Week 7 Predictions – 2024
Last Week: Iowa was the strongest opponent for the Buckeyes so far this season and in the end, OSU secured a convincing win. Each week the challenge has got tougher, and Ohio State continues to meet and exceed the challenge. Also rising to the occasion is Andy Steger, who is now all alone at the top of our staff predictions standings at 24-4.
This Week’s Games: Finally, college football fans get multiple big-time matchups, several that will help shape this year’s playoff field. None are bigger than #2 Ohio State traveling to Eugene Oregon to take on the #3 Ducks. The winner will be in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the Big Ten Championship game. Can the Ducks hang with the Bucks? …. Another big game will be #1 Texas taking on #18 Oklahoma. This has been a big game for decades, but this is the first time these two teams face each other as members of the SEC. Can the Sooners overcome the double-digit spread and pull off the upset? …. Penn State travels to LA to take on USC. Both of these head coaches are starting to feel some pressure to elevate their respective teams to a new level. Which team will respond this week? …. Ole Miss and LSU come together in another big SEC battle. One will survive and advance the loser will likely be eliminated from playoff contention. …. Arizona and BYU are both surprising people this season. Which one will be the biggest surprise in week 7?
Buckeye Greats: As in the past, we will continue to include former Buckeye players in our prediction fun and we are thrilled to have Vaughn Broadnax back with us as a regular participant for the tenth straight year.
Here we go with our Week 7 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
(2)Ohio State @ (3)Oregon
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Ohio State beats Oregon 35-17
Andy: This game is one of the biggest of the regular season in all of college football. Oregon under coach Dan Lanning is built similar to the Ohio State team that Urban Meyer won a championship with. They run spread on offense to set up their passing game with running back Jordan James. The keys to this game for Ohio State to win this game, on defense they have to stop the run and contain the Oregon tight ends. On offense right tackle Josh Fryer is going to be matched up against Jordan Burch who is one of the most athletic ends in the country. Oregon’s offense is designed to get the ball out fast in the throw game once they open things up with the run game. Ohio State currently has the 3rd ranked rush defense in the country, allowing 2.2 yards per carry and only allowing 2 rushing touchdowns on the season. I expect OSU to win that matchup and slow down the Ducks offense enough to win. Ohio State 31 Oregon 16
Cory: Oregon has a chance to make a statement when they play host to Ohio State this week. The Ducks are 5-0, however, they have not really passed the eye test yet and their best win was over Michigan State. Oregon is very dimensional – they pass the ball a lot and rely on quarterback Dillon Gabriel and wide receive Tez Johnson. Johnson has more than twice as many receptions as the second-leading receiver on the team. Ohio State will likely focus on shutting down those two guys and making the Ducks run the ball. Jordan James and Noah Whittington are capable backs, but not gamebreakers. A key area will be third down as Oregon is converting 49 percent of their third down attempts and Ohio State has struggled a bit in that area. For the Buckeyes, I expect a heavy dose of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Boise State nearly upset Oregon in Week 2 because of how good they were at running the ball so it would make sense to see a lot of Henderson and Judkins. Oregon seems like a pretty good team but I see Ohio State taking over in the second half. Ohio State 28, Oregon 21
Dave: Ohio State 32 Oregon 24
Gregg: To say this game is huge in the landscape of the 2024 season is an understatement. This game will be bigger than any of the first-round playoff games. Ohio State has looked like the real deal this year and yet all the fans want more. This is the game we find out if they really have more. Oregon was slow out the game but doing just fine. The winner of this game may move to #1 depending on how Texas plays. If this was two SEC schools the winner would move to #1 and the loser would only drop to about fourth. But in the Big Ten then have to earn it to get respect from the SEC favored AP poll. I think the Buckeyes have what it takes to win this and will slide out of Eugene with a huge win, one of the biggest in Ryan Day’s tenure as head coach. But Oregon has a schedule that if they run the table the rest of the way, they will play for the Big Ten title in Indy in December. Go Bucks! Ohio State 38 Oregon 24
Joe-S-U: Ohio State
John: This will be the first real test for both teams. The Ducks struggled in weeks one and two to put aways Idaho and Boise St before hitting their stride over the last three and easily taking care of business. While far from perfect, Ohio State has pretty much dominated everyone to date. While a cliché, the key to this game is the trenches. Whomever controls the line of scrimmage will most likely win the game. While Iowa’s offense still thinks CFB is in the leather helmet era, their lines tend to be very good. Ohio State’s lines, on both sides of the ball, dominated Iowa last week. If that continues this week, look for the Bucks to improve to 10-1 lifetime against the Ducks. Ohio State 35 Oregon 30
