Week 6 is here! It’s an interesting week — there are a few excellent headliner games like the Red River Rivalry and Alabama-Texas A&M, and a good undercard as well. But the overall offerings on television are thinner than usual, thanks to bye weeks, full weeknight slates, and MLB playoffs. 

This season has been entertaining, but we haven’t had too many upsets. The top tier of the sport doesn’t look as dominant as it has in recent years, but they all mostly keep winning. Either we are about to get some midseason chaos, or we are just moving toward a massive November.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy a good, but thin, Week 6 Slate. And maybe the chaos will start now.

Below, I’ve listed the nationally-televised games, sorted by viewing window for you to keep track. All times are Eastern, because, well, duh. Included is each team’s rank in Bill Connelly’s preseason SP+ rankings to give you a sense of the matchup.

Let’s get it on in Week 6!

Friday: 

Cornell (FCS) at Harvard (FCS) – 7 PM on ESPNU

Kansas State (16) at Oklahoma State (66) – 7:30 PM on ESPN

The Mike Gundy era is officially in the long slide of decay. Kansas State dismantled the Pokes 48-0 last season, and a similar performance will really ramp up the heat in Stillwater.

Nebraska (69) at Illinois (58) – 8 PM on FS1

This is the Traditional Unwatchable Big Ten Network Noon Game of the Week.

Saturday Noon:

Boston College (98) at Army (93) – 12 PM on CBS Sports Network

LSU (24) at Missouri (27) — 12 PM on ESPN

Missouri, the official team of MOYCFW, has a chance for one of the program’s biggest wins in ages. The LSU offense is white-hot right now, but its defense has been more than generous. Missouri is a more balanced outfit, although the secondary play has not lived up to the billing of returning four starters. The player to watch is Missouri receiver Luther Burden III, who leads FBS in receiving yards and is all that and a bag of chips.

Maryland (31) at Ohio State (2) – 12 PM on Fox

Is it time for the annual Maryland butt-kicking at the hands of a Big Ten power, or do the Terps actually have something cooking this year? 

Oklahoma (9) vs Texas (3) (in Dallas, Tex.) – 12 PM on ABC

This is the good stuff! The last time these teams met when both had clean records was in 2011, when a preseason top team Oklahoma cleaned up against an upstart Texas team. The roles have been reversed here, with the Longhorns looking to protect a playoff résumé. After what felt like a decade of immaculate instant classics, this rivalry was not competitive last year when Texas thumped OU 49-0. Hopefully we can get back to the dramatic endings.

Toledo (67) at UMass (128) – 12 PM on ESPNU

Western Michigan (126) at Mississippi State (62) – 12 PM on SECN

William & Mary (FCS) at Virginia (94) – 12 PM on ACCN

Of all these noon games with big numbers next to the team names, this one is the most interesting. Virginia has been a trainwreck on offense all season and is in danger of being the worst Power Five team overall. William & Mary is one of the top FCS teams, and it’s a revenge opportunity for its head coach and ex-UVA head man Mike London. The Tribe run a funky offense and could put the Hoos into 60 minutes of hell on Saturday. 

Saturday Midday:

Marshall (63) at NC State (56) – 2 PM on The CW

Marshall already has one win over an ACC team and will go for a second against an imminently beatable Wolf Pack team. The Herd have a great pass defense headlined by Micah Abraham, and running back Rasheen Ali is the only player in the country to score at least two touchdowns every game so far this season. NC State is turning to quarterback MJ Morris to kickstart its flailing offense.

Howard (FCS) at Northwestern (95) – 3 PM on BTN

Washington State (20) at UCLA (17) – 3 PM on Pac-12 Network

Alabama (5) at Texas A&M (11) – 3:30 PM on CBS

Both teams took a September loss in the non-conference but would essentially fall out of the SEC race with a loss here. This series has given us a pair of instant classics in the past two years — can the Aggies win the rubber match at home? This game has plenty of narratives and storylines going in, and I’m sure there will be plenty of hollering regardless of result after it concludes. 

North Texas (102)  at Navy (112) – 3:30 PM on CBS Sports Network

Syracuse (35) at North Carolina (23)  – 3:30 PM on ESPN

Syracuse’s MASH unit offense will have a difficult time keeping up with Drake Maye.

Texas State (87) at Louisiana (73) – 3:30 PM on ESPNU

Texas State’s offense is white-hot, running one of the most extreme up-tempo styles in the country (14th in the country in plays/per minute). Louisiana was a bore on offense until it decided to insert dual-threat Zeon Chriss into the lineup at quarterback. This game will be fast and pointsy.  

Virginia Tech (72) at Florida State (18) – 3:30 PM on ABC 

This is the “do you want to see a dead body?” Game of the Week. 

Wake Forest (50) at Clemson (14) – 3:30 PM on ACCN

Yikes, there is a lot of ACC football in this window. If you have been exposed to more than four hours of ACC football, you might be entitled to financial compensation. 

South Florida (106) at UAB (110) – 4 PM on ESPN2

UCF (30) at Kansas (45) – 4 PM on Fox

The “will he or won’t he” quarterback bowl. Both Jalon Daniels of Kansas and John Rhys Plumlee of UCF are questionable and have been dealing with injuries all season. They are each some of the most dynamic talents in the country, so their status will have an effect on this game’s watchability.

Vanderbilt (83) at Florida (34) – 4 PM on SECN

Saturday Primetime:

Colorado (76) at Arizona State (86) – 6:30 PM on Pac-12 Network

I am excited for the flood of new college football fans who are about to discover the travesty that is the Pac-12 Network’s availability. 

Florida A&M (FCS) at Southern (FCS) – 7 PM on ESPNU

Kentucky (21) at Georgia (4)  – 7 PM on ESPN

This promises to be a righteous collision of agile beef. 

Arkansas (39) at Ole Miss (22) – 7:30 PM on SECN

This game could get weird. Feels like every year this game gets weird. Feels like every week I get on here and say “this Arkansas game against ____ could get weird.” Arkansas, y’all are just weird.

Michigan (1) at Minnesota (46)  – 7:30 PM on NBC

Notre Dame (8) at Louisville (29)  – 7:30 PM on ABC

The long Fighting Irish schedule might start wearing them down, as they have played some rugged contests and still have not had a bye since starting the season early. Louisville has a host of big-play threats, from Jawhar Jordan at running back to Chris Bell and Jamari Thrash at receiver, and could take advantage. 

Fresno State (42) at Wyoming (80) – 8 PM on Fox

This is a very fun Group of Five game with real Mountain West title stakes. Fresno State has a good offense cooking with Mikey Keene, former UCF quarterback, and heads to Laramie as a road favorite. Laramie, of course, is where road favorites go to die.

Georgia Tech (77) at Miami (12) – 8 PM on ACCN

TCU (33) at Iowa State (52)  – 8 PM on FS2

This is the Petros Papadakis game. Just one this week.

Texas Tech (32) at Baylor (64) – 8 PM on ESPN2

The BU-TT Bowl also describes how both of these fan bases feel right about now. Like a bowl of butt.

Saturday Late Night:

Oregon State (19) at California (74)  – 10 PM on Pac-12 Network

Arizona (49) at USC (10) – 10:00 PM on ESPN

This thing has blowout potential which means a dud of a late night window. But it also has basketball-on-grass potential, with the highest posted over/under of the week (72.5).