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Week six of the college football season was supposed to be a snooze fest as there was only one matchup between two top-25 teams, but chaos made it one of the best weeks of the season so far. We saw multiple top-10 teams go down against unranked teams, and now we have an action-packed week seven coming our way that features numerous big matchups. No doubt about it, the biggest game of the week will be happening in Eugene as the #3 Oregon football team will be hosting #2 Ohio State.
ESPN's College GameDay goes to the biggest game of the week to air their live show, and there is no question that they chose the biggest game this week correctly as they will be in Eugene for this huge matchup between #2 Ohio State and #3 Oregon. These are definitely the two best teams in the Big Ten, and whoever wins this one is going to be in great position to make it to the Big Ten title game.
The one conference that doesn't have a lot going on this weekend is the ACC. It's hard for the ACC to ever have much going on as it is a pretty weak conference, and they really only have two good teams. Those teams are Miami and Clemson. The Hurricanes are on a bye this week, and the Tigers are at Wake Forest.
The other weak power four conference is the Big 12, and again, there isn't a lot of action over there this weekend either. #21 Kansas State visiting Deion Sanders and his 4-1 Buffaloes is definitely the biggest game of the weekend in the conference. If Colorado wins that one, they could be a legit threat in the conference.
Things are going to be fun in the Big Ten this weekend with two big matchups. USC did fall all the way out of the top-25 after losing to Minnesota last week, but their matchup against Penn State is still a big one. Then, we obviously have this incredible clash between Oregon and Ohio State in Eugene. The winner of that game will have a case to be ranked #1 in the country.
SEC action will be fun this weekend as well as there are two really good games on the slate. First, we get to see the first ever SEC edition of the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. That is one of the best rivalries in college football, and it is going to be fun.
Then at night, we have #9 Ole Miss hitting the road to take on #13 LSU. This is a huge game for both teams as they each have one loss, and avoiding that second one is crucial.
College football fans have had this weekend circled on the calendar since the beginning of the season. Don't make any plans. Order some pizza, and sit back all day and take in this incredible slate that will conclude with a top-three clash.
With Michigan struggling this year, this Oregon-Ohio State game is probably the biggest conference game of the season. Whoever wins this one is going to be in a prime spot to make the conference title game. Whoever loses is good enough to still get there, and we may end up seeing the Ducks and Buckeyes battle it out again come December.
Before we get into predictions, let's take a deeper look at both of these teams.
Oregon football is looking dominant after a sluggish start
The first few weeks of the season for the Oregon football team didn't look as good as people were expecting. The Ducks came into the season as national title contenders, and they put up a sloppy performance in week one as they almost lost at home to FCS Idaho. Then, in week two, Oregon really should have lost to Boise State. The Ducks didn't deserve to win the game, but two huge special teams plays and a questionable targeting play helped them get the win.
Oregon didn't look good early, but the past few weeks have been much better. They are starting to look as good as we expected them to look, and they have a big opportunity ahead of them this weekend.
Ohio State looks like the best team in the Big Ten
So far, Ohio State has looked like the most dominant, consistent team in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes haven't played anyone yet, but they have easily cruised through their schedule. They seem to be clicking on all cylinders, but they can they continue to play well against one of the best teams in the country? This is the biggest game on Ohio State's schedule this year, and these are the ones that Ryan Day always has trouble with.
If Oregon wants to win this, they are going to need a big day from everyone. But here is one player in particular that needs to show up:
Jordan James
Oregon football running back Jordan James is the most important player for the Ducks. Obviously, everyone has a crucial role and everyone will need to bring their A-game this weekend to take down on Ohio State, but the running game is something that Oregon has to get going.
If the Oregon football team can establish the run in this game, they are going to be in great shape. We have seen the Ohio State defense show some weaknesses with their pass defense, but if the Ducks aren’t presenting much of a threat in the run game, Ohio State will be able to pay more attention to Dillon Gabriel and Oregon’s talented receivers. Establishing the run is crucial.
Also, in year’s past, Ohio State has been beaten in big games because of their inability to stop the run. Michigan has had the recipe for beating the Buckeyes down, but this year, the Wolverines are struggling and Ohio State will easily beat them. Ryan Day hasn’t been able to win the big one, and this year, this game against Oregon is the big one. Can his team stop the run and get a win? We’ll see.
Oregon and Ohio State will kick off at 7:30 ET/4:30 PT on Saturday night from Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The game will be airing on NBC, and the Buckeyes are currently favored by three points.
