Week 6 of the college football season delivered some big upsets, including what will likely go down as the biggest shocker of the year with UCLA defeating Penn State . While we don't anticipate quite as much chaos on Saturday in our college football predictions for Week 7, there will be some fantastic matchups to watch.
Let's dive into our picks for the best college football games this week.
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The Ohio State Buckeyes ' offense has a bit of a penchant for starting off slow, averaging just 5.6 points per first quarter this season. If you exclude the Grambling game (21 first-quarter points), Ohio State averages just 2.5 points per first quarter ( 119th in FBS ) against Power 4 opponents. There's an opportunity to come out of the gate firing in Week 7 in Illinois.
Related: Ohio State Game Today, Buckeyes Football Schedule 2025
In the last three games, the Fighting Illini's defense has allowed 311 passing yards per game with a 69.8 percent completion rate. Over that same span, Illinois has allowed 9.3 points per first quarter. Ohio State is a two-touchdown favorite on the road in this one and we anticipate Julian Sayin , Jeremiah Smith , and Carnell Tate turning it into a rout.
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The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this matchup with a ton of momentum, outscoring their last three Power 4 opponents by 43 points while averaging nearly 450 total yards per game . Thanks to quarterback Ty Simpson (82.3 ESPN QBR and 13-1 TD-INT ratio) and the return of Jam Miller , this Crimson Tide offense has also covnerted on 52.4 percent of third-down attempts and 4 red-zone trips per game.
Related: Alabama Game Today, Crimson Tide Football Schedule 2025
For the host Missouri Tigers , the key will be running the football against an Alabama defense that has allowed 151.3 rush ypg and a 5.3 yards-per-carry average in its last three contests. Those numbers are music to the ears of All-American candidate AHmad Hardy, who has 730 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns and a 7.1 ypc average this season. It's also worth noting that Mizzou leads the FBS in third-down conversion rate (63.4 percent) in the last three games. Alabama is favored to win on the road, but we think a game of clock control led by Hardy and a strong defensive performance leads Mizzou to the upset victory.
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Thanks to the Red River Rivalry, a matchup between top-10 teams in Week 7 is flying a bit under the radar. It doesn't help matters for the Oregon Ducks and Indiana Hoosiers that their signature victories this season might both come against teams who are unranked after this weekend's games. With that said, this is still a Big Ten battle worth getting excited about.
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It's going to be a tough road test for the Hoosiers' offense at a raucous Autzen Stadium, especially against an Oregon defense that has the third-best pass defense (92.8 QB rating allowed and 123.4 pass yards per game). Keep in mind, though, that Dante Moore is facing a Hoosiers defense (95.5 QB rating and 133.4 pass yards per game allowed) that is just as good. Ultimately, it will be the Hoosiers' rare struggle running the football against the Ducks (3.44 yards per carry average allowed) and some mental mistakes that give Oregon the edge.
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The last time the Oklahoma Sooners defense faced an offensive line this bad, they set a program record with 10 sacks against Auburn. In two games against Ohio State and Florida this season, per Pro Football Focus, the Texas Longhorns ' offensive line has allowed 29 pressures and 20 hurries. When pressured, quarterback Arch Manning has completed just 43.6 percent of his pass attempts with a 4-3 TD-INT line and an alarming 6.8 percent Turnover-Worthy Play rate.
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Even if John Mateer isn't able to play on Saturday afternoon, we tend to believe the Sooners' defense will determine who wins the Red River Rivalry. Texas hasn't shown it can consistently protect Manning this season, and he's looked like a deer in headlights with defenders around him. Oklahoma does give up explosive plays downfield, and that's one area where Manning has had some success, but not against top competition. It is going to be a defensive battle, but we're picking the Sooners to win thanks to their run game and pass rush. If John Mateer plays, the Sooners win by two scores.
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Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway finally delivered a quality performance against a Power 4 program, slicing up the Longhorns' secondary en route to a 29-21 victory. It was an excellent performance, especially given the matchup against a stout defense. However, Lagway has been a much worse quarterback on the road (4.8 ypa, 1-5 TD-INT, 93.8 QB rating) than at home (8.1 ypa, 6-2 TD-INT, and 162.7 QB rating) this season. Texas A&M has an 11.5 percent sack rate in its last three games, with Cashius Howell (7 sacks) coming off a dominant performance. For the third consecutive week, Mike Elko's defense will generate enough stops to put quarterback Marcel Reed in a position to win this game.
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The USC Trojans have had two weeks to prepare for this game, and the Michigan Wolverines are making the trip across the country. That certainly helps explain why Southern Cal is favored to beat Michigan on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. We do, however, expect Wolverines running back Justice Haynes (654 rushing yards and 7.7 ypc) to deliver his sixth consecutive 100-yard game against a Trojans defense that allowed Illinois to put up 171 rushing yards , especially since none of the Fighting Illini's carries went for over 13 yards in that contest.
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Fittingly, this game will come down to the quarterbacks. USC's Jayden Maiava has been sensational this year, especially versus the blitz. Entering Week 7, he boasts the sixth-highest PFF grade (90.1) and the fourth-highest yards per attempt (12.0) when blitzed, completing 73.9 percent of his 46 attempts. It's something to keep in mind given the reputation of Wolverines' defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
For USC, the key to victory and earning a spot back in the top 25 is pressuring Bryce Underwood . Michigan's freshman quarterback has completed just 36.4 percent of his pass attempts when pressured this season, but the Wolverines' offensive line has allowed just 26 pressures and 5 sacks this year. Given how much USC struggled to put pressure on Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer in Week 5 (1 pressure and 1 sack), we believe Michigan will win the battle up front and that unit will pave the way to a victory.
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