CFW Week 7 Forecast – 14 teams are still undefeated
Will Puddles quack in Seattle?
Last week, the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, was the location of college football’s classic game between undefeated Oklahoma and undefeated Texas. This week, the eyes of college football fans turn to Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. That’s where undefeated and 8th-ranked Oregon plays undefeated and 7th-ranked Washington. Bo Nix (292 passing yards a game) versus Michael Penix (400 passing yards a game). Oregon-Washington could be every bit as good and exciting as the Oklahoma-Texas encounter.
Three more Pac-12 teams are involved in big games this week. No. 10 and undefeated USC visits South Bend to take on No. 21 Notre Dame (5-2). Caleb Williams (304 passing yards a game) versus Sam Hartman (245 passing yards a game). Notre Dame stumbled last week, but believe me, the Irish will be prepared this week.
Then there is No. 18 UCLA (4-1) visiting Corvallis, Oregon, for an encounter with No. 15 Oregon State (5-1). UCLA plays good defense. Oregon State plays good offense. Which one will prevail?
Colorado Springs will be the hot spot in the MWC, as Wyoming (5-1) goes up against Air Force (5-0). The Falcons are the No. 1 rushing team in the country at 330 yards a game. They also are averaging 37.6 points a game. The winner of this game will undoubtedly crack the Top 25 next week as the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the country.
The SEC has two potential thrillers on Saturday. How about No. 24 Kentucky (5-1) hosting No. 26 Missouri (5-1). Both teams suffered their first loss last week. One won’t lose this week. The other cooker in the SEC has No. 19 Tennessee (4-1) hosting Texas A&M (4-2). You just know the Aggies are going to come into Knoxville angry and mad. Watch out Vols!
For an appetizer in the SEC, you have Auburn (3-2) at LSU (4-2). While Auburn was resting last week, LSU may have overextended itself.
The best game in the ACC Saturday is Miami (4-1) at North Carolina (5-0). Hopefully, the Canes bring their knees. The Big Ten’s best contest is Iowa (5-1) at Wisconsin (4-1). Are the Hawkeyes still looking for an offense?
The two best teams in the AAC clash Friday night – Tulane (4-1) at Memphis (4-1). Between these two teams, it could be a day of many touchdowns and field goals. In other words, a high scorer. And finally, a real doozy in the Sun Belt on Saturday. Georgia Southern (4-1) visits James Madison (5-0). JMU is not far out of the Top 25. The Sun Belt also has an appetizer for us – Marshall (4-1) at Georgia State (4-1).
I’d say Friday and Saturday are stacking up to be an exciting weekend.
So, as we enter Week 7 of college football, there are 14 undefeated FBS teams. Nine of the undefeated teams are from three conferences – the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12. Those nine teams are Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina (ACC), Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State (Big Ten), Oregon, USC and Washington (Pac-12). The other five undefeated teams are Oklahoma (Big 12), Georgia (SEC), Air Force (MWC), James Madison (Sun Belt) and Liberty (C-USA). The AAC and MAC have no undefeated teams.
Conversely, there are two winless teams – Nevada (MWC) and Sam Houston (C-USA).
The Top 5 teams in this week’s AP Poll are 1. Georgia (6-0), 2. Michigan (6-0), 3. Ohio State (5-0), 4. Florida State (5-0), and 5. Oklahoma (6-0). Georgia got 50 of the 53 first-place votes. Michigan got 1, Ohio State got 1 and Florida State got one of the first-place votes. Duke (4-1) is 17th in the AP Poll.
The Top 5 teams in this week’s Coaches Poll are 1. Georgia (6-0), 2, Michigan (6-0), 3. Ohio State (5-0), 4. Florida State (5-0), and 5. Penn State (5-0). Georgia got 61 of the 64 first-place votes. Ohio State got 2 and Washington got 1 of the first-place votes. Duke (4-1) is 18th in the Coaches Poll.
This week Georgia visits Vanderbilt and Michigan hosts Indiana. Ohio State travels to Purdue and Florida State entertains Syracuse. Penn State hosts Massachusetts and Oklahoma is off.
