The Top 10 games of Week 6: Why the Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas is the clear-cut No. 1

Week 4 was college football’s Christmas, but is Week 6 a slice of separation Saturday?

There’s not a ton of ranked-on-ranked matchups (just four in total) but there are a slew of games that will have a major say in both conference championship contenders and the College Football Playoff. 

Without a doubt, the Red River Rivalry matchup between Texas and Oklahoma is the best game of the weekend, but there are still plenty of other juicy showdowns on the slate this Saturday. 

Here’s how I’d rank the top 10 games of Week 6:

1. Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas)

On the menu for this year’s Texas State Fair is a heaping of the “Longhorns are back” narrative versus the stewing Sooners, who are still salty about last year’s 49-0 drubbing. Texas is ranked in the Top 10 at Red River for the first time since 2009 — not-so-coincidentally the last time it playing for a national title? While all eyes are on quarterbacks Dillion Gabriel and Quinn Ewers, the Sooners and Longhorns have the top two defenses in the Big 12 and both teams are coming off routs against conference foes. 

Of note, Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders, perhaps the best tight end in the country after Brock Bowers, injured his ankle against Kansas and is questionable to play. 

2. Alabama at Texas A&M

Are Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide really going to lose two games before Halloween? They might, and a loss in College Station for the second time in a row would end any playoff hopes and could knockout Alabama from the SEC West race, too.

For the Aggies, Saturday is an opportunity for Jimbo Fisher to silence his critics. His decision to bring in Bobby Petrino as OC is working, and since the loss to Miami, Texas A&M’s defense is living up to its recruiting billing (14 sacks the last two games).

3. Kentucky at Georgia 

With Ray Davis and the Wildcats’ Big Blue Wall coming to Athens, we should know once and for all if the Bulldogs have a serious issue stopping the run in 2023 on Saturday night. 

Teams aren’t hammering the ball inside on UGA, but they are finding room to roam on the perimeter. The Dawgs have struggled to set the edge, ranking 67th in yards per carry allowed this season. That’s a stark contract to a run defense that ranked in the Top 3 nationally the last four years. ‘Cats QB Devin Leary won’t be a factor with his legs, but Davis presents real problems. 

4. LSU at Missouri

Both Tigers can score, but one is bleeding while the other is ravenous for a marquee upset at home. 

LSU has been a tire fire defensively in 2023, and fresh off allowing over 700 yards at Ole Miss it must now tangle with Brady Cook (three straight 300+ yard games, 11 touchdowns to zero picks this season) and wideout Luther Burden (nation-high 644 yards). 

A third loss would ensure that Brian Kelly would have a worse record in Year 2 for the first time since he was a second-year head coach at Grand Valley State in 1992. 

5. Notre Dame at Louisville 

This is a tricky spot for the Irish, coming off last weekend’s exhilarating comeback win at Duke with USC on deck next weekend. The Cardinals entered the Top 25 after slogging out a win at NC State on Friday night. 

Notre Dame has won 30 straight games against ACC foes, and this will be by far the toughest test for Jeff Brohm in his first season back at Louisville.

6. Washington State at UCLA

The Bruins have had an extra week to right themselves after getting thrown into a meat-grinder by Utah, while the Cougars enjoyed an idle date picking fights with Pat McAfee and ESPN. 

Wazzu is off to its best start in years and is ranked just outside the Top 10. Cameron Ward is a darkhorse Heisman Trophy contender, but the Bruins’ defense is up for the challenge. Their pass defense is among the best in the Pac-12, allowing just 5.8 yards per attempt with twice as many picks (six) as touchdowns. 

7. Maryland at Ohio State

Typically, the Terps get splattered in these matchups, but a year ago they did push the Buckeyes for four quarters and their quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa leads the Big Ten in passing yards, touchdowns and explosive throws. 

Ohio State’s secondary is much improved this year, so can Tagovailoa test a retooled unit? Meanwhile, how healthy is Marvin Harrison Jr. after getting dinged up in the win at Notre Dame?

8. Fresno State at Wyoming 

The battle for supremacy in the Mountain West? The Bulldogs are ranked with two Power 5 wins (at Purdue and vs. Arizona State), while Wyoming is 4-1 with an upset over Texas Tech and a three-quarter fight with Texas. The Cowboys also beat a solid App. State team.

Things can get hairy in Laramie, but Fresno State did win 17-0 in its last trip to Wyoming.

9. Arizona at USC

This is a total look-ahead spot for USC. Notre Dame is on deck and in comes to town a Wildcats team with a backup quarterback. 

Caleb Williams torched Arizona for 411 yards and five touchdowns in 2022, but the Wildcats are playing much better defensively this fall (19 points per game allowed vs. 36.1 last season). Washington’s Michael Penix threw for 363 yards against Arizona last weekend, but he was held to season-lows in yards per attempt, touchdowns (zero) and QB rating, so it won’t be a cakewalk for Williams & Co. 

10. Colorado at Arizona State 

Welcome to the Transfer Portal U bowl. Deion Sanders and Kenny Dillingham had roster reckonings before Year 1 — the notable difference being Sanders has a quarterback and the Sun Devils do not. 

Thanks to injuries and poor play, Dillingham has already started four different QBs this season. Last year’s incumbent Trenton Bourguet started the loss to Cal last weekend and maybe he’ll get back on track against a Buffs defense that ranks No. 123 in yards per play. 

After two straight losses to Top 10 teams, Colorado is looking to return to its winning ways during the month of October before the schedule stiffens in four weeks.