From Ann Arbor to Gainesville, there is are a plethora of must-see games throughout the country this week. With No. 19 Texas heading to the Cotton Bowl, here are a list of games you can watch in addition to the Longhorns' matchup with No. 7 Oklahoma:
Maryland at No. 15 Michigan
Saturday, 11 a.m., ABC
How good are these teams? Both the Terrapins and Wolverines have left plenty of questions unanswered, and this Week Six matchup will serve as a benchmark to evaluate the Big Ten foes. Maryland stunned a currently ranked Texas team and pulverized a 3–1 Minnesota squad, but fell to Temple at home by 21 points. Meanwhile, Michigan had to claw back from a 17-point deficit to topple Northwestern in Evanston last Saturday. The Wolverines have beaten just one opponent with a winning record: Western Michigan (3–2). The revealing game awaits Jim Harbaugh and Co. at 11 a.m. in the Big House.
No. 5 LSU at No. 22 Florida
Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS
The SEC interdivision rivals are off to a combined 9–1 start, as both programs trend in a positive direction. Dan Mullen staved off his former team, Mississippi State, on the road in a 13-6 defensive slugfest to send the Gators into the AP Poll. Across the Gulf, LSU is fresh off a 45-16 domination of Ole Miss. Through five weeks, the Tigers have sported their best offense in years, led by Ohio State transfer quarterback Joe Burrow. He achieved a career-high 292 passing yards and personal-best 96 rushing yards — four total touchdowns — in a win over the Rebels. Florida’s ninth-ranked defense (14.0 points allowed per game) will attempt to limit these numbers when Burrow enters The Swamp.
San Diego State at Boise State
Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU
The two Mountain West powers have combined for the last four conference titles. Like clockwork, the consistent teams are off to hot starts once again. The 3–1 Aztecs proved they’re still strong in the post-Rashaad Penny era by knocking off Arizona State in a Week Three thriller. Although Oklahoma State’s offense proved to be too much for Boise State to handle, the Broncos have breezed past the rest of their competition by an average margin of 37 points. After producing many talented halfbacks recently, both of these programs can dub themselves as “Running Back U.” Juwan Washington and Alexander Mattison are no exception, and both rushing defenses should be alert on the blue turf this weekend.
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 24 Virginia Tech
Saturday, 7 p.m., ABC
Virginia Tech’s on a mission to prove its upset loss at Old Dominion was an anomaly. The Hokies rebounded from the soul-crushing loss with a convincing 31-14 road win over then-No. 22 Duke. With starter Josh Jackson out indefinitely with a fractured tibia, backup quarterback Ryan Willis fit into the lineup and threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns against the Blue Devils. But the test toughens for Justin Fuente and the Hokies on Saturday in Blacksburg, when an undefeated Notre Dame team pays a visit after squashing Stanford’s offense in a statement 38-17 victory last week. The Fighting Irish appear to have improved under new quarterback Ian Book, who, in his last two starts, completed 74.3 percent of passes and had 503 total yards.
Utah at No. 14 Stanford
Saturday, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
This week’s recommended #Pac12AfterDark watch will transpire on The Farm, as the Cardinal look to avenge the Week Five loss to Notre Dame with their third conference win. Stanford still controls its own destiny in the Pac-12, but the Cardinal may have to function without star running back Bryce Love, who exited the Notre Dame game last week with an ankle injury. Utah counters with junior running back Zack Moss, who averages 97.3 rushing yards per contest. Since Kyle Whittingham and David Shaw have manned their respective sidelines, the Utes actually own a 2–1 record against Stanford.
