College football 2017 Week 7 predictions

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Red River Shootout may be the most anticipated game on both of these teams’ schedules. Oklahoma may have been anticipating it too much, losing to unranked Iowa State last week at home, 49-41. The Sooners will look to recover against an emerging Longhorns team that has won its last two games, including a double-overtime thriller against Kansas State. This game looks like it’ll live up to the name.

Pick: Texas

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

The Trojans got back on track last week, beating up on Pac-12 cellar dweller Oregon State. Sam Darnold still struggled for stretches but ended the game with 316 passing yards and three touchdowns. Utah comes into the Coliseum licking its wounds after losing at home to Stanford, 23-20. The Utes struggled to contain Bryce Love last week, and they may have some trouble on the road keeping Ronald Jones II in check. Fans could be looking at another track meet from USC.

Pick: USC

Saturday, 11 p.m. ET

The Cardinal has recovered from dropping two games to USC and San Diego State, finding itself in the AP top 25 once again. Bryce Love is making his case for the Heisman Trophy, gaining 1,240 yards in six games. Oregon struggled last week with Justin Herbert out nursing an injured collarbone. Freshman quarterback Braxton Burmeister threw for 145 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He will need to do a lot better if the Ducks expect to compete against rising Stanford.

Pick: Stanford

Saturday, 7:15 p.m. ET

The Crimson Tide rolls on as it remains undefeated heading into its conference matchup against Arkansas. Alabama’s defense stopped a red-hot Texas A&M team and was able to impose its will in the running game with Damien Harris gaining 124 yards and a touchdown. The Razorbacks are limping into Tuscaloosa with quarterback Austin Allen working through a shoulder injury. Don’t look for Alabama to be merciful.

Pick: Alabama

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET

The magic finally ran out for the Gators. Florida was unable to pile on LSU’s misfortunes, losing to the Tigers in an ugly 17-16 game. This week, the Gators hope the Swamp will provide an inhospitable environment for the Aggies, who are coming off a loss against Alabama. Freshman quarterback Kellen Mond looked lost against the Tide, but that experience could help him against Florida. This will be an important conference game for both teams.

Pick: Florida

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

It’ll take a lot to get LSU fans back on the side of Ed Orgeron, but a win against Florida helps. Now the Tigers host No. 10 Auburn, who is coming in winning four in a row in convincing fashion. Kerryon Johnson leads the team with 504 yards rushing and will be probing for holes against an LSU team that still gave up 194 yards on the ground in its win. If the Tigers from Baton Rouge want to prove they’re back, they could make a huge statement against those other Tigers at Auburn.

Pick: Auburn

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Head coach Urban Meyer has Ohio State rolling after its loss against Oklahoma, winning four straight heading into Nebraska. Quarterback J.T. Barrett has already thrown for 16 touchdowns, but he will be tested in one of the loudest stadiums in the Big Ten. Nebraska hasn’t had the season it hoped for so far, but the Cornhuskers are second in the West Division and could keep pace with Wisconsin if they perform well against Ohio State at home.

Pick: Ohio State

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET

Rashaad Penny continues his relentless attack on the ground, notching 993 yards in six undefeated games for the Aztecs. Their record hasn’t gone unnoticed by the poll voters, as they’ve been moved up in the AP top 25. Now, they host a Boise State team that isn’t as mighty as it used to be but is coming into the game with momentum after beating down BYU last week. Which Mountain West team will get an important conference win?

Pick: San Diego State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

The Wolverines lost a lot last week: the Paul Bunyan Trophy, a needed division win and probably a shot at a College Football Playoff spot. Still, they have a lot to play for and go on the road to face the Hoosiers. Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey led the way for the Hoosiers against Charleston Southern but will get a true test against Michigan, who is hungry to erase its loss to an intrastate rival.

Pick: Indiana

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Mississippi State showed a lot of promise at the beginning of the season only to falter against ranked SEC teams the last two weeks. Nick Fitzgerald looked lost against Georgia and Auburn, both teams with top-notch defenses. He gets a chance to get back on track against BYU, who has lost five straight after winning its debut game. With more SEC opponents in the cards for the Bulldogs, they need to get some momentum on their side.

Pick: Mississippi State

Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET

Don’t look now, but Washington State is No. 8 in the AP poll and has a good shot at playing in the College Football Playoff. Senior quarterback Luke Falk has been the steady hand in the pocket, throwing for 2,000 yards, 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions. While the Cougars are trending up, Cal is falling down. The Golden Bears have lost three straight after coming out of the gate hot on offense. Cal will need to find its rhythm again to have a shot against the Cougars. No matter what happens, look for Washington State head coach Mike Leach say something awesome.

Pick: Washington State

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Despite some flashes of brilliance, the Baylor Bears are winless for the season. However, they have shown they can play up against ranked opponents, and No. 14 Oklahoma State is up to the challenge. Mason Rudolph is coming off a bye with 1,909 yards and 16 touchdowns for the year. With the Cowboys defense unable to stop teams at times, he may need to outscore the Bears with the help of running back Justice Hill.

