, the defensive effort led by LB Laiatu Latu against Washington was eye-opening.
