College Football Week 6 Bold Predictions

1. Four or more ranked teams lose to unranked or lower-ranked teams

The week started with a bang, with #2 Oregon falling to unranked Arizona.  I'm not including that in this prediction's total, obviously, but I get the feeling it could be one of those weeks where anybody can beat anybody.  Teams that should be on upset watch: everybody.

2. Alabama beats Ole Miss by 14+ points

The Crimson Tide won't be one of the teams to succumb to the chaos predicted above.  While I think they may not be as good this year as in previous seasons, I think they are still more than capable of blowing out an untested Ole Miss team.  Alabama has won 10 straight against the Rebels, including a 25 - 0 shutout last year.  I think they keep the trend going with another blowout win, 38 - 24, Tide.

3. Michigan State holds Ameer Abdullah under 100 yards rushing

Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah has 833 rushing yards on the season, going over 200 yards on 3 occasions and being held to less than 100 yards only once.  Considered one of the top backs in the country and a Heisman hopeful, Abdullah could make some noise with a big performance against the Spartans.  But Michigan State is yet to allow a 100-yard rusher, even against Oregon.  They haven't faced a back like Abdullah yet, but I think their stingy defense holds him just under the century mark.  Spartans hang on to win, 27- 23.

4. J.T. Barrett throws for over 300 yards for the third straight game

The Buckeye quarterback was the first to post back-to-back games of 300+ passing yards since Troy Smith in 2005.  The competition gets kicked up a notch this week against Maryland, but if the offensive line continues to improve and receivers minimize dropped passes, I think Barrett can do it again.  Plus, the Terrapins also have a strong quarterback in C.J. Brown, who is surrounded by skilled receivers, so this one could very well turn into a shoot-out.  Ohio State wins on a late scoring drive, led by the Barrett-Elliot tandem, 45 - 38.

5. Either Massachusetts or Miami (OH) wins a game this week

The Minutemen and Redhawks sit together at the bottom of the MAC East standings, 0 - 5, just waiting to play someone they might be able to beat.  They own average margins of defeat of 15 and 12.2 points, respectively.  Finally, they both face an opponent they can compete with: each other.  It's anybody's guess who comes out on top, but one of them has to win, right?  Right???