Week 6 • 2026
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “You just recognize [the Hawkeye Wave] is bigger than just football. You think about
the parents having to go through that. There’s just a lot. So, the least we can do is just let them know that there are a lot of people pulling for them and supporting them.”
- Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day on the letter he wrote to patients at Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital
TEAM TO WATCH
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Missouri turned heads with its dominant 45-17 rout over then No. 8 Florida, in front of the 23rd consecutive sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. The Tigers improved to 4-1 and moved up to No. 14 in this week’s AP Poll, earning their first regular season win over an AP Top 10 opponent since defeating No. 7 Georgia in 2013.
Minnesota pulled off one of the biggest wins of the P.J. Fleck era, rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Michigan, 20-14, and reclaim the Little Brown Jug. The win marked Minnesota’s first victory since 2014 in one of the oldest rivalries in college football, and its first home victory over the Wolverines since 1977.
Transfer quarterback Austin Simmons led Missouri with a surgical performance, completing 23-of-30 passes for a career-high 340 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jamal Roberts dominated on the ground, recording 24 carries for 211 yards and three scores. Defensively, the Tigers held Florida running back Jadan Baugh, who ranks fifth nationally in rushing yards, to just 13 yards on 12 carries — his lowest output as a starter.
Trailing 14-10 entering the final quarter, the Golden Gophers opened with a 26-yard field goal from Luke Drzewiecki before defensive back Zack Harden picked off Michigan’s Bryce Underwood. The timely interception set up a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drake Lindsey to running back Darius Taylor, putting the Gophers up by six.
MISSOURI
The teams concluded the first quarter tied at 3-3, but Missouri exploded for 17 points in the second as Simmons threw two touchdown passes and kicker Blake Craig drilled a 50-yard field goal as the half expired. The Tigers controlled the second half, too, outscoring the Gators, 25-7, led by 77-yard and 80-yard runs by Roberts in the fourth quarter. Missouri looks to remain on the rise on Saturday as it hosts Texas A&M at 9:00 a.m. PHX on ABC.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
MINNESOTA
Minnesota’s defense stood tall and closed the game by forcing two punts followed by a turnover on downs on the Wolverines’ final possession. Gophers’ fans rushed the field and played Michigan’s traditional ‘Mr. Brightside’ in celebration. Minnesota improved to 4-1 on the season, marking the program’s best start since 2022. The reigning Cactus Bowl champions will look to extend their winning streak to four when they travel to Purdue on Saturday, October 10, at 5:00 p.m. PHX on Big Ten Network.
Week 6
GAMES TO WATCH #20 IOWA AT WASHINGTON
10.9 // 6:00 P.M. // FOX OR FS1
#7 INDIANA AT NEBRASKA
AP WEEK 6 RANKINGS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Texas Georgia Notre Dame Miami Ohio State
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Alabama (+1) Indiana (-1) BYU (+2) Ole Miss LSU (+1)
For a full AP Top 25 Rankings, click here.
10.10 // 9:00 A.M. // FOX
#1 TEXAS VS. OKLAHOMA
10.10 // 12:30 P.M. // ABC
#21 UCLA AT #13 OREGON
10.10 // 12:30 P.M. // CBS
#19 USC AT PENN STATE
10.10 // 4:30 P.M. // NBC
For a full schedule of Week 6 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2026 BOWL PREDICTIONS CFP QUARTERFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
GAME OF THE WEEK #2 GEORGIA AT #6 ALABAMA
A new page in the Georgia-Alabama saga unfolds this week, as No. 2 Georgia travels to No. 6 Alabama in one of the regular season’s most significant matchups. Both teams enter at 5-0 and meet as ranked teams for the 14th consecutive time, dating back to 2007. It also marks the 11th time that both teams have been ranked in the AP Top 10 during that span. Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer is 2-1 against Georgia since 2023, with his lone loss coming in last season’s SEC Championship Game. Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart has been part of this SEC rivalry for nearly 20 years, first as the defensive coordinator for Alabama from 2007-15 and now as the Bulldogs’ head coach since 2016. Smart is 2-8 against Alabama but earned the biggest victory of his coaching career against the Crimson Tide in the 2022 CFP National Championship. Kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium is set for Saturday, October 10, at 4:30 p.m. on ABC.
