College football’s 10 most important people in Week 6

He’s got the Hoosiers off to a 5-0 start and at No. 23 in the AP Poll. Indiana is in a tough Big Ten conference looking to get at least three teams into the expanded playoff. He’ll have to hope his team doesn’t look past Northwestern on Saturday and falter in the program’s best opportunity at postseason success in the playoff era.

4. Kalen DeBoer | Alabama head coach

The now No. 1 Crimson Tide will have a target on their backs as they travel to Nashville to face a Vanderbilt team that gave Missouri all it could handle last week. Alabama shouldn’t have trouble getting the win but all eyes will be on how the team responds to a season-defining win in the post-Nick Saban era. 

5. Mike Norvell | Florida State head coach

Despite finally earning the program’s first win of the season against California in Week 4, Norvell will be fighting for his job against No. 15 Clemson after a dismal Week 5 loss to SMU. A tall ask, for sure, but the fifth-year head coach is hoping a quarterback change will be enough to shift the season’s disappointing fortunes. The bad news? Florida State has lost seven of the last eight meetings with the Tigers.

6. Brock Glenn | Florida State quarterback

Speaking of a quarterback change, Norvell’s decision to start freshman passer Brock Glenn was more forced by DJ Uiagalelei’s broken finger than it was poor play. Glenn replaced Uiagalelei in the 42-16 thumping by SMU last week, completing none of his four passing attempts. There’s sure to be a lot of pressure on the young quarterback, now carrying the heavy expectations of the program in a high-profile matchup.

7. Dabo Swinney | Clemson head coach

No. 15 Clemson has quietly clawed its way back into the playoff conversation, biding its time to pounce on No. 8 Miami if and when it falters. But Saturday, Swinney will have his boys focused on a floundering Florida State program that would love nothing more than to be discounted and hand the Tigers a second loss that would effectively end their playoff hopes. His seat may not be hot yet, but Swinney will feel it getting a whole lot warmer if the team can’t take care of business.

8. Cam Ward | Miami quarterback

Speaking of No. 8 Miami faltering, Ward will be leading the program into its first game in Berkeley, California since 1990. The time difference could be an issue for the undefeated Hurricanes, with the 10:30pm ET kickoff being the latest in program history, but Ward is returning to a familiar atmosphere. The Washington State transfer played in the Pac-12 for two years before arriving in Coral Gables, perhaps evening the playing field just a bit.

9. Eli Drinkwitz | Missouri head coach

No. 9 Missouri barely escaped two straight weeks with wins against inferior opponents, failing to replicate the dominating performances of its first two contests. Drinkwitz must re-spark his offense that outscored foes 89-0 before Week 3. A loss to No. 25 Texas A&M on Saturday wouldn’t eliminate it from playoff contention but it would probably be the beginning of the end for the Tigers with a stacked SEC vying for the same bids.

10. Ryan Day | Ohio State head coach

The No. 3 Buckeyes have so far lived up to the hype their talented roster garnered all offseason, remaining undefeated and making a 38-7 statement in the team’s Big Ten opener against Michigan State. Now, Day faces the next hurdle in what feels like a national championship or bust kind of season. Iowa hasn’t won in Columbus since 1991, so for that streak to end on Saturday it would be a shocking blow to Day’s legacy and Ohio State’s national title aspirations.