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Viewer's guide to Week 7: Can't-miss matchups, potential upsets and more

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Just a hunch: You won't want to leave your TV come Saturday.

Week 7's college football schedule looks to be the season's most interesting to date. By the numbers, there are:

• Four games between ranked opponents, including a top-10 matchup (Florida-LSU) and a heated rivalry (Oklahoma-Texas).

• Three top-10 teams on the road for conference games, including Alabama's trip to Texas A&M.

• Thirteen undefeated FBS teams in action.

Before it begins, theScore is here to guide your viewing experience. Here's our look at the can't-miss matchups, under-the-radar games, and potential upsets (all times ET).

The early slate

Must-watch: No. 6 Oklahoma at No. 11 Texas (noon, FOX)

Jalen Hurts leads Oklahoma in rushing (499 yards) in addition to passing (1,523 yards). Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Forget the chirping. Forget the Horns Down narrative. Forget the "rat poison," as Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts (and Nick Saban) put it.

This is going to be an epic game.

It usually is when Oklahoma and Texas get together. In their last five meetings in the Cotton Bowl, the Sooners have won three, and all five were decided by a touchdown or less.

Last year, Texas secured a wild 48-45 win, prompting Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley to fire defensive coordinator Mike Stoops following his team's loss. The Sooners avenged the defeat by beating the Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship.

Texas already lost to LSU, so a defeat Saturday would effectively eliminate any hope of a College Football Playoff berth. The key for the Longhorns will be, simply, keeping up.

Oklahoma's offense ranks second in yards per pass attempt and first in yards per carry. Can Sam Ehlinger and the Longhorns' offense match the Sooners score for score? Texas' run game has improved lately, highlighted by a big performance from freshman Roschon Johnson (121 yards) last week at West Virginia.

Has potential: No. 23 Memphis at Temple (noon, ESPN2)

Temple is an under-the-radar team that could have a say in the AAC race. Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Sport / Getty

No. 25 Cincinnati earned the headlines last week, defeating UCF to rise to the top of the AAC East race. In the West, No. 21 SMU has been the story after exciting wins over TCU and Tulsa.

But Memphis and Temple both have designs on reaching the AAC title game in December, and both look capable ahead of Saturday's matchup in Philadelphia.

The Tigers, who improved to 5-0 last week against Louisiana-Monroe, boast an efficient passing offense. Quarterback Brady White has completed 71.7% of his passes, while junior Damonte Coxie averages 60 yards per game receiving.

They'll face one of the stingier pass defenses in Temple. At 4-1 with wins over two Power 5 teams (Maryland and Georgia Tech), the Owls have allowed only three passing touchdowns and a 45.9% completion rate this season.

Upset alert: Mississippi State at Tennessee (noon, SEC Network)

Tennessee has lost its last four SEC games by an average of 29.5 points. Carmen Mandato / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tennessee doesn't have much cause for positivity right now. The Volunteers' only win so far this season came against Chattanooga, an FCS program. It's only Year 2, but the Jeremy Pruitt era is trending the wrong way.

Yet one can see a path to an upset Saturday when Tennessee hosts Mississippi State, another SEC program off to a slow start in 2019. Volunteers freshman Brian Maurer flashed some ability in last week's loss to Georgia after taking over at quarterback, and Auburn torched Mississippi State's defense for 361 yards through the air prior to the Bulldogs' off week.

The Vols do need to get better at running the football. Against Florida and Georgia, Tennessee averaged fewer than 3 yards per carry.

Keep an eye on: South Carolina at No. 3 Georgia (noon, ESPN)

With 10 catches in his last two games, Lawrence Cager is emerging as Georgia's No. 1 wideout. Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Georgia has four consecutive double-digit wins over South Carolina, so this series hasn't produced many recent classics. But this is still the fourth-best game of the early slate and could be interesting if the Gamecocks can run the football. South Carolina rushed for 247 yards in a 24-7 win over Kentucky two weeks ago.

Georgia doesn't leave home again until it plays Florida on Nov. 2, so the rest of October is about correcting deficiencies before a tough stretch run. Not that the Bulldogs have many; they pass and run efficiently and haven't allowed more than 17 points in a game this season.

Midafternoon

Must-watch: No. 1 Alabama at No. 24 Texas A&M (3:30 p.m., CBS)

Only Oregon State's Jake Luton has more passes without an interception this year than Tua Tagovailoa. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

For Texas A&M, Alabama is the latest chapter of a brutal schedule. The Aggies have already lost at Clemson and at home to Auburn.

