PREVIEWS AND PREDICTIONS: COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 7 EDITION

Week 7 is here, and the college football schedule delivers ranked showdowns, national championship implications and local storylines. JPWest Media breaks down the games to watch this weekend — starting with our coverage assignment — using the latest JPWest Media Top 25 rankings.

JPWest Media Coverage Schedule

Wake Forest at Cal
Saturday, Oct. 17 — 7:30 p.m. PT | California Memorial Stadium (Berkeley, CA)
Live on: ESPN2
Photographer: Tank Valenzuela

PREVIEW:

This is the first meeting between these two in Berkeley, and the Bears get a ranked ACC opponent at home under the lights.

Cal is 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC after a 25–20 comeback win over Virginia Tech. The Bears played without starting quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and still found a way. Backup Jackson Brousseau completed 29 of 43 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown. Ashten Emory scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 2-yard run with 18 seconds left after Cal had trailed 14-7 in the second quarter. Ian Strong led the receivers with 97 yards. Cal has shown it can win close games at home even when short-handed. The question is whether the run game and the secondary can hold up against a more explosive offense for four quarters.

Wake Forest arrives ranked No. 21 and 5-1 overall, 3-1 in the ACC. The Demon Deacons just rolled NC State 38–14. Gio Lopez went 26 of 33 for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Jack Foley had eight catches for 156 yards and a score. Deuce Lawrence added a 17-yard touchdown run. Wake Forest has only one loss on the year (to Miami) and has been one of the surprise teams in the ACC. Lopez has the offense humming, and the Deacs have been efficient when they get to the red zone.

Cal won the only previous meeting, 46–36 in Winston-Salem in 2024. Wake Forest’s path is the one that has carried them this far: Lopez finds Foley and the rest of the receivers in space, the run game stays on schedule, and the defense forces Cal into long third downs. Cal’s path is the one that beat Virginia Tech: Brousseau keeps the chains moving, Emory finds the end zone late, and the crowd keeps the game in one score into the fourth quarter. JPWest Media photographer Tank Valenzuela will be on site.

PREDICTION:

Brousseau has already shown he can move the ball when the starter is out. Lopez has been more consistent against better defenses. Berkeley at night gives Cal a real chance to hang around, but Wake Forest’s ability to score in the middle eight has been the separator all month.

JP’s Pick: Lopez hits Foley on the early shot and Wake Forest pulls away after the half. Wake Forest 31, Cal 24.

JPWEST MEDIA GAME OF THE WEEK

#2 Notre Dame (6-0) at #10 BYU (5-0)
Saturday, Oct. 17 — 4:30 p.m. PT | LaVell Edwards Stadium (Provo, UT)
Live on: ABC
College GameDay on site

PREVIEW:

This is the first top-10 matchup ever in Provo, and the biggest home game in LaVell Edwards Stadium history.

Notre Dame is 6-0 after a 58–7 win over Stanford. The Irish have won 16 straight games by 10 points or more. CJ Carr has been efficient and protected. The defense is ranked among the best in the country in total yards allowed. Marcus Freeman called this the toughest opponent the Irish have faced on paper this season. Notre Dame is a double-digit favorite. The path is the one that has traveled all year: win first down, force BYU to beat them from the pocket, and finish drives in the second half.

BYU is also undefeated after a 24–10 home win over Iowa State. The Cougars outgained the Cyclones 506–200. Bear Bachmeier has been mobile and productive. Kalani Sitake said the sense of urgency ramps up this week. BYU has not hosted a top-10 team in this building before. The last time these two met, Notre Dame won 28–20 in Las Vegas in 2022. BYU’s path is the one that has kept them unbeaten: Bachmeier creates explosives, the home crowd gets Carr off schedule, and the front seven wins enough early downs to keep it a one-score game into the fourth quarter.

College GameDay is on site for the first time in 17 years. The series was arranged last December after Notre Dame’s long-running series with USC was put on hold. Both teams treat this as a résumé test with playoff implications. Notre Dame is chasing its first national championship since 1988. BYU is looking for the statement win that moves the Big 12 conversation.

PREDICTION:

Bachmeier will create a couple of explosives that keep the building loud. Carr has not been asked to win a game like this yet this season, and the Irish’s defensive front has been the most reliable unit on the board all fall. The altitude and the crowd buy BYU time. They do not buy them the fourth quarter.

JP’s Pick: Carr finds the seam late and the Irish pull away after the turnover. Notre Dame 31, BYU 24.

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH NATIONALLY
(Using the JPWest Media Week 7 Top 25)

2. #4 Ohio State (5-1) at #5 Indiana (6-0)
Saturday, Oct. 17 — 9:00 a.m. PT | Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN)
Live on: FOX

PREVIEW:

This is a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, and the first top-five matchup ever at Memorial Stadium.

