The sports crew is back with more totally correct and factual predictions of how week six in college football will shake out.
Memphis @ Tulsa
Brian Bada: Memphis 28 Tulsa 24
The Memphis Tigers need a win to save their season. Defeating Tulsa on the road will not be easy. The team that wins the turnover battle will most likely win the game.
James Brisentine: Memphis 30 Tulsa 24
Memphis has to win this game after their two tough losses in a row. They’ve gotten off to great starts in their last two games. All they’ve got to do is put the whole game together, and they’ll have a chance to do just that against a struggling Tulsa team.
Johnny Hill: Memphis 33 Tulsa 30
The Tigers are coming off two back-to-back losses against Temple and UTSA. Despite the losing streak, Memphis still has an explosive offense, averaging 37.4 points a game. Even though they lost to Temple, there were a lot of bright spots. Calvin Austin and Sean Dykes had good games, but Javon Ivory turned in a standout performance with two touchdowns and 73 receiving yards. If Ivory has another big game against Tulsa, there will simply be too many weapons for the Golden Hurricane to slow down.
Zach Thompson: Memphis 31 Tulsa 30
This is a must-win for Memphis. Against a 1-4 team on the road, they have to take care of business and get their season back on track. Untimely turnovers have bogged down what looked to be an elite offense the first three weeks of the season. A loss here would really send this team off the rails as they get to the harder part of the league schedule. Memphis gets it done in a nailbiter.
#5 Penn State @ #4 Iowa
Brian Bada: Penn State 27 Iowa 24
The game of the week will be one of the biggest games in the history of Kinnick Stadium! Sean Clifford helped Penn State win a close one the last time these teams played at Iowa. On Saturday, Clifford will do the same thing once again!
James Brisentine: Iowa 17 Penn State 16
I really believe in this Hawkeyes team. This team feels for real, and I still have questions about Penn St. The game being at Kinnick is a huge advantage for Iowa. This game is going to be a slugfest, but the Hawkeyes will get the win.
Johnny Hill: Penn State 28 Iowa 20
This matchup of undefeated teams will be interesting. The Hawkeyes have an elite defense, currently ranked 7th in the nation. The Hawkeyes also feature the Big Ten’s least productive offense, averaging only 320 yards per game. Meanwhile, Penn State has a great balance of offense and defense. The Nittany Lions average 30.0 points while also only giving up 12.0 points a game. By the end of Saturday, the Nittany Lions will still be undefeated.
Zach Thompson: Iowa 24 Penn State 17
This game is going to be a bloodbath. With the driver's seat in the Big Ten on the line, I think the Hawkeyes will ultimately be too physical for the Nittany Lions. This will be straight up smash-mouth football and I cannot wait to watch.
#13 Arkansas @ #17 Ole Miss
Brian Bada: Ole Miss 35 Arkansas 31
Both of these teams are looking to bounce back after tough losses last week. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral throws a late touchdown pass to beat the Razorbacks and get the Rebels back on track.
James Brisentine: Ole Miss 35 Arkansas 27
Both teams are coming off blowouts against the upper crust of the SEC, and are going to look for some redemption against each other. Both teams are going to come out inspired and play hard. In the end, Matt Corral will lead the Rebels to a bounce back win.
Johnny Hill: Ole Miss 41 Arkansas 30
Coming off a loss against Alabama, I am picking the Lane Train to get back on track in Oxford. KJ. Jefferson vs Matt Corral will be a great quarterback duel. Right now, Corral is a Heisman candidate. The Rebels average a staggering 44.0 points and 549.3 yards per game. On the other hand, Jefferson is leading an offense that averages 28.6 points and 416.4 yards a game. The x-factor for the Rebels is whether their defense will step up to the plate. The Rebels win this one at home.
Zach Thompson: Ole Miss 34 Arkansas 24
After the way these two teams lost a week ago, this one feels rather significant for the trajectory of the remainder of each of their seasons. Neither can really afford a loss after getting embarrassed by the big dogs last week. Arkansas is certainly on the right track under Sam Pittman but I ultimately think the Rebel offense will be too much for the Hogs to slow down.
East Carolina @ UCF
Brian Bada: UCF 31 ECU 14
The Knights are still trying to figure out how they are going to win games without injured quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Last week, they had a big lead at Navy and blew it. They play better at home and win easily.
James Brisentine: UCF 31 ECU 28
This game is intriguing. UCF is coming off a tough loss against Navy last week, and ECU has looked very intriguing and feisty this season. They will come out just as feisty in this one. This game will go to wire, but the Knights will pull through.
Johnny Hill: UCF 37 ECU 24
East Carolina and UCF both feature great offenses and bad defenses. Right now, the Pirates average 32.2 points while giving up 29.6 points a game. On the other hand, UCF averages 41.0 points while giving up 30.3 points a game. The Knights are posting 497.5 yards of offense per outing, good for 13th in all of Division 1. That offense is just going to be too much for the Pirates at the Bounce House.
Zach Thompson: ECU 27 UCF 24
ECU thumped Tulane a week ago. UCF still has a lot to figure out after losing quarterback Dillon Gabriel to injury. Orlando is a tough place to play, but the Pirates have earned the “friskiest team in the AAC” title for now. They will show why in a close one against the Knights.
Junior Jaylon Allen warms up prior to the start of the UTSA game. The Tigers are looking to get back on track after dropping their first two conference games.
