Nick Bartlett’s 2026 Week 6 Fearless Predictions

No. 20 Iowa at Washington

Friday, October 9
6:00 PM PT, FOX

A win in Seattle is crucial for Iowa’s Season. If the Hawkeyes can get a dub in the Pacific Northwest, their schedule sets up well for a College Football Playoff run.

For Washington, this is a must-win situation. A victory in this game gives them a chance to change the trajectory of their season.

The key for UI is to play their normal style of ball and limit big plays. Iowa’s secondary is beat up entering this matchup; two to three of their key playmakers are out for this game or playing in a limited capacity.

The Hawkeyes also might start their backup quarterback this week. Their starting signal caller Hank Brown suffered a shoulder sprain against Ohio State, so they’ll need Jeremy Hecklinski to step up if he’s the guy.

The key for UW in this matchup is to create some energy. Whether it’s a gnarly hit, a deep bomb, or a flashy special teams play, they need something.

The Hawkeye defense ranks ninth nationally in points allowed per game, so Demond Williams Jr. needs to make plays.

The main concern for Washington is that UI will run all over them in the trenches. If they can hold their own, guys like Alex McLaughlin and Jacob Manu can impact the game.

Iowa is basically Minnesota, but better.

Iowa 24, Washington 20

Iowa State at No. 8 BYU

Friday, October 9
7:15 PM PT, ESPN

Iowa State won a huge matchup against West Virginia last week. But they’ll need to play better defensively against BYU.

Jimmy Rogers’ teams are usually dominant defensively, but the Cyclones have allowed 76 combined points against their last two opponents. The key for ISU is to make BYU one-dimensional.

LJ Martin is out for this matchup, so they should be able to hone in on Bear Bachmeier, who struggled a week ago, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and finishing with only 62 passing yards.

He’s an OK thrower, but it’s his dual-threat ability that makes the Cougars tick.

They continue to fight through injuries and hope to remain undefeated. Along with Martin, they’ll be without linebacker Isaiah Glasker.

BYU ranks 18th in points allowed per game, but they’ll need to be ready for an Iowa State offense that scored 45 points last week.

Aiden Flora leads Iowa State’s scoring unit on the ground. Flora has rushed for 594 yards and six touchdowns this season. He received the National Player of the Week award for his five-touchdown performance against the Mountaineers.

The Cyclones are riding high, but the mountains are higher.

BYU 28, Iowa State 17

Arizona at West Virginia

Saturday, October 10
9:00 AM PT, TNT

Noah Fifita should be the player that everyone is cheering for in college football. Fifita stuck with a program he loved and is being rewarded with results.

The Wildcats rolled through Cincinnati a week ago, and will look to do the same against West Virginia. But the trip should prove tricky because they’re without four starting players on offense.

The key for UA in this game is to find a playmaker to replace Tre Spivey, who leads the team with 314 receiving yards and four touchdowns, but suffered a season-ending injury last week.

The injuries came at the perfect time, though; the Mountaineers’ defense is struggling. They rank near the bottom of the nation in passing yards allowed per game, points allowed per game, and rushing yards allowed per game.

If the line plays well, a vet like Fifita will capitalize.

Arizona’s defense also needs to be ready; WVU’s running game is deadly. The duo of Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook fuel the nation’s third-ranked rushing attack. They’ve combined for 1,226 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.

The Mountaineer passing offense lacks the same explosiveness, but Hawkins Jr. does a good job of protecting the ball.

It’s an early start, but fire burns coal.

Arizona 38, West Virginia 21

Stanford at No. 3 Notre Dame

Saturday, October 10
12:30 PM PT, NBC

Andrew Luck’s Stanford rebuild is on track. It’s going to take a while to build up a program with the stringent academic standards at Stanford.

NIL money can’t teach astrophysics. It’s probably going to look ugly for the Cardinal this week as well, but they’re still in a good spot. They host Elon and North Carolina State the following two weeks, which means they could end up 4-4.

The key for the Tree in this contest is to play better than they did against Wake Forest. Stanford will likely be outmatched at most positions. But veterans like Davis Warren, Micah Ford, and Matt Rose need to capitalize on opportunities when they arise.

CJ Carr is flying high for Notre Dame, having thrown for 1,197 yards, 13 touchdowns, and one interception in 2026. Micah Gilbert is also grating on defenses, averaging 20.4 yards per reception.

Stanford needs to limit big plays from Gilbert if they hope to muck up this contest. They’ll also need to stop Jordan Faison, ND’s best wideout. Faison leads the team with 25 catches, 371 receiving yards, and four touchdown receptions.

The Cardinal should’ve played better against the Demon Deacons, and they’ll look to rectify that this week.

Notre Dame 42, Stanford 13

No. 21 UCLA at No. 13 Oregon

Saturday, October 10
12:30 PM PT, CBS

This is the moment UCLA finds out how good they are. They’ve kicked butt in their early season, but some of the teams they played weren’t as good as originally thought.

For Oregon, this is the first time on the gridiron since the late hit on Dante Moore; it should be interesting to see their collective headspace. Dylan Raiola stepped up against USC, but the pressure’s still on because of the early loss to Oklahoma State.

The key to this contest is whether the Bruins can find success on the ground. They enter this matchup fourth nationally in rushing yards per game, but due to Nico Iamaleava‘s struggles, their ground success is vital.

Iamaleava’s playing decent, but not well enough to outscore Oregon. UCLA’s defense is also Top 20 in points allowed per game, but UO’s a different bird.

The key for the Ducks is to remember who they are. Without Moore, they might lack identity, but Oregon holds the talent edge at most positions on the field. Jordon Davison, Evan Stewart, and Dakorien Moore need to relax and make the simple plays.

