Week 6 Viewing Guide: Hendon Hooker in the Heisman Hunt, a Redemption Tour for Chip Kelly, and a Plenty of Primetime Pigskin to Choose From

Nooners

#8 Tennessee vs. #25 LSU, 12 p.m. on ESPN

The Heisman Trophy candidate out of the SEC East was supposed to be Anthony Richardson, right? Or maybe Stetson Bennett? Turns out Tennessee may have its best quarterback since Peyton Manning, as Hendon Hooker currently has the Volunteers back in the top-10 of the polls for the first time since 2016.

Hooker is on quite a roll over his previous seven games dating back to last season, having thrown 17 touchdowns against zero interceptions, with the only loss in that stretch coming in overtime to Purdue in the Music City Bowl. This year alone, Hooker has already posted more than 1,350 total yards of offense and scored 11 total touchdowns in just four games. Two weeks ago, he led Tennessee to a 38-33 win over Florida that saw him lead the Volunteers in both passing and rushing by way of more than 460 combined yards through the air and on the ground.

One of the biggest plays of the game. Florida had Hendon Hooker sacked and instead of 2nd and 16, Hooker turned this into a 44 yard gain and got the Vols in the red zone pic.twitter.com/88EPtCXAXA

— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 25, 2022

As for LSU, Brian Kelly's debut with the Tigers did not go according to plan after losing to Florida State via a blocked PAT with no time remaining. But since then, Kelly has somewhat righted the ship and enters this game undefeated in conference play with early wins over Mississippi State and Auburn.

While Hooker will look to add to his highlight reel in this game, the key to victory for Tennessee will likely come down to the performance of their running backs against LSU's rushing defense. Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small have combined for roughly 57% of the Volunteers' team rushing production so far, and Tennessee currently ranks 27th overall among FBS teams in success rate on the ground at nearly 47%. Conversely, LSU's defense allows the 33rd highest success rate to running plays at roughly 43%.

Should the Volunteers emerge from Death Valley triumphantly enough to inspire a further move up in the polls, next week's meeting with Alabama could potentially be the first time the Third Saturday in October rivalry sees both teams enter with top five rankings.

#17 TCU vs. #19 Kansas, 12 p.m. on FS1

Remember the last time the Red River Showdown appeared worth skipping? Not since 1998 have both Oklahoma and Texas entered their signature rivalry unranked, and after TCU's 55-24 dismantling of the Sooners last weekend, perhaps they and the Longhorns are more preparing to flee the Big 12 than join the SEC at this point.

Kidding aside, the early struggles of OU and UT suddenly have the conference in a wild west moment with the rest of the contenders rapidly seeking to fill the void. Those that tuned into the Viewing Guide's Wildcard of the Week last week already got a glimpse of Kansas and Jalon Daniels, a Heisman candidate in his own right and currently the only quarterback through five weeks with a higher QBR than C.J. Stroud.

Just gonna scoot right thru pic.twitter.com/VzsjJXv8kB

— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) October 1, 2022

The Jayhawks already have three different rushers with over 250 yards on the ground this season including Daniels, but a win today will require a much more dynamic approach against the Horned Frogs and quarterback Max Duggan. TCU's offense currently averages the fourth most expected points added per play in college football so far this season, while Duggan has completed nearly 75% of his passes on his way to throwing 11 touchdowns against zero interceptions.

The winds of change are howling across the Big 12, but only one of these teams will emerge undefeated today. A win for the Horned Frogs would give them some serious momentum heading into a crucial meeting with Oklahoma State next weekend.

Afternooners

A Trio of Alternatives to the Event in East Lansing

Ohio State occupies the afternoon window for a second straight week, but with kickoff against Sparty not scheduled until four o'clock, there are a couple of lead-in options worth considering as an appetizer to the main course course for Buckeye fans today. Given Stroud's throwing ability in the face of Michigan State's lackluster pass defense, having a reserve of channel-flipping choices may be best for the Scarlet & Gray faithful provided the game gets out of hand.

