I was at a family wedding last Saturday, waiting in line at the bar when I noticed another guest checking his betting app. When I asked how he was doing, he grumbled about Alabama, well, screwing up, his parlay.
Week 6’s seemingly lackluster slate instead demonstrated why there are no bad weekends of college football, as many have pointed out in the days since. It was also a reminder not to dismiss a matchup based purely on the magnitude of its gambling line, particularly in conference play (Alabama was a 23.5-point favorite over Vanderbilt). In an NFL-dominant landscape where double-digit favorites are rare, it’s easy to forget how fickle those big spreads can be in college football. Until Alabama mucks up your parlay.
Let’s rank the top 10 games of Week 7, starting with honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable Mention: Washington at Iowa, Wisconsin at Rutgers, Cincinnati at UCF, Stanford at No. 11 Notre Dame, Louisville at Virginia, Memphis at USF, Arizona at No. 14 BYU, Florida at No. 8 Tennessee, Vanderbilt at Kentucky
(All point spreads come from BetMGM; click here for live odds. Stream college football on fubo. All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)
10. Cal (3-2) at No. 22 Pitt (5-0), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, ESPN
Put some respect on the Pitt Panthers, who entered the Top 25 this week and are 5-0 for the first time since 1991. Quarterback Eli Holstein, an Alabama transfer, looks like one of the best pieces of portal business this offseason. He’s eighth in the FBS at 313.4 passing yards per game and the first Pitt QB to win his first five starts since Dan Marino in 1979. Add transfer running back Desmond Reid and first-year offensive coordinator Kade Bell, and the new-look offense has turned Pitt into one of the early surprises of 2024. Cal and the Calgorithm make a cross-country trek looking to rebound from the high-to-low swing of last Saturday’s “College GameDay” atmosphere and late-night collapse against Miami.
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Line: Pitt -3
9. No. 17 Boise State (4-1) at Hawaii (2-3), 11 p.m., Fubo, CBS Sports Network
Ashton Jeanty is reason enough to tune in for Boise State. The running back and Heisman hopeful leads the FBS with 1,031 rushing yards — 260 more than the next closest player — and 16 rushing touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards per carry. That’s on top of the fact that the Broncos are in pole position among Group of 5 programs for a Playoff berth. Boise’s offense is third in the FBS at 8 yards per play (the equivalent of a subpar handoff to Jeanty) and first at 50.6 points per game. That should be more than enough to handle a Hawaii team that has yet to log an FBS victory, though the Rainbow Warriors have been respectable on defense. And with a bye week followed by a trip to UNLV on the horizon, the Broncos can’t afford to get caught looking ahead.
Line: Boise State -20.5
8. No. 16 Utah (4-1) at Arizona State (4-1), Friday, 10:30 p.m., Fubo, ESPN
Not to be confused with the other Big 12 game featuring a ranked team from Utah against a team from Arizona, but this one gets the nod in our list. The Utes, preseason favorites in the Big 12, will try to avoid a second conference loss on the road against the surprisingly feisty Sun Devils, a team defying its dead-last position in the league’s preseason poll. The never-ending Cam Rising injury saga continues as well, with Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham again noncommittal on the quarterback’s status for Saturday. The Big 12 race is already looking like the toss-up everyone expected, but two losses this early would put a real dent in Utah’s conference title ambitions.
Line: Utah -5.5
7. South Carolina (3-2) at No. 7 Alabama (4-1), Noon, Fubo, ABC
Big moment for the Tide. How will they respond to the loss at Vanderbilt, back home against a very hot-and-cold South Carolina? The Gamecocks beat Kentucky, should have beaten LSU, then managed only three points at home last Saturday against Ole Miss. But this is all about a humbled Alabama, featuring a defense that has been gashed since halftime of the Georgia game. Losing to Vanderbilt not only put Alabama on notice, but it will instill a level of confidence in every other team it faces this season — the type of confidence that was usually lacking from opponents when Nick Saban was on the sideline. Kalen DeBoer’s squad has Tennessee and Missouri waiting on the other side of this one, but it first needs to prove it can weather the scrutiny and bounce back.
