Just five weeks into the season, the undefeated field has dropped from 136 to 20. Last year, Oregon was the last team standing, going perfect through the regular season and the conference championships until a loss to Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals.
Here are some of the undefeated teams to watch in Week 6:
*Undefeated team is bolded
No. 11 Texas Tech at Houston, 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4
With both squads undefeated, this is the only game of the weekend that guarantees a team getting knocked off the list.
No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4
Can the Vanderbilt do it again? The road to 6-0 runs through Tuscaloosa for the Commodores.
No. 3 Miami (Fla.) at No. 18 Florida State, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4
This is the Hurricanes' first road game of the season, and the Seminoles would love nothing more than to hand their in-state rival a '1' in the loss column.
Louisville vs. No. 24 Virginia, 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4
Virginia knocked Florida State off the unbeaten list last week, and the Cavaliers look to roll that momentum into their matchup with the Cardinals.
No. 6 Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4
The Bulldogs took No. 15 Tennessee to overtime last weekend, proving to be a real threat to the top half of the SEC. The Aggies better be ready to play Saturday night to stay unblemished.
The ESPN College GameDay crew is headed to Tuscaloosa for the anticipated rematch between No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 16 Vanderbilt. Historically, this decision would have turned heads as the Tide had won 46 of the past 48 matchups coming into last season, carrying a 23-game win streak into the 2024 showdown.
But times are changing in Nashville. The 'Dores carried last year's momentum into 2025 as Clark Lea has Vanderbilt at No. 16 in the polls — its highest rank since 2008 and the only other year the Commodores have been involved in a College GameDay matchup.
Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia has the third-highest QBR in the nation, and the Commodore offense is humming, averaging the fourth-most points per game in the FBS (49). They haven't seen an Alabama-caliber opponent this season, but no one can deny the hot start in Nashville.
As for the home team, the Tide just knocked off No. 5 Georgia for the 10th time in their last 11 matchups, bouncing back in a huge way after a Week 1 loss to Florida State. Quarterback Ty Simpson seems to have found his groove under center, throwing for 658 and six TDs in his last two games.
🍿 Week 6 games to watch
Crazy to think we are almost halfway through the season, but that means the stakes are just that much higher. Week 6 brings some intriguing matchups to the table, and we might get some answers as to just how good certain teams are. Here are the games we are keeping an eye on into the weekend:
Saturday kicks off with the noon slate, which is frankly not as eye-popping as previous weeks, but there are still some key games to watch. No. 12 Georgia will look to bounce back at home against Kentucky, while No. 14 Iowa State will try to stay perfect against Cincinnati on the road. Clemson and North Carolina face off in the ACC, which looked like a better matchup in August, but it still holds big names, as the Tigers try to salvage the second half of the season.
The afternoon slate ushers in what could be the matchup of the day as No. 10 Alabama hosts No. 16 Vanderbilt. Yes, you read that right. Vanderbilt is involved in one of college football's premier matchups. Still in the SEC, No. 9 Texas travels to the Swamp as Florida will try to play spoiler against a relatively underwhelming Longhorn team thus far. Before the main ACC attraction, No. 24 Virginia and undefeated Louisville line up in what could be a pivotal conference matchup down the road.
But all eyes will be on the state of Florida in the night slate as No. 18 Florida State hosts No. 3 Miami. Last week, this matchup held more firepower with a top-10 FSU team, but this is still the Hurricanes' first road game of the season in a hostile Tallahassee environment. But if you don't like Florida, there are still other matchups to watch as Houston hosts No. 11 Texas Tech in a battle of two unbeaten, and No. 6 Texas A&M faces off with a gritty Mississippi State team hungry for an upset.
1. QB Dante Moore, Oregon
dante moore at penn state
The top Heisman contender entering October is Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. Moore is following in the footsteps of past Oregon quarterbacks, where the last two starters have finished third in Heisman voting.
Moore has Oregon undefeated and ranked No. 2, fresh off the best road win in the country this season against Penn State. Moore completed 74 percent of his passes for three touchdowns against the Nittany Lions. He’s thrown for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns to just one interception this season.
With another top-10 matchup against Indiana on the schedule in October, Moore could create a gap between him and other Heisman contenders before Halloween. It might be necessary because the Hoosiers are potentially the last ranked opponent of the season for the Ducks.
2. QB John Mateer, Oklahoma
john mateer
Before John Mateer went out with a hand injury, he was the Heisman frontrunner. Mateer started the season with 1,215 passing yards and six passing touchdowns, while also leading Oklahoma in rushing with 190 yards and five touchdowns.
Luckily, Mateer has already had surgery, and Oklahoma had a bye week following his injury. He’ll miss the Kent State game, and then up next is Texas. Mateer’s status is up in the air for the Red River Rivalry, a game 17 days after his surgery.
A big performance against a top-10 Texas team could be great for Mateer, but even if Mateer misses that game, he’ll have plenty of ranked matchups to get back into the Heisman running when he returns. Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU close Oklahoma’s season.
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3. QB Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
trinidad chambliss
Everyone loves a good underdog story, and the best underdog story after the first month of the season is none other than the story of Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss is a Division II transfer, where he won the DII national championship and finished as a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy — the DII Heisman.
Now at Ole Miss, Chambliss took over as a starter against Arkansas and has since won three games, including a win over then-No. 4 LSU. He’s completed 64 percent of his passes, accounting for 1,219 total yards and six total touchdowns as a starter.
With road trips against Georgia and Oklahoma remaining, Chambliss could keep college football’s Cinderella story rolling deep into the season.
4. RB Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
ahmad hardy missouri
Ahmad Hardy leads the FBS in rushing yards (730) and touchdowns (9). He has Missouri 5-0 and has rushed for over 100 yards and scored a touchdown in every game. Hardy hasn’t missed a beat since transferring in from UL Monroe, showing that last season was no fluke.
If Hardy didn’t play running back, he’d be higher on the list, but 20 of the last 25 Heisman winners have played quarterback — 80 percent of 21st century Heisman winners.
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5. DE Rueben Bain, Miami (Fla.)
rueben bain
Could we have back-to-back defensive players win the Heisman? Obviously, “defensive” has an asterisk after two-way superstar Travis Hunter won the award playing wide receiver last year, too. But, if a defensive player is to win the Heisman, the top candidate is Miami’s Rueben Bain.
Bain has been dominant to start the year, with a 95.8 PFF grade through four games and a 29.7% pass-rush win rate. While PFF grades aren’t always the best indicator of performance, Bain also leads a top-10 scoring defense, third-down defense and run defense in the FBS.
Bain’s biggest challenge will be whether people continue to watch his games, not just look at his stats. Bain’s impact on the field outweighs his numbers, with just 2.0 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss thus far.
Bain is trying to follow Aidan Hutchinson (2021, Michigan), Chase Young (2019, Ohio State), Jabrill Peppers (2016, Michigan), Manti Te’o (2012, Notre Dame), Tyrann Mathieu (2011, LSU) and Ndamukong Suh (2009, Nebraska) as defensive players in the 21st century to finish as Heisman finalists.
6. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
diego pavia
The Heisman Trophy goes to the “most outstanding player in college football.” Would there be anything more outstanding this season than Vanderbilt making the College Football Playoff?
That’s why Diego Pavia is firmly in Heisman contention entering October. Pavia has the Commodores ranked No. 16 in the country, entering a gauntlet of four straight ranked opponents, including road trips to Alabama and Texas.
Pavia already led Vanderbilt to a ranked road win at South Carolina, where he completed 72 percent of his passes for two touchdowns. If he can continue that success to start the month against the Crimson Tide, he could become a favorite for the award.
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