Expert Predictions: Alabama-Georgia, Oregon-UCLA Top College Football Week 6 Picks

There are a couple of teams with considerable College Football Playoff résumé-strengthening opportunities  this weekend, none bigger than a pair of nationally ranked matchups pitting title contenders from the SEC and Big Ten.

Second-ranked Georgia 's trip to No. 6 Alabama should bring high drama between two unbeatens, along with No. 13 Oregon 's tussle at home with No. 21 UCLA , two squads trying to claw their way closer to Ohio State and Indiana at the top of the Big Ten hierarchy.

Sorting through the contenders, potential upsets and matchups that look considerably trickier than the betting lines suggest is exciting this time of year. We've already seen how quickly September confidence can disappear at some programs.

Season results : Brad Crawford (35-8 straight up, 25-17-1 ATS), Chris Hummer (35-8 straight up, 21–21-1 ATS)

Y'all, it's time to celebrate Hummer moving back to .500 on the season ATS after a 6-4 week. We both took wins with Alabama's cruise at Mississippi State and North Carolina 's easy cover against Notre Dame during a rain-soaked game in Chapel Hill. Picking Miami to cover was shaky for two-and-a-half quarters before the Hurricanes laid it on the Tigers down the stretch to stay unbeaten. I whiffed on Michigan -5.5 at Minnesota . Kyle Whittingham has so much to fix in Year 1 with the Wolverines.

All odds via FanDuel .

College Football Power Rankings: Ohio State up to No. 2 after Jeremiah Smith's historic day, Florida falls Brandon Marcello

No. 20 Iowa (+3.5) at Washington

Hummer ( Iowa +3.5) : These are two of the better defenses in the Big Ten. Both Iowa and Washington are top 31 units nationally, and those defenses have carried both teams early. This game will be decided by which offense can manufacture the most points. Usually, I'd feel good about Washington doing so. After all, the Huskies have Demond Williams Jr . at QB. But he's really struggled this season and is turning the ball over far too often. Meanwhile, Iowa actually ranks ahead of Washington in yards per play (6.24 vs. 6.04). Iowa is the better team. It might actually have more playmakers. But I do think there's value with a Huskies cover, even at 3.5 points. … Iowa 21, Washington 20.

Crawford (Iowa +3.5) : This is never an ideal situation as a ranked road underdog on a Friday night against a team coming off an emotional performance. The market's telling us something here. Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. will be the best player on the field, but I'm trusting the Hawkeyes' defense in this spot to fare better than it did last time out against Heisman favorite and my pick to win the award, Jeremiah Smith . Iowa can maintain its spot in the national rankings and march toward a potential 11-1 finish with a win, but I don't think there are going to be enough big plays to pull it out. ... Washington 23, Iowa 20.

No. 7 Indiana (-9.5) at Nebraska

Hummer ( Nebraska +9.5) : Once again, Nebraska is off to a hot start. And once again, it has a chance to change the program's narrative against a ranked Indiana team. Were the Huskers to pull the upset, it'd be their first win over an AP Top 25 team since 2016! And I do think there's value with the Huskers in this one. Would I like 10 points instead of 9.5? Absolutely. But the Huskers have looked good enough up front to hang with Indiana. And while the Hoosiers have still been largely dominant, they've shown some cracks in the trenches and at QB, where Josh Hoover has been good but a tad inconsistent. I'm not calling for an outright upset, but I do expect this game to be close. … Indiana 31, Nebraska 27.

Crawford (Indiana -9.5) : Matt Rhule's last win over a ranked opponent came at Temple on Dec. 3, 2016, when his Owls beat Navy . Nebraska has lost nine such matchups under his watch and is staring at No. 10 this weekend against the Hoosiers. Both of these teams like to run the football, and they're doing it aggressively this fall, but Indiana's the more seasoned group in spotlight games -- and that matters here. For me, this comes down to trust, and the unbeaten Huskers need to show me they're capable of punching up a few weight classes before I'm ready to bet on them. Indiana covers in Lincoln in a game that should have the Hoosiers' full attention. ... Indiana 31, Nebraska 17.

Texas A&M at No. 14 Missouri (-3.5)

Hummer ( Missouri -3.5) : Texas A&M got a much-needed Arkansas boost of confidence a week ago. But I still have major concerns about the Aggies. Missouri's been an elite rush defense this season, which is bad news for A&M's run game, which has struggled. And if Missouri is taking away the run, it will be on Marcel Reed to make up for that. And based on what we've seen so far this season -- Reed ranks 77th nationally in QBR -- I don't have a lot of faith that he'll win that matchup. Throw in an A&M secondary that busts far too often, and I think the Tigers match up well in this one. … Missouri 27, Texas A&M 21.

Crawford (Missouri -3.5) : The Tigers have looked focused all season, and they're two stops in the fourth quarter at Mississippi State away from being unbeaten and potentially ranked inside the top 10. Austin Simmons hasn't thrown an interception yet, and Jamal Roberts is running with steam in the backfield without Ahmad Hardy to assist. Missouri grabs everyone's attention with its destruction of Florida , while Texas A&M is simply trying to put together consecutive competitive performances in the SEC. I would've made this one closer to a touchdown, so there's value here. ... Missouri 34, Texas A&M 24.

No. 1 Texas (-9.5) vs. Oklahoma

Hummer ( Oklahoma +9.5) : The results in this game have been surprisingly volatile the last four years, with a trio of Texas blowouts in that stretch. But historically, this game is almost always close. Nine of the last 14 regular-season matchups were decided by a possession or fewer. I haven't seen anything so far this year that makes me feel differently about this game. I have more faith in Texas than Oklahoma. But both offenses have struggled, with Texas ranked 108th nationally in yards per play and Oklahoma 112th.

