Given the amount ofhigh-impact games in last weekend, it appearsWeek 6will be a sort of calm after the storm. However, the schedule on tap for Saturday still provides potential for some eyebrow-raising moments across the country. And we've seen time and time again that the schedules that don't have a multitude of matchups that will have bearing on theCollege Football Playoffrace often produce surprises. The challenge is trying to forecast when those upsets or results of significance will take place. PATH TO PLAYOFF:Sign up for our college football newsletter USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here to provide some answers. Matt Hayes, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Blake Toppmeyer weigh in with their bold predictions for Week 6 of the college football season. The hottest of hot seats may belong to Billy Napier, but it's about to get cooler. The Florida coach always seems to perform best with his back up against the wall and this week's matchup against No. 7 Texas with his team 1-3 qualfies. TheLonghorns, meanwhile, might be looking ahead to next week's showdown with Oklahoma. Expect the home crowd to be a factor and a strong defense that harasses Arch Maning to be pivotal as Florida gets to celebrate a big win. --Matt Hayes We know Penn State can't win big games, but they sure can take those gimme ones. TheNittany Lionshead West to take on winless UCLA in what will likely be a Rose Bowl filled with more visiting fans. However, it won't be a cakewalk. Playing with nothing to lose, UCLA actually makes things interesting and forces Penn State to play all four quarters. While the Nittany Lions win, the performance against one of the worst teams in the country won't help the argument this team deserves to be in the playoff conversation. --Jordan Mendoza Cincinnati stays hot and beats Iowa State to throw the Big 12 race into further chaos. In addition to moving the Bearcats up the standings, a marquee win against the Cyclones would go a long way toward securing another year for coach Scott Satterfield. UC has been very good all year and particularly the past three games, rebounding from a narrow loss to Nebraska in the opener to look like one of the top offenses in the conference. Few quarterbacks have been playing better than Brendan Sorsby. --Paul Myerberg A week ago, the Seminoles were getting exposed on defense while getting beat on the road at Virginia. So conventional wisdom would be that a visit from the rival Hurricanes would go poorly this week. But that loss actually might work in Florida State's favor by getting them refocused and Miami overconfident. The Hurricanes have risen into the top five but haven't yet gone on the road. We'll see how good Carson Beck and the rest of the team function in a tough environment. The bet is they won't pass the test. -- Erick Smith Let's give credit where due. Virginia's victory against Florida State was a true program changer, a much needed ray of light for a team that has struggled for relevance for years amid a multitude of issues on and off the field. But sometimes in college football, winning the game after the game is the hardest thing, and the Cavaliers are about to learn this lesson at unbeaten Louisville. TheCardinalshad to work a bit harder than they'd have liked to get out of Pittsburgh with a win last week, and they'll be very happy to be back at home. Add in the uncertainty of UVa quarterback Chandler Morris's hand injury, and Saturday shapes up to be a back down to earth affair for the Cavaliers as the Cardinals stay undefeated for another week. --Eddie Timanus Nico Iamaleava, aka "Mr. April," will continue his quest to become "Mr. Winless" at UCLA after taking a pay cut to leave Tennessee, a playoff contender. Penn State heads west with a perfect opportunity to lick their wounds while basking in some sunshine and playing in front of a friends-and-family crowd at the Rose Bowl. Drew Allar might never look closer to a first-round NFL pick than he does in this get-right game against UCLA. Meanwhile, Iamaleava has a good chance to throw for at least 85 yards. --Blake Toppmeyer This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football bold predictions Week 6: Texas, Miami on upset alert
0 Comments