2011 College Football Week 6 Picks and Predictions: Oklahoma over Texas

Each Monday, WhatIfSports.com's NCAA college football simulation engine will provide you with game predictions for every D-1 FBS game that upcoming week. The college football simulation engine generates detailed information for each game including each team's chances of winning (Win%) and the average points scored for both teams. Make sure to share the college football information you gained here with your friends by either checking out our NCAA football widgets on the WhatIf To Go page or clicking on the social networking share bar at the top and bottom of this article.

Check out our 2011 College Football Season-to-Date page to follow our accuracy and for Upsets of the Week available on Wednesdays.

The statistical inputs to the thousands of college football simulations are based on rigorous analysis of each team's roster, depth charts and statistically based player rankings. Roster modifications are made in cases of injury or suspension and those players are removed from their team's game simulation for that week.

Game of the Week: Oklahoma vs. Texas

It has to rank as one of a sports broadcaster's top alliteration nightmares, but also one of the most hotly contested match-ups of the college football season. So, say it slow and with conviction.

The Red River Rivalry may not be a branded phrase you want to recite a thousand times on-air, but Oklahoma and Texas meeting with unblemished records sets the stage for WhatIfSports.com's Game of the Week. It also means that one of college football's oldest rivalries will carry a little more weight in 2011.

The 11th-ranked Longhorns began the season on the outside looking in on the Top 25. It was an unfamiliar place for a Mack Brown-coached program. This had not happened since 1998.

Sophomore quarterback Case McCoy, brother of Colt, and David Ash have been sharing duties behind center following the demotion of Garrett Gilbert (now out for the season). But through four games, it's not so much Texas' passing attack (214.8 yards per game) that opposing teams have to fear.

They are rushing for 206.0 yards per game. Malcolm Brown leads the way with 327 yards (4.9 yards per rush) and a touchdown, but Foswhitt Whittaker (great name!) and Cody Johnson lead the team in rushing scores with four each.

Texas currently possesses the 12th-best scoring defense in the nation at 14.8 points per game after wins over Rice, BYU, UCLA and previously unbeaten Iowa State last week.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma leaped over a major scheduling hurdle three weeks ago by beating Florida State (that win may have been devalued following the Seminoles' loss the following week). The Sooners have sneaked by Missouri and crushed Ball State since that win on September 17th.

Quarterback Landry Jones continues to chuck the ball all over the field. He's posted 1447 yards and 10 touchdowns with five picks (71.6 completion percentage) through five games. Dominique Whaley is sitting at 70 carries for 379 yards and seven touchdowns. Top wide receiver Ryan Broyles has found the end zone six times already.

We simulated the Sooners and Longhorns 101 times and it's the Oklahoma coming away with the win 82.2 percent of the time by an average score of 33-22.

Florida at LSU

This game lost a lot of its luster Saturday night when Florida's quarterback John Brantley had to be carried off the field with an apparent ankle injury. Head coach Will Muschamp said Monday that Brantley will not play against the Tigers this weekend. Muschamp also said freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel is the starter at this point, but stressed his depth chart could change throughout the course of the week.

We have accounted for this roster change within our college football simulation engine.

Speaking of quarterbacks, LSU's Jordan Jefferson returned from suspension last week. He finished with four carries for 29 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky. Les Miles claims Jarrett Lee will remain his starting quarterback, but he will work Jefferson into the offense in a variety of ways. Define that however you would like.

We simulated the Tigers and Gators 101 times and its LSU winning 85.1 percent of the time by an average score of 29-17.

