Ranking the 10 Best College Football Games in Week 7

The calendar has turned to October, and the Week 7 schedule is exciting. Some of these games have conference title implications, some have College Football Playoff chances on the line, and some should be really entertaining showdowns. Here are the ten best!

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1. Ohio State (-14.5) at Illinois – Noon on FOX

The Ohio State Buckeyes have bulldozed every team in their path since the opening week’s narrow win over Texas. While their schedule has not been particularly challenging, there is no question that this week’s trip to Champaign is Ohio State’s toughest road trip to date (unless you believe Washington is a better team than Illinois). The Fighting Illini have beaten USC and Purdue since getting obliterated by the Indiana Hoosiers, and the combination of Luke Altmyer and Hank Beatty has been on fire. It seems unlikely that Illinois’ defense has a realistic chance of slowing down Ohio State’s offense, but if the Buckeyes turn the ball over a few times, this could become interesting. If you want to see Ohio State tested in any way, this might be the only chance until November. 

2. Alabama (-2.5) at Missouri – Noon on ABC

The Missouri Tigers are 5-0 and have climbed into the top 15 in the national rankings. The Tigers can stamp themselves as legitimate College Football Playoff contenders with a victory over Alabama on Saturday. Still, the Crimson Tide are riding high after wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt. The quarterback matchup between Beau Pribula and Ty Simpson is fascinating, and we’ll get to find out if Missouri is “for real" or a product of a weak schedule that has kept them in the friendly confines of Faurot Field through October 11. That’s right, they don’t leave home until the October 18 matchup with Auburn and then October 25 at Vanderbilt. Of course, Alabama already has one loss, and they can’t really afford a second just halfway through the season.

3. Indiana at Oregon (-7.5) – 3:30 on CBS

I don’t see the Oregon Ducks losing at home to anyone this season, but if someone was going to knock off Dan Lanning’s wrecking crew in Autzen Stadium, it could be Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers. Both teams are coming off a bye week, and it will be fascinating to see what adjustments the coaching staffs have made for this game. If Indiana has figured out an alternative to the predictable, static, silent snap count they used at Iowa (and last season at Ohio State and at Notre Dame), the Hoosiers have an offense that could give Oregon’s defense some problems. IU also has an outstanding defensive coordinator who will likely create some pressure looks against young quarterback Dante Moore. This line opened at more than ten points and has dropped to just over a touchdown. The winner of this game has the clear inside track to meet Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.

4. Oklahoma at Texas (-2.5) – 3:30 on ABC

The Texas Longhorns are 3-2 after losing at Ohio State to open the season and then at Florida last weekend. Much of the attention surrounding the struggle has been focused on Arch Manning, which is to be expected. Still, the offensive line is not performing nearly as well as last season’s unit did, and the receivers are failing to create any form of separation to help the embattled quarterback. For instance, Texas is surrendering a sack on 5.77% of dropbacks, tied with Nevada for 69th in the country. The one team you do not want to see while struggling on the offensive line is Oklahoma. The Sooners have, quite possibly, the nation’s best pass rush, and they lead the country with five sacks per game. A third loss would all but eliminate Texas from College Football Playoff contention, and pressure would get ratcheted up on Steve Sarkisian, but the Longhorns are still favored in this game, and we don’t know if John Mateer is going to play.

5. Nebraska (-6.5) at Maryland – 3:30 on BTN

The Nebraska Cornhuskers beat Michigan State and scored 38 points, but my goodness, that game was ugly, and the Huskers only had 282 yards of offense. The Maryland Terrapins blew a 20-point lead in the second half. They fell to the Washington Huskies, but this appears to be a Terrapins team that is much better than expected, thanks to the excellent quarterback play of Malik Washington. Nebraska has yet to prove it can win on the road in a hostile environment. Maryland doesn’t typically provide that, but if the Terrapins can figure out how to put together a full 60 minutes, they can pull off this mild upset. Nebraska’s schedule sets up very nicely, and if they can exit this game at 5-1, the Huskers could start to dream big.

6. Florida at Texas A&M (-7.5) – 7:00 on ESPN

The Florida Gators put it all together last weekend and stunned the Texas Longhorns in Gainesville. Playing well in spurts has never been a problem during Billy Napier’s tenure; it’s finding consistency that has been the issue. That’s precisely what they are tasked with as they travel to College Station to take on Mike Elko’s red-hot Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies have recently played exceptionally well on defense, particularly on third down. Still, they have a history of giving up big plays through the air, and Florida is finally healthy at receiver with a difference-making freshman on the field and showing up right away. Texas A&M has the look of a team that could challenge for the SEC crown, but they still have three tricky road games and can’t afford a home loss. Florida has the talent to get this win. Can they lock in and repeat a good performance two weeks in a row?

7. Georgia (-3.5) at Auburn – 7:30 on ABC

The Auburn Tigers desperately need a big win, and Hugh Freeze will be pulling out all of the stops to take down the Georgia Bulldogs. Of course, that won’t matter if quarterback Jackson Arnold continues to struggle to throw the ball and stretch the field consistently. Georgia is running the ball very well, but they really need to see some progress from the passing game, and the pass rush absolutely has to start producing. Georgia needs this win after already losing to Alabama, but it is dangerous to face a wounded and desperate team on the road.

8. Michigan at USC (-2.5) – 7:30 on NBC

The Michigan Wolverines and USC Trojans square off on Saturday at The Coliseum in a game that could conceivably end up having an impact on the College Football Playoff race. Both teams are 4-1 with defensible losses (at Oklahoma and at Illinois by two points), but Michigan certainly has the schedule that sets up more favorably for a run to a strong record. Bryce Underwood is playing really well and beginning to find his rhythm as a passer, despite Michigan’s poor wide receiver room. That complements a robust running game and defense, making Michigan a dangerous team, and they only have one more game against a ranked team. If Michigan wins this game and enters the Ohio State game in Ann Arbor at 10-1, they’d be an exciting case for the College Football Playoff Committee.

9. South Carolina at LSU (-9.5) – 7:45 on SEC Network

The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming off a bye week, but I think the week five victory over Kentucky was a big step forward and offers some real hope for Shane Beamer‘s squad as they head to LSU. The defense only surrendered 2.6 yards per rush, and LaNorris Sellers looked healthy and accurate (11-14 plus 81 rushing yards) as they converted 8 of 15 third downs. LSU does not run the ball, and I think there is some genuine concern about whether this staff is the right fit. The LSU Tigers and Brian Kelly can’t really afford another loss, particularly not another one at home. Meanwhile, South Carolina is desperate for a signature victory to jumpstart its season and salvage things after a rough start.

10. BYU (-1.5) at Arizona – 8:00 on ESPN2

The BYU Cougars have been impressive thus far, starting the season 5-0 and winning four of their five games by double-digits. However, let’s take a peek at who they have beaten: Portland State, Stanford, East Carolina, Colorado, and West Virginia. None of those teams is remotely good. Arizona isn’t extraordinary, by any means, but the Wildcats are 4-1 and have an offense capable of putting up some points on a good BYU defense. Can the Cougars keep it going and reach a 6-0 record? The Big 12 certainly hopes so, as they have games with Utah, Iowa State, and then a November 8 clash with Texas Tech in Lubbock. The hope for the Big 12 is that two teams emerge as legitimate College Football Playoff contenders, which would mean a win here for the Cougars. 

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