The Road Ahead: Week 7 brings a Top 3 showdown
Time & TV: OhioSt-Ore, Utah-ASU, SC-Ala, PennSt-USC, Tex-Okla, Stan-ND, Ariz-BYU, Flo-Tenn, Miss-LSU, KSU-Col
VIDEO: Watch the preview — AP No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon
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Game of the Week
No. 2 Ohio St at No. 3 Oregon: 730pm ET/630pm CT/430pm PT | NBC
Likely Oregon’s biggest game of the 2024 regular season, and possibly a preview of December’s Big Ten title game.
No. 2 Ohio State is favored to win the B1G title, but their non-conference strength of schedule didn’t present the level of challenge waiting in the conference race — past Oregon, Ohio State still has No. 4 Penn State looming in Week 10.
Oregon’s defense looks at least as good as Iowa's. The Hawkeyes’ trademark strength on defense held Ohio State to a 7-0 first half last week — an entirely different level of resistance than the unranked Sun Belt, MAC, and Michigan State squads that allowed Ohio State to generate a B1G-best 48.8 points and 534.8 yards per game in September.
Ohio State at Oregon in Week 7 checks all the boxes:
AP No. 2 at No. 3
B1G Defensive Player of the Week on Oregon’s side
B1G Offensive co-Player of the Week on Ohio State’s side
First meeting of top-five teams in Autzen Stadium history
Immediate impact on the Big Ten standings and title race
Implications in the eventual playoff seeding for the 12-team CFP
ESPN’s College GameDay show will be on-site in Eugene for the game
Friday night lights
No. 16 Utah at Arizona St: 1030pm ET/930pm CT/730pm PT | ESPN
Thanks to another year of QB1 injury issues, it only took one loss to flip the narrative from Utah as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 championship to No. 16 Utah fighting for its CFP survival.
With both Utah and unranked ASU 4-1, the outcome of this game will be an immediate factor in the Big 12 race and Utah’s flickering playoff hopes.
The change in narrative somehow hasn’t been as quick for ASU — the Sun Devils finished last season at 3-9, one game ahead of 2023 Pac-12 last-place Colorado.
Reality checks
S. Carolina at No. 7 Alabama: Noon ET/11am CT/9am PT | ABC
The OhioSt-Oregon game guarantees at least one ranked loss this week ahead of No. 7 Alabama — Time to climb, and the time is now if Bama intends to recover from the Week 6 stunner, losing 40-35 to unranked Vanderbilt.
No. 4 Penn St at USC: 330pm ET/230pm CT/1230pm PT | CBS
USC can't afford for this one to be as lopsided as unranked vs. AP No. 4 looks:
Unranked USC was No. 11 two weeks ago in the Sept. 29 AP Poll.
The midweek Vegas line favored Penn State by a touchdown.
For Penn State, it’s time to separate from the B1G second tier to keep pace in the conference title race — with as many style points as possible.
For two-loss unranked USC, it’s win-out or the Lincoln Riley experiment jumps the shark.
Riley is 22-10 midway through his third season at USC — One of the historically strongest programs in college football history based in the second biggest city in the country with one of the world's richest TV markets and recruiting pools.
Riley has a .688 win percentage heading into the home stretch of his third season at USC — Something stinks in SoCal, and we don't mean the decades-long sewage leak at Venice Beach.
Something stinks in SoCal — and we don't mean the decades-long sewage leak at Venice Beach.
Ranked Red River
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma: 330pm ET/230pm CT/1230pm PT | ABC
This ranked matchup in the Red River rivalry is second only to OhioSt-Oregon’s top 3 showdown.
The 2023 Texas-Oklahoma game was an instant classic — Dillon Gabriel’s last-second touchdown pass for a signature win in Oklahoma's 34-30 victory over previously unbeaten, then-No. 3 Texas in the Red River Showdown last October — Another heaping helping of that on Saturday, please!
Cue the style points
Stanford at No. 11 Notre Dame: 330pm ET/230pm CT/1230pm PT | NBC
Historically, this is an iconic college football rivalry — This year looks like a chance for No. 11 Notre Dame to deliver some style points at the expense of a 2-3 Stanford squad. A solid win here keeps Notre Dame in the thick of the CFP chase.
Games of the Week
Friday, Oct. 11
No. 16 Utah at Arizona St: 1030pm ET/930pm CT/730pm PT | ESPN
Saturday, Oct. 12
S. Carolina at No. 7 Alabama: Noon ET/11am CT/9am PT | ABC
No. 4 Penn St at USC: 330pm ET/230pm CT/1230pm PT | CBS
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma: 330pm ET/230pm CT/1230pm PT | ABC
Stanford at No. 11 Notre Dame: 330pm ET/230pm CT/1230pm PT | NBC
Arizona at No. 14 BYU: 4pm ET/3pm CT/1pm PT | FOX
Florida at No. 8 Tennessee: 7pm ET/6pm CT/4pm PT | ESPN
No. 2 Ohio St at No. 3 Oregon: 730pm ET/630pm CT/430pm PT | NBC
No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU: 730pm ET/630pm CT/430pm PT | ABC
No. 18 Kansas St at Colorado: 1015pm ET/915pm CT/715pm PT | ESPN
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