Entering week six of the college football season, there are a couple of teams that have jumped out ahead of the pack, while others are getting left behind. In the Big 12, conference play has kicked off and Kansas State has improved to 3-1 following an emphatic win over UCF. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State (2-2) narrowly fell to Iowa State on the road, 24-27, and is looking for a bounceback game at home against the Wildcats. Over in the Big Ten, Nebraska takes on Illinois this Friday with both programs looking for a signature win on the season. The former is coming off a 45-7 drubbing at the hands of Michigan at home, while the Illini are also reeling from a blowout loss at Purdue, 44-19. Both squads could definitely use a great bounce-back conference win.
In this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each of these teams, along with a predicted matchup winner in each game, along with more notes about college football wagering.
| NCAA Football Week Six Games | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State at Oklahoma State | K-State ML | -430 | -430 | -430 |
| Nebraska at Illinois | Nebraska ML | +140 | +140 | +140 |
Team Spotlight: Kansas State Wildcats
The Wildcats are led by quarterback Will Howard who has thrown for over a thousand yards this year (1,072) and also eight passing scores. That said, K-State has a balanced offense, averaging over 283 passing yards per game along with an impressive 198.3 yards on the ground. Indeed, the latter will be very important, especially if running back D.J. Giddens can sustain his solid start to the year (423 yards and four rushing scores). Another key component of the K-State football team is its rushing defense, which allows just under 75 (73.3) yards per contest.
Team Spotlight: Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Cowboys, on the other hand, have had a hard time getting some consistent showings on offense this year. The Oklahoma State signal-caller, Alan Bowman has been serviceable in some games this season but has thrown more interceptions (three) than passing scores (two). Moreover, in addition to losing to Iowa State, the Cowboys were blown out at home in the prior game, losing to South Alabama, 33-7. They did start the year with back-to-back wins over Arizona State and Central Arkansas, so perhaps this is the game they stop the skid.
Prediction: The Wildcats have the weapons and talent to make this game a blowout, but it should be closer than people think with the contest being in Stillwater. Regardless, take K-State to win outright.
Team Spotlight: Nebraska Cornhuskers
A squad that is looking for a strong win in the 2023 campaign, Nebraska is coming off a punishing loss to Michigan at home. That said, the Cornhuskers had rebounded from a loss to Deion Sanders and Colorado earlier this year by ripping off victories against Louisiana Tech (28-14) and Northern Illinois (35-11). The recipe is there for Matt Rhule’s squad to make some waves, but they need some more momentum to make that happen. That said, quarterback Heinrich Haarberg is the key to the Huskers’ offense, leading the team in passing (477 yards and four scores) and rushing (270 yards and two touchdowns).
Team Spotlight: Illinois Fighting Illini
Meanwhile, Illinois has a more straightforward offense with signal-caller Luke Atlmyer being among the better passers in the Big Ten with 1,076 passing yards, but seven interceptions. If he can keep the turnovers down then the Illini should be in business. Moreover, Illinois is undefeated at home this year with wins over Toledo (30-28) and Florida Atlantic (23-17) so there is some reasoning that the Illini have a winning formula at home. That said, the Huskers are a notch above those teams so this game should be a dogfight.
Prediction: A fun Big Ten contest on Friday night, the Huskers should be able to pull away here, especially after how badly they lost to the Wolverines and need to dish out some payback.
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football in the Mountain West Conference, and basketball. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones.
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