This Weekend in College Football: Week 7

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Georgia @ Vanderbilt (CBS): Okay y’all I need to get back to studying for my checkride, so this one is going to be mostly LIGHTNING ROUND. Also the slate isn’t that great this week anyway outside of a few really good ones. So anyway: UGA.
  • Syracuse @ Florida State (ABC): Noles.
  • Indiana @ Michigan (FOX): Wolverines.
  • Arkansas @ Alabama (ESPN): Bama.
  • Georgia Southern @ James Madison (ESPN2): Okay good game #1. These are two of the best teams in the Sun Belt, and JMU is still technically transitioning. Clay Helton has completely renovated Southern’s offense, and unlike previous attempts, it’s actually working. The Dukes are just… more talented than a team that is playing its second season of FBS football should be. In fact, I think they’re talented enough that they’re going to win.
  • Iowa State @ Cincinnati (FS1): Clones.
  • Michigan State @ Rutgers (BTN): Rutgers?
  • Temple @ North Texas (ESPNU): UNT?
  • Kent State @ Eastern Michigan (CBSS): Eastern?
  • Ohio State @ Purdue (Peacock)

2:00:

  • Toledo @ Ball State (ESPN+)
  • Navy @ Charlotte (ESPN+)

3:00: California @ Utah (Pac12): Utah just can’t score, but they may well win this one 6-3.

3:30:

  • Texas A&M @ Tennessee (CBS): This is an inflection point for both teams. It’s the week before Bama for the Vols, and the week after for the Aggies. That said, it’s the Vols coming with momentum, and perhaps having figured some things out on offense. They’re not quite the buzzsaw they were last year, but they’re still going to scheme some dudes open. I like the Vols at home.
  • Oregon @ Washington (ABC): Good game #2. This is the game of the week, featuring two of the best teams in the country (much less the Pac-12). Both are undefeated coming in, and both have dominated their schedule so far. Oregon has beat up some bad defenses, and the Huskies have an offense that makes you think they could score on anyone. In a season that feels as wide open as any in recent memory, the winner of this game has a legitimate shot at the national title. Washington’s slight stumble in Arizona last weekend has me somewhat concerned, but against one of their top-two rivals at home, I think they’ll find a way through.
  • Illinois @ Maryland (NBC): Terps.
  • Brigham Young @ Texas Christian (ESPN): TCU.
  • Florida Atlantic @ South Florida (ESPN2): FAU? Because USF, y’all, you can’t be losing to UConn.
  • Kansas @ Oklahoma State (FS1): Jayhawks.
  • Massachusetts @ Pennsylvania State (BTN): Nittany Lions.
  • Florida @ South Carolina (SEC): Gators.
  • Wake Forest @ Virginia Tech (ACCN): Hokies?
  • Troy @ Army (CBSS): This might be the fastest game in FBS this year. Army?
  • Bowling Green @ Buffalo (ESPN+)
  • Akron @ Central Michigan (ESPN+)
  • Miami @ Western Michigan (ESPN+)

4:00:

  • Iowa @ Wisconsin (FOX): Next year, Wisconsin might win this game, but with their offense in flux the Hawkeyes figure to eat them up.
  • Ohio @ Northern Illinois (ESPNU): Bobcats.

5:00: Nevada-Las Vegas @ Nevada (“Battle of Nevada”; MWN)

6:00: San Jose State @ New Mexico (MWN)

6:30: Louisville @ Pittsburgh (The CW): Y’all. Pitt’s offense is terrible, the defense is off a tick from where they usually are. Louisville is undefeated somehow. It feels like it’s time.

7:00:

  • Auburn @ Louisiana State (“Tiger Bowl”; ESPN): Auburn’s offense is bad. Like real bad. But so is LSU’s defense! The outcome of this game is more or less a coin flip to me that slightly favors LSU.
  • Marshall @ Georgia State (ESPN2): Good game #3! This one is a bit sneakier, but both of these teams are 4-1. I favor the Herd here – their loss was a close loss to NC State, while Georgia State just got walloped by a fellow Sun Belt team.
  • Kansas State @ Texas Tech (FS1): Tech?
  • Wyoming @ Air Force (CBSS): Good game #4! That said, Air Force is a favorite here for good reason – their offense is just good, and Wyoming has sort of just been getting by on what feels a little like luck.
  • Arizona @ Washington State (Pac12): Wazzu.
  • Louisiana-Monroe @ Texas state (ESPN+)

7:30:

  •  Southern California @ Notre Dame (NBC): We all keep waiting for it to stop working for USC, you know, the thing where their defense is garbage but Caleb Williams just makes something up and they get away with it. That said, Notre Dame’s loss to Louisville last week gives me no confidence that they’re going to be able to stop Williams. It may be a shootout, but if there’s any team that can handle that, it’s this USC.
  • Miami @ North Carolina (ABC): *thinks back to the end of last week’s Miami game* LOL
  • Missouri @ Kentucky (SEC): It’s been a dream season for the Tigers. That figures to end in Lexington.

8:00:

  • California-Los Angeles @ Oregon State (FOX): I like the Beavers here, but that UCLA defense might be legit.
  • Alabama-Birmingham @ Texas-San Antonio (ESPNU): Meeps?
  • North Carolina State @ Duke (ACCN): Duke.

9:45: Boise State @ Colorado State (FS1): Broncos.

11:00: San Diego State @ Hawaii (CBSS): Bows?