• #11 Utah vs. #18 UCLA, 3:30 p.m. on FOX
  Has the Chip Kelly redemption tour finally arrived? UCLA now quietly sits at 5-0 after a one-score win over a top-25 Washington Huskies team last week, as the backfield duo of quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and former Michigan running back Zach Charbonnet have the Bruins playing some of their most electric football in recent memory.

  Make 'em miss, @DoriansTweets.
  
  ESPN
  https://t.co/yWA9MiW5Er
  : AM 1150#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/n4mCJwIHs2

  — UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) October 1, 2022

  Kelly's offense currently posts the seventh best success rate on all of its plays at just over 52%, but UCLA could get some firm resistance this week in the form of a stout Utah unit that has outscored its opponents 184-43 since dropping its opening game against Florida. The Utes have surrendered the ninth fewest passing yards per game through five weeks of the season, and Kyle Whittingham's team will need to maintain that standard if it wants to remain successful both this week as well as next weekend against USC.
   
• Texas Tech vs. #7 Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m. on FS1
  The Red Raiders have had a blender of a schedule to grind through during the first half of their season. Oklahoma State will be the fifth straight ranked opponent Texas Tech has faced going back to early September, and the team still has both TCU and Kansas to look forward to in November. However, with two overtime wins and two other games decided by less than two touchdowns, the Red Raiders have offered no shortage of exciting football in the early going and figure to continue doing so today.
  
  Meanwhile, in wake of Oklahoma and Texas falling out of the rankings, the Cowboys suddenly find themselves as top dog in the Big 12 while conference play prepares to significantly heat up. Neither of these teams are particularly effective running the football, and given Texas Tech's offense throws nearly 50 times per game (sixth highest rate out of all FBS schools), this meeting seems primed to develop into an aerial battle. At the same time, the Red Raiders defense boasts the third best success rate against passing plays at a shockingly low 25.6%, which means Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders will need to step up with his best performance to date this season if the Cowboys want to avoid an upset.
   
• North Carolina vs. Miami, 4 p.m. on ESPN2
  W I L D C A R D of the W E E K
  Could Mario Cristobal already be on the hot seat? What started as a promising beginning to a new era of Miami football has quickly spiraled into disaster after the Hurricanes failed to reach the endzone against Texas A&M and then got handily embarrassed in a 45-31 defeat at the hands of Middle Tennessee State two weeks ago. Now, Miami finds itself in a must-win game to avoid falling below .500 as Cristobal makes his debut in conference play against Mack Brown's North Carolina team currently averaging the seventh most points per game at the FBS level this season.
  
  The U could be in a solid bounce-back spot, as UNC's defense overall leaves much desired against both the run and the pass. Despite shortcomings over the last handful of weeks, Miami still owns the top offensive success rate on rushing plays in college football at 59.4%. However, if the Hurricanes fall behind early to the high-scoring Tar Heels as they did in their defeat to the Blue Raiders, opportunities on the ground will be limited and the restlessness around Cristobal's future may continue to swell.

Primetime

An Enormous Ensemble of Evening Football

After the Ohio State game, the start of the nighttime window features an assortment of quality football to end the day. While there are no ranked matchups to be found, the Power 5 conferences beyond the Big Ten and even the independents all offer compelling pairings for watching exclusively or bouncing around between commercial breaks.

• Washington State vs. #6 USC, 7:30 p.m. on FOX
  Two weeks ago, both of these teams came within a field goal apiece of drastically altering the fate of the Pac-12 this season. Wazzu nearly pulled off the upset over Oregon before a pick six with less than 90 seconds remaining sealed the fate of the Cougars, while Southern Cal entered the fourth quarter down 7-3 on the road against Oregon State but narrowly survived after a comeback in the final 15 minutes. Following tune-up games against lesser conference opponents last week that saw each school win by three scores, USC and Washington State will meet in a game that could dramatically shake up the postseason trajectory for either side.
  
  Lincoln Riley's offense continues to hum with proficiency behind the dynamic ability of Caleb Williams, but the Trojans still have issues stuffing the run that the Cougars may be able to take advantage of if their defense can generate a few stops. Wazzu has some impressive rushing efficiency numbers despite calling the fourth fewest run plays per game so far this season of any FBS school, so a path to keeping the game competitive exists depending on what sort of play-calling unfolds.
   
