Week 6 College Football Picks: FSU-Miami, Alabama-Vanderbilt Highlight Matchups

Week 6 of the college football season is here, and honestly, the wild swings and surprises just keep fans glued to their screens. Sure, maybe there aren’t as many headline matchups as last week, but games like Miami heading to Florida State and Alabama looking for payback against Vanderbilt should be plenty of fun.

Ranked teams are walking into some tricky spots this week. Let’s jump into the main matchups, a few betting angles, and the storylines that could shake things up in Week 6.

Miami vs. Florida State: A Rivalry Renewed

Miami and Florida State are both ranked again—first time since 2016, believe it or not. Florida State’s recent stumble against Virginia took a bit of shine off this one, but it still matters a ton for the ACC race.

If Miami pulls off a win, Florida State’s road to the ACC title game gets a lot tougher. The stakes feel huge, even if the hype dipped a little after last week.

The History of the Rivalry

Back in the 80s and 90s, Miami and Florida State almost always delivered top-10 showdowns. Between 1984 and 1994, they both landed in the top 10 six times when they met. From 1999 to 2006, they were ranked every year, with five of those as top-10 clashes.

This year, the Seminoles aren’t in the top 10, so there’s a different vibe. Still, you can feel the tension any time these two line up.

Impact on the ACC Race

Florida State’s loss to Virginia really put them in a tough spot. If Miami wins, the Seminoles’ hopes of making the ACC title game might be toast.

Virginia, meanwhile, climbed into the AP Top 25 after that win. Now they get a crack at undefeated Louisville, which could get interesting.

Vanderbilt vs. Alabama: The Revenge Game Narrative

Last season, Vanderbilt shocked Alabama fans by winning as a 23-point underdog. That loss ended the Nick Saban era on a pretty sour note.

This time, Alabama’s a big favorite at home. Vanderbilt’s undefeated so far, though, and they don’t look like a team that’s going to roll over.

Historical Context of Upset Rematches

Since 2019, underdogs of at least 20 points have pulled off 45 upsets in FBS. Twenty of those had rematches the next year. The team that pulled the upset only went 6-14 in those rematches.

The favorite covered the spread in 13 out of 20 of those, winning by an average of 26.5 points. That’s a pretty strong case for the revenge angle, if you ask me.

Alabama’s Motivation

Alabama hasn’t forgotten last year. They’ll be fired up to avoid another embarrassing loss, especially in front of their home crowd.

The betting markets seem to believe in Alabama this week. It looks like they’re ready for Vanderbilt this time.

Other Key Matchups and Betting Insights

Week 6 isn’t short on intriguing games, even if the spotlight’s elsewhere. Here are a few that could swing things in their conferences—or at least make for great viewing.

Virginia at Louisville

Virginia’s win over Florida State set up a big one against unbeaten Louisville. Despite that, they’re still a touchdown underdog.

The winner here grabs a strong position in the ACC race. If Virginia pulls it off, they won’t see another ranked team the rest of the way.

Texas at Florida

Florida’s had a rough go so far and sits at 1-3. Their defense, though, has been solid—holding USF to 18, LSU to 20, and Miami to 26.

Texas comes in with Arch Manning at quarterback, so the Gators’ defense will get tested. Florida really needs this one to stop the slide, and Texas wants to prove they belong in the conversation.