Gridiron Giants Collide: The can't-miss college football games of Week 7

• All-Time Series: Series Tied 3-3
• Last Meeting: Iowa won 38-18 (1995 Sun Bowl)
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa

Washington and Iowa will meet on the field for the first time in nearly 30 years this Saturday. This will be just the fourth regular season matchup between the two schools. The Hawkeyes host the Huskies for the first time since 1964. This is the first time these two teams meet as Big Ten rivals. Washington is entering this contest with a 2-1 mark in conference plays while Iowa is 1-1 in the Big Ten.

For the representatives of the Pacific Northwest, they upset No. 10 Michigan, 27-17. In the tightly contested contest, Washington trailed 17-14 at the end of the third quarter. However, the Huskies would pull and run away with 13 unanswered points in the final period. The offense gained 429 yards of total offense.

Most of that came from the arm of Will Rogers, who threw for 271 yards and two scores. Defensively, Washington continued to make Michigan's passing game look below average, despite a change to Jack Tuttle at QB. The Wolverines only accumulated 113 passing yards. The Husky defense picked off Tuttle once and recovered a fumble of his. Michigan went 4-for-12 on third-down efficiency.

Meanwhile, Iowa is looking to bounce back from a frustrating 35-7 loss to No. 3 Ohio State. As the score indicates, nothing went right for Iowa. The Hawkeyes committed three turnovers. Two of them were fumbles and Cade McNamara threw an interception. He had under 100 passing yards. The running game was held to 115 yards on the ground.

Ohio State reached the 200-yard plateau through the air and the ground. The Hawkeye defense allowed 7.8 yards per completion. The Buckeyes moved the chains 63 percent of the time and led time of possession by nearly 10 minutes. Iowa failed to generate a pass rush, only sacking Will Howard only once.

Keys To The Game

Washington has one of the most potent passing attacks in the country. The man leading the charge is quarterback Will Rogers, He's been one of the best passes in the Big Ten and the nation, as he's thrown for 1,625 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only one pick. His top two targets are Denzel Boston and Giles Jackson. The duo has combined for 73 catches, 971 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.

UW's aerial game averages 299 passing yards per game. Iowa's defense is in the top 25 in total yards. However, they are susceptible to the pass, giving up 210 yards per game. When the Huskies have the ball, they should challenge the Hawkeye secondary. This is their defense's biggest weakness.

If Iowa wants to win at home, they need to stick to their identity. The Hawkeyes' biggest strength on offense involves their running game. Iowa ranks fifth in the country in run offense, churning out an average of 223 yards per game. Iowa also averages 5.7 yards per carry, good enough for 12th in the nation. Their top back is Kaleb Johnson, who already has nearly 800 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Washington's biggest weakness on defense is stopping the run, as they give up 130.5 yards per game. The game plan should be simple. If Iowa focuses on running the ball and controlling the clock, they'll keep Will Rogers and his dynamic passing attack off the field. Wear them down and pound away.

• All-Time Series: USC leads 6-4
• Last Meeting: USC won 52-49 (2017 Rose Bowl)
• Location: United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California

No. 4 Penn State and USC will meet for the first time since their memorable encounter in the 2017 Rose Bowl. For the first time, these two teams will meet as Big Ten Conference foes. Up to this point, Penn State is one of four teams in the Big Ten with an unblemished conference record, as they stand at 2-0.

Meanwhile, USC has played three conference games and is 1-2 in them. The Trojans will look to gain some closure in the Big Ten standings. USC hosts Penn State for the first time since 1991.

Last week, the visiting Nittany Lions dominated mediocre UCLA, 27-11. Quarterback Drew Allar completed 17 of 24 pass attempts. He threw for 237 yards and a touchdown. He committed no turnovers and ran for another touchdown. Penn State was efficient on third downs, converting seven of 12 opportunities. Defensively, PSU took advantage of playing a weak UCLA offense. The Bruins only mustered 93 rushing yards and were 6-for-15 on third-down efficiency.

