College Football Picks Week 6: Five games that will be closer than you think

Get ready for an exciting weekend of NCAA action. With so many unbeatens out there, this weekend will prove pivotal for anyone gunning for the National Championship. Lose and your title hopes are dashed, win and you live another day.

They say any given Sunday anything can happen. Though these games are played on Saturday, the same holds true. In that vein, here are five games that will be more competitive than you'd expect.

Alabama Vs. South Carolina

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Barrett Trotter #14 of the South Carolina Gamecocks against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Gamecocks are 14 point underdogs to the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide, but I see coach Steve Spurrier crafting an effective game plan that may just stifle Alabama's attack.

Coming of a devastating loss to Auburn, South Carolina needs a statement game where they justify their No. 19 ranking. This may just be that statement game. SEC football is always competitive no matter rankings, so expect a game Saturday.

Utah Vs. Iowa State

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 22: DeVonte Christopher #15 and Greg Bird #49 of the Utah Utes run onto the field before the game against the BYU Cougars at Rice-Eccles Stadium on November 22, 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty I

Fresh off big wins over Northern Iowa and Texas Tech, the Cyclones are rolling.

Though their only ranked opponent, Iowa, crushed them 35-7 in Week 2, I see Iowa State, with momentum at its back, putting up a fight against Utah. 12 point underdogs. Don't be surprised if the Cyclones beat the point spread.

Florida Vs. LSU

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BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 25: Jordan Jefferson #9 of the Louisiana State Univeristy Tigers runs on the field before playing the West Virginia Mountaineers at Tiger Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty

On the road at Florida, LSU certainly has their work cut out for them. Unbeaten, the Tigers are 12 point underdogs to the Gators.

But after Florida's crushing loss to Alabama last week, I see a downtrodden Florida team putting up a weak showing and losing at home. Momentum counts for a lot in college football, and the Tigers have it.

Penn State Vs. Illinois

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 11: Chaz Powell #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Illinois is a 19 point underdog to the Nittany Lions heading into tomorrow's contest in Happy Valley. While home field advantage counts big for the Lions, the team is coming off a weak showing in a loss against Iowa while Illinois showed up against Ohio State, losing only 24-13.

Don't be surprised if Penn State wins this game, but also don't be surprised if the Fighting Illini make it close.

USC Vs. Stanford

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 02: Running back Allen Bradford #21 of the USC Trojans carries the ball on a 16 yared touchdown run in the third quarter against the Washington Huskies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 2, 2010 in Los Angeles, Calif

Largely untested to date, the Trojans have something to prove heading into tomorrow. Stanford, meanwhile, is fresh off a stunning loss at Oregon in which the Cardinal simply didn't show up in the second half.

Stanford is a 12 point favorite over the Trojans but expect a tighter game then that. Anything can happen in the Pac-10.