Josh: This is easily the game of the week, and ended uo being a top 3 match up thanks to the wild upset weekend the week before. This match up, as much as the cliche is true, will be won in the trenches. I think this will be the toughest test for the Ohio State offensive lineman, who have garded out some of the top lineman in the country and were able to run for over 200 yards against Iowa. Oregon on the flip side has been able to keep Dillon Gabriel clean, and likes to run a physical run game, which will put a challenge against the defensive line. For the Ducks, they have the home field advantage, and this will be their biggest game ever, so there will be a high energy to start that the Buckeyes will have to have an answer for and cannot have turnovers to give Oregon more possessions. The matchup that I think will be the difference maker though is our wide receivers should have the advantage over Oregon’s defensive backs and can see a lot of short to middle depth passing so Howard can get himself into a rhytem. I think the Buckeyes play it close, but then end up pulling away in the 4th quarter to put this game away. Ohio State 35 – Oregon 21
Steven: This one may be where we see the Chip Kelly offense fully brought to bear. Ball possession is key, as Oregon has the best offense the Bucks have seen so far this season. The Ducks are currently scoring at 35 points per game. Ohio State’s defense has been lights out, both against the pass and the run where they sit in the top 4 nationally of each. Last week, the Silver Bullets limited the nation’s second leading rusher, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, to under 100 yards, with most of that coming after the game had already been decided in the Buck’s favor. Oregon doesn’t run as much as Iowa, so keeping Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel on the sidelines will be key to bringing home a win. Expect more blitzing from Ohio State’s defense to keep Gabriel off balance. This will be two titans slugging it out until the end. Look for Ohio State’s run game, and the law firm of Henderson, Howard and Judkins to rule the day… along with at least one circus catch from JJ Smith. Bucks win, Bucks win! OSU 33-24
Trout: This will be the biggest test for the Buckeyes. I still will pick them to win, but the Ducks will put up a fight. Oregon has seemed to find their groove somewhat finally. I am still skeptical of them, but they are clearly an improved team from where they were at the start of the season. I have found that the former PAC-12 teams have had struggles adapting to the Big Ten. Oregon has been the best out of the four. But at this point, that doesn’t seem that impressive. This should be a battle. Both teams have a lot of weapons. I can see both teams score 30+ points. I also can see the game coming down to the wire, with the Buckeyes pulling off some last-minute heroics. Ohio State is the better team, and their talent will give them the edge to pull off the win against the Ducks. The Buckeyes complete their first big test of the season and remain unbeaten. (Ohio State, 38-31)
Final Score: Oregon 32 Ohio State 31
(1)Texas vs. (18)Oklahoma
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Texas over Oklahoma 33-21
Andy: We are at Red Rivalry so already! One of the best rivalries in sports, this game almost always provides a classic game every season. Last year Oklahoma pulled the upset over Texas behind quarterback Dillon Gabriel on a last minute game winning drive. Oklahoma has really struggled on offense this season swapping out quarterback Jackson Arnold for a true freshman. On top of that Oklahoma’s offensive line has struggled greatly with pass protection and running the football. That is bad news considering Texas is top 10 in the country in both scoring offense and scoring defense. This Texas team is really good and whether Manning is the quarterback or it is Ewers I expect Texas to win this game. Texas 42 Oklahoma 17
Cory: One of the rivalry games that almost always lives up to the hype is the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. While I would love for that to be the case this year, I am not sure this will be much of a game. Texas has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the rankings following Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt, and the Longhorns get Quinn Ewers back this week. Texas has one of the nation’s best offenses, regardless of who is at quarterback, and on the other side of this matchup is Oklahoma, which has an offense that struggles to move the chains. The Sooners made a quarterback change from Jackson Arnold to Michael Hawkins, and the offense does look a bit better, but still this is a team that has trouble putting up points. Their running backs are averaging under four yards a carry. That just is not good enough to upset Texas in this one. Texas 35, Oklahoma 20
Dave: Texas 28 Oklahoma 21
Gregg: Texas is the better team right now deserves the #1 spot in the polls. If they win this game, you can probably put them in the SEC championship game right now. Oklahoma will try to pull off the upset but is not deep enough to make it happen. Quinn Ewers is supposed to come back for this game and he could start a bit rusty. But after a couple of offensive possessions, watch him remind the Fair crowd why he was a pre-season Heisman candidate. The time he has missed will likely prevent him from earning that award but every other goal he had when the season started is still within reach. Texas 40 Oklahoma 17
Joe-S-U: Texas