• #20 Kansas State vs. Iowa State, 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU
  When did Adrian Martinez become must-see television? All the former Nebraska quarterback has done so far is lead every non-halfback in college football in rushing yards while tying for the second most touchdowns on the ground overall at nine. Martinez had his most productive game yet running the football against Texas Tech last week, scampering for 171 yards and finding the endzone himself three times.

  Nice @MartinezTheQB pic.twitter.com/9M1PDr44io

  — K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 1, 2022

  Iowa State missed a field goal with under 30 seconds remaining to tie their game against Kansas last week, as the Cyclones have now lost back-to-back games against currently-ranked Big 12 opponents by a combined 10 points. Eager to prove themselves after a pair of narrow defeats against stiff competition, ISU's stingy run defense that held the solid Jayhawk rushing attack to just 112 yards on the ground last week could give Martinez and the Wildcats some trouble at home in a rowdy environment after dark.
   
• #16 BYU vs. Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
  It may be a bit of a stretch to say Marcus Freeman has completely turned the Fighting Irish around after the team's 0-2 start. However, Notre Dame did get a feel-good win on the road over North Carolina two weeks ago before entering a bye to prepare for their neutral site showdown in Las Vegas with BYU.
  
  The Cougars have held steady since getting doubled up on the road against Oregon in mid-September, but the Fighting Irish figure to offer much more resistance than either of BYU's previous two opponents from the Mountain West. Jaren Hall has yet to throw less than 261 yards in any game this season, but Notre Dame's defense owns a top-25 success rate against passing plays at just 34.3%. Both teams grade out as disappointments on the ground from both offensive and defensive perspectives, so the winner of this matchup at Allegiant Stadium will likely come down to which side can run the football with greater consistency.
   
• Texas A&M vs. #1 Alabama, 8 p.m. on CBS
  ☣ H A Z A R D  ☣  W A R N I N G ☣
  What figured at the season's outset to eventually arrive as a top-10 matchup has since spiraled into a potential primetime punishment game for the Aggies. While the standoff between Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban once had plenty of steam in wake of the latter accusing Texas A&M of "buying every player on their team," the highest-profile beef in sports this year now consists of a spat between grandmasters over one allegedly using his butt to cheat at chess.
  
  Bryce Young will sit out this game for the Crimson Tide after spraining the AC joint in his shoulder against Arkansas, yet Alabama still enters this game as a 24-point favorite. Given backup quarterback Jalen Milroe ran for over 90 yards a week ago on just six carries, Saban handing out a spanking to the most flagrant capitalizers thus far of the NIL era seems more than likely.
   
• Florida State vs. #14 N.C. State, 8 p.m. on ACC Network
  FSU briefly entered the rankings last week on the momentum of a 4-0 start before a loss to Wake Forest put them back on the outside looking in. Now, the Seminoles will have a second opportunity to score a win over a ranked opponent as they head to Raleigh to take on North Carolina State this week. Florida State's offense currently serves as one of only 27 at the FBS level averaging more than 200 yards on the ground per game, though the more eye-catching variable in their offense may be quarterback Jordan Travis' ability to float lobs into each corner of the endzone.

  JORDAN TRAVIS DROPS IT RIGHT IN THE
  
  High octane offense in Louisville pic.twitter.com/I5v8OY9ruQ

  — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 17, 2022

  As for the Wolfpack, after losing to Clemson last week, N.C. State cannot afford to give up any more ground in the ACC Atlantic if the team still aspires to win a conference title. While the Seminoles' defense concedes the sixth worst success rate to rushing plays at 49%, the Wolfpack will still likely need a big from quarterback Devin Leary in order to offset the efficiency of FSU's running and passing games.

On the Radar for Next Week

• Noon: #10 Penn State vs. #4 Michigan, 12 p.m. on FOX
• Afternoon: #1 Alabama vs. #8 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. on CBS
• Buckeyes: BYE