What To Watch For In Week 7 Of The 2022 College Football Season
Saturday’s slate of college football games is historic, as – according to ESPN’s Chris Fallica – it marks just the second day in college football history with three matchups between teams with 5-0 or better records.
The only other instance came on Oct. 16, 1993, when No. 1 Florida State beat No. 15 Virginia, 40-14, No. 6 Nebraska beat Kansas State, 45-28, and No. 19 Auburn beat No. 4 Florida, 38-35.
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There are three additional games between ranked opponents this weekend, so grab for favorite cold beverage, kick back and enjoy the afternoon. Here’s what to watch for in Week 7 of the 2022 college football season:
No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan - 12 p.m. on FOX
Penn State heads to Ann Arbor with a pair of road victories under its belt, including a last-minute win at Purdue in Week 1 and blowout of Auburn in Week 3. The Nittany Lions’ defense has forced 11 turnovers this season and allowed just 79.6 yards per game on the ground, good for fifth nationally.
Michigan, meanwhile, is off to its second consecutive 6-0 start, something the Wolverines haven’t accomplished since Bo Schembechler was the head coach in 1976-77. They’re led by running back Blake Corum, who has rushed for 735 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. His performance will be key on Saturday.
No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee - 3:30 p.m. on CBS
Alabama has won 15 straight games against Tennessee, but enters Saturday’s game with a question mark at quarterback as reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young continues to deal with a shoulder injury that kept him out of the narrow win over Texas A&M. The Tide will need backup Jalen Milroe to play much better than he did against the Aggies (two fumbles, one interception) to escape Knoxville with a win.
There’s never been a better time for the Volunteers to get the elephant off their back, meanwhile, as they come into the game with one of the nation’s best offenses, led by Heisman hopeful Hendon Hooker, who has throw for 1,432 yards and 10 touchdowns with zero interceptions this season. A win here would put Tennessee in the thick of the College Football Playoff race.
No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU - 3:30 p.m. on ABC
After falling just one play short of the Big XII title last season, Oklahoma State appears on track for redemption this fall. The Cowboys average 45.2 points per game, good for fourth nationally, and are one of just two teams in the country that has won every game this year by double digits, joining Ohio State.
TCU, meanwhile, is third in the county in scoring at 46.4 points per game and has only trailed for a little more than 16 minutes this season. First-year head coach Sonny Dykes has quarterback Max Duggan playing the best football of his career (1,305 yards and 14 touchdowns with one interception), and Saturday’s game could be an old-fashioned Big XII shootout.
No. 15 N.C. State at No. 18 Syracuse - 3:30 p.m. on ACCN
There’s a bit of uncertainty for N.C. State after quarterback Devin Leary left last week’s 19-17 win over Florida State with a shoulder injury. Jack Chambers, a graduate transfer from Charleston Southern, led the Wolfpack on three second-half scoring drives to squeeze out the victory, but he threw just one pass and will need to do more than on Saturday.
Syracuse, on the other hand, is off to its first 5-0 start since 1987 and a win over N.C. State will give the Orange their first-ever 3-0 start in the ACC. It would also set up a matchup next weekend with undefeated Clemson (assuming the Tigers beat the Seminoles later in the day) with first place in the Atlantic Division on the line.
No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 Kentucky - 7:30 p.m. on SECN
Mississippi State heads into Saturday’s game as winners of three straight, including blowout victories over Bowling Green, Texas A&M and Arkansas. The Bulldogs are led by quarterback Will Rogers, who threw for 395 yards and three touchdowns against the Razorbacks to earn SEC co-offensive player of the week honors.
Kentucky, meanwhile, was without starting quarterback Will Levis (foot) during last week’s loss to South Carolina. He’s expected to play on Saturday, a welcome sign after freshman Kaiya Sheron threw an interception and was sacked six times in his debut as the Wildcats lost their second straight game after climbing all the way to No. 7 in the polls.
No. 7 USC at No. 20 Utah - 8 p.m. on FOX
USC is 6-0 for the first time since 2006, when former head coach Pete Carroll led the program to a victory in the Rose Bowl. Despite that, the Trojans are a 3.5-point underdog on the road at Utah, which has lost two games this season, including trips to Florida and UCLA.
If the Utes drop this game, their chances of winning a second straight Pac-12 title are slim. Playing at home, where they’ve won 11 straight and 22 of their last 23 games, could be a difference maker, though, as USC struggled in its first road game of the season, a three-point victory at Oregon State in Week 4.
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