2021 Week 7 Preview

What a week 6! Ole Miss and Arkansas played one of the most fun and exciting games in the last few seasons (unless you were an Ole Miss or Arkansas fan, then it was not fun). Oklahoma benched Spencer Rattler in favor of backup QB Caleb Williams who led a crazy comeback in the Red River Shootout. Tenth ranked BYU was upset by Boise State, Iowa beat Penn State after their starting QB was injured and had to leave the game. The biggest result of the day came at the end. Texas A&M kicked a last second field goal to beat Alabama. This year keeps getting crazier. This is the college football season we deserve. A lot of top 25 teams are off this week, but there are still some interesting games.

My Record: 5-1 last week, 22-14 overall

Notable Games
11Kentucky at 1Georgia
The polls are finally have the correct team at number one. Because of Bama’s loss, the Dawgs are on top! Georgia didn’t look great last week against Auburn, but it was a rivalry game on the road and they still won by 24 points. The QB question is still being asked for Georgia, but Bennett has been doing great in the absence of JT Daniels. To the surprise of many, Kentucky is undefeated and might be Georgia’s biggest obstacle to winning the East. If this game were in Lexington, I would be open to saying it would be a close game. But this game is in Athens and I know the stadium will be rocking. Kentucky is a fun team, but I have yet to see an offense figure out how to have consistent success against the Georgia defense. Georgia is just the better team.
I am picking Georgia

12Oklahoma State at 25Texas
Texas is coming off a bad loss to Oklahoma in the Red River [whatever you want to call it]. The Longhorns came out very strong and quickly had a 28-7 first quarter lead. They gave up 25 fourth quarter points including Oklahoma’s go-ahead TD run that sealed the game. I do not know how this team is going to respond to this loss. Oklahoma State was off last week and I’m not sure how good they really are. Their defense has been pretty good and that is what I am basing my pick in this game on. I am not very confident in this pick because I know Texas can score a lot of points. I just don’t think Texas is going to be mentally ready for this game after last week’s implosion.
I am picking Oklahoma State

13Ole Miss at Tennessee
Ole Miss is coming off a crazy win over Arkansas last week that could have very easily been a loss. The Rebel offense loves the big plays and they have a good QB in Matt Corrall. The Tennessee offense has really come to life in the last couple of weeks, making this another potential shootout for Ole Miss. Neyland Stadium has been sold out for this game, and that will make it difficult for Ole Miss. I have more faith in Ole Miss’s QB than I do in Tennessee’s. I think this game has some really fun potential. You also can’t forget that Lane Kiffin is also a former head coach of Tennessee. I’m glad I don’t have a stake in this game.
I am picking Ole Miss

19BYU at Baylor
BYU very quietly made their way into the top 10 last week, then they promptly lost to Boise State at home. I think BYU was looking past the Broncos, but I do worry about how good they actually are. Baylor has done pretty well this season. Their only loss was on the road at Oklahoma State and they got a convincing win over West Virginia last week. The Bears have only given up more than 20 points one time this season, and I think their defense is why they have a very good shot at winning this game. The BYU offense is not their strongest unit and I think they will struggle to keep up with this Baylor offense. I don’t think Baylor wins by too much, but I do think they will win.
I am picking Baylor

Clemson at Syracuse (Friday)
Clemson has fallen from grace this season. Their lack of a successful offense has really hurt them. The Tigers were off last week and I will be interested to see how they do this week in a hostile/weird environment. Syracuse very nearly upset Wake Forest in the Carrier Dome last week. They were able to take the Demon Deacons to overtime. This Syracuse team is hungry for a win and probably feels like they have a decent chance to beat Clemson. The Tigers have to make some kind of offensive statement in this game to have a chance to get back into the top 25. They cannot overlook the Orange. I think it will still be a close game.
I am picking Clemson

UCLA at Washington
This game was probably expected to be a big one at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately for these teams and their fans, it really isn’t that big of a deal. Washington is coming off a bye week and before that, a loss to Oregon State. UCLA had a nice win over Arizona last weekend and they should be the better team in this game. The Pac 12 has been really weird (more than usual) this year, so I don’t know if this is the game Washington decides to make an appearance. Though this game will only be played partially after dark, I think it has the potential to not go as expected.
I am picking UCLA

Auburn at 17Arkansas
The Hogs are finally getting a home game after two weeks on the road. Unfortunately, it will be another 11am kickoff for Arkansas. The defense decided to take another week off last week against Ole Miss. That will not fly against Bo Nix and Auburn. Strong tackling will be extremely necessary in this game for Arkansas. The offense looked great last week and KJ Jefferson had a career game at QB (and probably would’ve been the winning QB if not for a dropped almost TD and a few dropped potential INTs). This is Arkansas’s Homecoming game and I am so excited to be there in person for it. I hope the team is angry about last year’s Auburn game and will unleash everything on them. Auburn didn’t play great against Georgia last week, but it was Georgia. Auburn is an ok team so they are always a threat. The Arkansas defense needs to pressure Bo Nix and create turnovers to win this game, but I also think the offense will be able to out-score the Tigers. I’m really hoping the Arkansas crowd is able to be up early and be rowdy for this game. I’m a little bit worried. The weather should be perfect for fall football.

Top 25
11Kentucky at 1Georgia
Purdue at 2Iowa
UCF at 3Cincinnati
TCU at 4Oklahoma
5Alabama at Mississippi State
6Ohio State BYE
7Penn State BYE
8Michigan BYE
California at 9Oregon (Friday)
10Michigan State at Indiana
12Oklahoma State at 25Texas
13Ole Miss at Tennessee
14Notre Dame BYE
15Coastal Carolina BYE
16Wake Forest BYE
Auburn at 17Arkansas
18Arizona State at Utah
19BYU at Baylor
20Florida at LSU
21Texas A&M at Missouri
22NC State at Boston College
23SMU BYE
24San Diego State at San Jose State (Friday)

Other Games
Nebraska at Minnesota
Miami at North Carolina
Fresno State at Wyoming
Iowa State at Kansas State
Stanford at Washington State
Air Force at Boise State