For the Crimson Tide, Texas A&M is the first true test - even if the Aggies haven't looked quite as strong as most thought they'd be.

Alabama's already beaten up on Duke, New Mexico State, South Carolina, Southern Miss, and Ole Miss. Tua Tagovailoa has 23 touchdowns and no interceptions. But Texas A&M's greatest strength this season might be its pass defense, as evidenced when the Aggies limited Clemson's success through the air in Week 2.

The Crimson Tide have won six straight against Texas A&M since the Johnny Manziel-led Aggies managed the upset in 2012.

Has potential: Michigan State at No. 8 Wisconsin (3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network)

Wisconsin's defense pitched its third shutout of the season last week against Kent State. Dylan Buell / Getty Images Sport / Getty

It's anyone's guess how Michigan State will score on Wisconsin, but the Spartans' defense is good enough to threaten the Badgers in Madison.

Michigan State's offense has scored 17 points combined in two games against ranked teams - losses to Arizona State (10-7) and Ohio State (34-10). Wisconsin's defense, meanwhile, ranks No. 1 in the country in yards allowed per game, yards per play allowed, and yards per pass attempt allowed.

But the Spartans have a solid pass defense of their own and a stout defensive line led by Kenny Willekes. That line faces Jonathan Taylor (745 yards, 12 touchdowns in five games) in one of the best matchups of the day.

Upset alert: Texas Tech at No. 22 Baylor (4 p.m., FS1)

Texas Tech will try and beat consecutive ranked opponents for the first time since 2008. John E. Moore III / Getty Images

Baylor is one of two undefeated teams left in the Big 12. Matt Rhule is easily the current front-runner for Big 12 Coach of the Year and a candidate for national awards, too. The Bears stayed unranked through a weak nonconference slate, but wins over Iowa State and Kansas have them ranking No. 22 in the country and the clear third in the conference behind Oklahoma and Texas.

Quarterback Charlie Brewer hasn't thrown an interception yet and Baylor's multifaceted run game is averaging 5.8 yards per touch. But don't think Matt Wells' Texas Tech team can't pull off an upset in Waco.

The Red Raiders are coming off an impressive 45-35 win over Oklahoma State in which they turned OSU over five times. The big question to be answered Saturday: Did quarterback Jett Duffey turn a corner, or was last week's 424-yard, four-touchdown performance an anomaly?

Keep an eye on: Washington State at No. 18 Arizona State (3:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network) and Florida State at No. 2 Clemson (3:30 p.m., ABC)

Anthony Gordon attempts more passes per game (46.4) than any quarterback in FBS. Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Pac-12 will continue to lose airtime as it fades from the College Football Playoff discussion, but it could have the most entertaining and wide-open conference race. Playing quality defense, particularly against the run, Herm Edwards' 4-1 Arizona State squad could have a say in the Pac-12 South.

The Sun Devils' only loss came against a Colorado team that dictated the style in a high-scoring game. If Washington State can do the same, the Cougars could bounce back from consecutive losses with a road upset.

Washington State's defense is in disarray, as evidenced by the resignation of coordinator Tracy Claeys this week. But the offense can still light it up: Quarterback Anthony Gordon trails only Tua Tagovailoa in touchdown passes this season.

If you've got a fifth screen, Clemson plays Florida State in its first game since nearly losing at North Carolina two weeks ago. One would expect the Tigers will be focused at home following an off week, but it's worth monitoring.

Evening

Must-watch: No. 7 Florida at No. 5 LSU (8 p.m., ESPN)

Freddie Swain had 146 yards and a touchdown in Florida's win over Auburn last week. Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

The game of the week features two undefeated, top-10 teams, but LSU has a lot more working in its favor than Florida does.

For one thing, the game is in Baton Rouge. For another, the Tigers are coming off a comfortable and impressive 42-6 rout of Utah State, while the Gators have to be ready to play after an emotional home victory over another ranked foe in Auburn. A victory Saturday would signal Florida's status as an SEC (and playoff) contender is legitimate.

The matchup to watch will come when Florida has the football. How Kyle Trask handles Grant Delpit and an elite LSU secondary will determine if the Gators can stay in the game. The Tigers' defense has intercepted five passes in its last two games.

