2023-24 College Football: Week 7 Review

The complexion of the PAC-12 was set to change on Sunday, with two of the Top 10 teams in the country battling in Seattle to determine who the heir apparent out West would be. Elsewhere in the country, an old rivalry, the top of the ACC was in for a shake-up, and the top teams in the SEC looked to hold strong with big games incoming. This led to some big upsets, exciting games, and a significant movement in the Top 25. 

Game of the Week- #7 Washington 36, #8 Oregon 33 (Seattle, WA)

The winner of Saturday's battle would be on the inside track to win the PAC-12. With two of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country, the final product was spectacular. No lead was safe. When Oregon scored, Washington wasn't far behind to respond. At the end of the first three quarters, the Huskies had the lead, up by as much as 11 in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Oregon fought back to regain the lead 33-29 with 12:58 left, and their defense was shutting down Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies' offense. One questionable play call allowed Washington back into the game. On 4th & 3 from the Washington 47, the Ducks opted to go for it, and Bo Nix's pass was incomplete, giving Penix Jr. the ball with a short field to work with. In two plays, the Huskies were back in front. Penix Jr. found Rome Odunze in the endzone from 18 yards out to make it 36-33. Oregon had a chance to go down the field with 1:38 left, getting to the Washington 25. Camden Lewis stepped up and missed wide right to give Washington the marquee win. If Penix Jr. wins the Heisman, this could be the game we point to as his Heisman moment. 

Upset of the Week- Stanford 46, Colorado 43 (2OT) (Boulder, CO)

While this game wasn't going to shape the race in the PAC-12, especially after Colorado's conference losses to Oregon and USC, it's still worth talking about how epic their collapse was this week. Colorado led the game 29-0 at halftime, with Travis Hunter lighting up the Cardinal defense in his return. In the second half, Stanford came to life behind touchdown strikes of 97 and 60 yards to Elic Ayomanor. The Cardinal scored 26 unanswered to pull with a touchdown, and even after Colorado stretched the lead to ten, Stanford got a late touchdown and a field goal as time expired to force overtime. Both teams scored in the first over, with Ayomanor making an unbelievable catch to tie the game. After forcing Shedeur Sanders to throw an interception in the endzone, Stanford drilled a 31-yard field goal to complete the largest comeback in school history to shock the Buffaloes. 

Other Notable Games

#21 Notre Dame 48, #10 USC 20 (Notre Dame, IN)

USC had been flirting with trouble for the last two weeks, barely holding on to beat Colorado and needing a huge comeback to beat Arizona in 3OT. Notre Dame was licking its wounds after being handed its second loss in three games against Louisville last week. Three interceptions in the first half by Caleb Williams had the Trojans down 24-6 at the break, and by then, it was way too late. Sam Hartman only threw for 126 yards, but he had two touchdowns, and Audric Estime ran over the USC defense for 95 yards and a pair of scores. 

#15 Oregon State 36, #18 UCLA 24 (Corvallis, OR)

In a battle of teams in the second tier of the PAC-12, the Beavers have placed themselves in an excellent spot to make a move. Right now, they're fourth in the pecking order behind Washington, Oregon, and USC, but as long as they win some big games, they could move up once the other teams beat each other up. Oregon State jumped out to a 13-0 lead and held a 23-10 lead at the break. The Bruins put up a good fight in the second half but couldn't overcome the early deficit as DJ Uiagalelei threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns in a big win for the Beavers. 

#12 North Carolina 41, #25 Miami 31 (Chapel Hill, NC)

The intrigue in this game would've been bigger if Miami hadn't fallen to Georgia Tech, but there was still hope the Hurricanes would give North Carolina a fight. In the first half, they did, leading 17-14 at halftime. The Tar Heels' offense started clicking in the third quarter. Newly-eligible receiver Tez Walker caught his second and third touchdowns of the game during a 21-point quarter for UNC, giving them a 35-17 lead. This lead would be insurmountable for the Hurricanes. They got within ten points, but that's as close as it got as the Tar Heels moved to 6-0. 

Missouri 38, #24 Kentucky 21 (Lexington, KY)

Both teams were looking to rebound from losses the week before but lost in very different ways. Missouri gave LSU a big fight, while Kentucky was left licking its wounds after being throttled by Georgia. Kentucky came out of the gate hot, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter, but Missouri scored 17 unanswered in the second quarter to take a three-point lead at halftime. The Wildcats jumped back ahead 21-20 in the third quarter, setting up a tense final period. The Tigers ran away with the game. Scoring 18 unanswered, they earned a solid conference victory in convincing fashion. 

Pittsburgh 38, #14 Louisville 21 (Pittsburgh, PA)

One week after dominating Notre Dame, Louisville found themselves on the other side of the beating. The Cardinals alternated touchdowns in the first half with Pittsburgh, leading 21-14 at the break. However, the Panthers shut Louisville out in the second half, outscoring them 24-0 to cruise to a win at home. Louisville suffered its first loss overall and in the conference, moving them to 3-1 against ACC competition. 

