More ranked teams hit the pavement in Week 6 as No. 13 Kentucky fell to South Carolina, No. 16 BYU lost to Notre Dame and Arizona State sprung a +400 money line upset against Washington. That latter game is a reminder that taking swings for the fences can deliver big results.
On our board, North Carolina delivered us a money line win against Miami with a 27-24 victory to reach 5-1. Washington State gave No. 6 USC trouble before the Trojans pulled away and BYU fought with Notre Dame, but neither could complete the outright money line upset. On the other end, Arkansas and Middle Tennessee both lost big.
But Week 7 is a new slate and features some of the best teams in the country finally fielding worth contenders. All five Big Ten games, for example, boast underdogs capable of springing upsets. One of the longest active winning streaks in the country will also be on the line in Knoxville, Tennessee. Here are five games with big money lines that could end in upsets.
Important disclaimer: "upset" is defined first and foremost by the odds, not rankings. All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Minnesota at No. 24 Illinois
When: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET | Where: Memorial Stadium -- Champaign, Illinois
Opinions on this game generally center on whether a 20-10 loss too Purdue was simply an indication of Mo Ibrahim's importance to Minnesota, or a canary in the coal mine of how reliant the Gophers are on one offensive skill talent. Without Ibrahim, Minnesota mustered just 304 yards and 10 points, including 1.8 yards per carry.
That's bad news when heading to play Illinois on the road. Quarterback Tommy DeVito is questionable for the game, but running back Chase Brown has cleared the 100-yard plateau in every game to lead the nation in rushing yards. The Illini are also exceptionally good defending the run, holding opponents to just 2.3 yards per carry. If Minnesota can't move the ball against this defense, Illinois will run away with the game. Pick: Illinois +210
No. 19 Kansas at Oklahoma
When: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET | Where: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium -- Norman, Oklahoma
I get it, picking a team ranked No. 72 in the 247Sports Talent Composite over a team ranked No. 9 feels foolish, but watch these teams. Even without quarterback Jalon Daniels, the Jayhawks are more than capable of knocking off the reeling Sooners. Backup quarterback Jason Bean played well when inserted against TCU, and the running back corps will have Oklahoma's defense spinning.
The Sooners should get quarterback Dillon Gabriel back this week, which means the odds of the Sooners getting blanked are much lower. However, both the offense and defense are structurally flawed. Kansas excels at taking advantage of mistakes, and the Sooners make many. Oklahoma has not lost to Kansas since 1997, before Bob Stoops took over the program. Add that new low to Brent Venables' résumé this weekend. Pick: Kansas +260
No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET | Where: Neyland Stadium -- Knoxville, Tennessee
When was the last time Bryce Young entered a game as anything other than the best quarterback on the field? If Young is limited in any way by a shoulder sprain, Tennessee's Hendon Hooker can make his case as the SEC's best passer. Hooker has nearly 1,700 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first full season leading the Vols, and he will have a receiving corps advantage over Alabama if Cedric Tillman plays.
Alabama is still phenomenal defensively and should be able to cause issues for Tennessee's explosive offense with perhaps the best trio of safeties in college football. However, the offense must show up in a big way. In games against Texas A&M and Texas, the Crimson Tide's offense has fallen short. Tennessee is finally a team good enough to take advantage. Pick: Tennessee +228
No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET | Where: Amon G. Carter Stadium -- Fort Worth, Texas
The Frogs are off to a brilliant start after crushing Oklahoma and outlasting No. 19 Kansas behind a dominant effort from quarterback Max Duggan. The new offensive staff has done a great job of putting players in good positions and allowing them to play with confidence. However, Oklahoma State will be a different kind of challenge.
The Cowboys boast one of the best defensive lines in the nation. Defensive end Brock Martin leads five different players with multiple sacks for Oklahoma State, and as a unit it ranks in the top 15 nationally. In TCU's one game against a quality defensive line, SMU, Duggan was sacked five times. Combined with Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders playing great football at the moment, the pressure might just be a little too much to handle. Pick: Oklahoma State +158
Nebraska at Purdue
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET | Where: Ross-Ade Stadium -- West Lafayette, Indiana
Nebraska got blasted by Oklahoma in its first game after firing coach Scott Fros. Since the bye week, however, the Cornhuskers have quietly looked much better. Under interim coach Mickey Joseph, Nebraska has thrown for 502 yards across its last two games. Perhaps more importantly, the Cornhuskers snapped a 10-game losing streak in one-score games with a 14-13 win over Rutgers.
Purdue's two losses are both against ranked opponents (No. 10 Penn State and No. 18 Syracuse), but outside of a 20-10 win over a Mo Ibrahim-less Minnesota, the last few weeks haven't been impressive. Purdue was just baited into a shootout against Maryland, just two weeks after a 28-26 close call against FAU. Purdue isn't good enough to get this much value against Nebraska. Pick: Nebraska +360
| Games | Record | Units |
|---|---|---|
Last Week | 1-4 | -1.57 |
Season | 2-8 | -2.17 |
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 7, and which top-15 favorite will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,000 in profit over the past six-plus seasons -- and find out.
