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Jackson's Week 6 college football predictions for all ranked games and top-25 matchups. His picks for Alabama vs. Vanderbilt, Miami vs. Florida State, and more.
Week 6 College Football Predictions
The Week 5 slate was loaded with important top-25 matchups, and it did not disappoint. The Week 6 college football schedule is far from as pretty on paper, but these slates often produce wild upsets and fun surprises, so be sure to tune in.
This week’s action is headlined by another rivalry game in the Sunshine State and features Vanderbilt in arguably the biggest game of Saturday’s action. Let’s get to the picks!
No. 24 Virginia at Louisville
What a fun win for Virginia last Friday. The Cavaliers took down Florida State in dramatic fashion, which led to their fans rushing the field. But Virginia will have to turn the page quickly, as a trip to face an underrated Louisville team awaits.
In an important game with potential ACC Championship implications, we’re rolling with Jeff Brohm, Miller Moss, and Isaac Brown to show up big.
Prediction: Louisville 34, Virginia 27
No. 23 BYU vs. West Virginia
The BYU-West Virginia game will be played on Friday night, and it looks like a one-sided matchup on paper. West Virginia will have to travel across the country on a short week, and the Cougars, led by freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, haven’t seemed to miss a beat without Jake Retzlaff.
We’re not counting out the possibility that Rich Rodriguez turns the Mountaineer program around, but it’s too early in his tenure to expect a big-time upset in this spot.
Prediction: BYU 30, West Virginia 14
No. 22 Illinois at Purdue
Just a week after getting blasted in a 53-point loss to Indiana, Illinois rebounded with a win over top-25 USC. Their performances in those two games couldn’t have been any different, so it will be interesting to see which version of the Illini we see on Saturday.
Fortunately, Purdue is not the same caliber of team as Indiana and USC, and the blowout loss in Week 4 might have been a reality check for Bret Bielema and company. Expect Illinois to win this one without much trouble.
Prediction: Illinois 40, Purdue 23
No. 21 Notre Dame vs. Boise State
After scoring 24 points against a strong Miami defense in Week 1, Notre Dame has tallied at least 40 points in each of the last three contests against Texas A&M, Purdue, and Arkansas. CJ Carr might be Notre Dame’s best pure passer since Brady Quinn, and the Irish have all the weapons needed to finish the season as a top-five offense.
Boise State has regressed mightily on both sides of the ball after last year’s run to the College Football Playoff, and its defense will surrender a ton of points and yards again this weekend.
Prediction: Notre Dame 55, Boise State 24
No. 20 Michigan vs. Wisconsin
After Wisconsin’s 17-point home loss to Maryland in Week 4, it’s tough to get excited about its rest-of-season outlook. For whatever reason, Luke Fickell has been unable to carry over his success from Cincinnati to Madison.
Meanwhile, Michigan continues to flex its muscles on the ground, and true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood has impressed early. Michigan will take care of business at home.
Prediction: Michigan 31, Wisconsin 13
No. 14 Iowa State at Cincinnati
Iowa State remains undefeated, but its wins continue to look less impressive as the season moves forward. The Cyclones sleepwalked to a victory over Arkansas State a few weeks ago, and now, the injury bug has bitten. Iowa State will be without cornerbacks Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper for the rest of the season.
A matchup with gutsy Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby on the road does not come at a good time. The Bearcats take the win here.
Prediction: Cincinnati 23, Iowa State 18
No. 12 Georgia vs. Kentucky
For some reason, Kirby Smart just can’t get over the “Alabama” hump. The Bulldogs lost their first game in Athens since 2019 last week, but I expect them to come out and play with an attitude in a favorable matchup against the struggling Wildcats.
Kentucky has averaged just 7.8 points per game against Georgia in the last six meetings, and despite Georgia’s defensive struggles, that trend is likely to continue here.
Prediction: Georgia 34, Kentucky 7
No. 11 Texas Tech at Houston
This could sneakily be one of the best games on the Week 6 slate, as undefeated Texas Tech travels to Houston for an all-important Big-12 throwdown. Can Houston announce itself as a conference title contender here?
While it’s possible, we’re going to trust Behren Morton and the incredible collection of talent Tech has brought in from the transfer portal.
Prediction: Texas Tech 38, Houston 20
No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 16 Vanderbilt
One of college football’s biggest surprises last season was No. 1 Alabama falling to Vanderbilt in Nashville. Alabama was fresh off a win over Georgia and looked to be headed toward the College Football Playoff, but the Commodores had other ideas.
This is the first time both programs have been ranked for this matchup since 1937. It’s tough to count Vanderbilt out, but the Tide will have revenge on their mind, and the loss to Florida State in Week 1 may have woken up a sleeping giant.
Prediction: Alabama 33, Vanderbilt 14
No. 9 Texas at Florida
In the preseason, this looked like it could be one of the best games of the year. Arch Manning vs. DJ Lagway was one of the most hyped quarterback matchups entering 2025, but both have gotten off to rocky starts against Power 4 competition.
The Gators and Longhorns have averaged a combined 10 points per game against Ohio State, LSU, South Florida, and Miami. If you love offense, you may want to skip this one in the Swamp. The Texas defense is the unit to trust the most here.
Prediction: Texas 20, Florida 6
No. 7 Penn State at UCLA
Yet again under James Franklin, the Nittany Lions failed to win a game against a top-10 opponent. The “White Out” conditions weren’t enough to move Penn State past Oregon, and now a 2,500-mile trip to Los Angeles is on tap.
That’s a long way to travel, and it could lead to a sluggish start for Penn State, but the Bruins arguably have the worst team in Power 4 football. There’s no world where the Nittany Lions should lose to Nico Iamaleava in this spot.
Prediction: Penn State 45, UCLA 10
No. 6 Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State
Mississippi State lost a close one to Tennessee in overtime last Saturday. While losing is never the goal, it proved the Bulldogs are much improved from last year, and they aren’t going to be an easy out for their SEC counterparts.
If this game weren’t at Kyle Field, I’d be tempted to call for the upset. But Texas A&M’s quarterback play and weapons on the perimeter are going to prove to be too much for Jeff Lebby’s squad to handle.
Prediction: Texas A&M 37, Mississippi State 30
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. Kent State
It’s never a good time to lose your Heisman-contending quarterback to an injury, but luckily, John Mateer has had a bye week to recover. Now, they must get past one of the worst teams in FBS football with Michael Hawkins at the helm, and hope Mateer can be back next week for the Red River Shootout against Texas.
Seriously, 14 points might be enough to get past the Golden Flashes, given how the Sooners’ defense has played.
Prediction: Oklahoma 42, Kent State 3
No. 3 Miami (FL) at No. 18 Florida State
This time last week, we were looking forward to a top-ten matchup between the Canes and Noles, but Florida State slipped up on the road against Virginia. However, we saw Alabama lose to Florida State only to turn around and beat Georgia, so be careful declaring Florida State has no chance here.
The books list Miami as just a 4.5-point favorite, and Florida State has home-field advantage. While I expect it to be a nailbiter, I’ll bet on Carson Beck and the fantastic Miami defense to win on the road.
Prediction: Miami 24, Florida State 21
No. 1 Ohio State vs. Minnesota
Ohio State was tested by Washington in the first half of last week’s contest at Husky Stadium, but its dominant defense continued to flash. The Buckeyes’ offense hasn’t come to life yet, but the stop unit led by Matt Patricia can carry it until it matters later in the season.
Ryan Day hasn’t dropped a game like this in a while, and it would be surprising if it happened here.
Prediction: Ohio State 26, Minnesota 9