Arizona 44, #19 Washington State 6 (Pullman, WA)

As much as I'm pulling for Washington State, it was cool to see Arizona get rewarded for its effort against USC last week. After the Cougars opened the scoring, the Wildcats scored 44 unanswered points to rout Washington State on the road. Noah Fifita threw for 342 yards in the win. 

What We Learned About Each Power 5 Conference in Week 7

ACC- 2/3 of The Triangle had a good Saturday. Along with UNC's win over Miami, Duke survived its first test without Riley Leonard, relying on two explosive plays to easily handle NC State 24-3. Three undefeated teams remain, though one is set to earn its first loss next week. Louisville's loss doesn't take them out of it completely, but right now, Florida State and North Carolina are on a collision course with one another. 

Big Ten- Ahead of the first big matchup of the year, the Big Ten East remains top-heavy, with its three favorites cruising to easy wins. In the West, Iowa has emerged as the favorite after beating Wisconsin. Both teams have one loss, so the battle is far from over. Northwestern, Minnesota, and Nebraska also benefit from Iowa's win. While all three have two losses, it keeps them one or two games away from jumping into the top spot. 

Big 12- Oklahoma sits atop the conference as the lone undefeated team after West Virginia lost on a Hail Mary to Houston. The Mountaineers join a quintet of one-loss teams, headlined by Texas. Oklahoma State earned a huge win over Kansas, handing the Jayhawks their second conference loss. Nothing in the Big 12 has been solved yet. They all keep beating each other up. This only benefits the Sooners, who don't show any signs of slowing down.  

SEC- The only interesting thing to happen in the SEC this weekend was Texas A&M and Kentucky losing their second conference games. It likely takes both teams out of contention for a conference title game, though the likelihood of either making it was already slim. Missouri staying in the race in the East is cool, but I don't see them beating Georgia, so it doesn't matter. The West still feels like it'll come down to Alabama and LSU, though Ole Miss is hanging on. 

PAC-12- USC stays atop the conference standings at 4-0, but their loss to Notre Dame could foreshadow their downfall. Washington is the clear frontrunner after beating Oregon, so the Huskies' meeting with the Trojans will either reaffirm that notion or tear it down completely. They have five teams in the Top 15 in the latest AP Poll, four of whom are leaving at the end of the season. The downfall of the PAC-12 has been fun to watch this season. 

 

My Top 25

1. Georgia (7-0, W 37-20 Vanderbilt) (-)

2. Michigan (7-0, W 52-7 Indiana) (-)

3. Florida State (6-0, W 41-3 Syracuse) (+1)

4. Washington (6-0, W 36-33 8 Oregon) (+3)

5. Ohio State (6-0, W 41-7 Purdue) (-2)

6. Oklahoma (6-0, OFF) (-1)

While the Top 2 remain the same, there is a shake-up in the Top 6. Washington's win over Oregon has catapulted them into my College Football Playoff. They push Ohio State and Oklahoma down a spot, putting them on the fringe. Oklahoma has the better win, but Washington has played the tougher schedule. 

7. Penn State (6-0, W 63-0 Massachusetts) (-1)

8. Texas (5-1, OFF) (+2)

9. North Carolina (6-0, W 41-31 25 Miami) (+5)

10. Oregon (5-1, L 36-33 7 Washington) (-2)

Washington's assertion hurts Penn State the most, knocking them out of my Top 6. This weekend, they'll have a chance against Ohio State to make a significant statement. An idle Texas benefitted from the Ducks' loss, jumping two spots. North Carolina gets a big boost after beating Miami. Sitting at 6-0, they are the biggest threat to Florida State but don't meet during the regular season. I didn't fault Oregon much for losing by a field goal to a Top 10 team. 

11. Oregon State (6-1, W 36-24 18 UCLA) (+1)

12. Alabama (6-1, W 24-21 Arkansas) (-1)

13. Ole Miss (5-1, OFF) (-)

Oregon State and Alabama flip-flopped after the Beavers took down a ranked UCLA team, while the Crimson Tide struggled to close out Arkansas at home. Alabama has improved recently, but I'm still not sold on their chances to challenge for the national title. Ole Miss held steady during their week off. 

14. Notre Dame (6-2, W 48-20 10 USC) (+4)

15. Tennessee (5-1, W 20-13 Texas A&M) (+2)

16. Utah (5-1, W 24-14 California) (-)

17. Duke (5-1, W 24-3 NC State) (+2)

Notre Dame can't decide whether they're good or not. After three weeks of struggling against ranked teams, they destroyed USC at home on Saturday. Tennessee returned from their bye week with a tough win over Texas A&M, jumping up two spots. Utah is hanging around behind its amazing defense, while the offense is yet to impress. Duke proved its defense is legit against a struggling NC State team. 

18. USC (6-1, L 48-20 21 Notre Dame) (-9)

19. Missouri (6-1, W 38-21 24 Kentucky (+6)

20. Louisville (6-1, L 38-21 Pittsburgh) (-5)

21. Iowa (6-1, W 15-6 Wisconsin) (+3)

22. LSU (5-2, W 48-18 Auburn) (-)

The clock was ticking on USC's perfect season, and it ended embarrassingly against Notre Dame. Caleb Williams looked mortal, throwing three interceptions in a 28-point loss. They're the biggest fallers of the week. Conversely, Missouri is the biggest riser of the week. It's not that their win over Kentucky was particularly earth-shattering, but it's a nice rebound win. Louisville took a decent tumble, losing on the road to Pittsburgh. This was a bit of a letdown after their win over the Fighting Irish. Iowa moved up three spots, emerging as the top team in the Big Ten West. LSU dismantled Auburn on Saturday, holding steady at #22. 

