I used to be at a household wedding ceremony final Saturday, ready in line on the bar once I seen one other visitor checking his betting app. Once I requested how he was doing, he grumbled about Alabama, nicely, screwing up, his parlay.
Week 6’s seemingly lackluster slate as an alternative demonstrated why there aren’t any dangerous weekends of faculty soccer, as many have identified within the days since. It was additionally a reminder to not dismiss a matchup based mostly purely on the magnitude of its playing line, notably in convention play (Alabama was a 23.5-point favourite over Vanderbilt). In an NFL-dominant panorama the place double-digit favorites are uncommon, it’s straightforward to neglect how fickle these huge spreads could be in faculty soccer. Till Alabama mucks up your parlay.
Let’s rank the highest 10 video games of Week 7, beginning with honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable Point out: 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 level spreads come from BetMGM; click on right here for dwell odds. Stream faculty soccer on fubo. All kickoff instances are Jap and on Saturday until in any other case famous.)
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 Prime 25 this week and are 5-0 for the primary time since 1991. Quarterback Eli Holstein, an Alabama switch, seems to be like the most effective items of portal enterprise this offseason. He’s eighth within the FBS at 313.4 passing yards per recreation and the primary Pitt QB to win his first 5 begins since Dan Marino in 1979. Add switch working again Desmond Reid and first-year offensive coordinator Kade Bell, and the new-look offense has turned Pitt into one of many early surprises of 2024. Cal and the Calgorithm make a cross-country trek seeking to rebound from the high-to-low swing of final Saturday’s “School GameDay” environment and late-night collapse in opposition to 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 activities Community
Ashton Jeanty is motive sufficient to tune in for Boise State. The working again and Heisman hopeful leads the FBS with 1,031 dashing yards — 260 greater than the subsequent closest participant — and 16 dashing touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards per carry. That’s on prime of the truth that the Broncos are in pole place amongst Group of 5 applications for a Playoff berth. Boise’s offense is third within the FBS at 8 yards per play (the equal of a subpar handoff to Jeanty) and first at 50.6 factors per recreation. That ought to be greater than sufficient to deal with a Hawaii workforce that has but to log an FBS victory, although the Rainbow Warriors have been respectable on protection. And with a bye week adopted by a visit to UNLV on the horizon, the Broncos can’t afford to get caught trying forward.
Line: Boise State -20.5
8. No. 16 Utah (4-1) at Arizona State (4-1), Friday, 10:30 p.m., Fubo, ESPN
To not be confused with the opposite Large 12 recreation that includes a ranked workforce from Utah in opposition to a workforce from Arizona, however this one will get the nod in our listing. The Utes, preseason favorites within the Large 12, will attempt to keep away from a second convention loss on the highway in opposition to the surprisingly feisty Solar Devils, a workforce defying its dead-last place within the league’s preseason ballot. The endless Cam Rising damage saga continues as nicely, with Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham once more noncommittal on the quarterback’s standing for Saturday. The Large 12 race is already trying just like the toss-up everybody anticipated, however two losses this early would put an actual dent in Utah’s convention title ambitions.
Line: Utah -5.5
7. South Carolina (3-2) at No. 7 Alabama (4-1), Midday, Fubo, ABC
Large second for the Tide. How will they reply to the loss at Vanderbilt, again dwelling in opposition to a really hot-and-cold South Carolina? The Gamecocks beat Kentucky, ought to have crushed LSU, then managed solely three factors at dwelling final Saturday in opposition to Ole Miss. However that is all a few humbled Alabama, that includes a protection that has been gashed since halftime of the Georgia recreation. Shedding to Vanderbilt not solely put Alabama on discover, however it should instill a stage of confidence in each different workforce it faces this season — the kind of confidence that was often missing from opponents when Nick Saban was on the sideline. Kalen DeBoer’s squad has Tennessee and Missouri ready on the opposite facet of this one, but it surely first must show it will possibly climate the scrutiny and bounce again.
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 tv window for Colorado in opposition to a ranked opponent that’s certain to attract vital viewership numbers — be ready for one thing wild to occur. Each groups are coming off bye weeks, earlier than which Kansas State had a giant win in one of the best efficiency of quarterback Avery Johnson’s younger profession, and the Buffs performed arguably their greatest all-around recreation of the Deion Sanders period. This matchup is one other crucial one for the Large 12 race; just like Utah, the Wildcats must keep away from choosing up a second convention loss, whereas a win would assert Colorado as a legit contender for the league crown. And if latest historical past is any indication, count on Travis Hunter to do one thing 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 rating, caring for enterprise in workmanlike style as chaos reigns supreme elsewhere. The Cyclones are inclined to lean on protection beneath Matt Campbell, and this yr’s unit is once more the most effective within the nation. However a balanced offense is elevating this workforce to Playoff competition, led by regular 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 per week after dashing for nearly 400 yards in opposition to Oklahoma State — and whereas carrying new black alternate uniforms for this system’s first-ever Coal Rush recreation.
Line: Iowa State -3
4. No. 4 Penn State (5-0) at USC (3-2), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, CBS
This seems like a large prove-it recreation for each groups. USC fell out of the Prime 25 after the loss to Minnesota, but when Penn State manages to fly throughout the nation and get a victory in opposition to a big-name opponent, it will likely be a lift to that top-five rating and the workforce’s Large Ten possibilities, with Ohio State at dwelling the one at the moment ranked opponent left on the schedule. For the Trojans, a 3rd loss would basically be curtains for his or her season and put Lincoln Riley beneath the microscope. But a top-five win retains Playoff hopes alive, with Notre Dame looming to finish the common season however 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
May very well be a barnburner: Each offenses rank within the prime 20 nationally in yards per play. Nevertheless, Ole Miss hasn’t been practically as environment friendly the previous two video games, going a mixed 4-for-23 on third down within the loss to Kentucky and win over South Carolina, and working the ball for under 3.3 yards a pop over these two video games. The Rebels must rediscover that prime gear at what can be a rowdy Tiger Stadium. Save for a slender escape at South Carolina, LSU hasn’t been examined an excessive amount of past the season-opening loss to USC and will use a high quality win. The victors right here get to remain within the higher echelon of SEC and Playoff Contenders for an additional week, whereas 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 maintain the Crimson River rivalry from the highest spot, however this matchup has not often dissatisfied lately. 9 of the final 11 conferences, together with the 2018 Large 12 Championship, have been determined by one rating, although Oklahoma has received eight of these 11, together with a quadruple-overtime victory in 2020 and final yr’s last-minute upset. The 2 face off in Dallas for the one hundred and twentieth rendition of the rivalry and first as SEC foes. Quinn Ewers is again at quarterback for Texas after lacking two-plus video games, and his expertise could possibly be very important in opposition to an aggressive Sooners protection 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 final top-five matchup was the Georgia-at-Alabama immediate basic a few weeks in the past, so this recreation has lots to dwell as much as. Oregon and Ohio State battle for the primary time as convention opponents after the Geese received the newest tilt in Columbus in 2021, this system’s solely win over the Buckeyes in 10 tries. There are main Large Ten and CFP implications in what ought to be a much-needed litmus take a look at for each. Ohio State has glided to a 5-0 begin by which Marshall tallied essentially the most factors in opposition to the Buckeyes all season with 14. Oregon’s path hasn’t been as clean, together with a last-second win over Boise State. The offense has performed higher of late however continues to be under the lofty normal the Geese established final season. Saturday ought to present solutions as to whether Ohio State is a lower above within the Large Ten, or if Oregon is a legit nationwide title candidate.
Line: Ohio State -3.5
(Picture of Ohio State working again TreVeyon Henderson: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos)