College Football Picks Week 7: Odds, Predictions, Schedule, Rankings for Top 25
Three of the five power conferences in college football boast matchups between ranked foes in Week 7.
The SEC is once again under the microscope for No. 2 Georgia's trip to No. 13 LSU, while the Big Ten features a clash between No. 12 Michigan and No. 15 Wisconsin.
Out on the west coast, control for the Pac-12 North is up for grabs between No. 7 Washington and No. 17 Oregon.
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Outside of the trio of marquee matchups, the ranked teams in action Friday and Saturday open the week with a significant odds advantage.
Week 7 AP Top 25
1. Alabama (6-0)
2. Georgia (6-0)
3. Ohio State (6-0)
4. Clemson (6-0)
5. Notre Dame (6-0)
6. West Virginia (5-0)
7. Washington (5-1)
8. Penn State (4-1)
9. Texas (5-1)
10. UCF (5-0)
11. Oklahoma (5-1)
12. Michigan (5-1)
13. LSU (5-1)
14. Florida (5-1)
15. Wisconsin (4-1)
16. Miami (5-1)
17. Oregon (4-1)
18. Kentucky (5-1)
19. Colorado (5-0)
20. NC State (5-0)
21. Auburn (4-2)
22. Texas A&M (4-2)
23. South Florida (5-0)
24. Mississippi State (4-2)
25. Cincinnati (6-0)
Week 7 Schedule and Odds (Available Odds via OddsShark)
All Times ET.
Predictions against the spread in bold.
Friday, October 12
No. 23 South Florida at Tulsa (7 p.m., ESPN)
Saturday, October 13
Minnesota at No. 3 Ohio State (-29.5) (Noon, Fox)
No. 14 Florida (-6) at Vanderbilt (Noon, ESPN)
Tennessee at No. 21 Auburn (-18) (Noon, SEC Network)
Pittsburgh at No. 5 Notre Dame (-21) (2:30 p.m., NBC)
No. 2 Georgia (-7) at No. 13 LSU (3:30 p.m., CBS)
No. 7 Washington (-3.5) at No. 17 Oregon (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2)
Michigan State at No. 8 Penn State (-14.5) (3:30 p.m. BTN)
Baylor at No. 9 Texas (-17) (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
No. 10 UCF (-4) at Memphis (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2)
No. 22 Texas A&M at South Carolina (3:30 p.m., SEC Network)
Missouri at No. 1 Alabama (-28) (7 p.m., ESPN)
No. 6 West Virginia (-4.5) at Iowa State (7 p.m., FS1)
No. 16 Miami (-7.5) at Virginia (7 p.m., ESPN2)
No. 15 Wisconsin at No. 12 Michigan (-6.5) (7:30 p.m., ABC)
No. 19 Colorado at USC (-7) (10:30 p.m., FS1)
Predictions
Georgia 26, LSU 16
No. 2 Georgia is one of the few playoff contenders who hasn't proven its worth on a national stage yet.
The best win on the Bulldogs' resume is a Week 2 triumph over South Carolina, who sits at 3-2 and out of the Top 25 entering Week 7.
Conversely, No. 13 LSU's been front and center under the spotlight for the majority of the season, as the Tigers are 2-1 against ranked foes.
Although the Tigers are one of the most battle-tested teams in the nation, they still have glaring issues, starting on offense, that cost them an undefeated season in Week 6.
Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 191 yards, was picked off on two occasions and fumbled once in the 27-19 loss to Florida Saturday.
The transfer from Ohio State must be leaps and bounds better than he was against the Gators to put LSU in position to challenge the second-ranked Bulldogs.
If you haven't watched Georgia yet, it ranks second defensively in points per game and seventh in yards conceded per game.
Offensively, the Bulldogs are 15th in points per game and 23rd in yards per game, which means they could make LSU chase them all over the field for 60 minutes.
With Jake Fromm at the helm, the Georgia offense has reloaded, with running backs Elijah Holyfield and D'Andre Swift combining for seven touchdowns, while Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley have four touchdown receptions each.
If Georgia's offense gets itself in a rhythm in the first half, LSU won't be able to keep up and the Bulldogs will stay undefeated while covering the spread.
Oregon 37, Washington 31
The last time No. 17 Oregon welcomed a ranked foe to Autzen Stadium, the Ducks fell to then-No. 7 Stanford in overtime.
The Ducks rebounded the next week by downing California, which moved them back up to No. 17 ahead of their clash with another seventh-ranked team, the Washington Huskies.
With a win over the Huskies, the Ducks would become the favorite to capture the Pac-12 North, and they could potentially end up as the conference's best bet to make the College Football Playoff.
Zero ranked foes are left on Oregon's schedule after Saturday, while Washington has one more Top 25 opponent on its docket in the form of No. 19 Colorado in Week 8.
While there's no guarantee who will win Saturday's game, it's almost certain that the Pac-12 North clash will be a shootout.
In seven of the nine combined victories between the two sides, the Huskies and Ducks have scored over 30 points.
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert and Washington quarterback Jake Browning both have 15 touchdown passes, but the difference between the two is the NFL hype Herbert is receiving.
Herbert and the Ducks will be driven by home-field advantage and the opportunity to put the Stanford loss completely behind them, but it won't be easy, especially with Washington running back Myles Gaskin touching the ball at least 25 times.
With no defense being played in the second half, Herbert will have a chance to win the game on the final drive of a high-scoring affair, and he'll be able to take care of business while showing off in front of NFL scouts.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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