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There are only eight possible matchups between unbeaten teams left in college football’s regular season.
Three of them happen this week. Considering we’re now halfway through, that’s amazing and likely makes this the most meaningful week of the season until the final weeks.
Tennessee vs. Alabama (-7½ at Caesars Sportsbook). Michigan (-7) vs. Penn State. TCU (-4) vs. Oklahoma State. The winners will remain in drivers’ seats for playoff spots, the losers will be on the outside looking in.
The other five possibilities for unbeaten regular season matchups probably won’t all happen, and they’re mostly in different weeks: Syracuse at Clemson (Week 8, but both must win tricky games this week first); either Ohio State-Penn State (Week 9) OR Michigan-Ohio State (Week 13); either Tennessee-Georgia (Week 10) OR Alabama-Ole Miss (Week 11); USC at UCLA (Week 12); and Coastal Carolina at James Madison (Week 13).
So, yeah, this is a big week.
As for the home state team, Illinois is back in the top 25 for the first time since 2011. The Illini celebrate by ... being underdogs in their home game against unranked Minnesota, which is a 3½-point favorite on Saturday in Champaign.
Here’s a complete schedule and list of the available Week 7 point spreads and over/under totals at Caesars Sportsbook, official odds partner of Bet Chicago Sports:
(*no lines available yet for games involving FCS teams)
Top 25 games
No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan (-7, o/u 51½), 11 a.m., Fox
Auburn at No. 9 Ole Miss (-11½, o/u 54½), 11 a.m., ESPN
No. 19 Kansas at Oklahoma (-7, o/u 64), 11 a.m., ESPN2
Iowa State at No. 22 Texas (-14½, o/u 49½), 11 a.m., ABC
Minnesota (-3½, o/u 39½) at No. 24 Illinois, 11 a.m., BTN
No. 3 Alabama (-7½, o/u 65½) at No. 6 Tennessee, 2:30 p.m., CBS
No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU (-4, o/u 68), 2:30 p.m., ABC
Vanderbilt at No. 1 Georgia (-39, o/u 58), 2:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 15 NC State at No. 18 Syracuse (-5, o/u 44), 2:30 p.m., ACC Network
No. 25 James Madison (-10½, o/u 63½) at Georgia Southern, 3 p.m., ESPN+
No. 4 Clemson (-4, o/u 51) at Florida State, 6:30 p.m., ABC
No. 16 Mississippi State (-6½, o/u 47½) at No. 22 Kentucky, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 7 USC at No. 20 Utah (-3½, o/u 66½), 7 p.m., Fox
Other games
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12
UL at Marshall (-7½, o/u 48½), 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
THURSDAY, OCT. 13
Baylor (-3½, o/u 54½) at West Virginia, 6 p.m., FS1
Temple at Central Florida (-24, o/u 46), 6 p.m., ESPN
FRIDAY, OCT. 14
Navy at SMU (-12, o/u 56½), 6:30 p.m., ESPN
UTSA (-33, o/u 63½) at Florida International, 7 p.m., CBSSN
SATURDAY, OCT. 15
Old Dominion at Coastal Carolina (-11½, o/u 57), 11 a.m., ESPNU
Central Michigan (-13, o/u 58½) at Akron, 11 a.m., ESPN+
Miami (Ohio) (-6½, o/u 47) at Bowling Green, 11 a.m., ESPN+
*Colgate at Army, 11 a.m., ESPN+
Miami (-7½, o/u 47½) at Virginia Tech, 11:30 a.m.
Buffalo (-15, o/u 46½) at UMass, noon
Cal (-14½, o/u 49) at Colorado, 1 p.m., Pac-12 Network
UConn at Ball State (-9, o/u 47), 1 p.m.
Arkansas at BYU (-3, o/u 59½), 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Maryland (-11, o/u 60½) at Indiana, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2
Ohio at Western Michigan (-1½, o/u 60), 2:30 p.m., CBSSN
Texas State at Troy (-16½, o/u 48½), 2:30 p.m.
Charlotte at UAB (-24, o/u 62½), 2:30 p.m.
Western Kentucky (-7, o/u 66) at Middle Tennessee, 2:30 p.m.
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan (-2, o/u 63), 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Kent State at Toledo (-8, o/u 62), 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
*Gardner-Webb at Liberty, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Wisconsin (-6½, o/u 48½) at Michigan State, 3 p.m., Fox
Tulane (-10½, o/u 55) at South Florida, 3 p.m., ESPNU
Louisiana Tech at North Texas (-6, o/u 70½), 3 p.m., ESPN+
Arizona at Washington (-15½, o/u 71), 4:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Rice at Florida Atlantic (-5, o/u 56), 5 p.m., ESPN+
LSU at Florida (-2½, o/u 48), 6 p.m., ESPN
Utah State (-9, o/u 48) at Colorado State, 6 p.m., CBSSN
UL-Monroe at South Alabama (-17, o/u 54), 6 p.m., NFL Network
Arkansas State at Southern Miss (-3½, o/u 55½), 6 p.m., ESPN+
Stanford at Notre Dame (-15½, o/u 52½), 6:30 p.m., NBC
Nebraska at Purdue (-12, o/u 57½), 6:30 p.m., BTN
Memphis at East Carolina (-4½, o/u 59½), 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
North Carolina (-6, o/u 66½) at Duke, 7 p.m., ACC Network
New Mexico (-6, o/u 37½) at New Mexico State, 7 p.m.
Washington State at Oregon State (-3, o/u 53), 8 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Air Force (-9½, o/u 53½) at UNLV, 9:30 p.m., CBSSN
San Jose State (-7, o/u 49½) at Fresno State, 9:45 p.m., FS1
Nevada (-5, o/u 48½) at Hawaii, 11 p.m.