There have been upsets this college football season. There always are. But none of them have been bigger than Iowa State’s shocker over Oklahoma last weekend.
The No. 3 team in the nation, favored by more than 30 points, lost at home by a touchdown to the Cyclones. The stunning loss dropped the Sooners nine spots in the Top 25 to No. 12 and all but eliminated them from the national playoffs.
Alabama and Clemson remain one-two in the rankings. Penn State and Georgia round out the top four.
Michigan slid the most in the Top 25 when it lost at home to state rival Michigan State. The Spartans outplayed the Wolverines in a 14-10 win at the Big House in Ann Arbor, dropping Michigan from No. 7 to 17th. The Wolverines did not have their starting quarterback in action as Wilton Speight will be out “multiple weeks” with an injury.
As Week 7 kicks off, let’s try and pick a two-game parlay involving some of the top teams (odds provided by bovada.lv).
VGB’s college football Week 7 parlay pick — Take No. 8 Washington State (-14.5) over California and No. 10 Auburn (-7.5) over LSU for a $25 parlay. If both teams cover the spread, the payoff is $70.30. If either team loses, the ticket is void.
Washington State at California — The Bears opened the season with three straight wins, but now they’ve equaled that with three straight conference losses. It doesn’t get any easier Friday night when the undefeated Cougars (6-0) arrive in Berkeley.
Cal has been a double-digit underdog in its last three, but covered the spread in just one of those losses. The Bears have won 10 of the last 12 meetings against the Cougars, but they were trounced 56-21 at Washington State last season. Cal is 1-7 straight up and 2-6 against the spread (ATS) in its last eight conference games.
Every game is important to Washington State, but you can bet that Nov. 25 game is circled on the calendar. That’s when the Cougars meet their state rivals from Washington on the road in Seattle.
The Cougars, off to their best start since 2001, upset a top-ranked team in USC a couple of weeks ago. They followed up that huge road win by blasting Oregon 33-10 last weekend. They are 4-0 ATS in their last four games.
Cal quarterback Ross Bowers has struggled lately. He has been sacked 17 times over the past three games. It won’t get any better against a Washington State defense that has 21 sacks, which is tied for fourth in the country.
Cougars quarterback Luke Falk leads the nation in passing touchdowns with 19 against just two interceptions.
Auburn at LSU — The Tigers (5-1) have won their last three games by a combined score of 144-47. Their only loss was in Week 2 to Clemson as the defending national champions beat Auburn 14-6. No shame in that. The Tigers have worked their way back from that setback to No. 10 in the nation.
This isn’t the last top test for Auburn, either. They host Georgia and Alabama in two of their last five regular season games. They need a victory here to remain in the national conversation. They beat LSU last season 18-13 in one of the wildest finishes in this rivalry that dates back to 1901.
Both teams have been lousy against the spread this season — Auburn is 2-4 and LSU is 1-5.
Jarrett Stidham leads the Auburn offense, completing 99-of-139 passes for 1,345 yards. But the Tigers like the ground game even more, gaining 1,368 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing the ball. Quarterback Danny Etling and running back Derrius Guice power the LSU attack.
Arkansas at No. 1 Alabama (-30) — The Crimson Tide (6-0) has won 10 straight against the Razorbacks, but they’re 3-3 ATS this season. Arkansas (2-3) is 0-5 ATS.
No. 2 Clemson at Syracuse (+22.5) — The Tigers (6-0) have covered the spread just once in their last three games but they’re 2-0 ATS on the road. Syracuse is 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games.
Missouri at No. 4 Georgia (-30) — The Bulldogs (6-0) have won their last three games by a combined score of 117-17 and they’re 3-0 ATS in those victories. The Tigers (1-4) are 1-4 ATS.
No. 5 Washington at Arizona State (+17.5) — The Huskies (6-0) have outscored their last four opponents 165-40. The Sun Devils (2-3) are 2-2-1 ATS. Washington is 4-2 ATS.
