College football Week 7 schedule: Kickoff times, TV channels

Just the second full week in October you say? Never mind that success in college football is fleeting. Florida State and Clemson play each other on November 7 and Florida State is at Florida Thanksgiving weekend.

Later Saturday afternoon, #10 Alabama travels to College Station to meet #9 Texas A&M. Unfortunately for a few teams, judgement week has come early this year. FPI favors Stanford in each of its remaining games, but gives UCLA less than 50 percent chance to beat Stanford, Utah and USC. The Pac-12 is perhaps the most uncertain conference now because its reigning king, Oregon, is suffering an identity crisis, and the current favorite, Utah, is the newest, and least blue-chip member. Defense favors the Cardinal over UCLA freshman quarterback Josh Rosen. Final Score: Stanford 29, UCLA 27.

The Wolverines allowed 24 points in their opener at still-undefeated Utah – so, that loss doesn’t look bad at all – but have given up just 14 points since, including a 38-0 dismantling of Northwestern last Saturday. They hate us. They want us to lose, all the time, every game.

Boston College (+15) over CLEMSON: The Clemsoning cliché is on life support, following wins in two of its toughest games of the season. They lost a coach who literally was drunk during the last game (wish him the best because addiction is terrible) and they’ve got a new guy to be the interim.

No. 8 Florida (6-0) did not play. Next game vs. Michigan State.

The Rockets’ biggest win of the season – a Week 2 win over then-No. Michigan State doesn’t play Northwestern, and the win over Oregon has since been devalued, so the Spartans have little margin for error.

No. 17 Iowa at No. 20 Northwestern, noon, ABC: I am a vehement defender of the head-to-head win, because in college football, it’s so rare that we get those to compare teams in different conferences, that I feel they’re incredibly important.

The Spartans however come into Saturday with a less encouraging narrative. Michigan State, it’s time to show you’re for real. However, bright spots exist. Next game vs. Michigan.

Typically when things seem too good to be true, they are, and that is how I think the energy and hype surrounding Michigan is now. Michigan is improved, but their blinding confidence is arrogant. Both of these teams match up very closely, but Stanford always steps up its play in the Pac-12. A win over the Tide could boost A&M into top four consideration, but it also depends on what happens in the Florida-LSU game. “I think we’ll see this line move off of 7, getting down to 6.5 before the start of the game tomorrow”.

#8 Florida at #6 LSU: LSU. It’s hard enough to enter Death Valley and win, but it’s even tougher to win at night.

How I see it: For once, college football’s hierarchy didn’t tumble like a Jenga tower at the hands of a sugar-fueled preschooler.

With Will Grier suspended, Treon Harris will probably start at quarterback for the Gators. However, the cumulative effect of all these factors could create a dynamic where the Gator’s defense is on the field way too long, causing fatigue, and leaving just enough of a window for Fournette to “get his”, and the Tigers to stay unbeaten.

Outlook: While nothing ever comes easy in college football, the Utes have a very manageable schedule the rest of the way. It’s highly unlikely that a team makes it through the SEC undefeated, but a one-loss SEC champ should make the playoff easily. With the No. 1 and No. 18 ranked offenses nationally this game could be a shootout, and that is a unsafe proposition.

Also keep an eye on … The Tide had issues stopping Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche a few weeks back, keeping Garrett contained will be key on offense. And over the past three weeks, they haven’t allowed a single point…zero, zip, nada.

More SEC action. Florida will virtually wrap up the weak SEC East if they manage to go into Baton Rouge and pull out a win. Let’s get to the best games of the (extended) weekend.

There is no Power 5 program more downtrodden than Kansas, which is off to another winless start at 0-5, having lost its games by an average of 45.4 points. The Pac-12 “after dark” has been known to create serious shakeups and a shakeup is definitely possible with this matchup. You can watch the end of it after the Penn State and Ohio State game ends because it doesn’t kick off till 10 p.m. ET. Next: at Iowa State, Saturday. Christian Hackenberg could make the Buckeyes pay if they’re sleeping this week.

Saturday at the ‘Shoe will be a wild atmosphere and without a white out to energize their efforts, Penn State may be in over their heads this week. And this game could even be better than previously thought, especially if Michigan is ahead of pace and Michigan State is slumping (Rutgers game anyone?). As long as Iowa is undefeated, it has a shot. They were graced with a schedule so favorable that the Hawkeyes missed Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Northwestern, still a ranked ball club, has plenty to play for though and is still in good position to compete for a spot in Indianapolis with a win.

Michigan hosts Michigan State in a battle for state supremacy. Additionally, after the TAMU game, Alabama really only has LSU left on their schedule, and that game is in Tuscaloosa.