What to Watch: Guide to Watching College Football in Week 7

It will be almost impossible for Week 7 to match Week 6.

Just last weekend, four top 10 teams lost on the road. No. 1 Alabama lost at Vanderbilt, No. 4 Tennessee lost at Arkansas, No. 9 Missouri fell at No. 25 Texas A&M and No. 10 Michigan lost its rematch for the national title in Washington.

We'll go all out and say four top-10 teams won't lose this Saturday, but that doesn't mean Week 7 will be lackluster. This will be the first matchup of the season between the top three ranked teams, with the No. 1 team in the country facing off in a famous neutral rivalry game. The day should be lively.

Here are the five games we're most excited about in Week 7. All times are Eastern and all odds are from BetMGM.

Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Texas -14.5 | Overall: 50.5

Both teams begin their Cotton Bowl rivalry game outside of the bye weeks. The Longhorns moved to the top of the AP Top 25 after the Alabama loss and Quinn Ewers is back in the starting lineup. Ewers has been sidelined since leaving the Longhorns' Week 3 game with abdominal strain. He was replaced in the starting lineup by backup QB Arch Manning.

Ewers was very good before he got hurt. He completed 58 of 73 passes for 691 yards and threw eight touchdowns with two interceptions. He only took one sack with him. Although Manning played well in replacing Ewers, there isn't much controversy about the senior getting his spot back.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, will start freshman Michael Hawkins for the second straight season. His first career start was at Auburn after taking over for Jackson Arnold against Tennessee. Hawkins has thrown 65 fewer passes than Arnold this season, but he is completing a greater percentage of his throws and averaging more than three yards per attempt than Arnold before he was benched.

If the Sooners want to pull off an upset, Hawkins needs to be fantastic and the running game needs to get on track. Oklahoma averages less than four yards per carry while leading rusher Jovantae Barnes has 57 carries for just 199 yards.

Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: CBS | Line: Penn State -5.5 | Overall: 50.5

This game lost some of its luster a week ago when the Trojans lost at Minnesota when Gophers QB Max Brosmer sneaked into the end zone on fourth down with under a minute left. This loss dropped USC out of the top 25 and significantly reduced the Trojans' chances of winning the Big Ten.

However, this could still be a dangerous game for Penn State. It's just the second road game of the season for the Nittany Lions after opening the year with a 34-12 win at West Virginia.

Penn State's offense has looked miles better so far in 2024 following an offseason coordinator change, and the defense has allowed 12 or fewer points in four of its five games. RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen have combined to run 127 times for 775 yards.

The 17 points USC scored against the Gophers were the fewest the Trojans scored all season. Miller Moss threw for just 200 yards on 38 attempts and also threw two interceptions. The USC offense has been much better at home than away so far this season, and if it doesn't bounce back, USC will likely be looking at a 1-3 start to life in the Big Ten.

Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: NBC | Line: Ohio State -3.5 | Overall: 52.5

The marquee game of the weekend should be a breeze. Both offenses were among the best in the country, and Ohio State was on another level. The Buckeyes are averaging 7.7 yards per play through five games as the defense has been unable to handle OSU's two-headed rushing attack and a passing game featuring all-world freshman Jeremiah Smith.

RB TreVeyon Henderson is averaging eight yards per carry and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins is right behind with 7.8 yards per rush. Smith already has 23 catches for 453 yards, while Emeka Egbuka is the bottom threat with 30 catches.

If the game comes down to quarterback play, Oregon could have the edge. Former Kansas State QB Will Howard was solid for the Buckeyes as he completed 72% of his passes for 1,248 yards and accounted for 16 touchdowns. 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 curious to see if Oregon will take on Ohio State's running game to force Howard to make plays and win the game.

Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Ole Miss -3.5 | Overall: 63.5

This game has the makings of a shootout. The Rebels average 44 points per game while LSU scores over 35 points per game. The Tigers have not scored fewer than 34 points since their opening 20-27 loss to USC.

Ole Miss got back on track after a loss to Kentucky in Week 5 in Week 6 with a dominant win over South Carolina. QB Jaxson Dart has already thrown for 2,100 yards and is averaging over 12 yards per attempt through the first six games of the season. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier is following 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels well and has thrown for 1,652 yards and 15 TDs in five games.

The Tigers were missing in Week 6 and we'll see if the bye week helped solidify the defense. LSU is giving up 5.9 yards per play as opposing QBs have completed 66% of their passes. We like LSU's balanced passing attack against the Rebels' defense. We're just not so sure LSU's defense can hold up its end of the bargain.

Time: 10:15 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Line: Kansas State -4 | Overall: 56.5

This game closely resembles Colorado's trip to Oregon in Week 4 a season ago. The Buffaloes were the talk of college football after a 3-0 start in Eugene and were promptly eliminated en route to a 1-8 season finish.

Kansas State is unlikely to beat Colorado late Saturday night, but the Wildcats are a good benchmark for the Buffaloes' seemingly improved squad. The team has already matched its 2023 win total and is just two wins away from bowl eligibility.

The biggest test for Colorado will be their defense up front. Against the Buffaloes, teams average over 150 rushing yards per game and KSU RB DJ Giddens and QB Avery Johnson each average 7.3 yards per carry. Kansas State will try to keep the ball away from the Buffaloes and may not test Travis Hunter too much. Only two Wildcat receivers have had 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 recover from their loss at Vanderbilt? South Carolina is already 1-2 in the SEC and scored just three points at home against Ole Miss in Week 6. This could be a good game for the Crimson Tide.

Cal at No. 22 Pitt (3:30 p.m., ESPN): The Panthers will be bowl eligible with a win over a Bears team that has lost its first two ACC games after a 3-0 start. Alabama transfer Eli Holstein was very good in his first season as Pitt's starter, throwing for 1,564 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.

Arizona at No. 14 BYU (4 p.m., Fox): The Cougars have a rare home game at noon as Arizona travels to Provo. The Wildcats already have a win against the Utes in Utah this season, but lost at home to Texas Tech in Week 6. The Cougars have a 4.5-point advantage, but an Arizona win wouldn't be unexpected – and would further demonstrate 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 with a 13-12 loss to Georgia and a 20-17 win over Ole Miss. We have the feeling it will be a close game.

No. 11 Iowa State at West Virginia (8 p.m., Fox): The undefeated Cyclones travel to Morgantown after West Virginia beat Oklahoma State on the road, leaving the Cowboys 0-3 in Big 12 play. Opposing teams average more than four yards per carry against Iowa State's defense and WVU's offense is run-heavy. The Mountaineers average over 42 rushing attempts per game.