College Football Power Rankings Week 7: UCLA’s Surge Continues
Our updated College Football Top 25 Power Rankings include an odds synopsis and betting lean for each team’s game this weekend.
There certainly has been plenty of movement in SBR’s College Football Top 25 Power Rankings throughout the first six weeks of the season. With five ranked matchups on tap for Week 7, there is bound to be more on the way. While UCLA and Mississippi State continue to surge, Michigan actually drops out of our top 10 this week despite still being undefeated on the season.
Before we dive into the rankings, it’s worth mentioning that a number of highly-ranked teams are dealing with injuries at quarterback. Thus, it will be crucial for bettors to monitor injury reports and the status of impactful players going into this week’s games.
Compared to NFL handicapping, player injuries typically don’t carry as much weight at the college level. That said, the advent of the transfer portal has left some schools in a dicey spot as far as backups at the position.
Check out our top college football matchups to watch in Week 7.
Here are our updated college football power rankings along with an early look at matchups and Week 7 betting odds for each team (odds via BetMGM).
Updated College Football Top 25
- Newly ranked: TCU, Texas
- Dropped out: BYU, Washington
- First five out: Notre Dame, BYU, Florida State, Syracuse, South Carolina
College Football Power Rankings: Week 7
25) Minnesota (⬇2)
Week 7: at Illinois (MIN -6.5 | O/U 39)
On the heels of a bye week, Minnesota expects to have star running back Mohamed Ibrahim back in the fold for what is suddenly a massive game against Illinois. With the Big Ten West Division being a complete crapshoot, the winner of this matchup might actually be the favorite to play in the conference title game. It’s certainly fair to question whether Illinois should be catching nearly a full touchdown at home.
24) Kentucky (⬇4)
Week 7: vs. Mississippi State (MSU -7 | O/U 47)
Kentucky has now lost two straight games after a 4-0 start to the season. However, it’s hard to knock the Wildcats too badly for last week’s loss to South Carolina given that quarterback Will Levis missed the game with an injury. Things get no easier in Week 7 against an under-ranked Mississippi State team. Kentucky will be hard-pressed to score enough points to win, especially if Levis is out once again.
23) Texas (NR)
Week 7: vs. Iowa State (TEX -16.5 | O/U 49.5)
How much of Saturday’s 49-0 Red River thrashing of Oklahoma was about Texas being good versus Oklahoma being THAT bad? It’s tough to say for certain, but we will learn a whole lot about the Longhorns over the next few weeks. Following a home game against Iowa State, Texas has back-to-back road games at Oklahoma State and Kansas State. All things considered, 16.5 points feels like a lot to be laying this week.
22) Kansas State (⬆2)
Week 7: Bye
The Wildcats scored a one-point win on the road over Iowa State in Week 6. Statistically speaking, the game wasn’t even that close. K-State outgained the Cyclones by over 100 yards. The rushing abilities of QB Adrian Martinez continue to cause issues for the lackluster defenses in the Big 12 Conference. The Wildcats will enjoy an extra week to get ready for a road trip to TCU on October 22.
21) Baylor (-)
Week 7: at West Virginia (BAY -3.5 | O/U 54.5)
After sitting idle this past week, Baylor will be back in action on Thursday night when the Bears travel to Morgantown. The home loss to Oklahoma State has had extra time to ruminate, so one has to believe the Bears will come out firing. That said, QB Blake Shapen and the offense need to improve for Baylor to have any shot at repeating as Big 12 champs. Until we see that improvement on the field, it’s probably worth playing Bears’ games to the Under.
20) TCU (NR)
Week 7: vs. Oklahoma State (TCU -3.5 | O/U 68)
Despite not having much of an answer for Kansas’ backup quarterback, TCU managed to escape Lawrence with a win. The college football betting market is once again moving in the Horned Frogs’ favor ahead of Saturday’s showdown against Oklahoma State. The total has also inched down after opening at 69.5. There’s no denying the offensive capabilities of these two teams, but 68 points is certainly a high bar.
19) LSU (⬇1)
Week 7: at Florida (FLA -2.5 | O/U 49.5)
It was a disappointing weekend for LSU. Not only did the Tigers lose to Tennessee at home, but they were blown out. Now, head coach Brian Kelly must get his squad to regroup for an annual rivalry game against Florida. Early sharp money saw this line drop from Florida -3 to -2.5. LSU is the more talented team on both sides of the ball in this matchup. The Gators’ porous run defense will be hard-pressed to contain a dual-threat QB like Jayden Daniels.
