With the College Football Playoff race starting to come into focus, the games that impact the race are growing in importance. This week has three top-25 matchups, but also four more AP Top 25 teams that are either underdogs or facing toss-up games. Things could look very different a week from now.
The biggest game in terms of rankings is No. 7 Indiana heading to No. 3 Oregon. The Ducks are favored by more than a touchdown. Oregon’s big win at Penn State has since been tarnished with the Nittany Lions following it up with a loss at previously winless UCLA, but the Ducks are still clear favorites at home. Indiana has a 53-point win against Illinois and a road win at Iowa. A win in Eugene would be next-level.
Speaking of the Illini, Ohio State visits Champaign on Saturday. The No. 1 Buckeyes are favored by a whopping 15.5 points on the road. Ohio State has been demolishing teams lately, and No. 17 Illinois could represent a tougher challenge, especially on the road, but the odds are saying it might not be that much tougher.
In the SEC, undefeated No. 14 Missouri hosts No. 8 Alabama with a spread that has already been on the move. The Crimson Tide were favored by 6.5 in the early lines at some sportsbooks before Alabama played Vanderbilt over the weekend (Missouri was on bye), but opened at -4 on BetMGM after that 30-14 win. It’s now Alabama -3 on BetMGM and is even tighter than that on other sportsbooks. Alabama is coming off ranked wins against Georgia and Vandy and faces another tough test (welcome to the SEC). Mizzou is fourth in the country in yards per game on offense (547.6) and second in the country in yards allowed per game on defense (203.8).
The first big game of the week takes place on Friday with No. 24 South Florida heading to North Texas. The Bulls are favored by a point at the undefeated Mean Green. It’s the first big game in the American race that appears to feature five contenders (USF, UNT, No. 23 Memphis, Navy and Tulane) and is likely to produce a CFP team.
No. 6 Oklahoma enters the Red River Rivalry feeling very good after seeing Texas lose at Florida and drop out of the rankings, but the Longhorns are favored by 2.5 points. OU’s Heisman-contending quarterback John Mateer is likely to miss due to injury, which has affected the spread. The Oklahoma defense, which leads the country in yards allowed per game (193), could feast on a Texas offensive line that consistently allowed pressure against four rushers vs. Florida on Saturday.
No. 15 Michigan heads to USC as an underdog. Teams making a cross-country trek in Big Ten play have not always played well (just ask Penn State, or even Washington, which trailed 20-0 at Maryland before rallying for a win), so it’s not that hard to justify this spread. The Trojans are favored by 2.5 points.
In the Big 12, No. 21 Arizona State is a 5.5-point underdog at Utah. Both teams have one loss, although Utah’s loss came in conference play. Texas Tech has emerged as the clear favorite in the conference, but the rest still appears to be a jumble.
These games could all shift the race for the CFP, and that’s before mentioning that No. 10 Georgia, No. 18 BYU and No. 22 Iowa State are all favored by less than a touchdown on the road. There is a high chance of chaos this week.
Four AP Top 25 teams are on bye this week: No. 2 Miami, No. 19 Virginia, No. 20 Vanderbilt and No. 23 Memphis.
Here are the odds for every game involving an AP Top 25 team, as well as some other notable Week 7 games.
College football Week 7 odds
All games on Saturday unless otherwise noted.
No. 24 South Florida at North Texas (Friday)
ESPN2
No. 8 Alabama at No. 14 Missouri
ABC
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 17 Illinois
FOX
Pitt at No. 25 Florida State
ESPN
Washington State at No. 4 Ole Miss
SEC Network
No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon
CBS
No. 6 Oklahoma vs. Texas (at Cotton Bowl in Dallas)
ABC
Virginia Tech at No. 13 Georgia Tech
ACC Network
NC State at No. 16 Notre Dame
Peacock
No. 22 Iowa State at Colorado
ESPN
Nebraska at Maryland
Big Ten Network
TCU at Kansas State
FOX
Arkansas at No. 12 Tennessee
SEC Network
Florida at No. 5 Texas A&M
ESPN
Iowa at Wisconsin
FS1
Kansas at No. 9 Texas Tech
FOX
No. 10 Georgia at Auburn
ABC
No. 15 Michigan at USC
NBC
South Carolina at No. 11 LSU
SEC Network
No. 18 BYU at Arizona
ESPN2
No. 21 Arizona State at Utah
ESPN