College football never disappoints. With the season at the half way point there’s still so much unknown. Here is one bold prediction for every top 25 team in Week 7.
See Also: How did the Week 6 bold predictions turn out?
Every week we make one bold prediction for each top 25 team. These are bigger than a good day or a victory on the road, these involve major college football upsets and statement games from the most well-known and least heralded players. And this might have been the best week yet.
There were two Top 10 upsets in Week 6 and we nailed Michigan State’s stunning victory at the big house. As a result, Sparty climbed into the rankings for the first time this season. As if that wasn’t good enough, there was also a great call on Luke Falk‘s emerging Heisman candidacy. Sam Darnold had a great game, as expected and the Auburn Tigers obliterated the Landsharks, errr, Ole Miss Rebels.
And complimenting every good pick, there were more than a few misses some of which were particularly close. West Virginia did not upset TCU, although they came within an offensive pass interference call of making things interesting. Miami hung on to beat Florida State, but it took a last second perfect throw from Canes quarterback Malik Rosier.
As for total whiffs? Mike Riley is still employed, Saquon Barkley had a relatively quiet day and Oklahoma and Iowa State didn’t come close to 100 points, instead the Sooners were upset.
They won’t all be right, but our track record has proven to be pretty close. Here’s one bold prediction for every top 25 team in Week 7.
Bold prediction: Zach Abbey throws two touchdown passes. The Midshipmen have one of the most proficient running attacks in the nation, but their quarterback, Abbey, only has 16 completions this season. He’ll get passing touchdown number six and seven this week.
Bold prediction: Tech gets smoked by West Virginia. Is this the same Texas Tech team that was ready to fire their golden-boy coach a few weeks ago? West Virginia has some beef with how their game against TCU ended and isn’t going to allow the Red Raiders to entertain upset thoughts in Week 7.
Bold prediction: Bryce Love is kept under 100 yards. The Ducks have been trying to tread water following the loss of quarterback Justin Herbert. Royce Freeman will keep the offense going, but it’s the Ducks’ defense that wins the day. Keeping the nation’s leading rusher at bay is no small feat.
Bold prediction: UCF doesn’t have to play four quarters. The Knights played three quarters before weather ended their Week 6 game against Cincinnati. Once again the Knights put the game away way before halftime.
Bold prediction: Michigan State scores a defensive touchdown. The Spartan offense only managed 14 points last week, but that was enough to put away the Michigan Wolverines. Minnesota will pack a bit more of a punch, but it won’t come without a few miscues which a hungry Michigan State defense will capitalize on.
Bold prediction: Pitt doesn’t score a touchdown. The NC State defense did a decent enough job containing Lamar Jackson. When compared to the former Heisman Trophy winner, Max Browne doesn’t seem particularly formidable. The Wolfpack follow up their statement win with a thorough smothering of a hapless Pitt team.
Bold prediction: The Aztecs out-rush the Broncos by 200 yards. San Diego State runs away from Boise State, literally. Rashaad Penny is not getting the attention he has merited on the national stage. He’s no Bryce Love or Saquon Barkley, but Penny is the workhorse for a team with New Year’s Six Bowl aspirations. And he’s just getting started.
Bold prediction: Quinton Flowers is picked off three times. It hasn’t been the senior season that Flowers had been hoping for. He’s averaging a career low completion percentage of 52.9 percent and he hasn’t had really put his mark on 2017, yet. Against UMass, the worst team on his schedule, Flowers lays the biggest egg yet.
Bold prediction: This game hits the over. The Wolverines haven’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut, but enough is enough. Indiana has a better-than-advertised passing game and the Wolverines defense can’t keep everyone down forever. The total on this one is at a staggeringly low 45.5 points. Even John O’Korn can make a dent in that.
Off week
Off Week
Bold prediction: Mason Rudolph catches a touchdown pass. Kenny Hill can’t have all the fun by himself, can he? Rudolph has already gotten the passing and the rushing touchdowns taken care of and he’s not going to let the same TCU quarterback that bested him once before have all the fun. This game will be an easy win for the Pokes, so why not have some fun with it?
Bold prediction: Stephen Carr outrushes Ronald Jones. The Trojans are one of the few teams in he country that gets to enjoy a pair of stud running backs. While Jones might get the press clippings, Carr is no slouch. On less touches against the Utes, Carr proves the USC backfield isn’t just a one man show.
Bold prediction: Double overtime. The Red River rivalry is weird. On paper, the Oklahoma offense should be able to put up a ton of points here. But, on paper, the Sooners shouldn’t have struggled with Iowa State. The annual Oklahoma-Texas showdown won’t disappoint.
Off week
Bold prediction: LSU leads at half time. The Tigers from Baton Rouge aren’t going to win this game. They won’t even come close, but they will come just close enough to have hope that is snatched away by the arm of Jarrett Stidham. The Auburn Tigers strike early and often in the second half to put LSU out of reach before the third quarter is through,.
Bold prediction: J.T. Barrett starts to gain some Heisman momentum. After a disappointing performance against Oklahoma there were people calling for Barrett’s job. Since then Barrett hasn’t failed to score at least three touchdowns and topped out at five scores against UNLV. He gets in the endzone six times against Nebraska and the nation starts to take notice again.
Bold prediction: Mike Leach starts to pop up in coaching rumors. There’s already been one Power 5 that has come open, Oregon State. Each fan base will go through the usual list of names they can’t get, but eventually they’ll have to settle for “reasonable” options. Leach has done a heck of a job at Wazzu and it’s going to lead to at least a few phone calls.
Bold prediction: Johnathan Taylor goes over 200 yards, again. Ron Dayne and Johnathan Taylor are the only two Wisconsin freshman with multiple 200 yard games. That’s a lot, but why stop there? Taylor runs wild past an overmatched Purdue squad that becomes the latest in the long line of teams to fall to the Badgers.
Bold prediction: Kansas State gets blown out. This game opened as a pick’em. Seriously? Bill Snyder is an incredible coach, but he doesn’t have enough hocus pocus to beat a TCU team that has proven it belongs in the College Football Playoff conversation. The Frogs have some work to do before they crack the top four, but an upset won’t befall them this week.
Bold prediction: Arizona State takes a two touchdown lead early. Oregon isn’t having a banner year, but they’re a competent football team. They learned the hard way the Sun Devils can’t be taken lightly at home. ASU isn’t good enough to upset the Huskies, but they are going to give them a scare that forces Jake Browning to step up in a big way.
Bold prediction: Three Georgia running backs score twice. Missouri can’t stop anyone. Nick Chubb is going to have a field day. Sony Michel will have a breakout performance, as will freshman D’Andre Swift. Six touchdowns between the three, and it could be more.
Off Week
Bold prediction: Kelly Bryant rushes for 100 yards and throws for 300 yards. The depth on the Clemson offense is staggering. They don’t have an obvious weakness, and that’s somewhat obscured just how good Bryant has been all season. Yet another big game against Syracuse is in store for the leader of the ACC’s greatest championship contender.
Bold prediction: The Tide roll Arkansas by 60 points. The Aggies of Texas A&M had somewhere around a six percent change of taking down the Tide and they hung closer than everyone expected. This week, at home, Nick Saban puts to bed any lingering concerns that Alabama might have been exposed. The Crimson Tide are the real deal and Bret Bielema is the unsuspecting chump caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Next: Latest NFL 1st Round Mock Draft after Week 6
Well there you have it. We’re set for one more week of unpredictability. Week 7 doesn’t feature a single matchup of ranked teams, but that doesn’t mean the drama will be any less. There’s going to be a wild finish or two, but who has enough to pull off the upset doesn’t seem clear, not yet.