Week 6 already? Sadly, we're already nearing the midway point of the college football season but that also brings good news. Critical conference showdowns begin hitting us left and right and after this weekend we'll be crossing off some very good teams from contention in their respective conferences.

The other big storyline this week as been the "nerds" taking over college football. Well, not necessarily taking over, but Northwestern, Duke and Vanderbilt have only one loss combined. Can this continue?

Here's my predictions and expectations for this weekend:

Tonight: Pittsburgh at #10 South Florida [89% of FanIQ are picking the Bulls]

For whatever reason I decided to ignore history and put my faith in Dave Wannstedt to finally get maximum output of his supposed "top recruits" and turn the Panthers into Big East title contender. All hope is not lost, but they haven't exactly impressed so far this season despite a 3-1 start. Thanks to Iowa's lack of creativity on offense and inability to contain LeSean McCoy for 60 minutes, Pittsburgh survived another game that was headed towards defeat. South Florida is a team that's more than capable of stopping McCoy, as they rank 4th nationally in run defense. The talented Pitt back needs 100+ for the underdog to have a chance. Even if that happens, I expect Matt Grothe to use his legs and arm to elevate the Bulls further into the top 10 with another dazzling primetime performance. Bulls 23, Pitt 17

Oregon State at #15 Utah [78% Running Utes]

I'm still not sure what to make of the Utes who most voters and fans alike have only viewed once -- their opening week win in Ann Arbor. Impressive, but I'm not on board with this being a top 15 team. We know Oregon State is capable of putting together a game plan to beat anyone, but has been a bit Jeckyll & Hyde when you look at the opening night loss to Stanford and getting blown out at Penn State. What I like most about the Beavers is how strong their offensive line played last week and that should provide the confidence in know how best to win. Utah is ranked 5th nationally in run defense, but that figure is a bit distorted when you look at who they've played. Each team has needed to pass the football thanks to early deficits. Jacquizz Rodgers will get his yards and score another upset over a ranked opponent. Beavers 30, Utes 17

Illinois at Michigan [53% Wolverines]

Thanks to an embarrassing mental collapse last week by Wisconsin we're led to believe the Wolverines are back. Not yet. That was a great win, and most importantly, Steven Threet looked like he might be a capable quarterback for the rest of this season after throwing for negative yards passing in the 1st half. Both teams want to win this badly, but Illinois needs the win. Juice Williams will cause some trouble on the ground, which will create some downfield opportunities throughout. So long as he doesn't hand the game over with turnovers, I look for the Illini to win comfortably. Should Rich Rodriguez pull off this win, then I'll be onboard. Illini 34, Wolverines 24

#23 Oregon at #9 USC [97% Trojans]

They've had their we-can't-just-show-up-and-win wakeup call. USC won't be losing two straight. Trojans 42, Ducks 17

#5 Texas Tech at Kansas State [80% Red Raiders]

I so badly want to pick the Wildcats as the Red Raiders are horribly overrated, but Kansas State isn't the team to stop the Mike Leach attack just yet. It still won't be easy. Red Raiders 31, Wildcats 27

#13 Auburn at #19 Vanderbilt [83% Tigers]

The first ESPN Game Day visit ever to Nashville should make for a great environment on campus and on the field Saturday night. Vandy is good and their defense is fast and aggressive, but Auburn is a significant step up from past opponents. The Tigers still haven't figured out their new offense yet, but it's slowly coming together and at the very least, the defense will make every game winnable. Commodores playmaker Chris Nickson isn't 100% healthy and having trouble throwing downfield, so he'll have to create yards on the ground. Good luck. Tigers 19, Vandy 16

#14 Ohio State at #18 Wisconsin [59% Buckeyes]
Go ahead and eliminate the loser of this game from the Big Ten race. With that on the line, expect as intense a battle as there will be all season in the conference. Now that Terrelle Pryor has taken over the offense and Beanie Wells has returned, the Buckeyes are much improved from the team that we saw pasted at USC. This will be decided by QB play and Pryor will be very balanced, while Allan Evridge might never recover from his nightmare second half last week. Buckies 24, Badgers 17

#4 Missouri at Nebraska [90% Tigers]

We've witnessed some inexplicable upsets this season, but if Bo Pelini couldn't get his defense to stop Tyrod Taylor and Virginia Tech then they sure as hell aren't going to contain Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin. This might not be close. Tigers 38, Huskers 20.

Arizona State at California [76% Bears]

They may not have fancy numbers next to their names, but what they do have is one less conference loss than USC. Both schools believe they can still win the Pac-10 and with the Trojans still lurking on the schedule this is a must win. California will be without Jahvid Best, a tough blow, but Shane Vareen is plenty talented and will get his chance to shine. What the Golden Bears do possess is a much better defense than the Sun Devils and that will be the difference at home. Bears 27, Sun Devils 23

Feel free to share your picks below.