Has potential: No. 10 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa (7:30 p.m., ABC)

Penn State's defense has held opponents to 1.5 yards per carry. Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Like Florida, Iowa must get up for its second huge game in a row. Unlike the Gators, though, the Hawkeyes are coming off a loss.

Iowa has plenty to prove after its offense flunked last week's test in a 10-3 loss at Michigan, but the Hawkeyes must defeat an undefeated Penn State team Saturday to stay relevant in the Big Ten West.

The Nittany Lions travel with a defense that's stymied every opponent's run game thus far. Three of their defenders - Yetur Gross-Matos, Micah Parsons, and Shaka Toney - have more than five tackles for loss. But this is Penn State's first game against a ranked foe. It's a big moment for first-year starting quarterback Sean Clifford, who has 1,443 yards and 12 touchdowns in five games.

Upset alert: USC at No. 9 Notre Dame (7:30 p.m., NBC)

Clay Helton's USC teams are 1-3 against Notre Dame. Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images Sport / Getty

USC's trip to South Bend just got more interesting.

Kedon Slovis, the freshman quarterback who stepped in and completed 77.9% of his passes over three-plus games before suffering an injury against Utah, is back. Though he's been somewhat mistake-prone - four interceptions in 77 pass attempts - he provided a jolt of energy to the Trojans' offense. After losing at Washington two weeks ago, USC could use a spark again.

With its only loss coming by six points at Georgia, Notre Dame remains an interesting playoff case if it can run the table. The Fighting Irish have been impressive since that loss, handling Virginia by two scores and crushing Bowling Green 52-0.

Keep an eye on: Nebraska at Minnesota (7:30 p.m., FS1) and Louisville at No. 19 Wake Forest (7:30 p.m., ACC Network)

Minnesota hasn't started a season 6-0 since 2003. Hannah Foslien / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Saturday's evening schedule is absolutely packed with interesting games. Both of these contests, which feature two of the surprise undefeated teams, are worthy of attention.

Minnesota could catch a break with Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez questionable to play after he was hurt last week against Northwestern. Looking for their first 6-0 start since 2003, the Golden Gophers should already have an advantage when they're on offense. Quarterback Tanner Morgan is in the middle of a breakout season, throwing for 250 yards per game while completing more than 70% of his passes. A victory here could have Minnesota sitting 8-0 when Penn State comes to town Nov. 9.

Wake Forest, meanwhile, continues to overachieve under Dave Clawson. The Demon Deacons began conference play with a nailbiter of a win at Boston College. They now host a Louisville team that's coming off its own win over the Eagles and improving fast under first-year coach Scott Satterfield. Averaging 112 yards per game for the Cardinals, redshirt freshman running back Javian Hawkins is one of the better "unknown" players in college football.

After dark

Must-watch: Washington at Arizona (11 p.m., FS1)

Arizona hasn't lost since its season opener at Hawaii on Aug. 24. Christian Petersen / Getty Images

College football's Week 0 ended with Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate going down at the 1-yard line, just shy of a game-tying touchdown against Hawaii.

That yard might have been the only thing standing between Arizona and a 5-0 record here in early October. Kevin Sumlin's team was seemingly written off that night, but the Wildcats haven't quit. Arizona's defeated Texas Tech, UCLA, and Colorado in its last three games, with Tate throwing for a career-high 404 yards in last week's win over the Buffaloes.

The Wildcats have a chance to make a real statement - one that could vault them into the Top 25 - Saturday against a reeling Washington squad. The Huskies fell flat against Stanford last week, losing 23-13. And while the offense has been inconsistent, Washington's run defense has quietly been another weakness. The Huskies are allowing 4.3 yards per carry, their highest figure since 2012 - before Chris Petersen took over as head coach.

Has potential: Hawaii at No. 14 Boise State (10:15 p.m., ESPN2)

Saturday could be a matchup of the Mountain West's two best teams. Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Stay up late for this one - if only for the Cole McDonald experience against a top-15 opponent.

McDonald, Hawaii's quarterback, is one reason the Rainbow Warriors are 4-1 and one reason they could easily be worse. He's thrown for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in each of Hawaii's wins, but he also threw three interceptions in a loss to Washington and four in a victory over Arizona.

Hawaii might be the second-best team in the Mountain West. It can stake its claim as the top dog with a win on the blue turf against Boise State, the conference's lone undefeated program.

Winners of six straight over Hawaii, the Broncos haven't lost to the Rainbow Warriors since 2007. They've never lost to them in Boise.

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