It’ll be nearly impossible for Week 7 to come close to Week 6.
Just last weekend, four top-10 teams lost on the road. No. 1 Alabama lost at Vanderbilt, No. 4 Tennessee fell at Arkansas, No. 9 Missouri was blown out at No. 25 Texas A&M and No. 10 Michigan lost its national title game rematch at Washington.
We’re going to go out on a limb and say that four top-10 teams won’t lose this Saturday, but that doesn’t mean Week 7 is setting up to be lackluster. It features the season’s first matchup of teams ranked in the top three, and the No. 1 team in the country is playing in a famed neutral site rivalry game. The day should be feisty.
Here are the five games we’re most looking forward to in Week 7. All times are Eastern and all odds are from BetMGM.
Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Texas -14.5 | Total: 50.5
Both teams enter their Cotton Bowl rivalry game off bye weeks. The Longhorns moved to the top spot in the AP Top 25 after Alabama’s loss and Quinn Ewers looks set to regain his spot back in the starting lineup. Ewers has been sidelined since he left the Longhorns’ Week 3 game with a strained abdomen. He was replaced in the starting lineup by backup QB Arch Manning.
Ewers was very good before he was injured. He had completed 58-of-73 passes for 691 yards and threw eight TDs to two interceptions. He’d also taken just one sack. Though Manning played well in relief of Ewers, it’s not much of a controversy that the senior is getting his spot back.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, will start true freshman Michael Hawkins for the second straight game. He got his first career start at Auburn after taking over for Jackson Arnold against Tennessee. Hawkins has thrown 65 fewer passes than Arnold has this season, but he’s completing a greater percentage of his throws and is averaging over three more yards per attempt than Arnold did before he was benched.
If the Sooners are going to pull the upset, Hawkins has to be fantastic and the run game has to get on track. Oklahoma is averaging less than four yards a carry as leading rusher Jovantae Barnes has 57 carries for just 199 yards.
Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: CBS | Line: Penn State -5.5 | Total: 50.5
This game lost some luster a week ago as the Trojans lost at Minnesota when Gophers QB Max Brosmer snuck into the end zone on fourth down with less than a minute left. That loss dropped USC out of the top 25 and dented the Trojans’ chances of winning the Big Ten significantly.
This still could be a dangerous game for Penn State, however. It’s just the second road game of the season for the Nittany Lions after they opened the year with a 34-12 win at West Virginia.
The Penn State offense has looked miles better so far in 2024 after an offseason coordinator switch, and the defense has allowed 12 or fewer points in four of its five games. RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen have combined to rush 127 times for 775 yards so far.
The 17 points USC scored against the Gophers was the fewest the Trojans have scored all season. Miller Moss threw for just 200 yards on 38 attempts and also tossed two interceptions. The USC offense has been much better at home than on the road so far this season and if it doesn’t bounce back, USC is likely staring at a 1-3 start to life in the Big Ten.
Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: NBC | Line: Ohio State -3.5 | Total: 52.5
The marquee game of the weekend should be a doozy. Both offenses have been among the best in the country, and Ohio State’s has been on another level. The Buckeyes are averaging 7.7 yards a play through five games as defenses haven’t been able to solve for OSU’s two-headed rushing attack and a passing game that features all-world freshman Jeremiah Smith.
RB TreVeyon Henderson is averaging eight yards a carry and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins is right behind at 7.8 yards a rush. Smith has 23 catches for 453 yards already while Emeka Egbuka operates as the underneath threat with a team-high 30 catches.
If the game comes down to quarterback play, Oregon could have the edge. Former Kansas State QB Will Howard has been solid for the Buckeyes as he’s completing 72% of his passes for 1,248 yards and is responsible for 16 TDs. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel leads the country in completion percentage at 77.8% and has thrown for 1,449 yards. Ohio State will likely look to slow down Oregon’s quick passing game and we’re intrigued to see if Oregon loads up against Ohio State’s run game to force Howard to make plays and win the game.
Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Ole Miss -3.5 | Total: 63.5
This game has all the makings of a shootout. The Rebels enter averaging 44 points per game while LSU is scoring over 35 per game. The Tigers haven’t scored fewer than 34 points since a 27-20 season-opening loss to USC.
Ole Miss got back on track from its Week 5 loss to Kentucky in Week 6 with a dominating win over South Carolina. QB Jaxson Dart has thrown for 2,100 yards already and is averaging over 12 yards an attempt through the first six games of the season. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier is following 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels nicely and has thrown for 1,652 yards and 15 TDs through five games.
The Tigers were off in Week 6 and we’ll see if the bye week helped solidify the defense. LSU is giving up 5.9 yards a play so far as opposing QBs have completed 66% of their passes. We like LSU’s well-balanced passing attack against the Rebels’ defense. We’re just not so sure LSU’s defense will be able to hold up its end of the bargain.
Time: 10:15 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Line: Kansas State -4 | Total: 56.5
This game is a lot like Colorado’s Week 4 trip to Oregon a season ago. The Buffaloes went to Eugene as the talk of college football following a 3-0 start and promptly got blown out on the way to a 1-8 finish to the season.
It’s unlikely that Kansas State will blow out Colorado late Saturday night, but the Wildcats are a good measuring stick for what appears to be an improved Buffaloes squad. The team has already matched its win total from 2023 and is just two victories away from bowl eligibility.
The biggest test for Colorado will be up front on defense. Teams are averaging over 150 yards a game against the Buffaloes and KSU RB DJ Giddens and QB Avery Johnson are each averaging 7.3 yards a carry. Kansas State will look to keep the ball away from the Buffaloes and may not test Travis Hunter all that much. Just two Wildcat receivers have more than seven catches so far this season.
Other games to watch
South Carolina at No. 7 Alabama (Noon, ABC): How will the Crimson Tide bounce back from their loss at Vanderbilt? South Carolina is already 1-2 in the SEC and put up just three points at home against Ole Miss in Week 6. This could be a get-right game for the Crimson Tide.
Cal at No. 22 Pitt (3:30 p.m., ESPN): The Panthers become bowl-eligible with a win over a Bears team that has lost its first two ACC games following a 3-0 start. Alabama transfer Eli Holstein has been very good in his first season as Pitt’s starter, throwing for 1,564 yards and 15 TDs already this season.
Arizona at No. 14 BYU (4 p.m., Fox): The Cougars have a rare midday home game as Arizona heads to Provo. The Wildcats already have a win in Utah this season against the Utes, but lost at home in Week 6 to Texas Tech. The Cougars are favored by 4.5 points, but an Arizona win wouldn’t be unexpected — and it would further display the Big 12’s parity.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky (7:45 p.m., SEC Network): Vanderbilt is 3-2 overall and four of those games have been decided by one possession. Kentucky is also 3-2 and has a 13-12 loss to Georgia and a 20-17 win over Ole Miss. We have a feeling this is going to be a close game.
No. 11 Iowa State at West Virginia (8 p.m., Fox): The undefeated Cyclones head to Morgantown after West Virginia beat Oklahoma State on the road to drop the Cowboys to an 0-3 start in Big 12 play. Opposing teams are averaging over four yards a carry against Iowa State’s defense and WVU’s offense is run-heavy. The Mountaineers average over 42 rushing attempts per game.
