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...
Oregon Must Find An Unexpected Answer At Receiver Before Nebraska
Oregons receiver room took another hit this week, and the timing could hardly be worse with Nebraska up next. Jeremiah McClellans broken foot has already thinned the depth chart, and Aaron Flowers is out for the rest of the season after surgery, leaving the Ducks to sort through another layer of injury fallout as they get ready for a big early test.
Evan Stewart is also doubtful for the upcoming game, which has opened the door for some less familiar names to step forward. Freshmen Jalen Lott and Gatlin Bair, along with UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, are among the options Oregon may lean on if it needs a new starting combination at wide receiver, and the coming days should reveal just how much the Ducks are willing to trust that group in a spotlight game. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons New-Look Roster Already Has A Problem To Fix
Oregons first look at its revamped mens basketball roster came with a reminder that new pieces do not always fit cleanly right away. The Ducks fell to Seattle University, 71-65, in their preseason exhibition opener, and the box score told the story of a team still trying to find its footing. They were careless with the ball, turning it over 25 times, and struggled to match Seattles physical play while working through the early stages of team cohesion under interim head coach Tony Stubblefield.
There were some familiar and new faces in the mix, including Pharaoh Compton, Andrew Meadow and Taylor Bol Bowen, but the night also exposed how thin the margin can be when a group is still sorting itself out. Senior forward Sean Stewart fouled out early, another blow to a team already battling mistakes and inconsistency, and the Ducks now have plenty to clean up before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon May Be Losing Grip On A Quarterback They Wanted Badly
Oregons 2028 recruiting board still has plenty of work to do, but the Ducks have clearly identified quarterback Josiah Boyd as one of the names they want to land early. Boyd has narrowed his finalists to Oregon, UCLA and Kentucky, and he is set to make his commitment decision on November 23, giving the Ducks a little more time to make their case to one of the top passers on their board.
The latest signs, though, have made this one a little tougher to read for Oregon. Kentucky appears to have picked up momentum in Boyds recruitment, helped in part by new head coach Will Stein, even as Oregon stays involved and plans to bring Boyd to upcoming home games. For a program that has yet to secure a commitment in the class, keeping pace in a battle like this matters, especially with a quarterback target who could shape the early feel of the group. [Read more 🡒]