This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Week 7 of the 2015 college football season was unlike any week we've seen this year. It was a week in which there was little carnage, a week in which the top-tier teams took care of business ... for the most part.
It's a rarity that in the modern era of college football, we can go an entire Saturday without at least one top-ranked team falling by the wayside. Even rarer is a weekend where the top teams not only win, but win with style.
That was what we got last weekend as there were no close calls; only dominance from beginning to end.
Ohio State, which has had plenty of difficulty putting away its foes this season, dropped the hammer in the first half last week, as did TCU, which, just a couple weeks ago nearly lost at Kansas State.
So what does it all mean? Are we looking at a situation where we have more than four undefeated teams from the power-five conferences at the end of the regular season? Could an undefeated Pac-12 or Big Ten team miss out on a shot at the title?
Although there's bound to be controversy at the end of the regular season this year, it won't be because there are too many undefeated teams. As hard as it is to imagine some of these teams slipping, it's inevitable that most, if not all, of these teams will find a loss somewhere along the line -- when and where those losses take
Week 7 of the 2015 college football season was unlike any week we've seen this year. It was a week in which there was little carnage, a week in which the top-tier teams took care of business ... for the most part.
It's a rarity that in the modern era of college football, we can go an entire Saturday without at least one top-ranked team falling by the wayside. Even rarer is a weekend where the top teams not only win, but win with style.
That was what we got last weekend as there were no close calls; only dominance from beginning to end.
Ohio State, which has had plenty of difficulty putting away its foes this season, dropped the hammer in the first half last week, as did TCU, which, just a couple weeks ago nearly lost at Kansas State.
So what does it all mean? Are we looking at a situation where we have more than four undefeated teams from the power-five conferences at the end of the regular season? Could an undefeated Pac-12 or Big Ten team miss out on a shot at the title?
Although there's bound to be controversy at the end of the regular season this year, it won't be because there are too many undefeated teams. As hard as it is to imagine some of these teams slipping, it's inevitable that most, if not all, of these teams will find a loss somewhere along the line -- when and where those losses take will make all the difference.
As for me, another subpar week, but not a complete disaster. I've reached the end of my rope as far as taking the under in Big Ten matchups. The style of play lends itself to taking unders, but the numbers are set so low, it doesn't take much to go over. A perfect example is the Iowa vs. Northwestern game last week in which Northwestern uncharacteristically forgot how to play defense against a less than powerful Hawkeyes team.
As always, I'll tweet any insights I come up with post-article each week. You can follow me at @gregvara.
CREAM OF THE CROP (Week: 2-2; Season: 10-13)
Saturday
Utah at USC: USC seems to have more energy now that Steve Sarkisian has left the program, but the fact remains that even with this newfound energy, the result was the same. Sure, Notre Dame is a tough foe, but if the Trojans had truly turned a corner, they would have found a way to win last week. Utah, on the other hand, has no issues with energy as the Utes are riding an all-time high entering this week. The Utes are undefeated and in position to make the college football playoff. This will certainly be a tough test, but I think they are up for it.
Side: Utah +3.5
Tennessee at Alabama: A couple opposing forces at play here. First, you have Alabama's tendency to play well every other week, which would mean a poor effort in-store this week, but on the other hand, you have a Tennessee team that's struggled to put four quarters together this season. The every other week trend seems more of a fluke than Tennessee's inability to finish a game. Something's gotta give this week and it will be Alabama's inconsistent play. It's stretch-run time and Alabama can see a scenario in which it makes the final-four, but not if it slips-up.
Side: Alabama -16.5
Kansas State at Texas: Did the Longhorns turn the corner two weeks ago with their win over Oklahoma? Did Kansas State suffer a monumental letdown last week against OU, just a week after grasping defeat from the jaws of victory against TCU? Maybe and maybe, but whatever the case, Texas is better than we thought a month ago, and Kansas State is in big trouble without its QB Jesse Ertz. With Ertz, the Wildcats couldn't muster a single point against OU last week. Without Ertz, they managed zero points as well. I'm sure they'll score a few points this week, but staying within the number? That's a little too much to ask.
Side: Texas -4
BEST OF THE REST (Week: 0-3; Season: 5-14)
Saturday
Indiana at Michigan State: I'm very leery of siding with MSU this week for obvious reasons, and although a letdown is certainly possible, I think the Spartans will use last week's events as a spring board. Indiana, meanwhile, has a ton of holes on defense, and to this point, the Hoosiers haven't been fully exposed ... until this week.
Side: MSU -16.5
Clemson at Miami: A couple thoughts on this game are driving me toward the Hurricanes. First, Clemson, though undefeated, has yet to fall flat on its face and we know that moment is going to come. Second, Miami's toughest opponent to date was Florida State, and the Hurricanes fought until the end and made it a game. This is essentially Miami's bowl game, and I expect a similar effort to what we saw against FSU a couple weeks ago.
Side: Miami +6.5
Texas A&M at Ole Miss: What in the world happened to Ole Miss last week? Memphis is no pushover, but come on. Ole Miss could go in the tank and throw away the rest of its season, but I think they'll play well enough to make this an interesting game. I picture this game as a back-and-forth affair, with the winner being the team who has the ball ... ah, enough of cliches. I don't care who wins, as long as each team's offense shows up.
Total: Over 65.5
Wisconsin at Illinois: The Badgers have struggled to cover large spreads this season, but the number this week is not all that concerning -- less than a TD. The Badgers need only to play their game and the cover will come naturally.
Side: Wisconsin -6
PASSing THOUGHTS (Week: 3-1; Season: 7-10)
Friday
Memphis at Tulsa: There is no doubt that Memphis is the better team, and under different circumstances this game likely would result in a blowout. But with Memphis coming off a huge win against Ole Miss last week, I have a hard time believing we'll see their best effort this Friday.
Side: Tulsa +10.5
Saturday
Missouri at Vanderbilt: It's the immovable object vs. the resistible force as Missouri travels to Vanderbilt this week. I had to find a place to put this game as the total is set at 35. Yes, 35 points for a college football game. But if you've followed these two teams, you know it's nearly impossible to take the over, so I'll go against every rule in the book and somehow go under this number.
Total: Under 35
Texas Tech at Oklahoma: I have a hard time imagining the Sooners being on point this week after the drubbing they put on Kansas State last week. A week after shutting out the Wildcats, the Sooners will struggle to slow the Red Raiders, and while I don't expect an upset here, I do expect a scare.
Side: Texas Tech +14.5
