Week 6 of the college football season is in the books, and Saturday's results could look large when it comes time to select the teams for the College Football Playoff.
No. 3 Texas and No. 12 Oklahoma took part in a Red River Rivalry for the ages, with the Sooners coming out on top 34-30 thanks to a game-winning touchdown with just 15 seconds to play. The undefeated Sooners are now squarely in the mix to make the CFP after coach Brent Venables' subpar first season in Norman, Oklahoma, last year. The loss probably won't eliminate the Longhorns from the national title race, but the margin for error for coach Steve Sarkisian's squad is razor thin from here on out.
No. 11 Alabama passed another test when it won 26-20 slugfest on the road vs. Texas A&M in a game that established the Crimson Tide as the front-runner in the race for the SEC West title. Quarterback Jalen Milroe looked like a star in what was his best performance of the season.
Oh, and then there's No. 10 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish fell at Louisville 33-20 for their second loss of the season in what was a devastating turn of events in their quest for the national title.
How did the CFP National Championship contenders grade out throughout Week 6? It's time to check out the report card for every national title contender with odds of +4000 better, according to the SportsLine consensus heading into Saturday's action.
College football grades: Week 6 report card
| Team | Odds | Grade | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 31/10 | A | This was supposed to be the second straight game that would test No. 1 Georgia. Instead, the Bulldogs flat-out dominated Kentucky in the 51-13 shellacking. Quarterback Carson Beck notched his third straight game with 300 or more passing yards, and the Bulldog defense didn't allow the Wildcats offense to do much of anything all night. |
 | 15/4 | A | Ho-hum, just another suffocating performance from a Michigan team that is as consistent as the sunrise. The No. 2 Wolverines jumped out to a 10-0 lead and cruised to a 52-10 win over Minnesota. The Golden Gophers only managed 169 yards against Jim Harbaugh's crew, and Michigan strengthened its case to be the No. 1 team in the country. |
 | 15/2 | B+ | No. 4 Ohio State found itself in a dog fight at home against Maryland. The Buckeyes were tied at 10 at halftime before quarterback Kyle McCord got hot en route to the 37-17 win. The slow start was concerning and, even though the running back corps was depleted, they should be able to gain more than 62 yards on the ground -- especially if the opponent keys in on the passing attack. |
 | 15/2 | B- | Things tend to get weird in the Red River Rivalry, and Saturday afternoon fit the script. The Longhorns fell 34-30 to rival Oklahoma after Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel hit Nic Anderson on a 3-yard score with 15 seconds left. It was disappointing for coach Steve Sarkisian's crew, but they still looked like a championship-caliber team. They just don't have any margin for error anymore. |
 | 17/2 | B | Championship-caliber teams leave no doubt, but No. 5 Florida State left plenty of doubt in the minds of viewers in the 39-17 win over Virginia Tech. The Seminoles jumped out to a 22-0 lead, but the Hokies roared back to get within five early in the third. Trey Benson took it from there when he went 62 yards for a touchdown, and swung momentum back to the garnet and gold for the remainder of the game. |
 | 14-1 | C- | Same year, same problem for No. 9 USC. The Trojans defense gave up 501 yards to an Arizona team with a backup quarterback in the 43-41 win in triple overtime. Simply put, USC isn't top 12 team ... much less capable of winning the national title. |
 | 14-1 | n/a | Washington had a bye |
 | 14-1 | n/a | Oregon had a bye |
 | 14-1 | n/a | Penn State had a bye |
 | 16-1 | A | Oddsmakers pegged this one as a close game, and they were right. What wasn't expected, though, was a stellar passing performance from quarterback Jalen Milroe. The dual-threat weapon threw for a career-high 321 yards and three touchdowns in Alabama's 26-20 win in College Station, and cemented the Crimson Tide as the favorite in the SEC West. |
 | 25-1 | A+ | By rule, I can't add more pluses to Oklahoma's grade. If I could, I would. The Sooners showed grit, didn't get rattled and got the job done in dramatic fashion in the 34-30 win vs. Texas in Dallas. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 285 yards and one very important touchdown -- the game-winner to Nic Anderson with 15 seconds left. The Sooners are for real. |
 | 28-1 | F | Notre Dame didn't just fall out of the national title race after the 33-20 loss at Louisville, the Fighting Irish never seemed in control of this one. They entered the fourth quarter down five, and gave up the next 16 points in what was a total disaster for coach Marcus Freeman's squad. |
