By Week 7, résumé season has officially arrived. The undefeated teams are protecting their place in the College Football Playoff race, preseason contenders are trying to recover before it’s too late and several conference matchups could reshape the picture entirely.
The weekend is headlined by a top-five showdown between Ohio State and Indiana, while Notre Dame visits unbeaten BYU and Alabama faces another difficult SEC road test at Tennessee. Here’s one player to watch in each matchup, the personnel edge that could decide it and a pick against the spread.
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 5 Indiana
Line: Ohio State -3.5
Player to Watch: Indiana EDGE Tobi Osunsanmi
A four-star Kansas State transfer, Osunsanmi leads the Hoosiers in both sacks and tackles for loss this season as Indiana ranks third nationally in both categories under defensive coordinator Bryant Haines. If there’s a common thread in Ohio State’s last three losses, it starts up front with its inability to keep Julian Sayin consistently clean.
The Pick: Riding a 22-game winning streak and a program-record 19-game home winning streak, Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers have won or tied the turnover battle in 30 consecutive games. Indiana has committed only one turnover this season while ranking among the top five nationally in fewest penalties. A disciplined team that doesn’t beat itself, armed with home-field advantage and a legitimate pass rush, the Hoosiers have a recipe for success that’s difficult to overcome.
Pick: Indiana +3.5
Score prediction: Indiana 21, Ohio State 20
Florida at No. 7 Texas
Line: Texas -10.5
Player to Watch: Texas QB Arch Manning
There’s no player in America under more of a microscope this week than Manning. After helping spur Oklahoma’s upset of the Longhorns this past weekend, Manning and Texas have quickly reached the sink-or-swim point of the season, with four ranked matchups in their next five games. Set to face one of the worst pass defenses in college football when Florida comes to town Saturday, now would be an ideal time for Manning to start playing his best football.