It’s interesting that there are no Group of Five teams currently in the Top 25. Usually, at this time of the season, there are two or three Group of Five teams hanging around the lower half of the Top 25. As you know, the highest ranked Group of Five team gets an automatic spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl. Six weeks into the season, Wyoming, Air Force, Tulane and James Madison are knocking on the door. But they aren’t there yet. I’m thinking the winner of Saturday’s Wyoming-Air Force game will jump into the Top 25 next week. Also, if Tulane beats Memphis, I can see the Green Wave jumping into the Top 25.
In the FCS Coaches Poll, the Top 5 teams are 1. South Dakota State (5-0), 2. Montana State (4-1), 3. Idaho (5-1), 4. Furman (4-1), and 5. Sacramento State (4-1). South Dakota State got all 26 of the first-place votes. Florida A&M (5-1) is 16th and Harvard (4-0) is 18th in the FCS Poll.
In the Division II Coaches Poll, West Florida (5-1) is 6th.
College football Week 7 had an early start, with three games on Tuesday night – two C-USA affairs and a Sun Belt encounter. In the first game, Middle Tennessee downed Louisiana Tech, 31-23. MTSU quarterback Nicholas Vattiato was 23-29-0, passing for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Next up, Liberty improved to 6-0, as the Flames beat Jacksonville State, 31-13. Liberty running back Quinton Cooley ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
In the nightcap Tuesday, Coastal Carolina deleted the Apps. The Chanticleers knocked off Appalachian State, 27-24. Coastal Carolina kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired to win the game.
Two games were played last night. In the opener, UTEP beat FIU, 27-14. UTEP quarterback Cade McConnell passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns. In the closer, New Mexico State downed Sam Houston, 27-13. State scored all 27 of its points in the first half. Sam Houston scored all 13 of its points in the second half.
Flag football in the Olympics? It could be a sport in the 2028 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee will vote later this month on which of five proposed sports will be added to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. One of the proposals is to add flag football to the competition. Stay tuned!
Enjoy your college football weekend!
Touchdown Tom
October 12, 2023
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Note: CFW Week 7 Results will be posted Monday morning, October 16.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oregon (5-0) at Washington (5-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Both teams are strong on offense, with quarterbacks Michael Penix and Bo Nix. They are scoring machines. Nix has passed for 1,459 yards in five games. The Ducks are averaging 51.6 points a game. They are in the Top 10 in all offensive categories. Washington is just as powerful, averaging 46 points a game. Penix has passed for 1,999 yards in five games. The Huskies are first in total yards and passing yards. The difference is on defense. Oregon is better. The Ducks are holding opponents to 11.8 points a game. They are strong in all defensive categories. Washington is average on defense, giving up 18.4 points a game. Penix is a better quarterback than Nix, but Oregon is better on defense. The Ducks defense will be tested, but it holds – Oregon 27, Washington 26.
RUNNER-UP: 2. USC (6-0) at Notre Dame (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – USC is strong on offense, averaging 51.8 points a game. Quarterback Caleb Williams has passed for 1,822 yards in six games. The Trojans weakness on offense is the running game. They basically don’t have one. The big weakness for USC is their defense. They basically don’t have one. On offense, Notre Dame is just better than average. The Irish do have a good quarterback in Sam Hartman and a good running back in Audric Estime. Hartman has passed for 1,712 yards in seven games. But the Irish offense can be stopped. Louisville demonstrated that. Notre Dame is stronger on defense. The lack of a running game at USC will allow the Irish defense to contain Williams. Irish eyes will be smiling on Saturday – Notre Dame 30, USC 27.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Wyoming (5-1) at Air Force (5-0) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – As might be expected, Air Force is No. 1 in the country in rushing offense – 329.8 yards a game. And this year, the Falcons are strong on defense, giving up only 12.2 points a game. Air Force is in the Top 10 in all defensive categories. Wyoming is actually below average on both offense and defense. But somehow, the Cowboys have managed to win. Wyoming does have a good running back in Harrison Waylee. But the Falcons can stop him. The Cowboys had their day last week. This week belongs to Air Force. The Falcons get their prey – Air Force 21, Wyoming 20.
