October has arrived, and that means conference play is ramping up across the country as the midway point of college football’s regular season creeps closer. Saturday’s Week 6 slate is loaded with consequential league battles.
Nine of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 are in action this week, and all nine are playing a conference game. But of that group, only No. 9 Missouri is facing another ranked team as the Tigers play their first road game of the season when they travel to Kyle Field to face No. 25 Texas A&M at noon ET.
While the league action is getting hotter, there is one particularly meaningful nonconference game worth keeping an eye on in the noon window as Air Force hosts Navy. The Midshipmen are off to a 4-0 start and are looking to take the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the first time since 2019. While Air Force is just 1-3, the Falcons will be motivated to defend their home-field and get off to a 1-0 start in the annual round-robin between the service academies.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 6.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
3:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Ohio State has barely opened the playbook against a Charmin-soft early schedule, but the Buckeyes are well prepared for their close up. Iowa has the ability to muck up the game, but even an improved Hawkeyes offense won’t be able to seriously keep up against an OSU defense that ranks among the best in the nation. It may be a backdoor cover, but Ohio State will get there. Pick: Ohio State -19.5 — Shehan Jeyarajah
3:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — Auburn is coming off consecutive home losses against mid-tier SEC teams and now must hit the road with a 2-3 record to play against an angry Georgia squad. The Bulldogs rallied from a 30-7 deficit at Alabama last week only to lose in heartbreaking fashion. At home for just the second time this season and pitted against a historic rival, look for Georgia to open up with the same intensity it displayed in the second half against the Crimson Tide and cover this sizable spread. Pick: Georgia -24.5 — Cobb
7:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — Tennessee held back against Oklahoma, opting to lean on the running attack instead of pouring it on after building a 22-3 lead two weeks ago. Arkansas presents a different challenge, however, particularly with a mobile quarterback. This should be a solid test for Tennessee’s elite and deep defensive line, particularly against the run. The Razorbacks struggle in pass pro but they’re solid with the run, ranking 21st nationally with 212 yards per game. Ja’Quinden Jackson averages 6.4 yards per carry and quarterback Taylen Green is the second-leading rusher at 66.2 yards per game. The Hogs, however, try too hard to make plays when things break down and it leads to costly turnovers, which led to losses to Oklahoma State and Texas A&M in one-possession games. Arkansas is among the worst in the SEC in turnover margin (14th), and Tennessee’s defense is among the nation’s best in every category. Pick: Arkansas +13.5 — Brandon Marcello
Navy at Air Force
Noon | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Although history certainly isn’t on Navy’s side, this is a game — on paper, at least — that the Midshipmen should win hand handily. Air Force has lost each of its three games against FBS opponents by at least two possessions. The Falcons haven’t been particularly great on either side of the ball. They scored in double digits for just the second time this season by putting 19 points on the board against Wyoming in Week 5 … and still lost 31-19. Two of Air Force’s opponents this year have broken the 30-point mark, and now it has to face a Navy team that leads the AAC in scoring (46 points per game). Pick: Navy -9.5 (-113) — Will Backus
No. 9 Missouri at No. 25 Texas A&M
Noon | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — Missouri had the talent edge in each contest as it started 4-0 with a series of home games highlighted by narrow wins against Boston College and Vanderbilt. Now, the Tigers are going on the road into one of the nation’s toughest environments to face a Texas A&M team that has just as much, if not more, talent on the roster. Mizzou struggled to slow down Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and now faces a similar challenge with A&M’s mobile Marcel Reed. The Aggies are battle-tested and will bring enough physicality and home-field fervor to knock Mizzou off balance. Pick: Texas A&M -2.5 — David Cobb
SportsLine’s proven computer model is calling for seven outright upsets in Week 6 of college football. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates each game 10,000 times.
