College Football Upset Watch: 5 Week 7 Favorites Primed to Fall

Ohio State (-3.5) at Oregon - Saturday at 7:30 pm

The clash between Oregon and Ohio State in Eugene has long been circled as one of the top games of the season. After shaky play to begin the season, the Oregon Ducks have looked like more of a Big Ten title threat each of the past three weeks. The Oregon defensive front overwhelmed Michigan State’s offensive line last Friday night in a 31-10 win and the blueprint for victory would be to apply that same pressure to Will Howard. Forcing the OSU quarterback into some costly mistakes while Jordan James pounds the ball on Ohio State’s defense should be the game plan. If Oregon can figure out their red zone offense and cash in on opportunities, they should have a real chance to pull off the upset. This game will go a long way toward shaping the race for the Big Ten Championship Game.

Iowa State (-3.5) at West Virginia - Saturday at 8:00 pm

The Iowa State Cyclones have emerged as a slight favorite in the crowded Big 12 race. That will be put to the test on Saturday night as the Cyclones head to Morgantown to battle a hot West Virginia Mountaineers squad. After a competitive loss to Penn State and a heartbreaking defeat at Pitt, WVU beat Kansas and hammered Oklahoma State in Stillwater to improve to 2-0 in conference play. The Mountaineers have a very strong run game and quarterback Garrett Greene’s dual-threat ability is a big part of that. Can Iowa State slow the WVU rushing attack and take the crowd out of the game or will WVU muddy the league title chase even further?

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Penn State (-4.5) at USC - Saturday at 3:30 pm

Penn State has climbed into the top five in polls and the Nittany Lions have cruised to a comfortable 5-0 record. There are still questions about how the offense will perform against top-notch defenses but those questions will not be answered on Saturday afternoon in California. USC is coming off of a disappointing loss to Minnesota and they now sit with two Big Ten losses. It's unlikely they will challenge for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. How will Penn State handle the trip to the West Coast? Thus far, only one Big Ten team has won a conference game they had to travel at least two time zones for: the Indiana Hoosiers beating UCLA early in the season. The Nittany Lions get their first real test in a big spot and this line is shorter than most would assume.

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Louisville (-7.5) at Virginia - Saturday at 3:30 pm

The Virginia Cavaliers sitting at 4-1 after five games is a surprise to all but the most diehard college football fans. UVA beat Richmond, survived with a one-point win at Wake Forest and then impressed with wins at Coastal Carolina and Boston College last weekend. Virginia's only blemish is a 14-point defeat to Maryland.

Louisville was considered a threat to win the ACC but they have blown chances to impress each of the past two weeks, losing to Notre Dame and SMU. The defense just has not performed as well as fans had hoped and this game falls at a very perilous time for the Cardinals. Louisville has lost two straight and hosts Miami next Saturday before three straight road games (BC, Clemson, Stanford). If Louisville looks ahead to the Hurricanes whatsoever, Virginia has enough firepower to punish them.

Ohio State (-3.5) at Oregon - Saturday at 7:30 pm

The clash between Oregon and Ohio State in Eugene has long been circled as one of the top games of the season. After shaky play to begin the season, the Oregon Ducks have looked like more of a Big Ten title threat each of the past three weeks. The Oregon defensive front overwhelmed Michigan State’s offensive line last Friday night in a 31-10 win and the blueprint for victory would be to apply that same pressure to Will Howard. Forcing the OSU quarterback into some costly mistakes while Jordan James pounds the ball on Ohio State’s defense should be the game plan. If Oregon can figure out their red zone offense and cash in on opportunities, they should have a real chance to pull off the upset. This game will go a long way toward shaping the race for the Big Ten Championship Game.