23. Air Force (6-0, W 34-27 Wyoming) (-)

24. Fresno State (6-1, W 37-32 Utah State) (NR)

25. James Madison (6-0, W 41-13 Georgia Southern) (NR)

The mid-major teams deserve some love, too. Air Force earned its sixth win with a big conference win over Wyoming to remain undefeated. Fresno State is right on the Falcons' heels in the Mountain West, rebounding from their loss a week ago with a tight win over Utah State. James Madison rounds out the Top 25 by sitting at 6-0 atop the Sun Belt. In just their second season in the FBS, the Dukes have made the transition look seamless. 

The Next 5

26. UCLA (4-2, L 36-24 15 Oregon State) (-6)

27. Tulane (5-1, W 31-21 Memphis) (NR)

28. Florida (5-2, W 41-39 South Carolina) (NR) 

29. Washington State (4-2, L 44-6 Arizona) (-8)

30. Clemson (4-2, OFF) (NR)

I don't usually talk about The Next 5, but it's worth mentioning that every team I had here last week (Kentucky, Wyoming, Maryland, Miami, Kansas) all lost this week. UCLA and Washington State both lost this week also, so they find themselves here, along with Tulane, Florida, and Clemson, who benefitted from the other teams losing. 

Week 8 Preview

1. #7 Penn State at #3 Ohio State (Columbus, OH)

This is the first of the three marquee games between the Big Ten East's powerhouses. The loser of this game is likely out of the running for the division crown, with Michigan looming for both later in the schedule. This will be one of the biggest games of the season, with significant playoff implications. 

Prediction- #3 Ohio State 31, #7 Penn State 27

2. #17 Tennessee at #11 Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)

This will be the first big test to see if Alabama is as improved as we think they are. Jalen Milroe has taken good strides in their last few games, but he'll face a tough test against Tennessee. I'd be more concerned about Alabama if this wasn't a home game, but they should be fine. 

Prediction- #11 Alabama 24, #17 Tennessee 20

3. #16 Duke at #4 Florida State (Tallahassee, FL)

If Riley Leonard cannot play in Tallahassee for the Blue Devils, this could be a long game for Duke, even with their amazing defense. The Seminoles have all the momentum in the world, with one of the best quarterbacks in the country. A win would cement them as the top team in the ACC. 

Prediction- #4 Florida State 34, #16 Duke 17

4. #14 Utah at #18 USC (Los Angeles, CA)

Utah had its best offensive output of the season on Saturday, putting up 34 points against California and making up for their loss to Oregon State. USC is 4-0 in conference play but is clearly struggling on defense. If Utah's offense can break out against the Trojans' defense, this could be another big upset. 

Prediction- #18 USC 41, #14 Utah 28

5. Washington State at #9 Oregon (Eugene, OR)

This is a pivotal game for the Ducks after losing to Washington on Saturday. They have a chance to pick on a Washington State team that is struggling. The Cougars have lost two games in a row, and playing in Eugene will be an issue. 

Prediction- #9 Oregon 48, Washington State 21

6. Minnesota at #24 Iowa (Iowa City, IA)

Iowa controls the Big Ten West after their win over Wisconsin. Now, they must defend their status as the frontrunner by ensuring they don't slip up in the final few weeks. It begins with a battle against a Minnesota team looking to keep pace. 

Prediction- #24 Iowa 17, Minnesota 10

7. Oklahoma State at West Virginia (Morgantown, WV)

As both teams sit with one loss in conference play, one team's hopes will be dashed when they meet in Morgantown. The Cowboys earned a huge win against Kansas, while West Virginia was beaten on the final play of the game. The location could be a factor, but I'm riding with the hotter team. 

Prediction- Oklahoma State 30, West Virginia 18

8. #8 Texas at Houston (Houston, TX)

Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns have been sitting on their loss to Oklahoma for the last two weeks. They return to action on Saturday in Houston against a team that just won its first Big 12 in spectacular fashion. If I'm Houston, I'm scared about what could possibly be coming on Saturday. 

Prediction- #8 Texas 40, Houston 28

9. Clemson at Miami (Miami Gardens, FL)

The seasons for Miami and Clemson have been polar opposite stories. Miami started the season 4-0 but has fallen in the last two weeks to start 0-2 in conference play. Clemson lost their first two conference games, though they've recovered to win their last two games. 

Prediction- Clemson 37, Miami 34

10. UTSA at Florida Atlantic (Boca Raton, FL)

The American Athletic Conference has several teams currently undefeated in conference play. UTSA and Florida Atlantic are two of those teams, and they'll meet in Boca Raton to stay a step above the rest of the conference. 

Prediction- UTSA 34, Florida Atlantic 24