Week 7 of the college football season is here, but it doesn't offer much in the way of top-25 matchups. In fact, it doesn't offer any.
Don't worry, though: There are still plenty of exciting matchups to whet your appetite, including the first meeting of Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley and Texas' Tom Herman in the Red River Rivalry, an SEC West matchup between Auburn and LSU and a deciding Pac-12 South battle between USC and Utah.
MORE: Week 7 College Football Playoff outlook
Sporting News is 34-14 this year after going 4-4 in our Week 6 picks. Here's what we've got for Week 7 (point spreads provided courtesy of VegasInsider.com as of Oct. 9):
No. 25 Navy at Memphis (-3.5)
Can Memphis get another win over a top-25 team at home? At first glance, it looks like the Midshipmen have the edge: They rush for 414.2 yards per game with their triple-option attack, and Memphis gives up 187.2 yards a game. But Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson already has 16 touchdowns this year to only five interceptions — and Navy isn’t particularly adept at defending the pass. This one may be too close to call, but we’ll give it a shot:
Navy 34, Memphis 31
Utah at No. 13 USC (-11)
This game is an absolute must-win for USC, whose College Football Playoff hopes took a serious hit with that loss to Washington State. If the Trojans get caught looking ahead to Notre Dame, then Utah could win and take control of the Pac-12 South. The Trojans have struggled this year, and the Utes represent the biggest defensive challenge they have faced — but Sam Darnold makes enough plays to eke out a win.
USC 30, Utah 23
MORE: Week 7 bowl projections
Arkansas at No. 1 Alabama (-30)
Arkansas has given up an average of 49 points in its two SEC games this year. Alabama’s Nick Saban is angry his team beat a good Texas A&M team by only eight points. Quarterback Austin Allen may play for the Razorbacks after getting injured against South Carolina, but he still has that shoulder to worry about. Alabama is very good, and Arkansas is very bad. Expect this to get ugly.
Alabama 49, Arkansas 10
No. 12 Oklahoma (-7.5) at Texas
Dare we tempt fate and pick Texas? It’s not out of the question considering how badly the Sooners have struggled against Baylor and in a monumental upset by Iowa State. It’s also important to note this will be the first matchup between Tom Herman and Lincoln Riley in the Red River Rivalry. This game should reflect that — but Oklahoma will take care of business.
Oklahoma 35, Texas 24
MORE: Week 7 Heisman watch
No. 9 Ohio State (-25) at Nebraska
No question the Buckeyes beat Nebraska in Lincoln. The Huskers’ defense has been porous all year, and Ohio State has beaten its last four opponents a combined 210-42, including a 118-14 mark against two Big Ten opponents. The Buckeyes rank fourth nationally in both scoring offense (45.8 points per game) and total offense (568 yards per game). Nebraska’s defense gives up 356 yards and 26.7 a game, ranking it 43rd and 73rd in the nation, respectively.
Ohio State 42, Nebraska 17
No. 10 Auburn (-9) at LSU
This will be LSU’s toughest test of the season, against an Auburn team that has found its groove since losing 14-6 to Clemson. LSU did a good job of limiting Florida to 302 yards on Saturday, but faces a completely different test in an Auburn offense spearheaded by an ever-improving Jarrett Stidham and Kerryon Johnson, who leads the nation with 12 rushing touchdowns. Nothing LSU has shown offensively suggests it can score enough points in this game to keep up with that.
Auburn 27, LSU 13
MORE: One-loss CFP contenders: Buy, sell or hold?
Texas A&M at Florida (-3)
Texas A&M won a moral victory of sorts when it gave Alabama its toughest test this season in a 27-19 loss. Florida just lost its homecoming game against an LSU team that had been beaten by Troy. A&M has a playmaker at quarterback in Kellen Mond, and hasn’t allowed 100 rushing yards in four of its six games this season. That suggests Feleipe Franks will need to win this one for the Gators. The eye test favors A&M.
Texas A&M 24, Florida 20
Georgia Tech at No. 11 Miami (Fla.) (-6.5)
This one’s dangerous. The Hurricanes are undefeated after an emotional win against rival FSU, and the Yellow Jackets had an extra week off to prepare. Tech boasts the nation’s No. 2 rush offense thanks to that triple-option attack; it pairs up well against Miami’s defense, which has the nation’s 63rd-ranked rush defense. Meanwhile, it’s on Miami quarterback Malik Rosier to take full command of the offense now that Mark Walton is out for the season. But Georgia Tech only gives up 158 yards a game through the air. This one reeks of an upset — but we'll stick with Miami winning a close one.
Miami 30, Georgia Tech 28