John: Rivalry games are always fun, the Red River Shootout is one of those rare mid-season “neutral” site games. Yes, the game is in Dallas, but the ticket allocation is spit 50/50, so in theory at least there should be no home field advantage for either team. While not unique (Florida/Georgia have a similar arrangement in Jacksonville), it does make the game entertaining to watch. It does feel weird, however, to say this is an SEC conference game instead of Big XII. Quin Ewars is back healthy, and If he shows no rust should have a big game against a Sooner D that looked… I’m trying to think of a softer term than awful against the only good offence (Tennessee) that they have faced so far. I think the Horns win this one, but may not be number 1 next week depending on how good the winner of the OSU/Oregon game looks. Texas 35 Oklahoma 21
Josh: Both team has a bye week entering the Red River Rivalry, and will the first time this is an SEC game. Quinn Ewers is expected to be back for this game, but if he can’t, Arch Manning has been serviciable in the games Ewers was out, and that experience can be critical in favor of the Longhorns in what could be a logn season for them. Oklahoma has already made a quarterback change from their 5-star freshman who struggled against Tennessee, and has had a week to get Michael Hawkins Jr some more reps with the first team offense. With a Rivalry game, you can put the previous games in the back burner to where this game matters, but there is a reason why Ewers wanted to stay one more year (besides the quarterback heavy draft class) and that was to beat Oklahoma and get another shot at a national championship. I think the Sooners try and keep it close, but the Longhorns win this game in the second half. Texas 28 – Oklahoma 10.
Steven: Oklahoma doesn’t have a quarterback. Texas has 2 NFL caliber signal callers, (probably more than that, but it remains to be seen). Texas is more than a 2 touchdown favorite, and as Paul Simon once sang, “who am I to blow against the wind?” There’s little reason to think the Sooners can keep it even that close. Arch Manning goes off for 300+ and at least 3 touchdowns. ‘Horns win going away 41-24.
Trout: I think Texas wins big here. The Sooners are fine and they may be able to score some points, but they can’t keep up with Texas. Whether it’s Ewers or Manning at the helm, I can see the Longhorns lighting up the Oklahoma defense. I don’t know if it’ll be a complete blowout, but Texas should win by a few scores. The Sooners may be able to keep up with them at the beginning, but Texas’ superior offensive prowess will widen the gap to a point where Oklahoma can’t keep up. Texas wins big in this years Red River Rivalry. (Texas, 44-21)
Final Score: Texas 34 Oklahoma 3
(4)Penn State @ USC
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Penn State edge USC 24-21
Andy: Penn State has really improved on offense compared to last season when they struggled to throw the football further than 15 yards. Drew Allar has thrown the football down field much better this season and as a result the Nittany Lions are running the ball more effectively as well. USC has struggled to run the football and at times their quarterback Miller Moss has really struggled throwing the football. Despite traveling to the West Coast, I think Penn State is overmatched on both sides of the ball for USC. Penn State 27 USC 17
Cory: What an odd matchup this one is. Penn State has the No. 4 next to its name but their only quality win was at home against Illinois. USC is coming off its second loss of the season, the first being to Michigan and the second coming at the hands of Minnesota. Clearly the Trojans are talented, but they are not a complete football team right now. Penn State looks like they did last season when they got off to a good start but their offense struggled in big games. On the road against a good USC team, I could see the Nittany Lions struggling offensively in this one. Maybe I am being too critical, but Drew Allar does not impress me, still. USC 24, Penn State 21
Dave: Penn State 32 USC 21
Gregg: To me this is two coaches desperate for a win, but Penn Stat knows how to win this type of game. Coach Riley starts looking over his shoulder after this one. Penn State 24 USC 21
Joe-S-U: Penn State
John: Once again, Penn State starts a season 5-0, and once again we arrive at the part of the schedule where the Lions start to play teams with a pulse. It can be questioned just how strong of a pulse the 3-2 Trojans have, although if they could simply tackle someone they could easily be 5-0. Don’t look past Tommy Trojan, especially in the Coliseum. This may be the start of another Penn State October swoon. USC 38 Penn State 35
Josh: The Buckeyes are not the only top 5 team traveling over 3 timezones for a conference game. The Nittany Lions travel to Los Angelas to take on the Trojans who just lost to Minnesota with a questionable conversion for a touchdown. Lincoln Riley’s seat might be a little warm at this point after losing 2 games already in the season, and on the brink of missing out of the playoff. Penn State has been solid this year, and you are seeing a little more of the maturation of Drew Allar this season, and has two good running backs in Nicholas SIngleton and Kayton Allen, while having 3 receivers over 200 yards receiving. IF you believe in the travel jinx where Big Ten teams are 1-7 for those that travel more than 2 time zones, Penn State has an even longer flight since they cant leave directly from campus due to a short runway (according to James Franklin). I think this game will actually challenge the Nittany Lions more so than the Illinois game did, and I am not convinced still that they are a real top 4 team. I think USC shocks Penn State and wins in overtime. USC 31 – Penn State 24.