Pick: Oklahoma State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Texas Tech sneaked into the AP top 25, but its inclusion on the list is no surprise. The Red Raiders’ offense has been one of the best in the nation, scoring an FBS-high 46.8 per game. They head on the road to face another offensive machine in West Virginia, who has scored 43.8 points per game. Both of these teams can give up points as well, so if you want a gun-slinging shootout, tune in to this Big 12 matchup.

Pick: West Virginia

Saturday, 10:45 p.m. ET

The Huskies have been ranked in the top 10 for the entire season, but no one is talking about them and quarterback Jake Browning’s year without the same weapons he had last season. The junior starter is completing 70.5 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. He will need to stay efficient to keep pace with an explosive Arizona State offense. Things are going to get hot under the lights of Tempe, Ariz.

Pick: Washington

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Miami escaped Tallahassee with a win but lost star running back Mark Walton for the season. It is a huge blow for the resurgent Hurricanes, who host Georgia Tech to make up for the game that was postponed by Hurricane Irma. The Yellow Jackets have been on their own hot streak, winning three straight games that have powered them to the top of the Coastal Division with Miami. The winner of this game gets a leg up in what may be a close division race.

Pick: Miami

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Last year, TCU only had five wins. Five games into this season, the Horned Frogs have already equaled that total with a balanced offense. They have mowed through two straight ranked opponents and now head on the road to Kansas State. The Wildcats are a couple weeks removed from being ranked in the AP poll, but they gave Texas a double-overtime scare in Austin. Maybe they can give TCU a scare as well.

Pick: TCU

Friday, 7 p.m. ET

It’s unfair how Clemson can lose a generational quarterback like DeShaun Watson and still end up with the second best team in the country. Kelly Bryant has been solid in replacing Watson, but it has been the defense that has been the real star, holding opponents to 11.3 points per game. The Tigers face a mini Lamar Jackson in quarterback Eric Dungey, who leads the Orange in passing and rushing. Syracuse is coming off its first victory against Pitt in five years and will be looking to make a little more history at home.

Pick: Clemson

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Maryland was looking like a program on the rise — then Ohio State happened. The Terrapins were run out of Ohio Stadium, 62-14. Maryland was held to 66 total yards for the day and could really use the comfort of home. Northwestern has started conference play slow, going 0-2 in Big Ten play. With Maryland smarting from its last outing, the Wildcats could capitalize on the road.

Pick: Maryland

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

There is no seat hotter than Butch Jones’s, and it’s not hard to see why. A last-second loss to Florida and a 41-0 snoozer against Georgia have put Jones on the chopping block. He may need to win out the rest of the season, and it all starts with South Carolina. Unfortunately for the Volunteers, the Gamecocks’ defense has been on fire, scoring three touchdowns against Arkansas last week. With the fragile state of Tennessee, the South Carolina has a great chance of sending Butch Jones home permanently.

Pick: South Carolina

Saturday, 3:45 p.m. ET

If anyone told you a team averaging less than 100 yards passing per game was also averaging 37.2 points this season, you would think that person was crazy. Then you’d look at Navy’s rushing numbers and understand how. The Midshipmen are gaining 414.2 yards rushing this season, and they are riding high after grounding Air Force last week. Memphis is equally hot after quarterback Riley Ferguson finished last week’s game against UConn with seven touchdowns. What prevails this matchup: the Memphis aerial attack or Navy’s unstoppable run game?

Pick: Navy

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

Fresh off their Paul Bunyan Trophy-winning performance, the Spartans head back on the road to Minnesota. Michigan State struggled to score last week, but that won’t matter against the Golden Gophers, who have given up 62 points the last two games. The Spartans will need quarterback Brian Lewerke to be on point in the air and on the ground to continue Michigan State’s run of success.

Pick: Minnesota

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET

Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen started the season slow, but it looks like he’s finally in the groove. Allen led the Cowboys to a 45-10 victory against Texas State with three touchdowns. The team leaves the cozy confines of Laramie and heads to Logan, Utah to face Utah State. The Aggies could not catch the Colorado State Rams last week, and they will need a quick start to keep pace with Allen.

Pick: Wyoming

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

It takes a lot to bottle up Lamar Jackson, but N.C. State somehow pulled it off last week. The Wolfpack defense has been one of the best in the ACC, and it will take the show on the road to Pittsburgh. The Panthers have not notched a win in ACC play thus far, but it’s never too late to turn things around.

Pick: N.C. State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Not a lot has gone right for the Seminoles this year. They lost to Alabama to open the season, their starting quarterback got knocked out for the season and they fell to in-state rival Miami. Offensively, Florida State has not been able to get it going, but that could change against Duke. The Blue Devils’ defense has given up 59 points the last two games. Maybe Duke can get back on track with the home crowd behind it.

Pick: Florida State

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET

This rivalry game may be new, but that doesn’t mean it lacks excitement. The first game of this rivalry happened in 2013, and there hasn’t been a lot of time for these teams to have a barn burner of a game. But with both of these teams coming off bowl appearances last season and winning seasons so far this year, fans may be treated to an exciting game.

Pick: UT San Antonio