CACTUS BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Miami
ESPN Schlabach – Penn State vs. Kansas State
Sports Illustrated – No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 Texas
Sports Illustrated – Northwestern vs. UCF
CBS Sports – No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Georgia
CBS Sports – Nebraska vs. Kansas State
Pro Football Network – Texas vs. BYU
Pro Football Network – Penn State vs. Cincinnati
USA Today – No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 Alabama
USA Today – Wisconsin vs. Baylor
Athlon Sports – No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Miami
Athlon Sports – Penn State vs. Kansas State
Week 6
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
MIKE MCGLINCHEY Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey played a near-flawless game on Sunday against the 49ers, allowing zero pressures and zero sacks, with just one penalty, on 67 snaps. McGlinchey has been a reliable presence in Denver’s offense, surrendering just one sack, two quarterback hits and 10 pressures through the first four games of the season. Despite Denver’s 24-14 loss, McGlinchey provided a clean pocket that allowed quarterback Bo Nix to complete 25-of-42 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. It marked McGlinchey’s third game this season without allowing a sack or quarterback hit. McGlinchey started at right tackle for No. 8 Notre Dame in the 2015-16 Fiesta Bowl, and posted a clean slate allowing zero sacks, quarterback hits, hurries or pressures throughout the contest. His outstanding performances against the nation’s top competition helped him become the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. The nine-year veteran will look to build on his strong start to the season when the Broncos face the Chargers on Sunday, October 11, at 1:05 p.m. PHX on CBS.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
DANTE RENO YALE
AIDEN FLORA IOWA STATE
Just one day after the tragic passing of longtime Yale Head Coach Tony Reno, Yale quarterback – and Tony’s son – Dante Reno paid tribute to his father with a career performance. Dante completed 22-of-39 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 41-24 victory over Merrimack that was bigger than football.
Iowa State running back Aiden Flora was named both the AP and Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week after a historic performance. Flora recorded 22 carries for 212 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 48 yards and two scores in the Cyclones’ thrilling 45-42 victory over West Virginia.
“This one’s for you, pops,” Dante said on X following the win. After spending two seasons at South Carolina, Dante transferred to Yale to play under his father in 2025, where the Bulldogs went 9-3 with a win in the FCS Playoffs in Tony Reno’s final season as head coach. Dante’s heartfelt performance over the weekend earned him the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Award and Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.
He became the first FBS running back since 1996 to register 100 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in a game. The sophomore delivered a clutch 63-yard run in the fourth quarter to give Iowa State a 38-35 lead and later punched in the deciding score to secure the win and cap a historic performance.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
Week 6
BIG NEWS The Cactus Bowl enters an exciting new era with a fresh rebranding rooted in its Arizona heritage. The game will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup and is set for 5:30 p.m. MST on Saturday, December 26, in its grand return to Mountain America Stadium. As we eagerly await kickoff in Tempe, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news heading into Week 6:
BIG TEN •
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Ohio State made another statement with its 31-14 win over No. 14 Iowa, led by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s 11 receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Smith leads the nation with 823 receiving yards and ranks first among receivers with 11 touchdowns, while quarterback Julian Sayin ranks fourth nationally with 1,530 passing yards Northwestern received votes in this week’s AP Poll after a 34-13 win over Penn State in its first game at the new Ryan Field. The Wildcats dominated with an efficient running attack that recorded 55 carries for 413 yards and four touchdowns. Caleb Komolafe rushed for 188 yards and a touchdown, while Joseph Himon II added 162 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Northwestern’s run defense was stingy, holding Penn State to just 48 yards on 22 carries (2.2 ypc) Purdue snapped an 18-game conference losing streak and brought the Cannon Trophy home with its 24-17 win over Illinois. This marked the Boilermakers’ first Big Ten win since November 25, 2023, and their first road conference victory since November 26, 2022. Kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week with a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and has now recorded three games this season with at least three field goals