Steven: Be careful what you wish for. For those Pac-12 teams who made their way to the Big Ten, they currently are under water in the conference, (5-6). USC, in particular, has underachieved, especially considering their QB, Miller Moss, is having a pretty decent season, so far. Once again, Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley, leads his team into every contest as if defense is a dirty word, or may not exist altogether. The epic collapse at Michigan should have once again had Riley clean house of his defensive coaches, (does anyone teach tackling anymore?), but if past performance is an indicator, no changes will happen mid-season. Strangely enough, a large sports programming network’s analytics has USC a slight favorite. I would have to believe this is solely because long travel times have been unkind to teams this year. Vegas has PSU a 4 point favorite. While I love hard core stats and analytics, I’m with the line. Penn State should run over the Trojans. Look for Nittany Lion running back Nate Singleton to have a big day. PSU 31-21.
Trout: At the beginning of the season, I would have picked the Trojans. But I feel like I have to give the edge to the Nittany Lions. Having said that, I don’t think Penn State is great either. I just think they are better than the Trojans. USC has found a way to lose to a middle of the road Minnesota team, and a Michigan team that doesn’t have a quarterback that can pass. They are bad. And If I’m Lincoln Riley, I may be looking for open coordinator positions this off season. Because if USC continues to underperform, he’ll be out of a job. I can see the game be pretty close the whole way through with several lead changes throughout. However, in the end, the Nittany Lions, do just enough to get by the Trojans. The Nittany Lions win and hand USC their third lose of the season. (Penn State, 24-21)
Final Score: Penn State 33 USC 30 OT
(9)Ole Miss @ (13)LSU
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Ole Miss romps over LSU 35-17
Andy: This game has the making of a classic. Both teams with one loss each already cannot afford another loss at this point in the season. LSU has had to score a lot this season as their defense has struggled giving up an average of 21.6 points per game. That may not sound like a lot, but when you consider Ole Miss has the 10th best scoring offense in the country led by quarterback Jaxson Dart this could make for a long day for the Tigers defense. I expect Ole Miss to rebound after their loss last week and come away with a close win on the road. Ole Miss 32 LSU 27
Cory: Ole Miss returns back to the win column with a 27-3 win over South Carolina just one week after they lost to Kentucky. LSU has won four straight after losing the season opener to USC. The four wins came over Nicholls, South Carolina, UCLA, and South Alabama. Neither team inspires a lot of confidence right now. Ole Miss has a better offense and LSU relies too much on the passing game. I expect Ole Miss to win a high-scoring game in Death Valley. Ole Miss 42, LSU 35
Dave: Ole Miss 28 LSU 24
Gregg: I have not seen enough of these two teams to tell if they are truly top 10 level but LSU could not beat USC so I will go with Ole Miss with the road win. If this happens, does the hot seat start to warm up for Coach Kelly? Ole Miss 30 LSU 27
Joe-S-U: LSU
John: Ole Miss @ (13) LSU Both teams have one loss, and both losses at this point in the season look bad – LSU in week 1 to a 3-2 USC and Ole Miss to 3-2 Kentucky. We’ve reached that point in the season where the SEC starts to eat its own, although I’m sure that the loser of this one will still be a top 15 team, because – you know SEC!!! SEC!!!. I like LSU at home in this one to pull off the “upset” LSU 30 Ole Miss 27
Josh: Ole Miss @ (13) LSU – This is a strange good game for two teams that I would argue are both ranked in the top 15 due to preseason rankings as well as being in the SEC, but looking at their resume, they dont have a team on their schedule that you could be impressed by their win. LSU hosting this game could be the advantage the Tigers need, but Jayden Daniels is not under center in this game, and Garrett Nussmeier is guaranteed to throw atleast 1 interception. LSU had a bye week as well before this game, but I think Ole Miss has a little bit more firepower. I think Ole Miss wins this one, but will lose their second game of the season when they play Georgia. Ole Miss 34 – LSU 24
Steven: Mississippi is an offensive juggernaut. With QB Joe Dart, RB Henry Parrish, Jr., and receiver Tre Harris, it is a wonder Kentucky rope-a-doped them into a loss 2 weeks ago. The Rebs lost that game while only giving up 20 points. Can the Tigers of LSU bottle them up again? I’m not sure. But, if you look closer, much of the Ole Miss offense has come at the expense of teams in the lower quarter of defense. Racking up yards against Middle Tennessee State, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern can make most teams look good. The Rebels would do well to pressure Tiger QB Garrett Nussmeier. He can be forced into throwing into coverage. Forcing turnovers may be the tale of this one, as it looks like it could be close. Rebs win a squeaker 22-19.
