Oklahoma-Texas is the top game in Week 6. LSU heads to Missouri after defensive meltdown

By ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer

Oklahoma-Texas is the main attraction in Week 6 of the college football season and one of three games matching teams in the AP Top 25.

The No. 12 Sooners and No. 3 Longhorns will meet for the 95th consecutive season in Dallas on Saturday but the last as members of the Big 12. Both move to the Southeastern Conference next year. It will be the first time since 2011 that both teams are undefeated entering the game.

No. 23 LSU visits No. 21 Missouri in only their second meeting since Mizzou entered the SEC in 2012. Missouri has played mostly light competition to open the season 5-0. LSU is coming off its worst defensive game in program history, giving up 706 yards in a 55-49 loss at Mississippi.

No. 10 Notre Dame visits No. 25 Louisville in what will be the Cardinals’ first major test following a 5-0 start.

Other intriguing games: Maryland at No. 4 Ohio State, No. 11 Alabama at Texas A&M and No. 13 Washington State at UCLA.

The Terrapins have won five straight to open a season for the first time since 2001, and they’ve won each by at least 18 points. They might be in for a reality check at the Horseshoe.

Alabama and the Aggies will battle for sole possession of first place in the SEC West. The Crimson Tide lost in College Station two years ago.

Washington State visits a UCLA team it hasn’t met since 2019, when the Bruins won 67-63 in Pullman in that season’s highest-scoring Bowl Subdivision game.

BEST GAME

No. 12 Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) vs. No. 3 Texas (5-0, 2-0), in Dallas, Saturday, noon ET (ABC)

Don’t expect a repeat of last year’s fiasco at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, where Quinn Ewers threw for four touchdowns in a 49-0 Texas victory that went down as the Sooners’ most lopsided shutout loss ever. OU will face Texas with a healthy Dillon Gabriel, who missed last year’s game because of a head injury. He ranks in the top 10 nationally in passing yardage, total offense, touchdown passes, completion percentage and passer efficiency rating.

The Longhorns are a 6 1/2-point favorite this time, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

HEISMAN WATCH

Southern California QB Caleb Williams, with six touchdown passes at Colorado, took another step in his bid to become the first repeat Heisman Trophy winner since Archie Griffin in 1975.

Williams has thrown for a nation-leading 21 TDs against just one interception. He’s averaging 11.4 yards per attempt and 320.6 per game while completing 74.5% of his passes.

The Trojans host Arizona on Saturday night. Last year, Williams threw for 411 yards and five TDs against the Wildcats.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

6 — Blocked kicks by Texas Tech in 18 games under Joey McGuire.

16 — Louisiana Tech’s consecutive road losses before it won at UTEP last week.

17 — Catches over last two games by 17-year-old Amare Thomas of UAB.

32-0 — Ohio State coach Ryan Day’s record against unranked opponents.

173 — Florida State’s points total through four games, its most since 2013.

UNDER THE RADAR

No. 24 Fresno State (5-0, 1-0 Mountain West) at Wyoming (4-1, 1-0), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)

The Bulldogs have won 14 straight since starting last season 1-4, and they’ve scored in 25 consecutive quarters since the Mountain West championship game. The Cowboys have knocked off Texas Tech and were tied in the fourth quarter with No. 3 Texas on the road before losing 31-10.

The key matchup is Fresno’s run defense against Wyoming’s Harrison Waley. The Bulldogs allow just 93 rushing yards per game and 2.8 yards per carry. Waley missed the first two games because of injury but now appears to be in top form. He’s running for better than 150 yards per game and is coming off a 191-yard performance against New Mexico.

HOT SEAT

Dave Aranda’s seat at Baylor was beginning to warm up the first month of the season. Whether the Bears’ second-half comeback from 28 points down on the road to beat UCF 36-35 has a positive carryover for him and the Bears will be determined when Texas Tech visits Saturday.

The Bears (2-3) went into last week having dropped seven of eight, including a season-opening home loss to Texas State, and the prospect of a 1-4 start wasn’t sitting well in Waco. Baylor is 8-10 since ending its 2021 Big 12 championship season with a Sugar Bowl win.

QB Blake Shapen returned against UCF after missing three games with a knee injury, and the schedule is favorable with no ranked opponents on the horizon.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll