Now into week 7, we have a pretty good idea about who we should pay attention to and who we should just keep an eye on as they fade into the darkness. There aren't a lot of great games this week, so I've totally cut out the 9 am slot, just sleep in, it's a good idea this Saturday.
12:30 pm slot
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide (-13.5) @ #9 Tennessee Volunteers CBS
This game doesn't need a lot of hype. It's a SEC rivalry game and it just so happens to be Alabama's biggest road test of the season to date. Neyland Stadium will be rocking for this game since this is the first time Tennessee has the talent to really compete with Alabama in several years. The experts have Alabama as a two touchdown favorite and that's probably because Tennessee comes in a little undermanned in this one after so many crazy games. Tennessee finally dropped one of those games of the year last week in College Station and if they lose this game they'll lose control over their own destiny in SEC East and will need Florida to lose another game in order to get to Atlanta. There's a good chance that these two teams will play again in Atlanta but it should be a great one. One thing to consider is that Tennessee has highest turnover margin against FBS opponents and unfortunately for them, Alabama's defense feasts on turnovers. Another problem for Tennessee is that their offensive line is a clear mismatch against Alabama's vicious front, and if that's the case, it could be a long day for Josh Dobbs. Alabama's freshman QB Jalen Hurts had a huge game against Arkansas last week, we'll see if that continues against a much more talented defense this week.
My Prediction: Alabama covers.
Backup: North Carolina Tar Heels @ #16 Miami Hurricanes (-6.5) ABC/ESPN2
Miami lost to their rivals FSU on a blocked extra point last week, let's see how good the Canes really are as they welcome UNC to the 305. UNC fell out of the top 25 last week after getting blown out by Virginia Tech at home in a monsoon game at the hands of Hurricane Matthew. This came the week after UNC pulled off a huge upset at FSU on a game-winning field goal. I think last week's game was a fluke and I think UNC has a great shot to pull off the upset over the Canes. Either way, it should be a pretty solid game to find out more about both teams.
My Prediction: North Carolina wins outright.
Primetime Slot
5 pm
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-11.0) @ #8 Wisconsin Badgers ABC
I've been hammering Wisconsin saying that they really aren't that good. And so far, they've been hanging in there, with the exception of a low scoring loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor. Now they have a chance to make me look foolish as they host the Baby Buckeyes in Madison. So far, the Baby Buckeyes have looked quite impressive in just about every game they play, and they have JT Barrett at the helm who continues to put up gaudy numbers. This could very well be a boring defensive slugfest and if that's the case switch onto the backup.
My pick: Ohio State covers because they don't lose on the road.
4 pm: Backup: #12 Ole Miss Rebels (-7.5) @ #22 Arkansas Razorbacks ESPN
This is a solid alternative, on the other side you have a game that could be a boring defensive slugfest and on this side, you have a battle between two of the best gunslingers in the SEC in Chad Kelly and Austin Allen going at it. I would start with this game at 4 pm and then if the game is solid, stick with it until the end and then once the game is over you can catch the end of Wisconsin/Ohio State if that's not a blowout. Both of these teams have two losses on the year and each of them have lost to Alabama, it's not easy playing Alabama every year. Ole Miss is coming off of a bye week, and it happened to be an eventful one where Chad "Swag" Kelly ran onto a high school field to defend his brother, it's not the first time Chad Kelly has done something dumb and it will never be the last.
My Prediction: Arkansas with the points.
Pac-12 After Dark
7:30 pm
UCLA Bruins @ Washington State Cougars (-7.5)
Before the season started, this game was expected to be a lot more important, but as it stands now, it just looks like an entertaining game and that's really all it is. With that said, it's definitely a must win for both schools, with cross-state rival Washington rampaging on all Pac-12 schools, Washington State needs to win out going into the Apple Cup game in order to have a chance to steal the Pac-12 North crown. UCLA on the other hand, needs a win to stay in the hunt of the dumpster fire known as the Pac-12 South. One thing to keep in mind is that the game is in Pullman, Washington and now that this game is in the middle of October, there's a possibility of some bad weather. In the past, Pullman has known to be a tough place to play and we'll see if that is the case in this game. One last thing, UCLA's quarterback Josh Rosen (who's a guy that the NFL scouts are drooling over) is questionable for this game, if he can't go that takes the luster out of this game. With Rosen, this is a game featuring two of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12 with him and Luke Falk. We'll see if some Pac-12 After Dark craziness takes over, but it should be a solid way to end the day.
My Prediction: Washington State covers.
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