4. Missouri (5-1) at Kentucky (5-1) – (SEC vs SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Missouri looked pretty good last week in its loss to LSU. Kentucky looked pretty bad in its loss to Georgia. Tigers quarterback Brady Cook has passed for 1,899 yards in six games. But Mizzou is sloppy on defense. Kentucky is below average on offense. Its strength is running back Ray Davis. The Wildcats are a little better, but not great, on defense. Both teams need to pull themselves together after tough losses. And for different reasons. Mizzou’s was a close loss, while Kentucky was blown off the field. Truman the Tiger rebounds – Missouri 30, Kentucky 29.
5. UCLA (4-1) at Oregon State (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Unlike their crosstown rival, UCLA is playing good defense – very good. The Bruins are only giving up 12.2 points a game. They are in the Top 10 in rushing yards allowed and total yards allowed. It’s the Bruins offense that is so-so, but better than average. Last week, UCLA’s defense stopped Washington State’s Cameron Ward. But the Bruins were at home. This week they are on the road. Oregon State is averaging 38.5 points a game on offense, and the Beavers defense isn’t bad. Benny the Beaver shows his teeth – Oregon State 23, UCLA 20.
6. Miami (Florida) (4-1) at North Carolina (5-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Me thinks Miami was looking ahead to North Carolina when the Canes lost to Georgia Tech last week. Still, it was a stupid loss. Miami actually plays good offense and defense. The team just seems to have its lax moments. That could be the coaching, or the lack thereof. North Carolina appears to be the real deal. Looks like Mack Brown has himself a winner. The Heels are led by quarterback Drake Maye, who has passed for 1,629 yards in five games. The Heels are strong on offense. They aren’t half bad on defense. But defense is their weaker side. The Canes take a knee – North Carolina 30, Miami 24.
7. Iowa (5-1) at Wisconsin (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Well, we all know that Iowa is pretty darn good on defense, but terrible on offense. Simply terrible. As hard as you look, there is nothing good to be found on the Hawkeyes offense. They are among the worst in the country in all categories. Now the Iowa defense is a different story. It is pretty darn good. But somehow, you have to get points on the board. Meanwhile, Wisconsin is muddling along with a so-so offense and a so-so defense. But the Badgers have found a way to win. They find a way again – Wisconsin 20, Iowa 17.
8. Texas A&M (4-2) at Tennessee (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Except for whatever happened in Gainesville, Tennessee is having a good season. It may become a great season. The Vols are good on offense – averaging 36.2 points a game. The Vols defense isn’t great, but it is good – very good. Meanwhile, Jimbo is having some problems in College Station. The Aggies show signs of greatness. But they also show signs of weakness. This game could determine how their season goes. A win and Texas A&M could go on to better days. A loss and the Aggies season could go south. It looks like Jimbo is headed in the wrong direction – Tennessee 30, Texas A&M 22.
9. Tulane (4-1) at Memphis (4-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – On paper, these two teams appear to be the best two teams in the AAC. And here they are meeting up in their sixth game of the season. Memphis has a good offense. Quarterback Seth Henigan has passed for 1,376 yards in five games. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their defense is pretty weak. Not the worst, but far from the best. Tulane’s offense isn’t as good as the Memphis offense, but the Green Wave’s defense is better than the Memphis defense. Tulane is hoping to put together another season like last year. They were great. So far, their only slip up was against Ole Miss. And quarterback Michael Pratt didn’t play in that game due to an injury. This could be a real slugfest. The Wave turns the Tigers green – Tulane 34, Memphis 32.