Ohio State is 5-1 after a 45–16 win over Maryland. Julian Sayin has the offense back on schedule. Jeremiah Smith remains the headliner. The Buckeyes are looking for revenge after losing 13–10 to Indiana in Indianapolis last December. That was the first Indiana win over Ohio State since 1988. Ryan Day’s team has been efficient on early downs and has the speed to create explosives. The path is the one that beat Iowa on the road: Smith over the top, the run game keeping Indiana’s front from teeing off, and finishing red-zone trips.

Indiana is still undefeated as the defending national champion. The Hoosiers are 6-0 and riding a long winning streak under Curt Cignetti. Josh Hoover has been efficient and has not thrown an interception this season. The defense has been physical. Indiana’s path is the one that won the title game: force Ohio State into long third downs, win the field-position game, and make a ranked road team earn every yard in a building that will be loud at noon. The line has hovered around a field goal. That is not a throwaway number in this stadium.

PREDICTION:

Last December Indiana held Ohio State scoreless in the second half and walked off with the title. Hoover has still not thrown an interception this year. Sayin and Smith will move the ball. They will not move it enough to erase the memory of that game when the building is at noon volume and Indiana is ahead late.

JP’s Pick: Hoover stays clean on the two big throws and Indiana holds the late lead. Indiana 27, Ohio State 24.

3. #6 Alabama at #14 Tennessee
Saturday, Oct. 17 — 12:30 p.m. PT | Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, TN)
Live on: ABC

PREVIEW:

Alabama is coming off the one-score loss to Georgia. The Tide still have the front seven and the speed that has traveled. Tennessee is climbing after a road win at Arkansas. Neyland is loud in October. Alabama’s path is the one that has won most of these: win first down, force Tennessee into long third downs, and finish drives in the second half. Tennessee’s path is the one that has kept games close against ranked teams: create explosives early, win the field-position game, and hope the crowd turns a ranked opponent into a one-score fourth quarter.

PREDICTION:

Tennessee will hit an early explosive and the building will sound like it can flip the script. Alabama’s front has been the better unit for most of the last month. Once the Vols have to throw against that edge pressure on third-and-medium, the noise becomes decoration.

JP’s Pick: The edge gets home on the third-quarter third down and Alabama takes the lead for good. Alabama 28, Tennessee 24.

4. Wisconsin at #13 UCLA (5-0)
Saturday, Oct. 17 — 4:30 p.m. PT | Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)
Live on: NBC

PREVIEW:

Undefeated Bruins host Wisconsin after the road win at Oregon. UCLA has been physical on defense and efficient on early downs. Wisconsin has shown it can control the line of scrimmage when it stays on schedule. Colton Joseph, the Newport Harbor product, returns close to home as the Badgers’ starting quarterback. The dual-threat transfer from Old Dominion has been the engine of Wisconsin’s offense all season. The Rose Bowl at night is not a neutral building, and the local angle makes this one personal for the OC product. UCLA’s path is the one that beat Oregon: force Wisconsin into long third downs, create explosives when the windows open, and finish drives. Wisconsin’s path is the one that has covered dogs: Joseph creates with his legs, the run game stays on schedule, and the Badgers win the field-position game enough to keep it close.

PREDICTION:

Joseph will create at least one explosive with his legs that keeps the Rose Bowl from turning into a track meet. UCLA’s secondary has been the cleaner unit all season, and the Bruins have already shown they can close a ranked game on the road. Night games in Pasadena have not been kind to teams that fall behind by more than a score, even when the quarterback grew up down the road.

JP’s Pick: UCLA converts the third-and-long after the turnover and Wisconsin never gets the last possession it needs. UCLA 24, Wisconsin 17.

5. #16 Oklahoma State (4-1) at #19 Houston (5-1)
Saturday, Oct. 17 — 4:30 p.m. PT | TDECU Stadium (Houston, TX)
Live on: FOX

PREVIEW:

Ranked Big 12 matchup. Houston is hosting in primetime. Oklahoma State is on a four-game win streak. Both teams have shown they can score when the windows open. Houston’s path is the one that has kept them ranked: force Oklahoma State into long third downs at home and finish drives. Oklahoma State’s path is the one that has carried the streak: create explosives early, win the field-position game, and hope the road environment stays manageable.

PREDICTION:

Oklahoma State will trade scores early and keep the total moving. Houston has been better at home when the game turns into a possession contest in the second half. The Cougars’ ability to get off the field on third down in their own building has been the quiet separator in their last three wins.

JP’s Pick: Houston wins the field-position swap after the punt and pulls away in the fourth. Houston 34, Oklahoma State 28.