What you need to know about college football’s Top 25 games for Week 7
College football’s biggest teams continue their 2022 seasons during Saturday’s Week 7 action. Here’s a rundown of the day.
No. 1 Alabama at No. 8 Tennessee
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
TV: CBS
Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more
Follow every game: Live NCAA College Football Scores
What to know: Alabama is in a much better spot if quarterback Bryce Young plays. Tennessee’s secondary is vulnerable, and Young isn’t likely to let a rocking Neyland Stadium affect him too much. He’s got ridiculously good poise. If backup Jalen Milroe has to play, passing could be a concern as it was against Texas AM. But Milroe is a legitimate threat with his legs that forces teams to defend Alabama’s offense differently than with Young. Tennessee would love to face Milroe rather than Young, and not just because Young is the reigning Heisman winner and a game-changing player. Milroe’s tendency to run, and Alabama’s hesitancy to allow him to pass, plays better into Tennessee’s hands. — Adam Sparks, The Knoxville News Sentinel, and Nick Kelly, The Tuscaloosa News
How did Alabama football fans’ Tennessee Hate Week start? Here’s our investigation.
No. 2 Georgia 55, Vanderbilt 0
Briefly: Stetson Bennett threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns – his first scoring passes in nearly a month – and Georgia cruised on an easy victory. The Bulldogs led 28-0 at halftime and blew out the Commodores after three straight weeks of rather lackluster performances.
One highlight to watch: Kenny McIntosh scores the game’s first touchdown off a pass from Stetson Bennett.
No. 4 Michigan 41, No. 10 Penn State 17
Briefly: Donovan Edwards ran for a go-ahead, 67-yard touchdown and Blake Corum had a 61-yard run for a score on consecutive snaps in the third quarter. Michigan finished with 418 yards rushing, gaining 7.6 yards per carry, against a team that was giving up fewer than 80 yards rushing per game. Penn State lost for the first time after a first half where it had one first down by only trailed 16-14 due to an interception return for touchdown. An early field goal gave the Nittany Lions the lead in the third quarter but from there it was all Michigan.
One highlight to watch: Donovan Edwards goes 67 yards to give Michigan the lead early in the third quarter.
No. 5 Clemson at Florida State
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
TV: ABC
Betting info:Odds, moneyline and more
What to know: An improving DJ Uiagalelei will be a major test for Florida State. Uiagalelei has completed 64.2% of his passes for 1,462 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He has run the ball 46 times for a career-best 311 yards, a 4.6 yards per carry mark. Meanwhile, Florida State has struggled against running quarterbacks this year. FSU has to keep him in the pocket, and even as he’s improved as a passer, make him beat it with his arm. — Ehsan Kassim, Tallahassee Democrat
Here’s how Clemson football quickly fixed glaring weakness on defense.
No. 6 Southern California at No. 19 Utah
Kickoff: 8 p.m.
TV: Fox
Betting info:Odds, moneyline and more
What to know: After two spotty games in three weeks to open Pac-12 play, quarterback Caleb Williams and the Trojans need to rally before Saturday’s trip to No. 19 Utah. Though more productive than in September’s 17-14 win against Oregon State, when he completed just 44.4% of his attempts, Williams was held to 188 yards and 6.5 yards per throw in the Trojans’ 30-14 win against Washington State. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY
No. 7 Oklahoma State at No. 15 TCU
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
TV: ABC
Betting info:Odds, moneyline and more
What to know: If Oklahoma State is going to remain undefeated, Jabbar Muhammad and his cohorts in the Cowboy secondary are going to need to play well. TCU quarterback Max Duggan is sixth nationally in completion percentage (73.2) and second in QB efficiency rating (194.4). Four TCU receivers have double-digit catches so far this season, and six have at least 100 receiving yards. Oklahoma State gave up 379 passing yards against Texas Tech last week, and ranks 110th nationally in passing yards allowed at 268.8 per game. But with four new starters in the five-man secondary, the Cowboys are still growing up. — Scott Wright, The Oklahoman
No. 9 Mississippi 48, Auburn 34
Briefly: Mississippi held off a comeback attempt from Auburn to win its first seven games in a season for just the second time since 1962, tying the 2014’s mark for the best start to a season this century. After the Rebels built a 21-point lead, the teams went back-and-forth in a run-first track meet. Ole Miss ran for 448 yards, a season-high and the most in an SEC game since 1979. The Tigers countered with a dominant rushing day from running back Tank Bigsby, who carried for 179 yards and two scores.
No. 18 Syracuse 24, No. 13 North Carolina State 9
Briefly: Garrett Shrader hit Oronde Gadsden II with a pair of touchdown passes, Sean Tucker scored on a 25-yard run late, and Syracuse beat North Carolina State to remain unbeaten. The Wolfpack, who were playing without injured quarterback Devin Leary, managed just three field goals on the day and 255 yards of offense.
One highlight to watch. Tucker ices the game with a 25-yard scoring run.
No. 17 Mississippi State at No. 22 Kentucky
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Betting info:Odds, moneyline and more
What to know: Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers has every right to be licking his chops at the thought of facing Kentucky’s defense. Rogers leads the country in passing yards (2,110) and ranks second in touchdowns through the air (22). He will try to add to those totals against a UK defense that looked out of sorts during the second half of last week’s loss to South Carolina, which scored 17 points on 266 yards of total offense after the intermission. — Brooks Holton, Louisville Courier Journal
Oklahoma 52, No. 20 Kansas 42
Briefly: Oklahoma bounced back after a three-game losing streak with an offense that piled up 701 yards, led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel throwing for 403 yards and two scores. Eric Gray led the ground attack with 176 yards on 20 carries with two scores. Kansas dropped its second consecutive game after opening with five consecutive wins.
One highlight to watch: A pump fake allows Theo Wease to break free for a touchdown in the third quarter.
No. 24 Texas 24, Iowa State 21
Briefly: Quinn Ewers threw for three touchdowns, linebacker Jaylan Ford produced two turnovers, and Texas rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Iowa State. Ewers’ third touchdown, a 3-yard pass to Xavier Worthy, put Texas up for good with 4:43 remaining. Ford ended Iowa State’s chance to re-take the lead, recovering a fumble by Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers deep in Texas territory with 2:28 to play.
No. 25 North Carolina at Duke
Kickoff: 8 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
Betting info:Odds, moneyline and more
What to know: To go or not to go on fourth down used to be a gamble for football coaches. But for North Carolina coach Mack Brown, converting fourth-down plays has been almost a sure thing this season. Brown has had plenty of “fourth-down fun” this season. UNC produced first downs or touchdowns 11 times on 15 fourth-down plays through the first six games, resulting in a .733 conversion rate that ranks 16th-best nationally and second to only Clemson among ACC teams. — Sammy Batten, The Fayetteville Observer
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