Line: Alabama -21.5
6. No. 18 Kansas State (4-1) at Colorado (4-1), 10:15 p.m., Fubo, ESPN
A marquee, prime-time television window for Colorado against a ranked opponent that is sure to draw significant viewership numbers — be prepared for something wild to happen. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, before which Kansas State had a big win in the best performance of quarterback Avery Johnson’s young career, and the Buffs played arguably their best all-around game of the Deion Sanders era. This matchup is another critical one for the Big 12 race; similar to Utah, the Wildcats need to avoid picking up a second conference loss, while a win would assert Colorado as a legit contender for the league crown. And if recent history is any indication, expect Travis Hunter to do something to burnish his Heisman resume.
Line: Kansas State -3.5
5. No. 11 Iowa State (5-0) at West Virginia (3-2), 8 p.m., Fubo, Fox
Iowa State is quietly on the verge of a top-10 ranking, taking care of business in workmanlike fashion as chaos reigns supreme elsewhere. The Cyclones tend to lean on defense under Matt Campbell, and this year’s unit is again one of the best in the country. But a balanced offense is elevating this team to Playoff contention, led by steady redshirt sophomore Rocco Becht at quarterback and a pair of game-breaking receivers in Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. West Virginia will look to play disruptor a week after rushing for almost 400 yards against Oklahoma State — and while wearing new black alternate uniforms for the program’s first-ever Coal Rush game.
Line: Iowa State -3
4. No. 4 Penn State (5-0) at USC (3-2), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, CBS
This feels like a massive prove-it game for both teams. USC fell out of the Top 25 after the loss to Minnesota, but if Penn State manages to fly across the country and get a victory against a big-name opponent, it will be a boost to that top-five ranking and the team’s Big Ten chances, with Ohio State at home the only currently ranked opponent left on the schedule. For the Trojans, a third loss would essentially be curtains for their season and put Lincoln Riley under the microscope. Yet a top-five win keeps Playoff hopes alive, with Notre Dame looming to end the regular season but no Ohio State or Oregon (or Indiana!) in league play.
Line: Penn State -4
3. No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1) at No. 13 LSU (4-1), 7:30 p.m., Fubo, ABC
Could be a barnburner: Both offenses rank in the top 20 nationally in yards per play. However, Ole Miss hasn’t been nearly as efficient the past two games, going a combined 4-for-23 on third down in the loss to Kentucky and win over South Carolina, and running the ball for only 3.3 yards a pop over those two games. The Rebels need to rediscover that top gear at what will be a rowdy Tiger Stadium. Save for a narrow escape at South Carolina, LSU hasn’t been tested too much beyond the season-opening loss to USC and could use a quality win. The victors here get to stay in the upper echelon of SEC and Playoff Contenders for another week, while the losers get kicked to the Pretenders bin.
Line: Ole Miss -3
2. No. 1 Texas (5-0) vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, ABC
It took a top-five showdown to keep the Red River rivalry from the top spot, but this matchup has rarely disappointed in recent years. Nine of the last 11 meetings, including the 2018 Big 12 Championship, have been decided by one score, though Oklahoma has won eight of those 11, including a quadruple-overtime victory in 2020 and last year’s last-minute upset. The two face off in Dallas for the 120th rendition of the rivalry and first as SEC foes. Quinn Ewers is back at quarterback for Texas after missing two-plus games, and his experience could be vital against an aggressive Sooners defense and its league-leading plus-eight turnover margin.
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Line: Texas -14.5
1. No. 2 Ohio State (5-0) at No. 3 Oregon (5-0), 7:30 p.m., Fubo, NBC
Our last top-five matchup was the Georgia-at-Alabama instant classic a couple of weeks ago, so this game has a lot to live up to. Oregon and Ohio State battle for the first time as conference opponents after the Ducks won the most recent tilt in Columbus in 2021, the program’s only win over the Buckeyes in 10 tries. There are major Big Ten and CFP implications in what should be a much-needed litmus test for both. Ohio State has glided to a 5-0 start in which Marshall tallied the most points against the Buckeyes all season with 14. Oregon’s trail hasn’t been as smooth, including a last-second win over Boise State. The offense has played better of late but is still below the lofty standard the Ducks established last season. Saturday should provide answers to whether Ohio State is a cut above in the Big Ten, or if Oregon is a legit national title candidate.
Line: Ohio State -3.5
(Photo of Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)