College football games of note: Week 7

This college football season can be defined by only one word so far: epic. And Week 6 kept with that theme, giving us an absolute track meet of a Red River Rivalry game with Texas outlasting Oklahoma 48-45 and ultimately determining that the Longhorns are back — like Backstreet Boys back.

Week 6 also gave us the gift of SEC losses, with three teams (LSU, Kentucky and Auburn) falling on the road — although I will admit it made me sad to see the Wildcats' amazing run come to an end, with Texas A&M eliminating them from the elite group of undefeateds. But they will likely bounce back against Vanderbilt this week, so everything’s fine.

So many College Football Playoff dreams were damaged. It was not just LSU, Oklahoma and Auburn, but we also saw No. 14 Stanford suffer the worst home loss in a while, falling 40-21 to a balanced and offensively adept Utah team. Speaking of offensive adeptness, Colorado is still unbeaten, defeating ASU 28-21 last week. Fun fact: The Buffs are one of three FBS teams (Ole Miss and Oklahoma State being the other two) to have one player listed among the Top 20 in passing yards per game, rushing yards per game and receiving yards per game. And yet, they still have nothing to say.

Enough talk about the past. Let's look to the future. Here are your games of note for Week 7.

No. 2 Georgia at No. 13 LSU

I haven’t had to check in on the Dawgs much this season, as they have been cruising down their schedule with substantial wins over South Carolina, Mizzou and Vandy to name a few. But the Tigers pose a problem for that smooth roll that head coach Kirby Smart has become accustomed to. UGA could be down some defensive linemen, which would open up some things for LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. And before you start with me, last game’s two interceptions and multiple sacks are not an accurate portrayal of Burrow’s body of work. Plus, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm isn’t exactly in his element on the road. The general consensus may be that Georgia is favored by too much (7.5), but I expect the Dawgs to roll. They are fast, balanced on offense with Fromm and running backs D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield, and they boast a defense that doesn’t allow big plays but creates major turnovers. I don’t care how mad LSU is about the line or its loss to Florida; Georgia is a gritty, grind-out-the-win kind of team.

No. 7 Washington at No. 17 Oregon

Another pack of dogs I haven’t checked back in on for a while, the Washington Huskies head into the house of inappropriate fan behavior, better known by its given name, Autzen Stadium. It's a tough environment to play in, but then again Husky Stadium isn’t a walk in the park. After watching in person Oregon defeat Cal two weeks ago, I am a firm believer Oregon could upset Washington in true Pac-12 fashion — you know, one that throws a wrench in any plans for total college football domination. The Ducks won the turnover margin against Cal, 5-1, and Oregon’s offense looked scary good. Running backs Travis Dye and CJ Verdell combined for 221 rushing yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Justin Herbert is averaging 282.2 passing yards per game. But Oregon will be facing a Washington defense that ranks 13^th in the nation in total defense — the Huskies hold their opponents to an average of 13.7 points per game. Plus, the offensive combo of quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin might be too much for Oregon to slow down. But I fly with the Ducks on this one.  

Iowa at Indiana

Hoosiers vs. Hawkeyes may not seem like a super exciting matchup at first blush, but Iowa is gunning for another win just to keep pace in the Big Ten West despite the fact that it might enter this game missing a few key names. Iowa’s offense has been succinct. It's led by quarterback Nat Stanley, who is completing 61.7 percent of his passes, and running back Toren Young, who leads a ground game that is averaging 155 yards per game. Indiana, on the other hand, is coming off a 49-26 loss to Ohio State. But what you might not know is that this is a must-win game for the Hoosiers — a definitive 2018 game for a program that is tired of third-tier bowl games. Indiana has the offense to beat Iowa. The Hoosiers are led by quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who has passed for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. But they have lost two games this year by a combined 37 points. Indiana needs this signature victory, and nothing is a better motivator at home than your program’s bowl-game pride being on the line.

Duke at Georgia Tech

One of my favorite views in college football is from the press box at Bobby Dodd Stadium — it’s hard to beat that Atlanta skyline. And it’s the perfect place for Duke to recapture that magical momentum it had before Virginia Tech went and ruined it. I mean, it worked last year when Duke snapped a six-game losing streak with a decisive 43-20 win over the Yellow Jackets. But not so fast, Blue Devils. It's homecoming weekend at Tech, and Paul Johnson’s triple-option attack will be out in full force. The Blue Devils will need to put Tech in tough third- and fourth-down situations, as the Yellow Jackets average 6 yards per carry. But Tech’s defense is middling at best, especially when it comes to stopping the pass — teams complete about 64 percent of their passes against Tech for an average of 266 yards per game to the delight of Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. But Jones will need to be smart with his passes, as Tech’s secondary has eight interceptions through its first six games. I would love to see Tech get this win, but history has a way of repeating itself, so look for Duke to edge.

No. 10 UCF at Memphis

Everyone will be keeping an eye on this game — the UCF Knights' undefeated streak and National Champion status is on the line. UCF hasn’t lost a road game since 2016, but the Memphis Tigers have won 12 of their last 13 home games. UCF and Memphis have played 12 times, and the Knights have won 11 consecutive games. And the Knights are favored this weekend by only 4.5. So exciting. Memphis quarterback Brady White has two or more touchdown passes in four of his last six games, and junior running back Darrell Henderson leads the nation in all-purpose yards (203.83 yards per game) and rushing yards (934), and he's second in rushing touchdowns with 12. But UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton and Co. are hard to stop. The Knights average 269.4 yards per game on the ground, and Milton is completing 59.6 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and only four interceptions. This is the Tigers' best shot at taking down the champs, with so much firepower on offense and a vastly improved defense. But I would never, ever sleep on Josh Heupel's squad.

Hall over the place

My weekend off from covering games was amazing. Tailgating, screaming from the stands and seeing the action up close all reminded me of why I love this sport. I watched Utah dismantle a carefully constructed No. 14 Stanford squad to the tune of 40-21, effectively snapping the Cardinal's 11 home game winning streak and quieting the already mellow crowd at Stanford Stadium.