College Football Picks for Week 7: B/R Experts' Predictions for the Top 5 Games

It took almost two months, but we have arrived at our first gigantic weekend in college football. We have not one, but three matchups where both teams are ranked in the Top 12. This could be a weekend that truly separates the contenders from the pretenders in the search for an elusive spot in the College Football Playoff, particularly in the SEC.

Florida must try to regroup after the shocking news that star quarterback Will Grier has been suspended for one year after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The good news for the Gators is that they have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and can possibly overcome the loss of Grier.

The bad news is that their first game to try to put the pieces together is against LSU and human bullet train Leonard Fournette. Playing in Death Valley is never easy, and this game should be a defensive grinder, but one of these teams will remain undefeated, while the other will face an uphill climb the rest of the year. 

Staying in the SEC, Alabama, fresh off three straight victories after its loss to Ole Miss, faces another stout conference foe in undefeated Texas A&M.

Will Nick Saban's team be able to continue the momentum against Kyle Allen and the Aggies' multitude of weapons? And can the much-improved A&M defense slow down emerging deep threat Calvin Ridley and bruising running back Derrick Henry? Like in the other SEC game, one team will seriously boost its playoff credentials, while the other might be on the outside looking in. 

The Big Ten also has a pair of huge games that could impact the College Football Playoff picture. In a rivalry game that all of a sudden matters—a lot—Michigan State visits Ann Arbor to play the resurgent Wolverines. Jim Harbaugh's defense is looking otherworldly, recording three consecutive shutouts in Big Ten play. However, they have yet to face a team as hard-nosed and balanced as the Spartans. It should be a fantastic game. 

Top-ranked Ohio State hosts Penn State in a matchup of traditional rivals. Having looked like anything but the best team in America in recent weeks, the Buckeyes hope that a convincing win can silence some of their critics. Penn State has shown improvement in recent weeks, but face by far their toughest test of the season. 

Finally, not to be outdone is one of the richest rivalries in all of college football as the USC Trojans head to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.

To say the last week has been tumultuous for USC is a giant understatement. After an embarrassing home loss to Washington last Thursday, the team placed head coach Steve Sarkisian on a temporary leave of absence. A day later, that move was made permanent, as Sark was fired.

The team faces a huge test to try to regroup, visiting an Irish squad that is still a strong contender for a playoff spot despite its close loss to Clemson two weeks ago. The rivalry has certainly lost a bit of its luster, but in light of recent events, it's a game that should not be missed on Saturday.  

B/R

Lead Writer Adam Kramer holds a small lead over Michael Felder in the standings going into Week 7. Be sure to hit up the comments section with your thoughts on these games, and your picks as well.