College Football Playoff Futures: Teams on the Rise in Week 6
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College Football Playoff Futures: Teams on the Rise in Week 6

John Supowitz shares his three favorite College Football Playoff futures to bet heading into Week 6 of the season.

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As we get deeper into college football conference play, we’re getting a clearer picture of the teams that look like contenders. We’ve also seen some huge upsets early on that have changed the perceptions of some programs. 

We’ll look at three teams that could find their way into the College Football Playoff.

College Football Playoff Futures - Week 6

Miami Hurricanes (-1500)

Miami continues to look like one of the best teams in the country. It was business as usual for the Hurricanes, who went into Death Valley and dominated Clemson 41-13. 

That matchup showed how well they play on both sides of the ball. This was the best the Miami pass rush has looked this season. They lost two of their top edge rushers from last season and did not look good early on, but against Clemson they were all over the line of scrimmage, recording six sacks and nine tackles for loss.

Darien Mensah continues to strengthen his Heisman Trophy case; he threw for 227 yards, threw a touchdown pass, and showed off his legs with a 34-yard rushing touchdown. 

Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. returned from injury last week, led the rushing attack, and scored multiple touchdowns for the second time this season.

Miami is showing they can win in multiple ways. They lead the FBS in points allowed per game (9.80) and rank second in points scored per game (49.6). Now they are showing their dominance against better competition. 

The ACC looks like the Canes' conference to lose, and their matchup against Notre Dame wouldn’t hurt their chances even if they lost that game.

Utah Utes (+125)

Texas Tech is the reigning Big 12 champion, but Utah looks good enough to challenge them in the conference.

Quarterback Devon Dampier's development could make this team a contender. His above-average mobility has long masked his below-average passing; however, he’s made huge strides in 2026 and is playing like a dual-threat quarterback. He is currently setting new career highs in completion percentage (70.3%), yards per attempt (8.9), and passer rating (172.2).

Dampier can focus on passing because of Wayshawn Parker in the backfield. In Utah’s last game against Iowa State, Parker showed off his explosiveness with 18 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He hadn’t seen much usage before that game, with just 32 carries in the first three games, but he was impactful when he got the ball, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. This season, he’s sixth in the nation with 6.9 yards per carry.

What makes Utah a potential favorite in the Big 12 is its balance. They are No. 1 in the conference in both scoring offense (43.3) and scoring defense (10.3). If the Utes can sustain this dominant play from both sides of the field throughout their conference schedule, they could dethrone Texas Tech or any other program they meet in the Big 12 Championship.

Tennessee Volunteers (+330)

Tennessee might be a team to watch in the SEC. After a heartbreaking loss to No. 1 Texas, they responded with a comeback win over Auburn. 

In this matchup against the Tigers, the Volunteers proved they can win in multiple ways. It’s rare in a Power Four football game for a team to throw for just 86 yards and still win, but Tennessee did it. They didn’t need to throw because running back DeSean Bishop took over, rushing for 220 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

The Tennessee defense remains a strength, ranking 20th in points allowed per game (15.2). They are also excellent at takeaways, ranking 19th with eight, including three against Auburn.

A manageable schedule could help the Vols climb the SEC standings. No. 6 Alabama and No. 10 LSU will be their biggest tests, but they have three games against teams currently 0-2 or worse in the conference.

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