Week 7 brings a slate that could redraw the College Football Playoff picture in a hurry, and the biggest swing game sits right at the top: Ohio State at Indiana. The Hoosiers are unbeaten, but this is the stiffest test they’ve seen, and it comes with the added weight of being the biggest game Memorial Stadium has ever hosted. Curt Cignetti’s team will have to answer a simple question: were the recent struggles a blip, or a warning sign?
For Ohio State, the stakes are just as clear. A win in Bloomington would put the Buckeyes back in position as the Big Ten favorite and leave them with a clean path to the Rose Bowl. A loss, though, would tighten the pressure immediately for Ryan Day’s team and shrink the margin for error in the playoff chase.
Elsewhere, Alabama gets Tennessee in a rivalry game that arrives at an important moment for the Crimson Tide. The week off gives the Broncos a break, but there’s no easing into October for Alabama, which wants to put the Georgia loss behind it with a sharp, decisive performance. The Vols may not be an easy out, but this is the kind of spot where Alabama will want to look fast and in control.
Notre Dame faces a different kind of challenge at BYU, where the Irish will walk into a loud Provo atmosphere for one of the season’s defining tests. The Cougars, meanwhile, are staring at the biggest game in school history and will have to find answers offensively without star tailback LJ Martin. The first-ever top-10 matchup at LaVell Edwards Stadium carries huge implications for the Big 12 favorites and for Notre Dame’s place in the national title conversation.
Texas also has a chance to steady itself at home against a banged-up Florida team after the disappointment of Red River last weekend. The Longhorns want to get back to winning ways, and this is the kind of game that can help wipe away some of those bad memories.
In SEC play, another matchup gets a spotlight as two league teams try to sort out who is for real and who is running out of runway against a rough stretch ahead. That meeting will offer a clearer read on who can still push toward the CFP and who is headed for trouble.
Miami returns from its bye week with Florida State coming to town, and Mario Cristobal will not be easing up. The Hurricanes have a big recruiting weekend in front of them, and a rivalry game always carries risk, but this one also gives Miami a chance to strengthen its playoff case while adding to the pressure on the Seminoles’ head coach.
The Big Ten has another notable test at the Rose Bowl, where UCLA hosts Wisconsin in its first real look without its starting quarterback. That game won’t carry the same national weight as Ohio State-Indiana, but it fits into a weekend loaded with CFP consequences.
And in the SEC, Georgia and Auburn renew The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry between the hedges. After the win over Alabama, Kirby Smart will surely lean into the animosity of the matchup to keep his team focused on the task at hand.
In Other News...
Miami Faces One Huge O-Line Decision Before Florida State
Miamis offensive line has a major vacancy to sort out, and the timing is about as delicate as it gets with Florida State coming up. Max Buchanan, the Hurricanes starting right guard, is out for an extended stretch after surgery, leaving Mario Cristobal and his staff to reshuffle a group that has to be ready for one of the biggest games on the schedule.
Seuseu Alofaituli, Jackson Cantwell and Jamal Meriweather are all in the mix to handle the job, with each bringing a different level of experience and fit to the competition. Miami still has time to settle on its next starter, but the decision will be made before the rivalry matchup, and the choice could shape how stable the offense feels going into that week. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces One Rivalry Trap Despite Its Perfect Start
Miami heads into Week 7 with plenty going right, unbeaten and alone atop the ACC at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play. A bye week gave the Hurricanes extra time to heal, and several injured players are expected back as they prepare to host Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium. On paper, it looks like the kind of setup that should favor a team that has spent the first half of the season stacking wins and building momentum.
But rivalry games rarely care about records, and Florida State arrives with nothing to lose and a need for a signature victory. The Seminoles have struggled, yet that can make them dangerous in a matchup like this, especially with thunderstorms in the forecast and the kind of unpredictable atmosphere that can turn a clean-looking Saturday into a grind. Miami has handled everything so far, but this is the sort of game that can test a perfect start in ways the standings never show. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Must Be Ready For FSU QB's Most Dangerous Trait
Florida States offense has taken on a very different shape with Ashton Daniels at quarterback, and Miami will have to account for more than just his arm when the rivalry game arrives. The fifth-year senior has brought a lot of experience with him from Stanford and Auburn, and he has become a major part of the Seminoles rushing attack while also setting a school record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
The passing numbers tell the other part of the story. Daniels has thrown eight touchdown passes, but he has also been intercepted seven times, a sign that Florida State has lived with some inconsistency through the air. For Miami, the challenge is obvious: keep Daniels from turning broken plays into explosive runs, because his ability to damage defenses on the ground has become the trait that changes the entire game plan. [Read more 🡒]