5 College Football Games to Watch: Week 7 Playoff Implications

Kansas State (-4.5) at Colorado

The expanded College Football Playoff provides a first-round bye and automatic bid for each major conference champion. That makes the Big 12 Championship Game a play-in game, and earning a spot in that contest is the primary goal for each team in the crowded conference. Iowa State travels to West Virginia, and Kansas State heads to Colorado this weekend. After Saturday, there will be a bit more clarity in the race for one of the top two spots.

Colorado has impressed in each of the past two weeks and they have the star power to compete with anyone in this league. Kansas State was one of the preseason favorites in the Big 12 but they already have one loss to BYU and cannot afford another one this early in the season.

Texas (-14.5) vs. Oklahoma

New conference, same blood feud annual rivalry at the Texas State Fair. Oklahoma and Texas have moved to the SEC but the Red River Rivalry will continue to be held in one of the coolest settings and it will certainly continue to have a huge impact on the postseason. The Texas Longhorns are the number one team in the country and they were on a bye last week as other SEC contenders took losses to unranked foes.

Oklahoma is still trying to find their offense after a change at quarterback and multiple injuries to wide receivers. The Longhorns are favored by more than two scores but this game has a way of surprising. A loss for the Sooners likely eliminates them from playoff consideration.

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Penn State (-4.5) at USC

The Penn State Nittany Lions travel west to take on the USC Trojans in a critical game for their playoff chances. USC’s loss to Minnesota likely eliminated the Trojans from consideration but Penn State is a very unique spot. They are 5-0 with wins over Illinois and West Virginia but the other game on their schedule that gives them a real chance to impress is November 2 against Ohio State.

Big Ten teams have struggled while traveling at least two time zones away (Indiana at UCLA is the only win). Penn State needs a win to give itself a chance at the Big Ten Championship Game, and its schedule might necessitate an 11-1 regular season record to feel good about making the playoff field.

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Ole Miss (-3.5) at LSU

The Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers both have one loss already and this game could act as a near playoff eliminator. That is particularly true for Ole Miss as their schedule should not allow for them to accrue two losses and still make the College Football Playoff. The Rebels were dominant last week in an impressive win at South Carolina while LSU had a bye week and now hosts the Rebels before games at Arkansas, Texas A&M and against Alabama. This is a real opportunity for the Tigers to jump into the playoff conversation.

Kansas State (-4.5) at Colorado

The expanded College Football Playoff provides a first-round bye and automatic bid for each major conference champion. That makes the Big 12 Championship Game a play-in game, and earning a spot in that contest is the primary goal for each team in the crowded conference. Iowa State travels to West Virginia, and Kansas State heads to Colorado this weekend. After Saturday, there will be a bit more clarity in the race for one of the top two spots.

Colorado has impressed in each of the past two weeks and they have the star power to compete with anyone in this league. Kansas State was one of the preseason favorites in the Big 12 but they already have one loss to BYU and cannot afford another one this early in the season.