18) Arkansas (⬇2)
Week 7: at BYU (ARK -1.5 | O/U 63)
Much like LSU, it’s tough to drop Arkansas very far in our college football power rankings due to the nature of last week’s loss. The final score may have been lopsided, but the Razorbacks were trying to hang with a very strong Mississippi State team without starting quarterback, KJ Jefferson. Whether or not Jefferson will be back for Saturday’s road trip to Provo is unknown. The fact that the Hogs are laying a point and a half seems to suggest he will be.
17) Oklahoma State (-)
Week 7: at TCU (TCU -3.5 | O/U 68)
Oklahoma State is still unbeaten, but it remains tough to tell just how good this team is. For three and a half quarters, the Pokes had their hands completely full with Texas Tech. Now, OSU heads to Fort Worth to face another undefeated Big 12 school, TCU. The fact that the line has moved against the Cowboys despite having a slight majority of bets in their favor is noteworthy. However, head coach Mike Gundy has typically thrived in matchups with a short point spread like this one.
16) Texas A&M (⬇1)
Week 7: Bye
Sure, Texas A&M benefitted from countless Alabama miscues this past weekend. However, the Aggies deserve a ton of credit for keeping the pressure on in a hostile environment. There is still plenty for head coach Jimbo Fisher and his coaching staff to clean up, particularly with regard to the offense. A Week 7 bye could provide the opportunity to make adjustments for the back half of SEC play. A&M will be back in action next weekend against South Carolina.
15) Wake Forest (⬆7)
Week 7: Bye
Wake Forest fans have to be kicking themselves over what might’ve been had the Demon Deacons gotten past Clemson three weeks ago. Despite that heartbreaking loss, a return to the ACC Championship Game still remains a possibility. After bouncing back with wins over Florida State and Army, respectively, the Deacs will be idle in Week 7. A home date against Boston College figures to provide a winnable return to play next week.
14) Utah (⬇6)
Week 7: vs. USC (UTA -3.5 | O/U 63)
So much for this Saturday’s clash between Utah and USC being the biggest Pac-12 game of the year. After the Utes stubbed their toe again at UCLA last week, public bettors are clearly not sure why they are giving points at home this week. With over three-fourths of all ATS bets on the Trojans, this game can only be viewed as “Utah or Pass”. However, it’s fair to question whether the Utes’ offense has enough pop to still contend with elite teams after losing tight end Brant Kuithe.
13) NC State (⬆1)
Week 7: at Syracuse (SYR -3 | O/U 44.5)
NC State may have pulled off a comeback win last week, but the real concern is the health of quarterback Devin Leary. Head coach Dave Doeren has described his shoulder injury as “rehabable” and called his starter “day-to-day”. With a timeline ranging from 1-6 weeks, it seems like a long shot that Leary will actually dress on Saturday. The Wolfpack are also shaping up as public underdogs, which furthers our lean toward the Orange.
12) UCLA (⬆7)
Week 7: Bye
It was only two weeks ago that UCLA was 4-0 without a single noteworthy win and a very close call against South Alabama. Now, the Bruins are 6-0 with back-to-back home wins over AP Top 25 teams. With QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the controls, UCLA’s offense figures to be very potent. Following this week’s bye, a road trip to Oregon will pose a major test for the Bruins’ defense.
11) Michigan (⬇4)
Week 7: vs. Penn State (MICH -7 | O/U 52.5)
It’s unlikely that a team has dropped four spots in our power rankings off a win all season until now. Michigan hardly looked dominant or even solid in last week’s win over Indiana. Saturday will present the Wolverines with their toughest test to date at home against Penn State. It’s certainly hard to feel great about laying a full touchdown with Michigan based on how unimpressive Jim Harbaugh’s team has been thus far.
10) Ole Miss (-)
Week 7: vs. Auburn (MISS -14.5 | O/U 54.5)
One could argue that the Auburn offense coming to Oxford on Saturday is worse than the Vanderbilt offense that Ole Miss just faced. The Tigers were shut out in the first half of their game against Georgia last week. Auburn also gave up nearly 300 yards rushing. In Zach Evans and Quinshon Judkins, the Rebels certainly have a ground game capable of achieving a similarly huge performance.
