Mississippi State football is off this week, but that isn't stopping the Maroon and White Nation team from giving our picks for the biggest games each week of the season. Week 6 has arrived, and while the slate isn't quite as compelling as last week's, we've still got some fun matchups to predict.
Through five weeks, our records on these selections have been tight.
Chase Brumfield: 31-19
Reed Green: 31-19
Andrew Miller: 32-18
Time to make some picks!
National Games
There's a few compelling games nationally, including a cross-country ACC matchup late at night that makes perfect sense to be a conference game...
Here are our picks!
Syracuse at 25 UNLV
Chase: Quarterback Kyle McCord has been outstanding on offense this season. UNLV has seen a resurgence with Hajj-Malik Williams at quarterback, but I’m not convinced UNLV’s offense can score enough on Syracuse’s defense. Syracuse wins
Reed: Even after the departure of their former starting quarterback, the Runnin’ Rebels
continue to play extremely well. UNLV wins
Andrew: Despite the QB drama, UNLV is still really good (if not better now). Syracuse has been solid, but I think the Rebels get it done at home. UNLV wins
SMU at 22 Louisville
Chase: Louisville is likely on track to face either Clemson or Miami later in Charlotte. SMU is a strong team, but Louisville will continue to prove why they shouldn't be underestimated. Louisville wins
Reed: I think SMU would win on a neutral field especially after their thrashing
over FSU. However, I think the home crowd helps lead the Cardinals to victory. Louisville wins
Andrew: SMU has begun to look more like the team expected in the preseason since their QB change, but I'm still not convinced they're that great. I'll take the Cards at home. Louisville wins
10 Michigan at Washington
Chase: Michigan continues to fight through adversity and it has produced some surprising wins. I believe Michigan’s grit and toughness will prevail them to victory over the Huskies. Michigan wins
Reed: Even on the road, they are just too talented for Washington who lost most of
their roster from last season. Michigan wins
Andrew: You could make an argument that Washington should be 5-0. They've shot themselves in the foot in both of their losses. I'm not buying a Michigan team that can't complete a forward pass. UW cleans up some mistakes and gets the Big (Ten) win. Washington wins
8 Miami at California
Chase: Cam Ward is playing out of his mind for the Hurricanes. Cam’s ability to stay calm no matter what is going on is a problem no one has been able to figure out. California will play pretty well, but Miami will be too much to handle. Miami wins
Reed: This is a trap game, and I think Cal can hold it within 10 points. However, Cam
Ward is the best player on the field this game, and I think he makes the difference. Miami wins
Andrew: Cal Twitter has been fun and all, but this squad isn't good enough to take down the Canes. The weird road trip may keep it close for a while, but the U gets it done. Miami wins
SEC Games
We don't have the same high-profile SEC matchups that we saw last week, but there's still plenty of intrigue here. Let's look at the big games in the league this week...
9 Missouri at Texas A&M
Chase: Kyle Field will be electric this weekend, and there’s nothing like the atmosphere of a tough SEC stadium. Missouri hasn’t played to its potential yet, and that will be their downfall. I believe Texas A&M will stay in the game long enough to pull off the upset. Texas A&M wins
Reed: With Luther Burden finally showing up in the past few games, Missouri
appears to be firing on all cylinders. I think A&M’s offense can still be too stagnant at
times, and that is why they will lose. Missouri wins
Andrew: I don't have a great feel for this one. Neither team has looked particularly impressive, yet both are firmly in the playoff conversation. I think there's a chance Mizzou is fraudulent though while A&M just is what it is, so I'll take the Aggies. Texas A&M wins
Auburn at 5 Georgia
Chase: Kirby Smart will have his team ready to go after losing a close game against Alabama. Carson Beck will have a bounce back game and show why he is capable of leading Georgia the rest of the way this season. Auburn is a train wreck, and there is nothing Hugh Freeze can do to save it. Georgia wins
Reed: Georgia is more talented with better coaching, and they're looking to make this a get-right game. Meanwhile, Auburn seems like a sinking ship, and Georgia might expedite that process. Georgia wins
Andrew: Auburn will keep this close for a half since Hugh Freeze gets up for these games, and Georgia has played sluggish first halves this season. But, I mean, it's Payton Thorne on the road against a top-5 team. Georgia wins
12 Ole Miss at South Carolina
Chase: Ole Miss got exposed last week against Kentucky. Instead of taking care of business, teams like South Carolina believe they have a fighting chance. William-Brice Stadium will cause problems for Ole Miss as well. South Carolina wins
Reed: South Carolina is better than I expected, but I do not think this will be a repeat
of 2009. I expect a big bounce back game from the Rebels. Ole Miss wins
Andrew: I really, really want to slap the fraud label on the Rebels after last week, and I think South Carolina could be a bad matchup for them based on what Kentucky did. But I'm not getting my hopes up that their season has been blown just yet. Ole Miss wins
1 Alabama at Vanderbilt
Chase: Jalen Milroe is emerging as a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. Both Alabama's offense and defense are improving as the season progresses. While I don't foresee an upset in Nashville this week, I expect it to be a competitive game. Alabama wins
Reed: They are playing Vanderbilt. I do not see a let-down game from the Tide, and
I think they continue to roll. Alabama wins
Andrew: Vandy has been feisty, but let's not kid ourselves about what's going to happen here. Alabama wins
4 Tennessee at Arkansas
Chase: Sam Pittman is on the hot seat, and it will only get hotter with the Vols coming to town. Nico Iamaleava is a rising star in college football with even greater potential ahead. Tennessee's offense will break down Arkansas’s defense, so I expect a blowout. Tennessee wins
Reed: After the bye, I expect the Volunteers to be fresh and ready for their next 8
games. Arkansas is better this season, but they do not have the athletes to keep up with
Tennessee. Tennessee wins
Andrew: Arkansas has to be kicking themselves, as they've let two big games completely slip away because of their own mistakes. The good news for them is their mistakes won't cost them this week. That's because the game won't be close enough for that to matter. Tennessee wins
UCF at Florida
Chase: KJ Jefferson and Gus Malzahn form a dynamic duo. Florida, under Billy Napier, has potential, but I believe the Knights will take care of business in Gainesville. UCF wins
Reed: This appears to be an evenly matched game, but I think Florida makes one or
two more big plays that put them over the top. Florida wins
Andrew: UCF hasn't looked all that good so far. Their defense is awful, and the KJ Jefferson run offense isn't working like we imagined it would. I know Florida is bad, but I think they're too much for the Knights. Florida wins