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.
Here are three predictions for Saturday's colossal clash:
Dillon Gabriel will throw two touchdown passes
The Oregon football team will need a big game from their quarterback in this one, and they will get it. Dillon Gabriel came into the season as the Heisman favorite, and while he isn't looked at in that same light now, he has still been good this season. If the Oregon offensive line can hold up, the Ducks should be able to do some damage through the air against the Buckeyes.
Jordan James will score two touchdowns
In past big games, the Ohio State football team has been out-toughed and they end up getting beat by the run game. That will happen again on Saturday. The Ducks have a good running back in Jordan James, and he will find the end zone a couple times in this one, probably in the second half.
Oregon will win 31-28
This is going to be a great football game. The Oregon football team is going to get it done, but it could go either way. Ryan Day has been bad in big games, but so has Dan Lanning. We'll give the nod to the home Ducks.
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.