Defensively, If they can limit Wayne Knight, their talent and Autzen Stadium should do the rest.

TrackTown USA traps UCLA.

Oregon 35, UCLA 21

Virginia Tech at Cal

Saturday, October 10
12:30 PM PT, ACCN

Virginia Tech suffered its first loss last weekend against Pittsburgh; previously, they defeated  Boston College and Maryland on the road.

The key for the Hokies in the matchup is to kick Cal early.

VT boasts the best defensive line in the ACC, leading the country with 51 tackles for loss. and their conference with 18 sacks. Defensive end Aycen Stevens is the star of this unit. He has at least one sack in every game this year.

This could prove problematic for the Golden Bears, who are starting Michael Klisiewicz at right tackle. He’s a redshirt freshman, and this is only his fourth start at the position.

More concerning for Cal is that Adam Mohammed is listed as questionable. Mohammed is a physical back, and his potential absence places a lot of pressure on Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Another problem area for the Bears is their secondary, one of their better units, but they could be without Kingston Lopa and Aiden Manutai. Cal may be without multiple players, but this is gut-check time. Anything other than a victory is unacceptable.

The Bears’ season reeks of second-hand embarrassment, but it’s not lost yet.

Cal keeps themselves in the ACC race.

Cal 28, Virginia Tech 27

San Diego State at Oregon State

Saturday, October 10
3:00 PM PT, USA Network

This could be the most interesting game in the Pac-12 this week.

San Diego State fought through mumps to knock off Texas State in a 14-point comeback win. As ugly as their non-conference results proved, the Aztecs are 1-0 in conference.

If SDSU is going to compete against Oregon State, they’ll need Jayden Denegal to play better. Denegal threw for 109 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions a week ago.

Another thing to consider is that San Diego State’s roster is still dealing with a mumps outbreak. Their top two running backs, Lucky Sutton and Javion Kinnard, didn’t play against the Bobcats.

For the Beavers, this is an opportunity to hunt an injured animal. OSU’s offensive firepower should prove too much to overcome for SDSU, but Texas State probably felt similar.

The Beavs must do all the little things right, a kickoff returned for a touchdown sparked the Aztecs second half rally against TXST.

The quarterback-receiver combination of Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree is the nation’s top passing attack. Legree has won every Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award this season.

Oregon State needs to kick an injured foe while they’re down.

Oregon State 38, SDSU 14

No. 19 USC at Penn State

Saturday, October 10
4:30 PM PT, NBC

This game might get overlooked because of the Georgia-Alabama matchup, but it’s the key to USC’s College Football Playoff run.

The Trojans escaped Washington a week ago, but a loss to a struggling Penn State squad feels like a death wish for their dreams, considering Indiana and Ohio State are still on their schedule.

An important aspect of this matchup is whether the youthful skill players can handle the Happy Valley environment. Jayden Maiava should excel, but players like Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Zacharyus Williams, and Mark Bowman need to make easy plays.

The Nittany Lions are struggling, but their defense is still one of the best in the Big Ten.

Another key facet of this game is forcing Rocco Becht to finish long drives.

Becht, an experienced QB, has struggled to find his rhythm since joining PSU. He’s smart enough to limit mistakes, but Penn State has scored 33 combined points its last two outings against mid-tier foes.

Maiava is probably gonna put up points, so they gotta figure it out.

But the price is wrong; the Trojans march on.

USC 31, Penn State 17

Kansas at No. 12 Utah

Saturday, October 10
7:15 PM PT, ESPN

Kansas enters this matchup after destroying Middle Tennessee last Saturday; previously, they lost to Arizona State and Missouri.

Utah gets ready to play at home after coming off a bye. They knocked off Iowa State their last time on the field.

The key for the Jayhawks in this matchup is to get their passing attack going. Isaiah Marshall is playing alright in the early season, but must make a few extra plays if he wants to leave Salt Lake City with a dub.

KU’s offense is solid, however, ranking 39th nationally in points per game, but it’s largely predicated on their rushing attack. They also feature a pretty good defense. They could put it all together this weekend.

The Utes need to take care of business at home. The bye week fell in a nice spot for them, and they should be ready for Kansas instead of peeking ahead to Colorado.

U of U also must find a way to block Leroy Harris III, who is one of the best defensive linemen in the Big 12. Harris III has 18 tackles, seven TFL’s, three forced fumbles, and one blocked kick in 2026.

This is one of those upsets that sound logical on paper, but it feels unlikely it’ll happen.

The Mighty Utah Student Section strikes again.

Utah 45, Kansas 10

No. 23 Boise State at Fresno State

Saturday, October 10
7:30 PM PT, CW

This matchup could prove to be Boise State’s first big test of the Pac-12 era.

The Broncos kicked Utah State around in Boise, and they’ll look for a repeat performance against Fresno State.

One area of concern for BSU is stopping the run. Javen Jacobs ran for 139 yards on 10 carries against them last week.

Boise State might get lucky this week, though, because Bulldogs running back Rayshon Luke suffered a concussion against Washington State and is currently listed as day-to-day.

The Broncos boast a Top 40 rushing defense in yards allowed per game, but Jacobs is averaging 13.9 yards per carry.

For Fresno State, the key to this contest is Jayden Mandal, who missed deep throws consistently against the Cougars. He’ll need to connect on these if they’re gonna win this contest.

Wazzu also must find a way to limit Dylan Riley, who has gotten off to a fast start for the Broncos, rushing for 685 yards and five touchdowns.

Maddux Madsen is a capable, experienced veteran, but if Riley runs all over Fresno State, they won’t stand a chance.

The Bulldogs’ defense ranks 27th nationally in points allowed per game; they should be able to hold their own.

To beat a team fighting for the College Football Playoff, though, it’ll take a little extra.

Boise State 35, Fresno State 24