The midpoint of the 2022 college football season is upon us with Split Saturday coming in Week 7. With six games between the top 25 opponents on deck, there’s no doubt college football playoff dreams will be crushed a few weeks before the first The CFP ranking is being published.
The Big Ten East will start sorting out as soon as Penn State’s No. 10 visits Michigan’s No. 5 with the Nittany Lions in hopes of continuing their strong season, while the Wolverines look to prove 2021 wasn’t. an aberration. The star game of the day, however, is Alabama’s No. 3 entering Rocky Top to take on Tennessee’s No. 6 with the Volunteers as confident as ever hosting rival Crimson Tide in town. Is this the year the Vols overcome the schneid and become legitimate CFP contenders, or will quarterback Bryce Young return to put the Crimson Tide back on the right as they enter the second half of the season?
No. 8 Oklahoma State also visits No. 13 TCU in another undefeated Big 12 meeting that should clear the league ground, while No. 7 USC visits No. 20 Utah in a key Pac-12 game. Will the Utes resume their dominance of the conference and push for back-to-back league titles, or will the Trojans continue to thrive under first-year coach Lincoln Riley with Caleb Williams at center?
By the end of Saturday’s action, many of the conference title images will be cleared up and there may even be some notable changes to Jerry Palm’s bowl projections (look for Sunday’s ones). Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the opening kickoff. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games of week 7.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan
Featured game | Michigan Wolverines vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Noon | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) — While I’m not sure how much I know about either team yet, I feel like the defenses are still stronger than the offenses. Michigan’s offense has been too reliant on Blake Corum for big plays in recent weeks, and Penn State’s improved offensive line hasn’t been tested the way it will be this week. We’re much more likely to see a lower-scoring game than a high-scoring affair (none of the past four encounters have passed the 50-point mark). Prediction: Under 51.5 -Tom Fornelli
No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee
Featured game | Tennessee Volunteers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
3:30 p.m. | SCS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Take Tennessee and the points, but you might want to consider a pinch of moneyline on this one. Even if Bryce Young plays for Alabama, he’s unlikely to be 100%. If Bama’s attack bogs down, or even if it only has a few empty possessions, the Volunteers will have a chance to win this one. This is exactly what I think will happen. Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker will make a huge statement for the Heisman Trophy in what will be the Vols’ biggest win in a generation. Prediction: Tennessee +7.5 — Barrett Sallee
Oklahoma State No. 8 at TCU No. 13
Featured game | TCU Horned Frogs vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
3:30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try for free) — TCU has been one of the best stories this season, but Oklahoma State is a different kind of challenge. The Cowboys are deep, physical and equally well trained. Oklahoma State’s defensive line is good enough to cause problems for a shaky TCU offensive line, especially against tackles. It will be a close game, but Oklahoma State will manage to bet. Prediction: Oklahoma State +3.5 –Shehan Jeyarajah
LSU vs. Florida
Featured game | Florida Gators vs. LSU Tigers
7 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — While technically not a top-25 game, this SEC rivalry showdown is still one of the most anticipated of the year. Florida and LSU have similarities as both teams are 4-2 in their first seasons under new coaches. Both depend on mobile quarterbacks who have been inconsistent in throwing football, and both have endured intense ups and downs in the first half of the season. LSU’s defense looks better on paper, ranking 29th nationally in total defense as opposed to Florida’s 99th, but that’s misleading as the Tigers gave up 438 yards against lowly Auburn two weeks ago before to give up 502 yards at home against Tennessee last week. With such a narrow gap in this game and little difference between the teams, Florida gets the go-ahead due to home-court advantage. The Swamp is expected to switch for a night game against an SEC rival. Prediction: Florida -2.5 –David Cobb
No. 7 USC at No. 20 Utah
Featured game | Utah Utes vs. USC Trojans
8 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) — There should be real concern over Utah’s inability to pressure Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the loss to UCLA. Lincoln Riley and his team will have a hard time looking to exploit the Utah defense in the same way, and the recent success of the Trojans defense is a welcome sign when this side of the ball was thought to be a weakness. as the season approaches. Utah will play better than they did against UCLA, but things aren’t quite right at the championship level that we expected heading into the season. I’m giving USC a decent chance to win, so I think taking the points is good play. Prediction: USC +3.5 -Chip Patterson
What college football picks can you confidently make in Week 7, and which top-15 favorite will fall hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread – all from a proven computer model that has brought in nearly $3,000 in profits over the past six-plus seasons – and find out.