Storyline Saturday: What to watch in college football's Week 6

While the good folks in College Station take a collective breath and gear up for the long haul, the rest of the college football world churns on.

From coast to coast, north to south, teams face the opportunity to separate themselves. So far we have been witness to one step forward, followed by one step back. UCLA escaped BYU and pounced on Arizona, only to crater against Arizona State the next week; Ole Miss made a bold statement over Alabama, then got body-slammed in the swamp. It goes on and on.

Will Week 6 see teams continue the march toward the top, or are they destined to fall back to the pack? There’s only one way to find out, so let’s get to it.

The big games

Who: No. 13 Northwestern at No. 18 Michigan
Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
When: 12:30 pm, Big Ten Network

If the old saying “Defense wins championships” still rings true, these two teams may be bound for big things. After an early stumble to Utah — which now looks like one of the best teams in the country — Michigan has steadily begun to earn respect. On the other side, Northwestern claimed an early win at Stanford that continues to look better and better.

Northwestern boasts the number one scoring defense in the country, while the Wolverines fall in directly behind it. Will the Wildcats be able to win a close-fought slugfest, or will Michigan continue its dominant ways in the series? UM has dropped only one game against Northwestern in the last decade.

Who: No. 23 California at No. 5 Utah
Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
When: 7:00 pm, ESPN

A battle of unbeaten teams halfway through the season generally carries a lot of weight. That is especially true in this case. With the Pac-12 constantly flipping on its head, this game could serve as the ultimate litmus test. While Utah opened eyes with its thrashing of Oregon two weeks ago, it's won most of its games behind one of the best defensive units in the nation. Meanwhile, Cal is averaging 43 points a game and has one of the best in the country under center in Jared Goff.

Something is bound to break in this one and when it does, there will only be one team with a perfect record left out west.

Other games to watch

Oklahoma vs Texas, 11:00 AM, ESPN
In this edition of the Red River Shootout, Texas is clinging to its last straw ... if there is one. Oklahoma is coming off a strong showing against then-unbeaten West Virginia and will be looking for the knockout punch early. Can Texas stay on its feet long enough to mount a charge? Doubtful.

Arkansas at Alabama, 6:00 PM, ESPN
After righting the ship versus Georgia in dominant fashion, the Crimson Tide returns home hoping to keep things moving as planned. While Bama limited Nick Chubb as much as anyone has so far, Alex Collins and Arkansas present nearly as tough a task. A&M fans have to be hoping the Hogs inflict some pain, if nothing else.

The college hangover

Everyone who ever attended college outside the state of Utah likely knows the feeling. You go harder than you should, have the time of your life, then wake up the next morning feeling like the world is caving in around you. The simplest tasks now feel like nuclear science projects.

For much of the college football community, that feeling is one that could play a large role in Week 6. Coming off wins over Ole Miss and Notre Dame, respectively, Florida and Clemson now have a different challenge in front of them: surviving the 'hangover game.'

While Missouri and Georgia Tech shouldn't pose a huge problem on paper, both are more than capable of seizing the opportunity if taken lightly. If the early portions of this season are any indication, that's exactly what could happen. And if it doesn’t there, perhaps it will in Tuscaloosa, Ala. or Manhattan, Kan.

Both Alabama and TCU looked every bit like world-beaters last week, but are facing unranked teams that pride themselves on toughness this time around. If they go in focused and ready, there shouldn't be an issue. However, that is much easier said than done when hung over.

Trust me.