Saturday’s college football slate has everything a sports fan could want: two top-10 showdowns, a rivalry that has been circled on calendars since last winter, and a primetime game at altitude with a playoff-sized spotlight. Nine undefeated FBS teams enter Week 7, and a handful of them are about to find out how it feels to be tested. If you are building a Saturday around the couch, the remote and a plate of something questionable, here is the order of operations.
Ohio State at Indiana: The Big Noon Rematch
This is the one that sets the tone for the whole day. No. 4 Ohio State (5-1) heads to Bloomington to face No. 5 Indiana (6-0) in a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, which the Hoosiers won 13-10. Kickoff is at noon ET on Fox. Ohio State is a short road favorite at around 3.5 points on most boards, with a total in the neighborhood of 51, though lines have moved a bit from book to book, so shop around before you lock anything in.
The fun here is the star power. Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith has 916 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season and is the Heisman favorite in several markets, with quarterback Julian Sayin delivering him the ball. Since the loss to Texas, Ohio State has scored 59, 42, 31 and 45 points. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover has 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions through six games, and he has two big-play targets of his own in Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker. The Hoosiers have not exactly cruised, though. They squeezed past Nebraska 20-17 last week after Hoover hit Marsh for a 75-yard score on the first play after a Nebraska touchdown.
Why watch: it is Ryan Day against Curt Cignetti, with the last two national champions sharing a field and a lot of pride on the line. Why it could be a snoozer: the Buckeyes have been dominant in Big Ten play, so if Indiana’s close-call streak finally runs out, this could get lopsided. Our lean is the points with Ohio State, but do not be shocked if this one comes down to a final possession again.
Notre Dame at BYU: Primetime in Provo
When the sun goes down, the spotlight swings to LaVell Edwards Stadium, where No. 2 Notre Dame (6-0) visits No. 8 BYU (5-0) at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The Irish are favored by roughly 10 to 10.5 points, with a total hovering in the high 40s depending on the book. Notre Dame’s only real path to the playoff is the at-large route, so this road trip, plus the November 7 date with Miami, is basically the whole season in two games.
The quarterback duel is the main attraction. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr has 19 total touchdowns against one turnover and the Irish are coming off a 58-7 romp over Stanford where they outgained the Cardinal 598-203. BYU’s Bear Bachmeier had a season-high 329 passing yards and 109 rushing yards against Iowa State, and he has to carry the ground game again with running back LJ Martin out. Both defenses rank among the best in the country at keeping teams out of the end zone, so the points could be harder to come by than the spread suggests.
It is also a rare night where fans of the whole Big 12 get to root for the same thing, since a BYU win lifts the entire conference. Expect a loud crowd, thin air and a real chance for chaos.
Alabama at Tennessee: The Third Saturday in October
Tradition lives on at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. No. 6 Alabama (5-1) travels to Neyland Stadium to face No. 14 Tennessee (5-1), and the winner picks up a major resume boost while the loser takes a second SEC loss. Alabama comes in around a 7.5-point favorite after last week’s 20-17 loss to Georgia, and the Crimson Tide are trying to avoid back-to-back regular season losses for the first time since 2007. Quarterback Keelon Russell leads the SEC in passing yards with 1,599, though star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams is expected to miss the game.
The Volunteers have their own wrinkles. Sophomore George MacIntyre made his first career start last week in a 24-17 win at Arkansas after freshman Faizon Brandon was hurt, and running back DeSean Bishop is the SEC’s second-leading rusher. The Vols have lost four straight home games against ranked opponents, so the cigars will taste a little different whoever wins. An inexperienced quarterback against an angry Alabama team is a combination worth watching closely.
The Rest of the Menu
If you have a second screen, there is plenty more to flip to. No. 1 Georgia, fresh off its win over Alabama, hosts Auburn at 3:30 p.m. ET as a heavy favorite. No. 13 Missouri visits No. 9 Ole Miss in a Rebels home favorite spot with a total near 60, which is the kind of number that suggests fireworks. No. 7 Texas hosts Florida at noon ET, with Arch Manning looking for a clean game after the Red River loss to Oklahoma. In the late window, No. 3 Miami hosts Florida State as a big favorite, and No. 11 Utah and No. 21 Wake Forest close out the night on the West Coast. Every line mentioned here can move before kickoff, so check your sportsbook before you bet.
New to wagering on college football? Our college football betting guide covers the basics, and the NCAAF odds page is the place to compare numbers across books. If you are still learning what a point spread means, our betting odds primer is a quick read between games.
This Week’s Best Bets
Here is where we land on the three marquee games, using the lines available as of Friday. Lines move, so treat these as leans rather than locks.
- Ohio State at Indiana: Ohio State -3.5
- Notre Dame at BYU: Under, with both defenses ranked among the nation’s best
- Alabama at Tennessee: Tennessee +7.5, since a one-score game feels more likely than a rout
Pick a couch, stock up on snacks and set the Big Noon alarm. It is a Saturday built for football fans, and the best entertainment of the day might be in the games nobody sees coming.
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