This Weekend in College Football: Week 7

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Central Florida @ Cincinnati (ABC): This ordinarily is marquee match over in the AAC, but not this year. CIncy should win easily.
  • Auburn @ Arkansas (CBS): The Tigers just aren’t good enough to stand up to the whompin’.
  • Oklahoma State @ Texas (FOX): Texas suffered a heartbreaker last week in Red River, but if they don’t let the disappointment carry over this week they should be able to crush Okie State’s party.
  • Florida @ Louisiana State (ESPN): This feels like after LSU got lucky last year the Gators will win easily and get Coach O in even more trouble.
  • Nebraska @ Minnesota (ESPN2): This feels a tad like an anxiety bowl? The Huskers just want to win a close game for once, and the Gophers seem somewhat stagnant this year. I’m taking Nebraska for some reason.
  • Michigan State @ Indiana (FS1): It feels like the year never got started for Indiana, whereas Michigan State seems somewhat ascendant and maybe even… fun? I’ll take Sparty here.
  • Tulsa @ South Florida (ESPNU): Tulsa?
  • Texas A&M @ Missouri (SEC): Mizzou is… well, those SEC East championships feel like they didn’t even happen. TAMU all the way.
  • Rutgers @ Northwestern (BTN): Rut… gers?
  • Yale @ Connecticut (CBSS)
  • Ohio @ Buffalo (ESPN+)

12:30: Duke @ Virginia (ACC/RSN): We barely beat Duke last weekend and I know UVA isn’t good this year but I can’t in good conscience pick Duke over them.

2:00: Ball State @ Eastern Michigan (ESPN+)

2:30: Akron @ Miami (ESPN+)

3:00: Troy @ Texas State (ESPN+)

3:30:

  • Purdue @ Iowa (ABC): Iowa did well to knock out Penn State’s quarterback last weekend, as that was likely the difference in the game. They don’t need to do any of that to smother Purdue and win this one.
  • Kentucky @ Georgia (CBS): I want to believe that Kentucky can keep this fun, but this feels like the Arkansas game all over again. Even down to UGA shutting them out.
  • Brigham Young @ Baylor (ESPN): BYU probably picked a bad time to play the ascendant Bears.
  • Pittsburgh @ Virginia Tech (ESPN2): The other ACC team that lost to a MAC team looks like possibly the best team in the conference. Great. Awesome. They’ll probably at least beat the Hokies at least.
  • Kent State @ Western Michigan (FS2): Kent State looks good? We’ll see if they’re good enough to win a MAC road game after going 0-3 in their paycheck away games though.
  • Toledo @ Central Michigan (CBSS): I don’t think the Chippewas will have an issue here.
  • Miami @ North Carolina (ACCN): Here’s a disappointment bowl! UNC’s best win so far is over UVA or Duke. Miami’s list even more dire, so I guess I’ll go with the Tarheels.
  • Alabama-Birmingham @ Southern Mississippi (Stadium): Southern Miss seems a bit lost in the wilderness right now.
  • Arizona @ Colorado (Pac12): Well, most folks should be glad they don’t get Pac-12 network so that’s there no chance they’ll be exposed to this game. These teams are a combined 1-9 on the year so far, but Arizona’s especially bad defense figures to let the Buffs take this one at home.
  • Western Kentucky @ Old Dominion (espn3.com)
  • Bowling Green @ Northern Illinois (ESPN+)

4:00:

  • Vanderbilt @ South Carolina (SEC): Is South Carolina a bad enough team to allow Vandy to win a conference game? Maybe! But probably not.
  • Texas Tech @ Kanas (ESPN+)

6:00: Rice @ Texas-San Antonio (ESPN+)

7:00:

  • Alabama @ Mississippi State (ESPN): I would not want to play Bama this week.
  • Utah State @ Nevada-Las Vegas (CBSS): I’ll take the Aggies here.
  • Colorado State @ New Mexico (Stadium): Rams.
  • Liberty @ Louisiana-Monroe (ESPN+)

7:30:

  • Texas Christian @ Oklahoma (ABC): TCU’s lack of an identity means there’s way I can even remotely consider them having a chance to win here.
  • Iowa State @ Kansas State (“Farmageddon”; ESPN2): K-State’s down a quarterback, but it’s a bit of a lost season for the Cyclones. I’ll still take them though.
  • Stanford @ Washington State (ESPNU): Stanford beat Oregon and then immediately faceplanted and lost 28-10 to Arizona State. I’ll take Wazzu here.
  • Mississippi @ Tennessee (SEC): Tennessee is better this year, but I can’t see them scoring enough to beat Ole Miss.
  • North Carolina State @ Boston College (ACCN): Both these teams are among the better teams in the ACC, which a bit of cognitive dissonance for me but it’s there. I’ll take NCSU though.

8:00: Army @ Wisconsin (BTN): Army will keep this close just from possessing the ball and running the clock, but I’m sure they can pip Wisky.

8:30: California-Los Angeles @ Washington (FOX): This should’ve been a marquee game for the Pac-12, but alas, UCLA should be a solid favorite.

9:00:

  • Air Force @ Boise State (FS1): Both of these teams just notched big wins, but I figure Boise will keep the momentum going,
  • Louisiana Tech @ Texas-El Paso (ESPN+)

10:00: Arizona State @ Utah (ESPN): I’m still coming to grips with “ranked Arizona State”, and I suspect they will continue to be after this.

10:30: Hawaii @ Nevada (CBSS): Nevada all the way here.