Meanwhile, the hosting USC Trojans are looking to redeem themselves. Last week, they suffered a humiliating loss to unranked Minnesota. The 24-17 loss knocked USC out of the national polls after ranking 11th.

Heralded quarterback Miller Moss threw two fourth-quarter interceptions and tailback Quinten Joyner lost a fumble. Despite Minnesota being porous in third-down situations, two fourth-quarter touchdowns sealed sealed the upset for the Gophers. Max Brosmer snuck in the game-winning score from a yard out with 56 seconds left.

Keys To The Game

USC has a great running back in Woody Marks and another solid compliment, Quinten Joyner. The duo has combined for 680 yards and six touchdowns. USC's bread and butter will revolve around throwing the ball. However, USC will establish the run game at some point.

Penn State has one of the best defensive fronts in the nation. USC struggled to keep Minnesota out of the backfield last week. A reason for Miller's two picks was due to the consistent pressure that he faced. Along with the sack, USC also gave up 2 more TFLs. Penn State has 13 sacks on the year. They rank 11th in pass defense and second in yards allowed. Be aggressive and get after Moss and the back early.

As mentioned earlier, USC's game plan on offense revolves around the pass. They rank 20th in the nation in passing offense, averaging 292.8 yards per contest. However, as far as the contribution is concerned, several of USC's better targets have yet to go off. Zachariah Branch does tie with Ja'Kobi Lane for the team-high in catches with 21. However, he still has yet to find the endzone.

He also has just three catches of 20 or more yards. Woody Marks, who's capable as a pass catcher does have 19 catches but only averages 7.6 yards per reception. Kyron Hudson also doesn't have a receiving touchdown yet. The aerial attack has flourished but needs more production from everybody. It'll be nice to get everyone involved consistently to keep Penn State's coverage on it' heels.

• All-Time Series: Texas leads 63-51-5
• Last Meeting: Oklahoma won 34-30 (2023)
• Location: Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas

Ah, yes. It's time for another edition of the legendary Red River Rivalry. This is the first time Texas and Oklahoma will meet as SEC teams. Texas comes into the game having played only one SEC league game. That was a win over Mississippi State.

Oklahoma has played two SEC games and is 1-1 in league play. The Longhorns look to remain at the top of the SEC standing and get payback after losing to OU last year. Quinn Ewers is expected to return as Texas' starting quarterback.

As mentioned, Texas' only SEC action up to this point was against lowly Mississippi State. That was two weeks ago and the Longhorns easily dispatched the Bulldogs, 35-13. In that game, Arch Manning started as Ewers was hurt. He threw for 324 yards on near-perfect efficiency. He also tossed two scores.

Sophomore wideout DeAndre Moore Jr shined. The Anaheim native caught four balls for 103 yards and both of Manning's touchdown throws. Despite 2 turnovers, Texas never had trouble. Defensively they notched six sacks and recovered a fumble.

Oklahoma is coming off a bye week as well. Two weeks ago, the Sooners defeated a mediocre Auburn team by a 27-21 score. The Tigers choked, having blown a 21-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Their offense continued to struggle. They were 3-of-11 on third-down efficiency. The team committed ten penalties for 78 yards. The defense recorded four sacks. They also recorded a pick-six off of Payton Throne that was one of the notable plays in Oklahoma's comeback.

Keys To The Game

Texas has arguably the best offensive line in the country. They need to use that to their advantage in this contest. As mentioned above, Quinn Ewers will get his first start in over a month. With that being said, they shouldn't rush and have him throw the ball a lot. The Longhorns have a capable running game as they rank 37th in the nation, averaging 191.4 yards per game.

Oklahoma's run defense ranks 27th, but they've given up 140 or more yards in each of their last two contests. Texas has a good trio of tailbacks to use in their rotation. Jaydon Blue, Jerrick Gibson, and Quintrevion Wisner have combined for 625 yards and eight touchdowns. Each averages at or just below five yards per carry. Give them several touches early and let that front five make room. Wear Oklahoma down in the trenches.

