Week Seven is the biggest week of the season so far, and that is without question. Games of national importance are going down from coast to coast. Before this week’s big results get blown up by next weekend’s inevitable upsets let’s chop it up and break it all down.
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GAME OF THE WEEK: OLE MISS at MEMPHIS
This one I’ve had circled on my calendar for weeks. It’s the type of game that rarely ever happens but is marvelous when it does. Rarely will Power 5 teams play top-tier Group of 5 teams in a true road game, but the Rebels are making the short drive north over the state line for this one. Ole Miss is playing to stay in playoff contention in a murky SEC, and Memphis is playing to stay undefeated and keep its outside playoff hopes alive.
Both teams are talented on both sides of the ball, and the Liberty Bowl will be packed to the gills for the this one. If you haven’t seen Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch you’re in for a treat. This game could take over for the 2005 USC-Fresno State game as the classic giant-versus-giant killer battle.
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UPSET SPECIAL: OKLAHOMA at KANSAS STATE
This might be piling on the Sooners after the disaster in Dallas last week, but the Sooners looked listless in their loss while Kansas State went shot for shot with TCU for 60 minutes. Bill Snyder is a heck of a ball coach and won’t let his charges slip with another big league contest coming to Manhattan. A loss here for Oklahoma will ignite a low heat under Bob Stoops’ seat again, because that’s what tends to happen in Norman if the ship strays even a touch off course.
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UNIMPORTANT GAME OF IMPORTANCE:
LOUISIANA TECH at MISSISSIPPI STATE
The SEC has made a habit of later-season non-conference games against tomato cans, but Mississippi State hosts a quality Louisiana Tech team that currently sits atop Conference USA’s West Division. State has yet to impress this season as it did in 2014, and Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel’s SEC experience from his time at Florida will be invaluable for Skip Holtz’s team in Starkville. An early kickoff of 11 a.m. local time does no one any favors, but it will be a valuable measuring stick for both, and a win puts both teams just a win away from bowl eligibility.
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NERDOUT OF THE WEEK: CHARLOTTE at OLD DOMINION
A game between two of the FBS’ youngest programs, ODU and Charlotte both sit winless in Conference USA, but a win on Saturday would put the victor at .500 for the season. ODU has made great strides since it reformed its program in 2009 and have amassed a 54-23 record across FCS and FBS football under head coach Bobby Wilder. Charlotte’s program is just three years old, but has grown slowly and smartly since it first took the field.
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ODDITY OF THE WEEK: AUBURN at KENTUCKY
Auburn has lost five straight SEC games. That isn’t a typo. The Tigers haven’t picked up a league win since skimming by Ole Miss on Nov. 1 of last year. In those games they have been held to under 10 points twice and have given up less than 34 points just once. This is not a good trend, especially considering that Kentucky is trending up and the game is in Lexington.
This game might be a trainwreck if Auburn has totally checked out on the season. This game might also be a turning point for Auburn like Texas’ win last week in the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma — we’ll see if the Longhorns consolidate momentum in the coming weeks. Auburn’s been a case of schadenfreude all year for those that think the SEC is overrated, and no skeptic of the league will look away from this one.
