Five CFB games to watch: A Pac-12 heavyweight fight and an end to a memorable SEC era

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 10/12/23

A heavyweight fight in Seattle. Southern Cal's big test at South Bend. A Big Ten West battle and an iconic SEC West rivalry. Those are among the headline games in Week 7 of the college football season. Let's dive in.

The five-star game: No. 8 Oregon (5-0) vs. No. 7 Washington (5-0) | 3:30 p.m. EST

The winner of Ducks-Huskies will solidify themselves as the front-runner in the Pac-12. Washington (569.4 yards per game) and Oregon (555.8) are the top two offenses in college football. Per OddsChecker, quarterbacks Bo Nix (Oregon) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) are among the favorites for the Heisman. Few games this season will be bigger.

The Heisman game: No. 25 Miami (4-1) vs. No. 12 North Carolina (5-0) | 7:30 p.m. EST

Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye had a slow start to the season but had his best game in Week 6 against Syracuse. Maye went 33-of-47 for 442 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-7 win as North Carolina welcomed back wide receiver Tez Walker after a prolonged battle with the NCAA over his eligibility. Maye is a long shot to win the Heisman and must stack tremendous performances to be one of this year's finalists.

Upset special: No. 10 USC (6-0) vs. No. 21 Notre Dame (5-2) | 7:30 p.m. EST

File this one under the "oddsmakers must be smarter than us" category because after watching the Irish offense the past three weeks, Notre Dame doesn't seem to have the firepower to keep up with the Trojans. Still, Notre Dame is a 2.5-point favorite, indicating how poorly the USC defense is viewed.

USC has allowed 41 points in the past two games and 36.7 points per game over the past three games. After beginning the season with four consecutive 40-point games, Notre Dame has averaged 18.3 points over its previous three games, going 1-2. We aren't betting on the Trojans defense coming up big as much as we are on USC QB Caleb Williams doing something special to propel USC to victory.

Under-the-radar game: Iowa (5-1) vs. Wisconsin (4-1) | 4 p.m. EST

First place in the Big Ten West is on the line when Iowa travels to Wisconsin. Points will be hard to come by with both defenses allowing fewer than 20 points per game. Iowa's offense is an eyesore, averaging 129.8 passing yards, third-fewest in the country.

Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai, a former Oklahoma recruit under Lincoln Riley, has underwhelmed after transferring from SMU. He's averaging 6.4 yards per attempt, the lowest mark of his career, and has thrown as many interceptions (three) as TD passes (three).

Wild-card game: Auburn (3-2) vs. No. 22 LSU (4-2) | 7 p.m. EST

Due to conference expansion, the Auburn-LSU annual rivalry game ends after this season.

It's one of the most significant losses of realignment because the schools have made incredible memories over the years.

In 2007, LSU won on a Matt Flynn touchdown with one second remaining. Three years later, Cam Newton had a season-high 217 rushing yards en route to the Heisman as Auburn prevailed, 24-17. In 2018, Joe Burrow led a comeback from 21-10 down in a 22-21 LSU win.

The road team has won the past two meetings, both on comebacks. Auburn outscored LSU 14-0 in the fourth quarter in 2021, a 24-19 Tigers victory. Last season, LSU erased an early 17-point Auburn lead in a 21-17 win.

LSU is an 11-point favorite with one of the top offenses in college football, led by QB Jayden Daniels, a long-shot Heisman candidate. Saturday night in Death Valley should be an easy win for LSU, but as its series against Auburn has shown us time and again, expect the unexpected.

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