At the risk of far oversimplifying a complicated game, I feel very confident in saying the QB who plays best, be it Texas' Arch Manning or Oklahoma's John Mateer , will win this game. I have slightly more faith in Manning at this point, so give me the Longhorns to win in a close one. … Texas 20, Oklahoma 17.

Crawford (Texas -9.5) : This might not be the prettiest rivalry game in Dallas if you like big plays, but I just can't envision a reality in which Oklahoma scores enough points with this offense against Will Muschamp to warrant picking the cover here. Even with an extra week to sort out the struggles with the passing game under John Mateer, this Oklahoma team plays with little confidence when it has the football, and that means something against the No. 1 team in the country, hoping to tee off on the quarterback. The Sooners score on special teams for one of their two touchdowns. .. Texas 24, Oklahoma 14.

No. 21 UCLA at No. 13 Oregon (-11.5)

Hummer (Oregon -11.5) : This is the first big test for UCLA and Bob Chesney. Oregon has far better talent, and it'll be up to the staff to bridge that gap. Chesney is at least familiar with Oregon, having faced them a year ago at James Madison . Where I worry about UCLA's ability to hold up in this one is up front. The Bruins rank 91st nationally in pressure rate allowed in pass situations, while Oregon, despite a slow start, still has one of the nation's best defensive lines. And even if Dante Moore doesn't play, I'm confident Oregon's offense will move the football with Dylan Raiola . Give me the Ducks to make a statement after their bye week. … Oregon 38, UCLA 24.

Crawford (UCLA +11.5) : Games with conference championship and CFP implications are here to stay the rest of the way for those inside the national rankings now that we're nearing the midseason point. The Bruins haven't lost yet under first-year coach Bob Chesney, but they're still flying under the radar nationally, and they prefer it that way. Dante Moore returned to practice Monday for the Ducks and could play this weekend. Oddsmakers are truly undervaluing UCLA here. And I think if this game were in Los Angeles, we're closer to a touchdown or so spread. ... Oregon 30, UCLA 24.

No. 10 LSU (-10.5) at Kentucky

Hummer ( LSU -10.5) : There's some interconnectivity with this game. Kentucky offensive coordinator Joe Sloan was LSU's play-caller a season ago, and several former Tigers players or signees came with him. This matchup will come down to a few key areas. First, can Kentucky's receivers make enough plays? Notre Dame quarterback transfer Kenny Minchey has been good this year for Kentucky, but the Wildcats' pass offense is really reliant on true freshman WR Kenny Darby to create.

LSU's been a top-20 pass defense this year. That's a big matchup for Kentucky. On the other side of the ball: Can Kentucky stop the run? The Wildcats rank 86th nationally in yards allowed per carry, while the Tigers have four players with 150-plus rushing yards on the season. Kentucky's been one of the best stories of 2026 so far. But I just think the Tigers are better. … LSU 42, Kentucky 28.

Crawford (LSU -10.5) : South Carolina 's so bad that the Wildcats dropped out of the AP poll this week despite erasing a 17-point deficit on the road and beating the Gamecocks in overtime with a successful two-point conversion. That's the kind of momentum-setting win that makes a locker room gel, even if opinions outside of the program aren't as positive. I'm not bold enough to pick the outright upset here, but there's a path to Kentucky keeping this one competitive at home and staying within the number with Kenny Minchey making the right calls at quarterback. In the end, however, the more talented team wins, and this LSU team is ranked No. 1 in the SEC in total offense and total defense. ...  LSU 38, Kentucky 26.

No. 19 USC (-1.5) at Penn State

Hummer ( USC -1.5) : USC has struggled going East since joining the Big Ten. The Trojans are 2-3 in the Eastern Time Zone, and their only two wins were over Purdue and Rutgers . So, Lincoln Riley's team has a lot to prove this week once again. So does Penn State , which was bullied up front a week ago by Northwestern . At the risk of oversimplifying things, this game will come down to the trenches. USC is a far more explosive offense than Penn State. But the Nittany Lions have an elite secondary to counter that. This game will be won up front and by stopping the run. I don't like backing USC on the road. But I just think they're the better team this season. USC holds up front, makes more explosive plays and escapes with a win. … USC 27, Penn State 24.

Crawford (USC -1.5) : Newsflash -- this is not a "good on good" matchup for the Trojans, which means something when you're backing USC against a non-ranked opponent. Lincoln Riley tends to win these games. Going into Happy Valley's 'Whiteout' is not an easy task, but this Penn State squad is a shell of what most were expecting during Matt Campbell's first season and just gave up 413 yards rushing last week to Northwestern. Penn State's facing an 0-3 start to Big Ten play, a year after opening the season inside the top 5 before canning James Franklin for similar struggles. ... USC 27, Penn State 24.

No. 2 Georgia (-1.5) at No. 6 Alabama

Hummer (Georgia -1.5) :  For all of his success, Kirby Smart has struggled against Alabama. He's just 2-7 against the Tide, including 1-2 head-to-head against Kalen DeBoer. This is a classic matchup between the two teams, too. The Bulldogs have an elite defense (No. 1 nationally in yards per play) to counter Alabama's explosive playmakers and QB. But the difference is that the Bulldogs have been an elite offense so far. They're third nationally in yards per play, and they have the pieces to attack an Alabama secondary that's been u

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-odds-predictions-week-6-alabama-georgia-oregon-ucla/)._