Week 7 of the college football season brings a hearty serving of marquee matchups as the midway point of the regular season approaches. While it will be tough to match the mayhem that headlined Week 6, there are some blockbuster games that should guarantee another exciting day of action.

The headliner is a battle between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon as the unbeaten Big Ten heavyweights put themselves to the test. Both teams are relying on veteran transfers at quarterback as Will Howard takes the Buckeyes west to face Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks.

Howard and Gabriel are each proven and experienced, but both have their limitations. Can one of them dig deep to be the difference-maker in a game carrying major Big Ten title and College Football Playoff implications? 

There’s another big-time Big Ten battle that features an interesting quarterback matchup as well with No. 4 Penn State heading traveling to Los Angeles to face USC. Trojans QB Miller Moss will be looking for a bounce-back performance following a loss at Minnesota. His counterpart, Penn State’s Drew Allar, will be looking to show he’s got the moxie required to lead the Nittany Lions to a big conference road win.

Here is the early look at the odds for those games and other top Week 7 contests.

Odds via Sportsline consensus

The big games 

No. 4 Penn State (-3.5) at USC: Oregon vs. Ohio State may be the headliner, but USC vs. Penn State is one heck of a Week 7 Big Ten undercard. It’s the first meeting between the teams since the Trojans edged the Nittany Lions 52-49 in a legendary Rose Bowl game to cap the 2016 season. Back inside the same venue, they now meet as conference foes for the first time. If Penn State wins, it will be well-positioned in the Big Ten race and in the quest for a College Football Playoff spot.

No. 1 Texas (-14.5) vs No. 18 Oklahoma: The Red River Rivalry game falls under the SEC banner for the first time as the Longhorns look to avenge a 34-30 loss to the Sooners from last season. Both teams are coming off bye weeks and hope to have early season quarterback snafus behind them. Quinn Ewers is expected to be back in the saddle for Texas after missing two games due to an abdominal strain. OU freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. is in line for a dose of the national spotlight in his third career start after unseating former five-star prospect Jackson Arnold.

No. 9 Ole Miss (-2.5) at No. 13 LSU: These teams combined for 104 points in a 55-49 Ole Miss victory last season. The Tigers get to host the Rebels inside Death Valley this time, however, and they will do so coming off a bye week. Ole Miss is entering off consecutive grueling SEC battles against Kentucky and South Carolina. The Rebels were up to the task against the Gamecocks, but they’ll need to stay sharp in this battle between border foes looking to prove they belong in the CFP conversation.

No. 2 Ohio State (-4.5) at No. 3 Oregon: This long-awaited clash of Big Ten titans marks the first game against a ranked foe that either team has played. Thus, it should serve as a litmus test for where they belong in the national pecking order. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 9-1, but the Ducks stunned the Buckeyes 35-28 on the road in 2021. Now, they host Ohio State for the first time since 1967 as two of the nation’s top brands meet as conference opponents for the first time.

No. 18 Kansas State (-5.5) at Colorado: These teams met every year from 1948 to 2010 before Colorado left the Big 12 for the Pac-12. Now, the Buffs are back in the conference and the series resumes with both teams in the league title hunt. The Wildcats like to pound the rock, whereas the Buffaloes prefer to air it out. This will serve as an appealing nightcap to a loaded Week 7 slate.

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