The 10 best college football games of Week 7: Ohio State-Oregon, Ole Miss-LSU, Red River and more

Last Saturday I was at a family wedding and was standing 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, screw uphis game.

Week 6’s seemingly lackluster showing instead showed why, as many have pointed out in the days since, there are no bad weekends in college football. It was also a reminder not to dismiss a matchup based solely on the size of its gambling line, especially in conference play (Alabama was the 23.5-point favorite over Vanderbilt). In an NFL-dominated landscape where double-digit favorites are rare, it’s easy to forget how volatile those big spreads can be in college football. Until Alabama screws up your plan.

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 kick-off times are Easter and Saturday unless otherwise stated.)

10. Cal (3-2) at No. 22 Pitt (5-0), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, ESPN

Give some respect to the Pitt Panthers, who moved into the Top 25 this week and are 5-0 for the first time since 1991. Quarterback Eli Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, appears to be one of the top portal trades this offseason. He is eighth in the FBS with 313.4 passing yards per game and is the first Pitt QB to win his first five starts since Dan Marino in 1979. Add in transfer running back Desmond Reid and first-year offensive coordinator Kade Bell, and the new-look offense has found success making Pitt one of the first surprises of 2024. Cal and the Calgorithm are embarking on a journey across the board Land to recover from the ups and downs of last Saturday’s “College GameDay” atmosphere and the overnight collapse against Miami.

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 to 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, an average of 10.9 yards per carry. What’s more, the Broncos are in pole position for a playoff spot among Group 5 programs. Boise’s offense ranks third in the FBS with 8 yards per game (the equivalent of a subpar handoff to Jeanty) and first with 50.6 points per game. That should be more than enough to deal with a Hawaii team that has yet to record an FBS win, even though the Rainbow Warriors were respectable on defense. And with a bye week looming and then a trip to UNLV looming, the Broncos can’t afford to be 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 that pits a ranked team from Utah against a team from Arizona, but this game 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 that is holding on to its absolute last spot in the league’s preseason poll. Cam Rising’s never-ending injury story continues, with Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham once again not providing any information about the quarterback’s status on Saturday. The Big 12 race is already looking like the mess we 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, at home to a very hot and cold South Carolina? The Gamecocks beat Kentucky, should have beaten LSU and managed just three points at home against Ole Miss last Saturday. But this is about a humiliated Alabama with a defense that has been banged up since halftime of the Georgia game. The loss to Vanderbilt not only puts Alabama on notice, but it will also instill a certain level of confidence in every other team it faces this season – the kind of confidence that opponents typically lacked when Nick Saban was on the sideline . On the other side of Kalen DeBoer’s roster, Tennessee and Missouri await, but the team must first prove it can withstand the test 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 high-profile prime-time television window for Colorado against a ranked opponent that is sure to draw significant viewership – be prepared for something wild to happen. Both teams are coming off a bye, before that Kansas State had a big win, 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 crucial one for the Big 12 race; Much like Utah, the Wildcats need to avoid a second conference loss, while a win would cement Colorado as a true 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, expertly taking care of business while chaos reigns elsewhere. The Cyclones tend to rely on defense under Matt Campbell, and this year’s unit is once again one of the best in the country. But a balanced offense is what gets this team into the playoffs, led by steady redshirt sophomore Rocco Becht at quarterback and two game-changing receivers in Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. West Virginia will look to be a disruptor a week after its nearly 400-yard rush against Oklahoma State in 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 huge proof game for both teams. USC fell out of the Top 25 after the loss to Minnesota, but if Penn State can fly across the country and get a win against a notable opponent, it would be a boost for the Top 5 spot and the Big Ten of the team’s chances, with Ohio State at home being the only opponent currently still on the schedule. For the Trojans, a third loss would essentially be the end of their season and put Lincoln Riley under the microscope. But a top-five win keeps playoff hopes alive, as Notre Dame is nearing the end of the regular season but neither Ohio State nor Oregon (or Indiana!) are 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 real blast: Both offenses rank in the top 20 nationally in yards per play. However, Ole Miss hasn’t been nearly as efficient in its last two games, going a combined 4 of 23 on third down and running the ball for just 3.3 yards per pop in the loss to Kentucky and win over South Carolina over two games . The Rebels need to rediscover their top gear at Tiger Stadium. Aside from a narrow escape at South Carolina, LSU wasn’t tested too much after its season-opening loss to USC and could use a quality win. The winners here can stay in the upper echelons of SEC and playoff contenders for another week, while the losers are thrown into the Pretenders drawer.

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 out of 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 a score, although Oklahoma has won eight of those 11 meetings, including a quadruple overtime victory in 2020 and last-minute upset last year. The two will compete against each other for the 120th time in Dallas, the first time as SEC opponents. Quinn Ewers is back at quarterback for Texas after missing more than two games, and his experience could be crucial against an aggressive Sooners defense and their league-leading plus-eight turnover margin.

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 few weeks ago, so this game has a lot going for it. Oregon and Ohio State face off as conference opponents for the first time after the Ducks won their final game in Columbus in 2021, the program’s only win over the Buckeyes in 10 tries. There are significant implications for the Big Ten and the CFP, which should be a much-needed litmus test for both. Ohio State is off to a 5-0 start, with Marshall scoring the most points against the Buckeyes all season with 14. Oregon’s journey hasn’t been quite as smooth, including a last-second win over Boise State. The offense has played better of late, but is still below the high standard the Ducks achieved last season. Saturday should provide answers as to whether Ohio State has a lead in the Big Ten or whether Oregon is a true national title contender.

Line: Ohio State -3.5

(Photo of Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)