Oklahoma has been bailed out multiple times by their defense. Despite their 4-1 mark, the Sooner offense has been abysmal. They rank 121st in the nation in total offense, as they only average 297.8 yards per game. OU has only thrown for 846 yards, which ranks 119th. Their running game is even worse. The ground game only averages 128.6 yards per game, which ranks 100th.

They've gone off to several slow starts and they didn't look much better last week, despite the change to go with Michael Hawkins Jr. They need to get a spark offensively. It will be difficult against this stout Texas defense. However, they do have the talent to get things going. Just have more production when having the ball. If they can put together an early drive, it could do wonders for them.

• All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 9-1
• Last Meeting: Oregon won 35-28 (2021)
• Location: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon

The biggest matchup of the week takes place in Eugene, as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host No. 2 Ohio State. Ohio State won the first nine meetings between the two schools before Oregon finally pulled through three years ago. Now, the Ducks look to win for the second straight time as they host the Buckeyes for the first time since 1967. This game will have major implications for the Big Ten race and the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State is looking to stay undefeated after destroying Iowa, 35-7. They dominated from the opening kickoff, scoring all their point before Iowa struck to avoid a shutout. The Buckeyes limited Iowa to 225 yards of total offense. They forced three turnovers and the unit notched four sacks.

Signal-caller Will Howard had a near-flawless performance. He threw for 209 yards and four touchdowns. He had only four incompletions and threw a pick. Emeka Egbuka caught 3 touchdowns.

Oregon is coming off a blowout win of their own. Against Michigan State, the Ducks eased their way to a 31-10 victory. It was the same story. They scored all their points before the opposition got on the board. The defense led the way too. They limited the Spartans to 244 yards of offense. Only 53 of those came on the ground. MSU was for 2-for-11 on third-down efficiency. Oregon had nearly 500 yards of total offense. The Ducks averaged 5.8 yards per carry and Dillon Gabriel threw for 257 yards and two scores.

Keys To The Game

This might seem small, especially since this is Ohio State we're talking about here. However, this needs to be taken care of. The Buckeyes haven't traveled to the West Coast in a long time. It's been 11 years. The last time was in 2013 against Cal in Berkeley.

Teams struggling with time zone differences have been a consistent theme in the Big Ten. Teams traveling multiple time zones on the road have lost eight of nine games. The only exception was when Indiana beat UCLA in week three. If Ohio State wins in a tough environment is because they adjusted well.

Oregon has already had stark ups and downs through five games of the season. Everybody saw them struggle against Idaho and Boise State. The, they've rattled off three straight blowout wins in a row. That's made people forget that Oregon has been horrendous in the turnover battle all year.

The Ducks have a minus-1 in turnover margin. Dillon Gabriel wasted three red zone opportunities with an interception in the last two games. A mistake or two could lead to a loss. It's simple. Just take care of the ball.

• All-Time Series: LSU wins 65-42-4
• Last Matchup: Ole Miss won 55-49(2023)
• Location: Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

While Ohio State's battle against Oregon highlights the evening portion of the slate, there is an alternative if you're looking for one. In the SEC, No. 9 Ole Miss travels to Tiger Stadium to play the No. 13 LSU Tigers. LSU is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of their historic and enchanted domain. Ole Miss has played two SEC games, going 1-1. LSU's only SEC tilt was a win over South Carolina in mid-September.

Ole Miss is in Baton Rouge, still feeling the pain of their upset loss to Kentucky a few weeks back. They did redeem themselves last week against South Carolina. In the 27-3 win, the Rebels racked up 425 yards of total offense.

Even though he didn't throw a touchdown, Jaxson Dart had a good showing, completing 14 of 27 passes for 285 yards. He didn't put the ball in harm's way. Henry Parrish rushed for 81 yards on 21 touches and scored a touchdown. South Carolina committed two turnovers and LaNorris Sellers was sacked six times. Ole Miss forced two turnovers.