9) Oregon (⬆2)
Week 7: Bye
Plenty of college football betting analysts were expecting Oregon to get more than it bargained for on the road against Arizona last week. Instead, the Ducks racked up nearly 600 yards of offense in a 27-point win. Dan Lanning’s defense did a nice job of containing Arizona QB Jayden de Laura and forcing three total turnovers. Oregon will enjoy a bye before a massive home date next week against UCLA.
8) Mississippi State (⬆4)
Week 7: at Kentucky (MSU -7 | O/U 47)
Mississippi State once again rises multiple spots in our power rankings this week. Sure, Arkansas was without its starting QB, but the Bulldogs thoroughly dominated to cover even the closing point spread. Kentucky is another team with injury concerns at quarterback, and the market has already moved up 4 points in MSU’s favor. Even if Will Levis plays, it’s fair to question whether the Wildcats can score enough to stay competitive.
7) USC (⬆2)
Week 7: at Utah (UTA -3.5 | O/U 63)
The takeaways may not have been there, but USC still outclassed Washington State on Saturday night to improve to 6-0 on the year. Clearly, the Trojans’ defense has improved from the beginning of the season. That said, beating Wazzu at home is a whole lot different than going on the road to Salt Lake City. USC will get a physicality test unlike anything faced to date against Utah. How the Trojans hold up in the trenches could determine the outcome.
6) Clemson (-)
Week 7: at Florida State (CLEM -3.5 | O/U 51.5)
The point spread for Saturday night’s matchup between Clemson and Florida State has only gotten smaller after opening north of a touchdown. Now, the Tigers are laying only 3.5 points against an improved Seminoles team that has sustained two straight losses to teams Clemson beat the week prior. There certainly has to be some concern about how Clemson’s defensive backs will match up with FSU’s skilled receivers.
5) Penn State (-)
Week 7: at Michigan (MICH -7 | O/U 52.5)
Penn State has had the benefit of an extra week to prepare for Saturday’s marquee showdown against Michigan. If the Nittany Lions can shut down Blake Corum and the Wolverines’ rushing attack, an upset is a real possibility. With multiple members of the Penn State secondary having NFL potential, it will be tough for Michigan to air it out. However, the fact that the majority of the betting public is taking PSU plus the points is quite concerning.
4) Tennessee (-)
Week 7: vs. Alabama (ALA -7.5 | O/U 65.5)
Talk about having an opportunity to make a statement! Tennessee will host ESPN College Gameday for the second time this season ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Alabama. It’s no surprise that a decisive majority of public bettors are backing the underdog based on how last week went. The Vols throttled LSU on the road and are finally getting the same level of respect that our college football power rankings have been showing them all season long.
3) Ohio State (-)
Week 7: Bye
Once upon a time, Ohio State held a 21-13 lead over Michigan State in last week’s contest. The final score of 49-20 provides a pretty clear indication of how things went from there. In case anyone still had doubts, let it be known that the Buckeyes are clearly the class of the Big Ten. An October 29 contest against Penn State in Happy Valley is probably the only thing standing in the way of an unbeaten regular season.
2) Georgia (-)
Week 7: vs. Vanderbilt (UGA -38.5 | O/U 58.5)
Thanks to Alabama’s closer-than-expected win, Georgia reclaimed the top spot in the AP Poll this week. The defending champs will certainly beat Vanderbilt in Week 7, but will they be able to cover the massive 38.5-point spread? With a bye week looming, this isn’t a true “lookahead spot”. That said, it’s hard to imagine the Bulldogs’ starters playing for an extended period of time against the armpit of the SEC.
1) Alabama (-)
Week 7: at Tennessee (ALA -7.5 | O/U 65.5)
Even without QB Bryce Young, the only reason Alabama struggled to put away Texas A&M was due to self-inflicted wounds. From coughing up four turnovers to committing costly penalties and even missing multiple field goals, the Crimson Tide were hardly a well-oiled machine. Since head coach Nick Saban took over in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is 15-0 straight up against Tennessee. If Young is able to return this week, the Vols’ pass defense could be in for a long afternoon.
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