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Red River delivered. And Ohio State has taken care of Maryland, but questions remain. Check back throughout the day for updates on the biggest stories of Week 6 from our writers across the country. Here is the full Top 25 schedule (all times Eastern):
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 20 Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Michigan at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., NBC
No. 12 Oklahoma 34, No. 3 Texas 30
No. 4 Ohio State 37, Maryland 17
No. 5 Florida State 39, Virginia Tech 17
No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 25 Louisville, 7:30 p.m., ABC
No. 11 Alabama 26, Texas A&M 20
UCLA 25, No. 13 Washington State 17
No. 14 North Carolina 40, Syracuse 7
No. 16 Ole Miss vs. Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 17 Miami vs. Georgia Tech, 8 p.m., ACC Network
#23 LSU 49, #21 Missouri 39
No. 24 Fresno State at Wyoming, 8 p.m., Fox
Oh, Jimbo
Texas A&M trailed No. 11 Alabama 17-10 at halftime, the Grim Reaper dangling his narrative scythe over Nick Saban and the 2023 Crimson Tide. The game had the makings of an upset at Kyle Field, as Jimbo Fisher silenced the hot seat and buyout chatter for another week as A&M took sole possession of first place in the SEC West. Instead, the Aggies went looking for free riders, missing a prime opportunity to elevate Alabama’s season. A blocked field goal and a safety on consecutive possessions helped overcome a flawed Bama team that lost the turnover battle, had 99 penalty yards and was sacked six times.
Fisher contributed his contribution to the cause. There was the punt on fourth-and-1 in Alabama territory, the game tied at 17. (The punt went for a touchback, and Alabama scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.) Then there was some disgusting time management late in the game, including a timeout with just over two minutes left for a field goal at the 2-yard line while trailing by nine yards after wasting valuable seconds on a leisurely jaunt into the red zone. It’s hard to argue that Texas A&M should have won this game, but that’s because it did just about everything it could to make sure it didn’t deserve to.
The result is another underperforming Aggies team at 4-2 and a head coach in Fisher who can’t seem to avoid being the main character in all of this. In general, a six-point loss to Saban is no shame, even at home. But Texas A&M managed to get something done Saturday against the weakest Alabama team in a long time, ensuring that the all-too-familiar doubts and disappointments in College Station don’t go away. – Justin Williams
Dillon Gabriel had to wait a year and Brent Venables made his football team go through a lot of changes.
Oklahoma certainly thinks it’s worth it now. Gabriel was phenomenal with his feet all day and his final drive – 75 yards in 1:02 – was masterful. On that day he got the better of the resilient Quinn Ewers to secure a huge win. Texas will certainly reflect on how it handled the final possession, especially third down – that’s how much time there is for a hot QB.
Ewers’ start was a mess, and that’s notable because he broke some bad habits he’d exhibited in the past. However, he’s young and this was the Red River game – things are getting exciting. His first two interceptions were the result of a rushed process – he threw the ball without fully seeing it or without planting his feet properly. However, as he calmed down, he showed more of what we had seen this season.
It was a tough battle for Ewers. Hardly the best he’s ever played. However, QBs who stay in the fight until the end last the longest. He didn’t waste away or collapse, instead Ewers calmed down and made plays when needed. Texas and its playmakers were there when it counted.
However, Oklahoma’s defense is much improved and more in line with Venables’ desires. It left Ewers guessing and confused more than a few times early on – something that never happened last season. So many of the new additions showed up, from Peyton Bowen to the revamped defensive line that makes Texas more honest up front. The Horns had injury issues on the offensive line in this game, but to be clear, Oklahoma was more competitive.
Oklahoma’s offensive line showed up. There is still growth there as the show was quick to point out some of the allowable strains. But OU took the ball and moved down the field on the ground play to open the second half and take control. Gabriel was spectacular with his feet and kept the offense on schedule for the most part.
The goal line stand was the improvement of this defense in a nutshell: stuffed in the middle, stuffed wide. Venable’s best defense at Clemson (and once at Norman) consisted of active defensive backs who weren’t afraid to run downhill and hit. It’s happening again in Oklahoma and after a rocky start, the future looks bright for the Sooners. —Nick Baumgardner
GO DEEPER
Vannini: Oklahoma is back – and maybe the Sooners were never really “gone”
Look for UNC at full strength
Is it time to talk about North Carolina as a real playoff contender? It’s starting to feel that way after the Tar Heels demolished Syracuse 40-7 on Saturday. Quarterback Drake Maye reminded everyone why he is a Heisman hopeful and the top NFL draft prospect at his position not named Caleb Williams. He threw for a season-high 442 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers were helped by the return of transfer wideout Tez Walker, whose immediate eligibility was dramatically restored by the NCAA in midweek, posting six catches for 43 yards and opening up the rest of UNC’s receiving options.
The Tar Heels picked up their first four wins with relatively little drama, notwithstanding a nervy escape to double overtime against Appalachian State. It felt like the Tar Heels were passing by, and maybe they are, but their story was also the story of the ACC as a whole. There were some close calls in the US state of Florida. Duke will be without quarterback Riley Leonard for the near future. In a season where everyone looks mortal, ACC and beyond, North Carolina might have just about enough with Maye and a rejuvenated Walker. There are some tests coming up, starting with Miami next weekend and Duke next month, but current conference favorite Florida State is not on the regular season schedule. When these two meet, there’s a good chance a trip to the playoffs will be on the line. – Williams
Is Ohio State playoff level good?
Ohio State’s 37-17 victory margin over Maryland looks much better on a box score than it felt when watching. The Buckeyes outlasted Maryland thanks to elite talent that the Terrapins couldn’t match, but they played in a way that didn’t establish a strategic identity or physical dominance on offense. Without TreVeyon Henderson in uniform, Ohio State’s running backs combined for just 84 yards on 26 carries, and that wasn’t entirely the fault of the ball carriers. This offensive line has lost talent to the NFL, and the attrition is evident in their struggle to get bodies forward or get into the second level of the defense to fend off LBs. Marvin Harrison Jr. had to come to the rescue in this offense, accounting for 163 yards and a score, more than half of Ohio State’s output in the passing game.
The real bright spot for this program has been its defensive play, particularly on the back end. Safeties Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom had two interceptions, and the blanket coverage downfield helped Ohio State’s defensive line influence the pocket throughout the game. Star defensive lineman JT Tuimoloau had a sack and TFL and proved unblockable. This defense is good enough to compete, but there is still uncertainty about whether Ohio State is good at a playoff level. – Diane Lee
(Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images)