BIG 12 •
The road to the Big 12 Championship remains wide open as five teams are featured in this week’s AP Poll: No. 8 BYU, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 12 Utah, No. 18 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Houston. The teams have combined for a 20-2 record through the first five weeks
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Arizona and Baylor improved to 4-1 with conference wins over Cincinnati (4-1) and Arizona State (2-2), respectively. The Wildcats dominated the Bearcats 34-7, limiting one of the nation’s top rushing teams to just 74 yards on 28 carries (2.6 ypc). Baylor cruised to a 55-19 win over Arizona State, led by Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week DJ Lagway, who completed 25-of-40 passes for 306 yards and four touchdowns
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Texas Tech forced four interceptions in its 29-7 victory over Colorado. Defensive back Bryce Pollock was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, recording two interceptions, while linebacker John Curry intercepted a pass in the endzone for an easy touchdown
HOT TAKES “Northwestern will make the CFP. When the Wildcats were able to hang with the defending champs in Bloomington, we all thought, ‘could Northwestern really be that good?’ Well, seeing the performance against Penn State last Friday showed this team has some bite, and with the remaining schedule, all they need is one or two upsets and they can see themselves in the CFP this year.” – Tommy Massa, Indiana “UCLA makes the CFP. Through four games, UCLA has looked the part. While the Bruins haven’t played a ranked opponent yet, they’ve played twice on the road and looked downright dominant at times. They’ve also played three Power Four teams, which is more than most can say.” – Adam Kramer, Bleacher Report CLICK HERE to submit your hot takes for a chance to be featured in next week’s edition!
Week 6
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
NEWS IN THE FOUNDATION CHARITY SPOTLIGHT FIESTA BOWL COPPER STATE INVITATIONAL RETURNS FOR SECOND YEAR, BRINGING TOGETHER ARIZONA’S TOP HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL TEAMS AND TALENT PHOENIX CHILDREN’S FIESTA BOWL PARADE PRESENTED BY LERNER & ROWE SET FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2027 Starting a new chapter in the storied history of the Fiesta Bowl Parade, Phoenix Children’s and Fiesta Sports Foundation are expanding on a 15-plus year partnership to serve Arizona children and families, as the state’s preeminent children’s healthcare provider becomes the title partner of one of Arizona’s most celebrated events. The 54th annual Phoenix Children’s Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe will close out an exciting week of bowl season festivities with a Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, march through Central Phoenix, starting at 10 a.m. As the centerpiece of its Circle of Champions premier partnership, Phoenix Children’s will help further elevate the Parade and create new opportunities to celebrate children, families and communities throughout Parade week. This builds on Phoenix Children’s ongoing inclusion in the Fiesta Bowl Parade and this year’s entry will feature a new customized float design.
After a highly successful inaugural event, Fiesta Sports Foundation is bringing back the Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational for its second year, assembling eight of Arizona’s top high school girls flag football programs for this first-of-its-kind midseason tournament featuring unique inter-conference matchups that are not otherwise played in the regular season. Building on the success of the first-ever tournament in 2025, this year’s field includes reigning state champions from the 5A, 4A and 3A classifications alongside 6A semifinalists and at-large qualifiers. Held on Thursday, October 15, and Saturday, October 17, at Arizona State University’s Fields at Dorsey, the tournament kicks off at 2:00 p.m. on October 15 with all eight teams playing three pool-play games to determine seeding. The top four teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff, beginning with semifinals at 2:30 p.m. on October 17 followed by a 4:30 p.m. championship game.
READ MORE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
Week 6
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL DECEMBER 30, 2026
CACTUS BOWL
DECEMBER 26, 2026
F I E S TA S P O R T S F O U N D AT I O N . O R G /FIESTABOWL
Week 6
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026