After an incredible week six of college football, which included a few big upsets, week seven is shaping up to be even better with multiple big games that will impact the landscape of college football. Here are my predictions for the upcoming week.
The first game of the day at 11 a.m. will be the number-one-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes traveling to Champaign, IL to face number-17-ranked Illinois. The Buckeyes are favored by 16 points, and although the Illini suffered a crushing 53-point loss to Indiana, I think they will keep it close. The Buckeyes have struggled the past few times in Champaign, and Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer will have a major impact for Illinois in this game. I think the Buckeyes will win this game, but Illinois will keep it closer than expected.
The other big game featured at 11 a.m. will be the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide traveling to Columbia, MO to face the 14-ranked Missouri Tigers. This will be the toughest test the Tigers have faced all season against a really good Alabama team who beat Georgia and Vanderbilt the previous two weeks. I think this game comes down to the wire due to Missouri stars Ahmad Hardy and Beau Pribula leading their offense, allowing them to keep the game close all day. Although Missouri could definitely get the job done if they play their best football, I think Alabama comes out on top by a field goal.
The next big game is the highest ranked matchup of the day: number-17 Indiana at number-three Oregon. Indiana has a lot of hype right now coming into this game, including the projected number-one quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft, Fernando Mendoza, as well as a few playmakers that make this offense elite. On the other side, it’s Oregon led by another quarterback in the Heisman race, Dante Moore.
This game will be led by Oregon the entire way, and Indiana will not be as good of a team that many people believe them to be. While they have an elite offense, Oregon has as good of an offense and defense combination as anybody else in the country. I think that Oregon controls this game and comes out on top by two touchdowns.
The other big game at 2:30 p.m. includes the sixth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners taking on the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl for one of greatest rivalries in all of sports, the Red River Shootout. After Texas’ loss last week to Florida, there are many more doubts about this Texas team who was projected to win the national championship by many analysts.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, has had the best defense in college football,l and their offense plays good, complimentary football, led by Heisman contender John Mateer at quarterback. With this lineup, I would say Oklahoma wins by three touchdowns, but there is a slight problem to that—Mateer might be sitting out of this game with a broken thumb. If backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. gets the nod at starting quarterback, I still think Oklahoma wins by about 10 points.
The last important game we will be covering is 15-ranked Michigan taking on the USC Trojans. I think that Michigan will control this game with their elite running game and a very good defense. Running back Justice Haynes has looked like a top running back in college football, and their offensive line will be able to push the USC defense around and eventually come out on top by a couple touchdowns.
