After the first full month of the 2024 college football season, the playoff picture has still not become very clear yet. 

With most teams having played just one or two conference matchups to this point, essentially every Power Four team still has the playoffs within reach, as do a handful of Group of Five teams.

Week Six Games to Watch

No. 9 Missouri (4-0, 1-0) at No. 25 Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0)

The Southeastern Conference is home to the most brutal schedules in 2024, which means every win is important because a slip-up in a winnable game may be the difference between making the playoffs and not.

Missouri opened its season with two shutout wins, but began to show weaknesses in a 27-21 win against Boston College (4-1, 1-0) and a 30-27 overtime win against Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-1). The Tigers come off a bye week and will enter College Station as a two-point underdog against the Aggies.

Texas A&M, who lost its opener to Notre Dame (4-1), have won four straight games including a win at Florida (2-2, 1-1) and a neutral site victory against Arkansas (3-2, 1-1).

After redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman suffered a shoulder injury in week two, redshirt freshman Marcel Reed took over for the Aggies. 

Since then, Reed has thrown for 585 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. He is also second on the team in rushing with 230 yards on 42 attempts. The matchup with Missouri will be Reed’s biggest test to this point.

SMU (4-1, 1-0) at No. 22 Louisville (3-1, 0-0)

In its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southern Methodist University has a chance to make some noise with an offense that averages 42.2 points per game, including a combined 108 points against two opponents: TCU (3-2, 1-1) and Florida State (1-4, 1-3). 

The Cardinals are the only currently ranked team the Mustangs have on their schedule, but they do have a somewhat tough stretch in their final seven games. Their remaining opponents’ combined record is 25-6, with two of those teams being unbeaten.

Louisville is coming fresh off a road loss to No. 14 Notre Dame (4-1) in a game where it out gained the Irish by over 100 yards but turned the ball over three times. 

Seventh-year senior and two-time transfer quarterback Tyler Shough enters the game with 1,114 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. 

The Cardinals, who enter as seven-point favorites, will have to lean on their defense, which gives up 16 points per game if they want to shut down the Mustangs’ offense.

No. 12 Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1) at South Carolina (3-1, 1-1)

Ole Miss will walk into Williams-Brice Stadium one week after losing to an unranked team for the first time since Dec. 28, 2022. 

The Rebels’ offense entered last week’s game against Kentucky (3-2, 1-2) averaging 55 points but only put up 17 in the three-point loss to the Wildcats. They will have to rebound against a one-loss Gamecocks team whose only loss came at home against LSU (4-1, 1-0). 

In that game against the Tigers, South Carolina lost its starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers when it was up 17-0 before eventually losing 36-33. Sellers is expected to return this week as his guys face the Rebels as a nine-point home underdog.

No. 10 Michigan (4-1, 2-0) at Washington (3-2, 2-0)

The National Championship rematch will not be nearly as high-stakes as the last meeting, but don’t think this isn’t important to both teams. 

The Wolverines are riding a three-game winning streak since junior quarterback Alex Orji replaced senior Davis Warren in the second half of their week three victory. Orji has thrown for a grand total of 133 yards for three touchdowns and a pick this season. 

For Washington, it’s simple. Stop the run. About 79% of Michigan’s yards in Orji’s two starts have been on the ground. Unfortunately for the Huskies, they give up 126.4 rushing yards per game, which is not especially good. 

This is a game that Washington fans have probably had circled on their calendars since losing to the Wolverines in the National Championship last season, and the Huskies will look to ride their home crowd as 2.5-point favorites.

No. 4 Tennessee (4-0, 1-0) at Arkansas (3-2, 1-1)

This game could very well be over by the end of the first quarter. However, it is possible Arkansas will hang around for a bit and make the Volunteers uncomfortable.

Tennessee is coming off of a much-deserved bye week after beating No. 21 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1) Sept. 21. Through three games, it was the Vols’ offense that was in the spotlight, scoring over 63 points per game, but in the SEC opener against the Sooners, the defense took center stage, allowing just 15 points.

If the defense continues to play the way the 14-point favorite Volunteers should, they should walk out of Fayetteville with a win for the first time since 2001.

However, should the Razorbacks offense, which picks up 495 yards per game, keep Tennessee’s defense on its heels, it will be up to Tennessee’s offense to make big plays. 

Big plays have not been scarce for Tennessee as the team averages 565.75 yards and 54 points a game. The offense seems unstoppable, but should the Hogs’ defense, which gives up 20 points per game, have some answers, Tennessee may start to feel pressure and collapse in front of the road crowd.

Demetri Manousos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].