Headlining Week 6 of the college football season is a top-10 matchup in Georgia vs. Alabama, and the annual Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.
The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs split last year when Alabama took down Georgia in the regular season, but the Bulldogs answered right back with an SEC title win over Bama. Texas remains atop the 2026 rankings with a comfortable 5-0 record that includes top-15 victories over Ohio State and Tennessee, and the Sooners look to hold off the Longhorns with a rebound win after a big loss to Georgia.
Notably, UCLA and Bob Chesney will travel north to Eugene to face Oregon, where Chesney fell to the Ducks as JMU’s head coach in the College Football Playoff last season. With a dominant run game and a shaky Oregon defense, the Bruins have a chance to hand the Ducks their second loss of the season.
Here are FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt’s Week 6 picks and previews:
Georgia 27, Alabama 24
Spread: Alabama 1.5
Moneyline: Alabama -122, Georgia +102
Klatt’s thoughts: “This one is going to be an amazing game. Kirby Smart always has a great defense. They are great, once again. They have the No. 1 defense in the country as it relates to yards per play. They can get after it. They’re going to have to get after it because Alabama’s offense is explosive. Alabama can play offense, and Keelon Russell can throw the ball down the field. I think NFL evaluators should be salivating when he becomes available in the NFL Draft. He reminds me a lot of the way Michael Penix Jr. played at Washington for Kalen DeBoer, and yet he’s more explosive and more mobile as a runner. So it’s a deadly combination.
“I think that Georgia has to put pressure on them. If they don’t put pressure on Keelon Russell, I think Georgia loses the game. They’ve got to impact him somehow … it will be about the Georgia defense. I know the offense will be methodical. They will try to stay on schedule, they’ve got a quarterback who plays great in the fourth quarter … I think the worse the weather, the better for Kirby and Georgia. I don’t know if Alabama can run the football without the impact of a great passing game.
“I’m going to take Georgia … who I think is the best team in the country.”
Klatt’s straight-up pick: Georgia
Klatt’s pick against the spread: Georgia +1.5
Texas 20, Oklahoma 10
Will Arch Manning succeed against Oklahoma’s defense? (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
Spread: Texas -7.5
Moneyline: Texas -325, Oklahoma +260
Klatt’s thoughts: “Texas and Oklahoma. Texas has won three of the last four meetings with Oklahoma. Texas is No. 1 in the country right now. They should be ranked No. 1. They are better on paper than they are on film. They’ve been wildly inconsistent as a team and specifically on the offensive side. I don’t have a lot of worries about the Texas defense. The offense has not been very good … Penalties, not throwing the ball well, Arch has not played very well … they’ve got the best résumé, two top-15 wins. They’ve earned this position where they’re at. Now they play a top-five defense in OU.
“OU can play defense now. Their issue is definitely not their defense. In a lot of ways, these teams mirror each other. What if I told you Oklahoma is 112th in yards per play offense? They turned the ball over, they couldn’t do anything against Michigan. What if I told you that Texas is 108th in yards per play offense? They’re basically the same team … they’ve got great defenses and great offenses that are woefully underperforming. So what do I see in this game? I think it’s low scoring. Just to give you some context, by the way … Texas is behind Colorado and Michigan in yards per play offense. When I tell you that they’re better on paper than on film, it is the truth.
“I think Texas wins, and covers, in a low-scoring affair 20-10, Texas and Arch Manning get the win at Red River.”
Klatt’s straight-up pick: Texas
Klatt’s pick against the spread: Texas -7.5
Oregon 45, UCLA 32
The last time Bob Chesney was in Oregon, he was coaching JMU in the College Football Playoff. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)
Spread: Oregon -11.5
Moneyline: Oregon -455, UCLA +35
Klatt’s thoughts: “Bob Chesney has UCLA undefeated right now. They’re looking to pull off a huge upset in Eugene. Oregon is going to have to do a lot better at stopping the run than they have done during the course of the season. UCLA can absolutely run the football. They have one of the best run games in the country, averaging seven yards per rush. And they feature a guy in Wayne Knight that is explosive. Now here’s the thing with UCLA: their quarterback can also run. He might not be the most dynamic runner, but Nico Iamaleava can absolutely threaten you in the run game. If I’m an Oregon fan, that makes me very nervous because of what Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker did, running that game in Stillwater. Wayne Knight is outstanding.
“By the way, Bob Chesney took his JMU team to Eugene for the College Football Playoff, and yes, Oregon won handily, but guess what? JMU scored over 30 points … I think that [UCLA is] to score some points here. Now the question will be, Can Oregon match them and leave the opposition? I look forward to seeing [Dylan] Raiola has part of the penalty for turnovers, although we don’t see that at USC when he left the bench, but if you look at his time with Nebraska, there are some turnovers there … I don’t trust UCLA’s defense enough. This is the defense that allowed 38 Purdue points.
“Oregon gets it done. I think Oregon wins 45-32, and they cover 11.5.”
Klatt’s straight-up range: Oregon
USC 32, Penn State 14
Matt Campbell isn’t at the age to get off to a great start, and Joel Klatt doesn’t think he’s going to get any better this week. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Propagation: Penn State -1.5
Moneyline: Penn State -122, USC +105
Klatt’s thoughts: “USC is on the road going east. USC, now 5-1, is at Penn State, which is now 3-2 and unranked, and the bottom of the race is out for Matt Campbell … What’s going on? Penn State is favored 1.5.” [USC] they played football for six quarters. … The big question for me is, is USC going to beat themselves, or do they play a cleaner game? … When you’re just evaluating the teams and the product on the field, 1.5 seems wild. USC is looking back at its old defensive coordinator, with a familiarity there in D’Anton Lynn. I think familiarity favors Leo Lincoln … USC can run the ball. Penn State can’t take over anyone. The only thing USC is facing, in my estimation, are costly mistakes. They went to show him. I don’t think USC’s defense is great, but I think they are better than they give them credit for.
“Penna State can’t do anything on offense. They really miss their wide receiver, Koby Howard. He was averaging 100 yards per catch on almost 30 catches. When he went down, he really struggled on offense. Rocco Becht worked on offense. They couldn’t do anything against Northwestern. He couldn’t do anything up the middle against Wisconsin. USC and Northwestern are better than wise.
“USC 32-14.”
Klatt’s straight-up range: USC
LSU 28, Kentucky 10
Will Stein has the highest expectations in his first year at the helm of Kentucky, but the lsU defense is a threat. (Photo by Zach Del Bello/Getty Images)
Propagation: LSU -9.5
Moneyline: LSU -345, Kentucky +275
Klatt’s thoughts: “LSU at Kentucky. LSU is favored 9.5. Kentucky beat a very average Texas A&M and a very average against a bad South Carolina team. When Alabama got hung up at half and then the building race faded. I’m still worried for LSU about their safety. The difference in the game.
“I think Kentucky is playing its best. Do I foresee them playing their best after suffering one week ago? No. History suggests that over the course of the season teams can rarely do something on the positive side, in an emotional attitude, and bring it back with consistency next week. So I don’t see Kentucky playing at a level that needs to stay within 9.5.
“I got UNC to win this game 28-10. LSU covers 9.5.”
Klatt’s straight-up range: LSU