Trout: I tend to believe that both of these teams are fake good. Both Ole Miss and LSU seem to be ranked in the top 15 on the fact that they are known commodities. One or both may end up in the playoff when it’s all said and done, but I don’t see either going far. Both have beaten up on smaller schools, but they also both have had very glaring losses. Ole Miss to Kentucky and LSU to USC. Since I have to pick one of them, I will have to go with the Rebels. I think they are slightly better. Plus, LSU’s Brian Kelly is a terrible big game coach. I can see the game being a close, low scoring affair. The rebels will find a way to get past the Tigers, and win the game. (Ole Miss, 21-17)
Final Score: LSU 29 Ole Miss 26
Arizona @ (14)BYU
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): BYU outraces Arizona 38-31
Andy: BYU is still undefeated this year and has looked really impressive collecting wins against SMU, Baylor and Kansas State. BYU has won with their quarterback Jake Retzlaff who has thrown for 12 touchdowns on the season as well as leading the team in rushing yards. Arizona has a legit offense with one of the best receivers in the country, Tetairoa McMillan is averaging nearly 18 yards per reception and collecting 4 touchdowns on the season so far. Despite the talent on the Wildcats offense, BYU is really good on defense boasting the 17th best scoring defense in the country. I think they will be able to slow down Arizona enough to win. BYU 31 Arizona 20
Cory: If Arizona is going to hand BYU its first loss of the season the Wildcats will need a big game from quarterback Noah Fifita. Fifita was pretty last year, but he’s taking a big step back this season. Last year he had just six interceptions, and he’s already hit that number this season. His completion percentage has fallen from 72.4 to 61.6. BYU is very one-dimensional. Their leading rusher is their quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, and he’s got just 156 rushing yards this season. Eventually the Cougars will need to run the ball better than that, but for this week they should not have much trouble with Arizona. BYU 31, Arizona 20
Dave: BYU 32
Gregg: BYU being 5-0 and on top of the standings in the Big 12 is one of the biggest surprises this season. Can they be the conference champ or are they just an illusion. They will have a big test on the road this week but I think they make it through to remain unbeaten. BYU 24 Arizona 20
Joe-S-U: BYU
John: I actually had to look up which conference these two teams are now in. This is now a Big XII game. I guess that makes sense – Oklahoma/Texas is now an SEC Game, Ohio State/Oregon and Penn State/USC are both Big Ten games, so sure, why not have this be Big XII. I hate this realignment crap…now turn down that music and get off my lawn, you stupid kids! BYU 38 Arizona 28
Josh: BYU might be the best team in the Big 12 at this point, and Arizona dropped a late night kick game last week. BYU arguably has has the best strength of schedule, but I think Arizona has the best offense that the Cougars have seen. I think the Wildcats win on the road, and shake up the Big 12 conference. Arizona 28 – BYU 27
Steven: The Cougars should have a bit of a cakewalk this week, and truly until they meet Utah November 9th. The Wildcats aren’t great, being middle of the pack defensively. This will not be Clash of the Titans by any means, but watching mediocre college football is better than not having any at all. It will be good to scout the Cougars, as they march to that matchup with Utah, which should decide the Big 12 regular season title. BYU 35-20.
Trout: I don’t know much about either team, but judging by their records I would have to go with the Cougars. I think the Wildcats may be able to keep it close. They have a pretty good win against a solid Utah team, and they have shown that they can put up some points. If nothing else they are feisty. BYU just seems to be more consistent. And I think that’ll be the deciding factor in this game. The only issue I see for the Cougars is their running game. Currently, their leading rusher is their quarterback. And he only has 156 yards so far in five games. That may not bite them in this game, but if they have aspirations on winning the Big 12 and making it to the playoff, they will need to find a running game. I can see the game being close, but the Cougars are able to pull away late. BYU wins and remains undefeated. (BYU, 31-21)