Week 7 got off to a rousing start with West Virginia stunning defending Big 12 champion Baylor on a short field goal with 33 seconds left in a game featuring nearly 1,100 yards of offense.
This has the potential to be the best week of the season with three matchups of undefeated teams and six showdowns of teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 polls. Only four of the 13 games involving ranked teams have double-digit spreads according to college football betting lines so buckle up.
If the first six weeks of the season have proven nothing else, it is clear that upsets will shake things up. Perhaps it will be an upset on the scoreboard or perhaps just a game much closer than the college football predictions were projecting. Let’s take a look at some of the games worth monitoring.
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North Carolina State vs Syracuse
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network)
- Line: Syracuse -3½
Winning at Syracuse figures to be much harder in 2022 than it has been in recent years. Still, North Carolina State came into the season expected to be one of the better teams in the ACC. The only blemish for the Wolkpack (5-1, 1-1 ACC) is a 10-point loss at ACC favorite Clemson.
This is a matchup of the two best defenses in the ACC. That is nothing new as they trailed only Clemson in the 2021 defensive rankings.
The Dome should be rocking in this one.
The Loud House will be rockin’ tomorrow. https://t.co/U0ohLHGAzk
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) October 14, 2022
NC State quarterback Devin Leary is off to a bit of a slow start. Syracuse’s Garrett Schrader is second in the ACC in passing efficiency and he can make plays with his legs as well. Schrader and Sean Tucker form quite the 1-2 punch in the backfield for Syracuse (5-0, 2-0).
No. 15 North Carolina State has won seven of the last eight games against 18th-ranked Syracuse. Four straight games between the Wolfpack and Orange were decided by 10 points or less before last season’s 41-17 win by NC State.
Oklahoma State vs TCU
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Line: TCU -4
The last two undefeated teams in the Big 12 are set to square off. TCU (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) is coming off an emotional win over Kansas in another showdown of undefeated squads. Now they have to welcome the team listed by the college football predictions as the favorite to win the Big 12 title as well as the only conference team currently in the top 10 in the two national polls.
Seeing No. 13 TCU favored over No. 8 Oklahoma State might not be a shock. However, the four-point line is certainly going to capture people’s attention. There are those who feel like the visiting Cowboys (5-0, 2-0) should be favored.
Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders and Max Duggan of TCU are first and second in the Big 12 in passing yards per game. Duggan has the edge in completion percentage, touchdown/interception ratio and yards per passing attempt. A concern, however, is an Oklahoma State front seven that is the only Football Bowl Subdivision team to average more than 10 tackles for loss per game.
The home team has won each of the last four games in this series and is covered in each of those contests.
Wildcats vs Huskies
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network)
- Line: Washington -14½
Washington (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) certainly deserves to be favored with Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. leading the top passing offense in the Pac-12. However, with the way Arizona (3-3, 1-2) has been moving the ball and scoring points, that 14½-point spread could be a bit risky.
One issue for Arizona is that the Wildcats have scored touchdowns on just 17 of 30 trips to the red zone. Setting for field goals or coming up empty at the end of the drive could prove costly against the Huskies.
Washington is going after its sixth win in a row against Arizona. The Wildcats have covered against the college football betting lines in two of the last four games against the Huskies.
LSU vs Florida
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Line: Florida -2½
A week ago, LSU (4-2, 2-1 SEC) was nationally ranked. Now, they are underdogs to a rebuilding Florida team? This feels like a game that could go either way.
Louisiana State has been the far superior defensive team in 2022, and teams with strong defenses can find a way to win challenging road games.
The Gators (4-2, 1-2) are one of three SEC teams with more interceptions than touchdown passes . They are facing an LSU team that is tied for the SEC lead with 12 takeaways.
LSU has won seven of the last nine games against Florida.
USC vs Utah
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Line: Utah -3½
Utah’s pass defense sprung a few leaks in last week’s loss to UCLA as the Bruins averaged 13 yards per passing attempt. What will USC quarterback Caleb Williams and receiver Jordan Addison be able to do against the Utes?
No. 20 Utah (4-1, 2-1) has won 10 straight games at home. The last team to beat the Utes at home? It happens to be USC. Many of the players from both squads in that 2020 game have moved on, but still this is a game where seventh-ranked USC could easily return home with its undefeated record intact.
The Utes need to find where Tuli Tuipulotu is lined up, as the Pac-12 leader in tackles for loss can be a game-plan disruptor. This could be a huge game for Williams, who is currently second in the Heisman Trophy odds according to the sportsbook. If he has a big game and leads USC (6-0, 4-0) past the defending Pac-12 champions on the road, perhaps he can make a move in the Heisman race.
Five of the last seven games in the series finished over the total.