10. NC State (4-2) at Duke (4-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – After a week off, the Dookies jump back into action this week. They take on a so-so NC State team that struggled to beat Marshall last week. Duke’s defense has been the star of the season. They are in the Top 10 in the country in two categories – passing yards allowed and points allowed. The Dookies are only giving up 11.2 points a game. And they are in the Top 20 in the country in total yards allowed. Duke’s offense is adequate. But quarterback Riley Leonard is questionable this week. He may not play. Leonard has been key to the Dookies offense. NC State has struggled on offense and defense. The defense is slightly better, but one is just about as bad as the other. The Wolfpack tried a new quarterback last week – MJ Morris. Morris threw four touchdown passes, but he also threw three interceptions. Dookies have these Wolves howling at their tails – Duke 31, NC State 18.
Six other interesting and intriguing games to keep an eye on this weekend are Georgia Southern (4-1) at James Madison (5-0) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2….. California (3-3) at Utah (4-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, PAC12N….. and BYU (4-1) at TCU (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN.
Also, Auburn (3-2) at LSU (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN….. Marshall (4-1) at Georgia State (4-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….. and Arizona (3-3) at Washington State (4-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, PAC12N.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
West Virginia (4-1) at Houston (2-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Thursday, FS1 – West Virginia goes up against its former coach Dana Holgorsen. That makes for interesting times. You just know neither coach wants to lose this game. The Mountaineers are coming in on a four-game winning streak. WVU’s offense is pretty bad – averaging just 19 points a game against FBS teams. Oddly enough, WVU’s defense is pretty good. Houston’s offense is not good. The Cougar defense is terrible – giving up 29-8 points a game. Houston quarterback Donovan Smith has passed for 1,347 yards. Look for Houston to riddle WVU with passes. A Houston loss and Dana’s job is in jeopardy. Holgorsen needs to update his resume – West Virginia 27, Houston 25.
Florida (4-2) at South Carolina (2-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Florida was a bad team last year. But the Gators managed to beat South Carolina, 36-6. The Gamecocks will remember that. South Carolina’s offense and defense are not good. In fact, the defense is terrible – giving up 29.4 points a game. The offense is only slightly better. Spencer Rattler has passed for 1,411 yards. Florida’s offense is weak. Graham Mertz has passed for 1,449 yards. The Gators defense, however, is pretty darn good. This contest shapes up to be an interesting battle. Chickens have good memories – South Carolina 26, Florida 24.
Georgia (6-0) at Vanderbilt (2-5) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBS – Here we go again with another boring game for Georgia. Last week it was 51-13 over Kentucky. This week it will be even worse over Vanderbilt. The Dawgs are one of the best in the country on offense – 40.7 points a game. They are good on defense – 13 points a game. Carson Beck has passed for 1,886 yards. Tight end Brock Bowers has 544 yards in receptions. Vanderbilt comes in on a 5-game losing streak. You just can’t say anything good about the Commodores. They are bad on offense and worse on defense. A Dawg Day for Uga – Georgia 52, Vanderbilt 10.
Ohio State (5-0) vs. Purdue (2-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, Peacock – Ohio State’s strength is its defense. The Buckeyes are good in all categories and only giving up 10.2 points a game. Strangely enough, The Buckeyes are good on offense, but not great. They have struggled at times. Quarterback Kyle McCord has passed for 1,375 yards. However, Ohio State’s offense won’t struggle against Purdue. The Boilers are bad on defense – giving up 28 points a game. And they aren’t much, if any, better on offense. Hudson Card has passed for 1,491 yards. That’s about the only good thing you can say about the Purdue offense. The Buckeyes dry up the Boilers – Ohio State 31, Purdue 17.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
UTEP (1-5) at FIU (3-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Wednesday, ESPN2….
Syracuse (4-2) at Florida State (5-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC….
Texas Southern (1-4) at Bethune-Cookman (1-4) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Atlantic (2-3) at South Florida (3-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
West Florida (5-1) at West Alabama – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….
Quotes of the Week
“If budgets won championships, Ohio State and Texas would win everything. And they haven’t won much lately,” Washington athletic director Troy Dannen, knocking Ohio State and Texas.
Touchdown Tom
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