Week 7 brings a slate loaded with heavyweight games, and this is the kind of Saturday that can redraw the College Football Playoff race in a hurry. Nebraska, Indiana, Missouri and the playoff format itself all sit in the spotlight as the weekend opens with more uncertainty than answers.
Start with Oregon, where the quarterback picture is still a mess. Dylan Raiola, Akili Smith Jr. and Brock Thomas are all in the mix after Raiola’s rough outing turned into a 17-15 loss to UCLA, with Thomas putting up the more encouraging numbers after stepping in.
Nebraska walks into that uncertainty as a tougher team than the Bruins by ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s SP+ metric, and the Huskers also come in with fresh motivation after losing to Indiana. Oregon’s seven-point spread edge looks vulnerable here, especially with Nebraska’s strong secondary waiting to make life miserable for whichever quarterback the Ducks choose.
Anthony Colandrea is expected to deliver a clean day at quarterback, and that should be enough for Nebraska to keep pushing toward a CFP berth.
Indiana gets its own chance to shake up the top of the sport when it faces Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ offensive line has already shown cracks this season, and now it will be missing starter Austin Siereveld.
That is a dangerous setup against an Indiana defense that ranks third nationally with 20 sacks, behind only Tennessee and LSU. Julian Sayin is expected to feel that pressure throughout the day, much like he did in the Big Ten championship, when Indiana sacked him five times.
Add in a strong showing from Indiana’s receivers, and the Hoosiers have a path to slip past Ohio State and leave Ryan Day’s team with very little breathing room.
Ole Miss also enters the weekend under pressure at a spot that should be its strength. Pete Golding’s defense has not exactly been airtight, with 392.4 yards per game allowed - a mark better than only Florida in the SEC.
Missouri visits with a quarterback who has both a reason and a resume to make the Rebels pay: Austin Simmons. He lost his job a season ago to Trinidad Chambliss, had not thrown an interception before last week’s pick against Texas A&M, and still averages 239 yards per game even after that off day.
If Simmons has another rough one, Missouri’s defense looks good enough to carry the Tigers and strengthen their case as CFP contenders.
And then there’s the other big conversation hovering over the entire day: a 24-team CFP. That subject figures to pop up everywhere Saturday, but don’t expect much real pushback on air.
Networks have every incentive to talk up the idea, especially with ESPN likely needing to spread CFP inventory to other channels if the field expands next year. If there’s a viral moment, it may come from whichever commentator is willing to say what plenty of fans are thinking.
Pat “Rat” McAfee, Sean McDonough and Robert Griffin III all stand out as possibilities to be that voice.
In Other News...
Ohio State Gets Pulled Into A High-Stakes Fight Over Eligibility
The eligibility fight surrounding fifth-year athletes in Ohio has now spilled into federal court, with the NCAA suing Gov. Mike DeWine over the executive order that lets state universities challenge the associations ruling. For Ohio State and the rest of the states Division I programs, the issue is more than paperwork. It goes straight to how coaches build rosters, manage scholarship spots and weigh whether a veteran player can give them one more season.
The NCAA argues the order violates the Commerce Clause and the First Amendment by giving Ohio schools an unfair edge and allowing them to sidestep NCAA rules. Ohios Division I programs reportedly support the directive, and coaches have said they will make decisions based on what helps the team most. For a Buckeyes program always balancing immediate ambitions against long-term roster planning, the legal standoff adds another layer of uncertainty to an already delicate eligibility question. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces Two Pressing Questions In Huge Indiana Test
Jeremiah Smith has become one of the most important pieces in Ohio States offense, and his involvement figures to be a major storyline in Bloomington. The Buckeyes have been looking for ways to keep their passing game balanced and dangerous, and getting Smith the ball is part of that equation as they head into a matchup that carries real weight after last seasons Big Ten title game loss to Indiana.
Julian Sayins protection will matter just as much, because Indiana can make life uncomfortable if Ohio State lets pressure reach the quarterback too often. On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes also need to close quickly on Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover and create enough disruption to tilt the game their way, with this trip offering both a chance at revenge and a test of whether Ohio State can handle the kind of pressure that usually decides big conference games. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has No Room For These Mistakes Against Indiana
Indiana has been steady enough to make opponents pay for mistakes, and Ohio State knows the margin for error is getting tighter by the week. The preview points to quarterback Josh Hoover as the engine of the Hoosiers offense, with receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh giving him reliable targets and defensive lineman Stephen Daley helping set the tone on the other side of the ball.
For the Buckeyes, the message is pretty clear: the discipline has to be better if they want any shot at ending Indianas winning streak. Penalties and turnovers are the obvious danger points in a game like this, where every wasted snap can change the feel of the afternoon and hand a confident opponent more chances to control it. [Read more 🡒]