Eight college football programs under the most pressure in Week 7

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) walks out of the tunnel with Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner (5) before a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Week 7 college football slate is an interesting one as seven ranked teams are playing on the road (or at a neutral site) against lower-ranked or unranked opponents.

In other words, prime upset potential.

On top of that, both the Big Ten and SEC have marquee matchups in the spotlight, as usual, and many teams are facing a pivotal juncture of their season in general.

This is when the college football season really starts getting good.

With that said, these are the teams facing the most pressure this weekend.

RELATED: Big Ten power rankings for Week 7 | SEC power rankings for Week 7

1. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns are becoming a weekly staple on this list, but now their backs are really against the wall after the loss at Florida last week.

Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC) has tumbled from a preseason No. 1 national ranking to out of the AP top 25 entirely, and if it is going to have any chance at the lofty goals it came into the fall with then it has to start Saturday with an upset of No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0) in the Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Despite the gulf in season resume between the two programs, Oklahoma is just a 1.5-point favorite, even with quarterback John Mateer being upgraded to probable as he looks to return from a broken bone in his throwing hand.

Of course, everything for Texas hinges on whether quarterback Arch Manning can bounce back from his rough start to the season and quell questions about whether he is a five-star bust. If Manning struggles again and the Longhorns lose, coach Steve Sarkisian is going to be saddled with the reality that he let a season of great potential sink on the inability to properly assess Manning's readiness for the stage or to coach him to his potential.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar (15) react after losing to the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

Similar to Texas, Penn State went from No. 2 in the preseason polls to entirely out of the rankings following back-to-back losses to Oregon and the stunning upset defeat at previously-winless UCLA last week.

To say the pressure is on coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) would be an understatement.

On paper, their home game vs. Northwestern (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday should be the perfect get-right game. The Nittany Lions are 21.5-point favorites against a Wildcats team that secured its only Power Four win so far against UCLA.

But Penn State needs not only a win but the style points as well -- something to reinspire its fans that this season isn't totally lost.

Florida State Seminoles defensive back Earl Little Jr. reacts after a stop during the first half against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

3. Florida State Seminoles

That season-opening win over Alabama sure does seem like a long time ago now for Florida State.

The No. 25-ranked Seminoles (3-2, 0-2 ACC) are clinging to the back end of the national rankings and to the perception that they are a nationally relevant team after back-to-back losses to Virginia and Miami.

Florida State hosts Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday, and the Panthers are looking suddenly formidable with a change at quarterback. Freshman Mason Heintschel replaced struggling Eli Holstein and promptly passed for 323 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in a 48-7 win over Boston College last week. That snapped a two-game losing streak to open ACC play.

So the Seminoles may be 10.5-point favorites in this matchup, but Pitt could be a prime upset threat with its newfound momentum.

Florida State really can't afford another loss if it wants to maintain any hope for an ACC championship (let alone bigger goals).

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables during the first half of an NCAA football game between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Kent State Golden Flashes at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. | NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

4. Oklahoma Sooners

The other side of the Red River Shootout ...

Oklahoma has plenty of pressure of its own entering this rivalry clash with Texas. The No. 6-ranked Sooners are undefeated and in the thick of both the SEC race and national championship hunt, but coach Brent Venables has just one winning season in his three years with the program and is in a pivotal prove-it year after a 6-7 finish in 2024.

He needs this to be a great -- not just good -- season, and it's hard to see that happening if the Sooners can't beat a reeling Texas team and its overwhelmed QB. Especially with games against ranked Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU still to come. The Sooners have one of the toughest closing schedules in the country; this is almost a must-win, considering what is still to come.

Venables is also 1-2 against Texas in his three seasons with two blowout losses.

The pressure is certainly on Oklahoma and its head coach Saturday.

LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly reacts during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

5. LSU Tigers

No. 11-ranked LSU had a bye last week to regroup after its loss at Ole Miss and try to find answers for its slumping offense.

Outside of whipping up on Southeastern Louisiana, the Tigers have averaged a tick less than 20 points per game. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was supposed to be a top Heisman Trophy candidate, but he's been so pedestrian (7 TDs and 3 INTs in five games) that reporters have asked if he's playing through an unannounced injury.

If LSU (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) is going to stay in the SEC championship hunt, it needs to win Saturday at home vs. South Carolina (3-2, 1-2). The Tigers are 9.5-point favorites.

Michigan State Spartans quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) celebrates after a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium. Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

6. Michigan State Spartans

It seems the Michigan State fan base is losing patience with second-year head coach Jonathan Smith after a 5-7 finish last year and now back-to-back losses by double-digits to USC and Nebraska to open Big Ten play.

The Spartans (3-2, 0-2) host UCLA (1-4, 1-1) on Saturday in what would seem to be one of the most favorable games on the schedule, but the Bruins are coming off that momentous upset win over Penn State last week that showed they can't be overlooked and may be playing with renewed confidence or motivation following the firing of coach DeShaun Foster last month.

If the Spartans drop a third straight game to open conference play -- as 7.5-point favorites at home -- the noise about Smith's future is really going to amplify.

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

7. USC Trojans

If coach Lincoln Riley wants to show that USC is on the rise in his fourth year with the program -- after disappointing finishes the last two years -- then these are the games the Trojans need to win, plain and simple.

USC (4-1, 2-1 Big Ten) hosts No. 15 Michigan (4-1, 2-0) on Saturday as 2.5-point favorites despite being unranked. The Trojans have had two weeks to prepare for the Wolverines and a game that will help define their season -- for better or worse.

USC went 4-5 in the Big Ten last year without a signature win in its debut in the conference. The Trojans let one slip away on the road at Michigan in a 27-24 loss that seemed to send their season off the tracks after a strong start.

This year, the Trojans took a similarly painful loss at Illinois, 34-32, on a field goal in the final seconds. For USC to be taken seriously as a contender in the Big Ten, it has to start winning these kinds of games.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

8. Indiana Hoosiers

Truthfully, Indiana doesn't deserve to be on this list -- but it is anyway.

The national perception of the Hoosiers remains one of skepticism despite an 11-2 record and CFP appearance last year and a 5-0 start this season with a 63-10 statement win over an Illinois team that was ranked in the top 10 at the time. That's because Indiana football has been irrelevant nationally for so long until Curt Cignetti arrived last year.

Which is all to say that if No. 7 Indiana loses lopsidedly at No. 3 Oregon on Saturday -- in the game of the week in college football -- many will be quick to dismiss the Hoosiers and all they've accomplished. That was even the case last year when they were perceived to have benefitted from an easy schedule while losing their toughest regular-season challenge to Ohio State.

Whether Indiana wins or loses this week, it will remain squarely in the Big Ten championship hunt and CFP discussion. However, how the Hoosiers are viewed and valued hinges greatly on their performance in a daunting matchup against the unbeaten Ducks (5-0, 2-0), who are 7.5-point favorites.