Week 6 Breakdown of the 2016 College Football Playoff Race

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 10, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) throws a pass in the second half against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 48-3. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Although the College Football Playoff committee won’t begin releasing weekly rankings until November, we can still take a premature look at the playoff picture. Let’s use the AP Poll as our starting point. Below, brief notes on the scores from all the AP-ranked games for the weekend.

Week 5 was an especially crucial piece of the Playoff puzzle, with games likely to decide most of the ACC Atlantic and Pac-12 North races, define much of the Big Ten battle, and possibly even more stuff.9

The top of the current polls are locked in, but it’s no longer about just the top two anyway. If Ohio State-Michigan remains on course, Bama keeps winning, and the ACC Atlantic doesn’t totally destroy itself, that would leave one spot to be filled later on for the College Football Playoff Committee.

The Pac-12 entered Week 5 in fine shape for that spot, thanks to the Big 12’s rough start and Notre Dame’s collapse. So! Here’s the list of the most important final scores

After Oklahoma’s 52-to-46 win over No. 21 TCU and Oklahoma State’s 49-to-31 win over No. 22 Texa, the Big 12 is in horrible Playoff shape at this point.

The PAC-12 isn’t looking very promising either after Cal’s 28-to-23 upset to No. 18 Utah. Well, at least the Pac-12 has Washington!

#23 Florida State vs. #10 Miami (FL)

Saturday, Oct. 8 – 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC

The Seminoles (3-2, 0-2 ACC) are coming off of a heartbreaking loss to North Carolina, which nailed a 54-yard field goal as time expired to earn a 37-35 win and snap FSU’s 22-game home winning streak. The ‘Noles trailed 21-0 in the second quarter but rallied to take a 35-34 lead in the final minute on a 8-yard touchdown run by Deondre Francois. But a pass interference penalty on Tarvarus McFadden helped the Tar Heels’ field-position cause and set up the winning score.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes (4-0, 1-0) used fumble returns for touchdowns by Shaquille Quarterman and Joe Jackson in a span of less than a minute in the second quarter to help them beat Georgia Tech, 35-21, on Saturday. Head coach Mark Richt improved to 14-0 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, including an 8-0 record at Georgia and 5-0 as an assistant at Florida State.

In last year’s meeting, Dalvin Cook ran for 222 yards and three touchdowns to help the ‘Noles beat Miami, 29-24, which was their sixth in a row against the Hurricanes. It is FSU’s longest winning streak in the series since winning seven straight from 1963-72.

Miami (4-0, 1-0 ACC) is 10th in the latest Associated Press poll, its highest ranking since October 2013 when it was 7-0 heading to Florida State but lost 41-14. The Seminoles (3-2, 0-2) are No. 23 after losing on a last-second field goal at home to North Carolina and are off to their worst start in ACC play since 2011.

This series has featured plenty of great finishes, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s when both programs were at their pinnacle, though of late it’s been all FSU. Will the Seminoles claim a seventh straight win over Miami or will the Hurricanes continue their hot start under first-year coach Mark Richt?

#1 Alabama vs. #16 Arkansas

Saturday, October 8 – 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

After a sluggish first quarter, Alabama finally woke up in its game against Kentucky to put the Wildcats away with ease to stay undefeated. Quarterback Jalen Hurts continued to play way beyond his years, while the defense continued to be a force, holding Kentucky to a scant 161 yards of total offense.

The Razorbacks responded after their to Texas A&M with a rout of Alcorn State to prepare for the showdown against Alabama. Arkansas came close to defeating the Crimson Tide in Fayetteville in 2014, and will look to close the deal this year with the upset.

Alabama has an advantage on offense, defense, special teams and coaching, but Arkansas’ home crowd and its thirst/opportunity to make a statement in the SEC are intangibles that may come into factor.

This has all of the makings of a classic written on it, as Arkansas and head coach Bret Bielema wants to prove that they belong in the upper echelon of SEC teams. And compete for a spot in the college football playoff.

#9 Tennessee vs. #8 Texas A&M

Saturday, October 8 – 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS

Both of these teams come into this huge SEC matchup with perfect records, but have done it in totally different ways. A last-second Hail Mary saved Tennessee from its first loss this past weekend against Georgia, while the Aggies have looked like the closest contender to Alabama in the SEC West.

Both teams are led by veteran quarterbacks who don’t get fazed under pressure, while their defenses are full of playmakers that challenge opponents’ offensive lines. I will say that Texas A&M has an advantage on offense, while Tennessee has an advantage on defense, thanks to Derek Barnett. This should be a great game

#25 Virginia Tech vs. #17 North Carolina

Saturday, Oct. 8 – 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN2

The Tar Heels (4-1, 2-0 ACC) are coming off of an emotional 37-35 road win at FSU after connecting on a 54-yard field goal as time expired. The victory snapped the Seminoles’ 22-game home winning streak and marked the second straight week that the Tar Heels have won in the final seconds. Pittsburgh was a victim the previous week when Mitch Trubisky threw a touchdown pass with two seconds remaining to give the Tar Heels the victory.

Meanwhile, the Hokies (3-1, 1-0 ACC) had last weekend off but may still be enjoying their 54-17 win over East Carolina, which gave up 462 total yards to Justin Fuente’s squad. Jerod Evans passed for 282 yards and three touchdowns, and he added 97 yards on the ground in the win.

In last season’s meeting, Marquise Williams connected with Quinshad Davis on a five-yard pass in overtime to help the Tar Heels spoil Frank Beamer’s final home game in Blacksburg.