College Football Week 6
Matchup	Win%	Avg Score
Boston College Eagles	20.8	18	Boxscore
@ Clemson Tigers	79.2	29
Louisville Cardinals	29.7	18	Boxscore
@ North Carolina Tar Heels	70.3	26
Central Michigan Chippewas	30.2	24	Boxscore
@ North Carolina State Wolfpack	69.8	30
Miami (FL) Hurricanes	34.7	23	Boxscore
@ Virginia Tech Hokies	65.3	28
Maryland Terrapins	46.0	22	Boxscore
@ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	54.0	24
Florida State Seminoles	84.2	35	Boxscore
@ Wake Forest Demon Deacons	15.8	18
Connecticut Huskies	13.9	17	Boxscore
@ West Virginia Mountaineers	86.1	32
Pittsburgh Panthers	81.2	31	Boxscore
@ Rutgers Scarlet Knights	18.8	19
Minnesota Golden Gophers	18.3	17	Boxscore
@ Purdue Boilermakers	81.7	27
Ohio State Buckeyes	38.6	19	Boxscore
@ Nebraska Cornhuskers	61.4	22
Iowa Hawkeyes	55.9	26	Boxscore
@ Penn State Nittany Lions	44.1	24
Michigan Wolverines	72.3	33	Boxscore
@ Northwestern Wildcats	27.7	26
Illinois Fighting Illini	78.2	31	Boxscore
@ Indiana Hoosiers	21.8	21
Eastern Michigan Eagles	5.0	15	Boxscore
@ Toledo Rockets	95.0	38
Kent State Golden Flashes	16.8	19	Boxscore
@ Northern Illinois Huskies	83.2	31
Bowling Green Falcons	33.7	26	Boxscore
@ Western Michigan Broncos	66.3	31
Army Black Knights	65.3	24	Boxscore
@ Miami (OH) RedHawks	34.7	19
Ohio Bobcats	77.7	27	Boxscore
@ Buffalo Bulls	22.3	18
Temple Owls	86.1	33	Boxscore
@ Ball State Cardinals	13.9	15
FIU Golden Panthers	90.1	30	Boxscore
@ Akron Zips	9.9	15
Colorado Buffaloes	5.0	19	Boxscore
@ Stanford Cardinal	95.0	41
California Golden Bears	5.0	18	Boxscore
@ Oregon Ducks	95.0	35
Washington State Cougars	34.2	25	Boxscore
@ UCLA Bruins	65.8	30
Arizona State Sun Devils	61.4	28	Boxscore
@ Utah Utes	38.6	25
Arizona Wildcats	64.9	27	Boxscore
@ Oregon State Beavers	35.1	23
Vanderbilt Commodores	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Alabama Crimson Tide	95.0	38
Florida Gators	14.9	17	Boxscore
@ LSU Tigers	85.1	29
Kentucky Wildcats	16.8	17	Boxscore
@ South Carolina Gamecocks	83.2	31
Auburn Tigers	31.7	24	Boxscore
@ Arkansas Razorbacks	68.3	32
Georgia Bulldogs	70.8	30	Boxscore
@ Tennessee Volunteers	29.2	22
UNLV Rebels	13.9	16	Boxscore
@ Nevada Wolf Pack	86.1	34
Wyoming Cowboys	39.1	20	Boxscore
@ Utah State Aggies	60.9	24
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	76.7	30	Boxscore
@ Idaho Vandals	23.3	22
Boise State Broncos	95.0	44	Boxscore
@ Fresno State Bulldogs	5.0	21
San Jose State Spartans	14.9	16	Boxscore
@ Brigham Young Cougars	85.1	32
Air Force Falcons	33.7	21	Boxscore
@ Notre Dame Fighting Irish	66.3	28
Southern Miss Golden Eagles	58.4	31	Boxscore
@ Navy Midshipmen	41.6	29
Kansas Jayhawks	5.0	19	Boxscore
@ Oklahoma State Cowboys	95.0	45
Iowa State Cyclones	22.8	23	Boxscore
@ Baylor Bears	77.2	34
Texas A&M Aggies	69.3	33	Boxscore
@ Texas Tech Red Raiders	30.7	26
Missouri Tigers	79.7	29	Boxscore
@ Kansas State Wildcats	20.3	20
Oklahoma Sooners	82.2	33	Boxscore
@ Texas Longhorns	17.8	22
Memphis Tigers	5.0	15	Boxscore
@ Rice Owls	95.0	34
Marshall Thundering Herd	17.8	20	Boxscore
@ UCF Knights	82.2	31
East Carolina Pirates	46.5	34	Boxscore
@ Houston Cougars	53.5	35
Syracuse Orange	80.2	32	Boxscore
@ Tulane Green Wave	19.8	19
Mississippi State Bulldogs	95.0	37	Boxscore
@ UAB Blazers	5.0	15
TCU Horned Frogs	64.4	33	Boxscore
@ San Diego State Aztecs	35.6	27
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	25.2	21	Boxscore
@ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders	74.8	30
Florida Atlantic Owls	33.7	23	Boxscore
@ North Texas Mean Green	66.3	30
Arkansas State Red Wolves	34.7	25	Boxscore
@ Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks	65.3	31
Troy Trojans	75.2	32	Boxscore
@ Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns	24.8	24