College Football HQ

Pat McAfee putting top teams on upset alert in Week 6

Joe Cox

College GameDay cast member Pat McAfee, shown here with Kirk Herbstreit, sees potential for college football chaos in Week 6.
College GameDay cast member Pat McAfee, shown here with Kirk Herbstreit, sees potential for college football chaos in Week 6. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

ESPN punter-turned-personality Pat McAfee sees the potential for some massive upsets in college football's Week 6. Speaking on College GameDay, McAfee acknowledged that the schedule might not have quite as many massive showdowns as the Week 5 slate, but acknowledged the possibility of college football chaos in Week 6.

McAfee's take

I think Kirk Herbstreit says this. Maybe once or twice a year, he looks at the slate of games and maybe there isn't as many marquee names, but boy, all the top teams are playing teams that are kind of sneaky in there. If you think about Ohio State playing Minnesota, they just got a huge win at Washington. Obviously, they're dominant, they're the No. 1 team in the country. They're the national champions for a reason. If PJ Fleck was giving them a little bit of a problem, maybe they still win. Now, Ohio State can win by 100, but the reason that college football is chaos is that people that are supposed to win by 100 lose. Florida State can upset Miami quickly and get over that UVA loss.... And then you think about this Texas/Florida game. There are storylines galore, and I think the SEC needs Texas, in the grand scheme of things, to have a big game. That's not necessarily a guarantee.

- Pat McAfee

McAfee picked out a trio of top ten teams of varied vulnerability. No. 3 Miami is only a relatively slight road favorite (-4.5) at No. 18 Florida State. ESPN's FPI metrics give the Seminoles a 34.5% chance at pulling off that upset. Despite an underwhelming 1-3 start from Florida, No. 9 Texas is just a mild favorite (-5.5) in the Swamp. FPI gives the Gators just under a 1-in-4 shot (24.7%) to win that home battle.

Ohio State obviously is the long shot of McAfee's trio. Even 3-1 Minnesota will be a massive underdog (+23.5) at Ohio Stadium. FPI only gives the Gophers a 5.4% chance at the upset. But as McAfee notes, teams that are supposed to "win by 100" don't necessarily follow through on those expectations.

Game odds change periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

feed

Published
Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

Home/News