Week 6 college football picks: Penn State at Iowa, Utah at USC and more

Each week, The Times’ national college sports reporter J. Brady McCollough will pick the week’s eight best games — that have a combination of big-brand intrigue and a spread within a touchdown — plus the USC and UCLA games. Through five weeks, McCollough is 27-23.

The rankings don’t tell the story of the vibes as this year’s Red River Rivalry approaches. Oklahoma is unbeaten but has not looked good doing it. Texas lost to Arkansas but has recovered nicely with wins over Texas Tech and Texas Christian after switching to Casey Thompson Jr. at quarterback. The Longhorns have a Heisman Trophy candidate in game-breaking running back Bijan Robinson, and he’ll be the best offensive threat on the field in this one. Look for Steve Sarkisian to get his first rivalry win and for Texas to be “back” by Saturday afternoon. Texas 31, Oklahoma 27

Last week, Arkansas was shut out by Georgia, 37-0, and Ole Miss was pounded by Alabama, 42-21, in a game that was never close. Which of these teams is closer to being a real threat in the Southeastern Conference going forward? We’ll find out Saturday in Oxford, Miss., where Lane Kiffin will try to get Heisman candidate quarterback Matt Corral going again after a humbling performance in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels’ improved defense should do just enough for their offense. Ole Miss 38, Arkansas 35

BYU quarterback Jacob Conover throws as he takes a hit from Utah State linebacker Justin Rice on Oct. 1 in Logan, Utah.

(Rick Bowmer / Associated Press)

Cincinnati is rightfully getting all of the attention among Group of Five and independent schools after beating Notre Dame, but BYU looks dangerous and could be a potential playoff crasher, too. The Cougars are riding hard-nosed running back Tyler Allgeier and a tenacious defense and should continue to be successful doing that against Boise State, which is struggling to find its footing in its first season under Andy Avalos. BYU 34, Boise State 24

This is the top-five matchup few saw coming at the start of the season. It’s not necessarily surprising that each team is 5-0. It’s more that so many other teams have already lost in front of them to vault these programs onto the big stage. Penn State got a major break that this is not a night game, so Kinnick Stadium should be a wee bit less intimidating. Iowa’s defense has been a turnover creation machine. Can Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford avoid making key mistakes? The feeling here is that he’ll make one too many. Iowa 21, Penn State 17

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Sept. 2, 2021

The Beavers are one of the best stories of the season thus far, coming off wins over USC and Washington. If Oregon State had started quarterback Chance Nolan in its opener at Purdue, it may be unbeaten right now. The fact that the Beavers are only favored by about a field goal shows that even Las Vegas is slow to see the quality team Jonathan Smith has built in Corvallis. Washington State is a program in disarray and that will show Saturday. Oregon State 42, Washington State 26

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis in action against Florida in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday.

(Timothy D. Easley / Associated Press)

The Wildcats are not used to being favorites against teams like LSU, but they’ve earned that with their 5-0 start — the most recent win coming against No. 10 Florida. The Tigers’ passing game will provide much more of a challenge to Kentucky’s defense than the Gators did, but the question is: Does LSU have anything other than Max Johnson heaving passes downfield to Kayshon Boutte? If the Tigers want to fight for Ed Orgeron, now’s the time to start. Kentucky 28, LSU 24

After a disastrous 2-4 pandemic campaign in 2020, Michigan is still in the process of proving to even its own fans that it is for real despite the top-10 ranking. The Wolverines got a rare quality road win last week at Wisconsin and were rewarded with a night game in Lincoln that will feature ABC’s Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler on the call. No pressure, Blue. Meanwhile, Nebraska and Scott Frost need a big win in the worst way to show true progress. If the Cornhuskers can avoid the bone-headed mistake — and that’s a big if — they can win this one. Nebraska 24, Michigan 20

Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne looks to the sidelines against Cincinnati on Saturday in South Bend, Ind.

(Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

Notre Dame had been living on the edge most of this season and finally paid for its flaws against Cincinnati. The Fighting Irish will have no problem getting up for a night game at Lane Stadium, which could be a good thing after a tough loss. Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente still has a lot to prove to Hokies fans this season, and he’ll need quarterback Braxton Burmeister to be at his best for Virginia Tech to pull this one off. Notre Dame will ride running back Kyren Williams to a close win. Notre Dame 20, Virginia Tech 16

The Trojans have not been able to put together two good performances in a row this season, and they’re trying to pick up their first Pac-12 win at the Coliseum. USC seems to be finding itself offensively with running back Keontay Ingram emerging as its lead back, but it’s possible that was just the effect of playing Colorado. Utah doesn’t appear to have the offensive firepower to create the explosive plays that USC’s defense regularly gives up. USC 28, Utah 21

The Bruins desperately need a get-right game if they’re going to keep pace with Arizona State in the Pac-12 South. The Sun Devils, of course, already have the tiebreaker by beating UCLA last weekend. Winless Arizona is on the schedule at the perfect time then. UCLA 42, Arizona 28

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College football: Best games to watch in Week 6

Here’s some help planning your Saturday viewing, college football fans. Big games include No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 21 Texas and No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa.

Oct. 7, 2021