LSU is coming off a bye week. However, before that, they blew out South Alabama, 42-10. LSU's offense exploded as they nearly reached 700 total yards. Grant Nussmeier had his best game of the season. He threw for 409 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 67 percent of his throws. Running back Caden Durham, rushed for 128 yards and a score on just seven carries. The defense sacked Gio Lopez three times and held South Alabama to 29 percent of third down conversions.

Keys To The Game

Ole Miss's aerial attack is among the elite in college football. They have the second-ranked passing game in the country, averaging 372.8 yards per game. Tre Harris is one of the most utilized receivers in college football. He has 52 catches, 885 yards, and five touchdowns on his stat line. Antwane Wells Jr also has four touchdowns.

The top five pass catchers on Ole Miss average at least 15 yards per catch. Brian Kelly spent much of this past offseason trying to upgrade LSU's defense. There have been some improvements. However, the Tigers still struggle against the pass. LSU gives up an average of 236.4 yards per game, through the air. That ranks 93rd in the country and last in the SEC. Ole Miss should throw early and often. The Tigers will have trouble if Ole Miss sticks to their game plan.

LSU has struggled at times on offense. While they rank 16th in total yardage, there have been times when they've looked off, especially when throwing. While LSU has only allowed two sacks so far, Garrett Nussmeier has faced pressure at times throughout the season.

The pass rush of Ole Miss will be the front five's biggest test. Ole Miss leads the nation in sacks, as they've racked up 24 of them. The Tigers have to find a way to fend off the Rebels' pass-rushing surge. If they prevent them from getting to Nussmeier, LSU will have a better chance to put up points.

• All-Time Series: Colorado leads 45-20-1
• Last Meeting: Colorado won 44-36(2010)
• Location: Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado

Do you want a great excuse to stay up until the early hours of the morning? Well, you have one right here. No. 18 Kansas State travels to Boulder and will take on the Colorado Buffaloes. Both teams have played two Big 12 Conference games. Kansas State has a 1-1 record in conference play while Colorado is 2-0. These schools will play each other for the first time since 2010 as Colorado is back in their original home after flopping in the PAC-12. Both teams are coming off bye weeks.

Kansas State blew out No. 20 Oklahoma State two weeks ago. In the 42-20 victory, K-State had a 21-13 halftime lead before taking over the game in the second half.

Despite struggles on third down, the Wildcats racked up 559 yards of total offense. The ground game, led by junior DJ Giddens, rushed for 187 of K-State's 300 rushing yards. Avery Johnson threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns. The defense forced three turnovers.

Colorado enjoyed a rout of their win two weeks ago. Against UCF, Shedeur Sanders threw for nearly 300 yards and three scores. Miraculously, he only got brought down twice. By the early stages of the third quarter, the Buffaloes had a comfortable 20-point cushion. The defense shut down UCF's best offensive player, RJ Harvey, to just 80 rushing yards on 16 carries. The unit also forced four turnovers.

Keys To The Game

Colorado lives and dies by the pass. They have one of the most dynamic aerial attacks in the country. The two biggest traits that make the Buffaloes show go are athleticism and speed. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are the two biggest examples of that.

The offense is predicated on that. Neutralizing that and trying to stop it will be difficult. KSU has given up 244.2 passing yards per game. However, if the Wildcats can slow that down and lock onto Colorado's great receivers, they will limit the Buffaloes' chances for big plays. If they eliminate that, K-State would already be in a great position to win.

Colorado's issues along the offensive line have been well-documented. The front five has looked better. However, the overall numbers still show tons of work needs to be done. As of now, the offensive line of the Buffaloes has given up 18 sacks. That ranks 125th in the nation.

While Kansas State's pass rush isn't the greatest strength of their team, it's still effective. KSU ranks 39th in the nation with 12 sacks. The line has to protect their star quarterback. If they do, everything else will take care of itself.

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