I used to be at a household wedding ceremony final Saturday, ready in line on the bar after I seen one other visitor checking his betting app. After I requested how he was doing, he grumbled about Alabama, properly, screwing up, his parlay.
Week 6’s seemingly lackluster slate as a substitute demonstrated why there are not any unhealthy 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 simple to neglect how fickle these huge spreads might be in school 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 reside odds. Stream school soccer on fubo. All kickoff instances are Jap and on Saturday except 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 like among the finest 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 operating 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 “Faculty GameDay” ambiance 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 operating 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 must 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 wanting 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 Massive 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 checklist. The Utes, preseason favorites within the Massive 12, will attempt to keep away from a second convention loss on the street in opposition to the surprisingly feisty Solar Devils, a workforce defying its dead-last place within the league’s preseason ballot. The unending Cam Rising damage saga continues as properly, with Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham once more noncommittal on the quarterback’s standing for Saturday. The Massive 12 race is already wanting 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
Massive 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 overwhelmed LSU, then managed solely three factors at dwelling final Saturday in opposition to Ole Miss. However that is all a couple of humbled Alabama, that includes a protection that has been gashed since halftime of the Georgia recreation. Dropping to Vanderbilt not solely put Alabama on discover, however it can instill a degree of confidence in each different workforce it faces this season — the kind of confidence that was normally missing from opponents when Nick Saban was on the sideline. Kalen DeBoer’s squad has Tennessee and Missouri ready on the opposite aspect of this one, nevertheless it first must show it may 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 important 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 the most effective efficiency of quarterback Avery Johnson’s younger profession, and the Buffs performed arguably their finest all-around recreation of the Deion Sanders period. This matchup is one other vital one for the Massive 12 race; just like Utah, the Wildcats have to keep away from selecting up a second convention loss, whereas a win would assert Colorado as a legit contender for the league crown. And if current 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 trend as chaos reigns supreme elsewhere. The Cyclones are inclined to lean on protection underneath Matt Campbell, and this 12 months’s unit is once more among the finest within the nation. However a balanced offense is elevating this workforce to Playoff rivalry, 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 appears like an enormous 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 is going to be a lift to that top-five rating and the workforce’s Massive Ten possibilities, with Ohio State at dwelling the one presently 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 underneath 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
Could possibly be a barnburner: Each offenses rank within the prime 20 nationally in yards per play. Nonetheless, 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 operating the ball for under 3.3 yards a pop over these two video games. The Rebels have to rediscover that prime gear at what shall be a rowdy Tiger Stadium. Save for a slim 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 Pink River rivalry from the highest spot, however this matchup has hardly ever dissatisfied in recent times. 9 of the final 11 conferences, together with the 2018 Massive 12 Championship, have been determined by one rating, although Oklahoma has gained eight of these 11, together with a quadruple-overtime victory in 2020 and final 12 months’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 may very well be 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 on the spot basic a few weeks in the past, so this recreation has so much to reside as much as. Oregon and Ohio State battle for the primary time as convention opponents after the Geese gained the latest tilt in Columbus in 2021, this system’s solely win over the Buckeyes in 10 tries. There are main Massive Ten and CFP implications in what must be a much-needed litmus check for each. Ohio State has glided to a 5-0 begin by which Marshall tallied probably 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 beneath the lofty normal the Geese established final season. Saturday ought to present solutions as to whether Ohio State is a minimize above within the Massive Ten, or if Oregon is a legit nationwide title candidate.
Line: Ohio State -3.5
(Picture of Ohio State operating again TreVeyon Henderson: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures)