The conference season is fully underway in week 6, Auburn vs Florida in a top 10 clash, while Air Force battles Navy in the Commander in Chief’s Trophy game, and traditional top teams Michigan State and Ohio State square off. Yesh Ginsburg, Lukas Weese, John Bava and Steen Kirby offer their predictions.
#18 UCF at Cincinnati (Friday in Cincinnati, Ohio)
Line: UCF by 3.5
Yesh: It’s hard to trust Cincinnati after the egg it laid against Ohio State, but no one has done anything against Ohio State this year. The Bearcats will be better on offense, and the UCF defense is a little softer this year. I think we’re going to get a very close one here. UCF 34, Cincinnati 31
John: UCF’s 27-game winning streak came to an end two weeks ago when they fell to Pittsburgh 35-34. But they got back to winning ways in emphatic fashion with a 56-21 blowout of UConn last week. Now they face Cincinnati on the road in a game which will see the Bearcats debut a uniquely colored field a la Boise State. But such gimmicks don’t take away from the fact that they’re facing a Knights team whose quarterback Dillon Gabriel is one of nine FCS quarterbacks who’s thrown at least 14 touchdowns passes this year. Expect the road team to prevail. UCF 38, Cincinnati 21
Lukas: UCF’s offense will continue to click in this game, propelling this team to a big time victory. UCF 24, Cincinnati 14
Steen: UCF lost their undefeated streak, but in many ways its a pressure off their back as they focus on American Conference play and try to stay in the drivers seat for the New Years Six bowl bid for the P5 conferences. Cincinnati are a capable team and this is a home game, but UCF’s superior talent should win out as they put up enough points to win. UCF 35, Cincinnati 24
#14 Iowa at #19 Michigan (Saturday in Ann Arbor, MI)
Line: Michigan by 3.5
Yesh: It’s hard to trust Michigan after how Wisconsin dominated them. The Hawkeyes don’t quite have the talent that Wisconsin does, but Iowa does have Michigan beat in the trenches. The Hawkeyes will dominate both lines and ride that to a win, even if Michigan has the advantage at most skill positions. Iowa 27, Michigan 24
John: After a disastrous loss to Wisconsin, Michigan found that the panacea to college football struggles is playing Rutgers as they beat the Scarlet Knights in dominating 52-0 fashion last week. In Week 6, they welcome to the Big House an Iowa team who shut out Rutgers themselves in Week 2. The Hawkeyes sport a two-game winning streak in this series, including a 14-13 upset of the second-ranked Wolverines back in 2016. With that in mind, in addition to Jim Harbaugh being under fire after what transpired in Madison, I think Michigan will be hyper-motivated to defend the home turf this weekend. Michigan 27, Iowa 14
Lukas: Michigan’s offense builds off of a 52-0 shutout over Rutgers. Their defense will slow down the Iowa offense. The Wolverines pull off the upset. Michigan 24, Iowa 17
Steen: Undefeated Iowa looks to upset Michigan on the road and show they are viable for the BIG 10 chamapionship. The Hawkeyes have skated by on a relatively pedestrian schedule, but they did beat rival Iowa State. Michigan has struggled against the good teams they have played despite their 3-1 record. Michigan should come out with something to prove, but their offense is not encouraging. Iowa should grind out a win. Iowa 20, Michigan 14
Air Force at Navy (Saturday in Annapolis, MD)
Line: Air Force by 3.5
Yesh: This should be a great game this year, and service academies are always worth watching regardless. Both teams are solid, but Air Force just has more talent on the roster right now. Air Force 24, Navy 21
John: Service academy football is known for the run-heavy triple option and you can bet there will be quite a bit of it between Navy and Air Force. The Midshipmen and Falcons are currently 1-2 in FBS when it comes to rushing yards per game. Air Force has the better body of work heading into this game having beaten Colorado and looking competitive against Boise State. They’re my favorite to win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy this year and it begins with a road win in Annapolis. Air Force 31, Navy 24
Lukas: Navy has the best rushing offense, as well as a Top 10 defense in the nation. That bodes well for this team, as I see them pulling off the upset over Air Force. Navy 28, Air Force 24
Steen: This year in service academy football all three FBS teams look solid and likely to make a bowl. Air Force looks like the better of the two in this matchup though and in a game focused on the run, the Falcons should put up more rushing yards and get the win. Air Force 27, Navy 24
#7 Auburn at #10 Florida (Saturday in Gainesville, FL)
Line: Auburn by 3
Yesh: I am not at all sold on Florida this year. The Gators have built a strong “resume” on the backs of beating an overrated Miami in an ugly game and dominating two FCS teams. Florida does have the defense to slow down Bo Nix a little, but nowhere near enough. Auburn 31, Florida 13
John: This is clearly the marquee matchup of Week 6 as it’s the only one between two top-10 teams. Auburn might be the most under-the-radar undefeated team with their road win over Texas A&M in Week 4 a mighty impressive feat. Both of these teams excel defending the run and have relatively inexperienced quarterbacks. So it has all the makings of a physical, low-scoring affair. In the end, the Tigers get another hard-fought conference win on the road. Auburn 20, Florida 13
Lukas: The Tigers defense is just too much for the Florida offense, ranked 54th in the country. Auburn continues their undefeated streak. Auburn 28, Florida 10
Steen: Florida are a good, but overrated team and with a backup QB they will struggle against the Tigers. Auburn will earn another top tier win, beating the Gators on the road. Auburn 28, Florida 17
#25 Michigan State at #4 Ohio State (Saturday in Columbus, OH)
Line: Ohio State by 20
John: No Urban, no problem. Ohio State looks as formidable as any team in college football under first-year head coach Ryan Day. Only the Buckeyes and Penn State are averaging over 50 points per game while allowing opponents under 10 per game. The latest example of that dominance was last week’s 48-7 demolition of Nebraska in Lincoln. Justin Fields is a legit Heisman Trophy candidate. Chase Young is one of the best edge rushers in college football. And the visiting Spartans weren’t exactly convincing against Indiana last week. Buckeyes should prevail decisively in Columbus. Ohio State 45, Michigan State 17
Yesh: Michigan State has been the thorn in the Buckeyes’ side this decade, but that’s going to stop this week. The Spartans offense hasn’t been the same since Connor Cook graduated, and this is the best Ohio State team since 2014. Buckeyes roll at home. Ohio State 38, Michigan State 10
Lukas: The Buckeyes are on fire right now. They are by far the best team in the Big Ten and it continues in this matchup. Even though MSU’s defense is 7th in the nation, Ohio State just has too many weapons on offense. Ohio State 45, Michigan State 17
Steen: Ohio State has blitzed through the opposition. Michigan State’s offense is terrible and thus this doesn’t look like much of a matchup. Even if Sparty rises up on defense it won’t be enough to get the W. Ohio State 30, Michigan State 7
College Football Auburn vs Florida Main Photo:
COLLEGE STATION, TX – SEPTEMBER 21: Auburn Tigers running back Jay Jay Wilson (42) lines up during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies on September 21, 2019 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
