- Week 7 of college football features key matchups impacting playoff hopes.
- South Florida faces North Texas in a crucial American Athletic clash Oct. 10.
- BYU-Arizona Utah-Arizona State highlight pivotal Big 12 battles in week 7.
SALT LAKE CITY — With conference play heating up, several key matchups headline Week 7 of the college football season as contenders look to solidify their playoff hopes. From a ranked American Athletic clash between South Florida and North Texas on Friday night to rivalry and Big 12 battles featuring Oklahoma–Texas, BYU–Arizona, and Utah–Arizona State, this weekend's slate is packed with games that could shape the postseason picture across multiple conferences.
No. 24 South Florida Bulls (4-1) vs. North Texas (5-0)
Friday, Oct. 10, 5:30 p.m. MDT – DATCU Stadium (ESPN2)
South Florida and North Texas face off in an exciting Friday night matchup in a key game for the American Athletic Conference.
Why South Florida will win:
The Bulls have been a surprise team to begin the season and have pulled off some major upsets. They have firmly put themselves in the college football playoff conversations as the group of five representative but they face a possible threat in North Texas.
USF has bounced back well from their loss to Miami, scoring 117 points in their last two games. One of the biggest reasons for the Bulls' success has been because of the play of quarterback Byrum Brown, who has accounted for 13 total touchdowns this season. Brown leads a USF offense that is currently averaging 40.6 points per game but they will have to keep up with a North Texas offense that is scoring 44.8 points per game.
The Bulls have been battle tested so far, upsetting Boise State and Florida while the Mean Green haven't played any opponent at that level so this matchup may favor South Florida as they come in with some big game experience.
Why North Texas will win:
Head coach Eric Morris has completely transformed the Mean Green in his third year at the helm. While at Washington State as the offensive coordinator, Morris recruited Cam Ward, who he coached at Incarnate Word, and John Mateer, who is currently a Heisman candidate at Oklahoma.
Morris may have found another good quarterback with Drew Mestemaker who has thrown for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns with no interceptions. Morris is hoping his redshirt freshman quarterback can continue to grow and follow the footsteps of some other quarterbacks that he coached.
Mestemaker and North Texas face their biggest challenge yet but they have the opportunity to pull off the home upset and put themselves firmly in the mix for the college football playoff, especially with who they have remaining on their schedule.
Line: UNT -1.5
Over/Under: 66.5
No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0) vs. Texas (3-2)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 1:30 p.m. MDT – Cotton Bowl (ABC)
The Sooners and Longhorns meet in Dallas for another installment of the Red River rivalry.
Why Oklahoma will win:
Oklahoma has impressed on both sides of the ball to begin the 2025 season and have claimed two top-25 victories in the process. The Sooners' defense has been elite to say the least, holding opponents to 7.2 points per game which is good for second in the country. Head coach Brent Venables has coached some great defenses throughout his career and this Oklahoma defense is among the best.
They completely shut down Auburn and Michigan's run game outside of a 75-yard touchdown run from Justice Haynes in their win over the Wolverines. This has put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks to have to go out and make plays but the Sooners' secondary has stood tall. Texas' offense would benefit from a good rushing game but with the way Oklahoma has played, it looks like more pressure will be on Arch Manning.
Manning and Texas have beat up the group of five teams on their schedule, but have struggled mightily in their other two games against Ohio State and Florida. John Mateer may be out another game due to injury but Michael Hawkins Jr. has started five games in his young college career, including last season's game against the Longhorns.
If Hawkins and the offense can do their part in this one, the defense should be able to hold it down on the other side.
Why Texas will win:
So far, it has been a disappointing season for Texas. The preseason No. 1 team is unranked after six weeks and hasn't played to the level that many believed they would. They'll have a chance to right the ship in a huge rivalry game against a top 10 team.
The Longhorns will need to take advantage if Mateer can't suit up for this one and despite Hawkins having plenty of game experience, he struggled mightily in last year's matchup. Hawkins recorded just 148 passing yards with no touchdowns, while taking six sacks. The Texas defense will have to force him to make mistakes in order to give their offense a chance.
Manning will need to play a much better game this week than he did against the Gators last week if the Longhorns are going to come away with their second straight win in this rivalry. He faces a tough challenge with an elite Oklahoma defense but Manning has faced a similar defense when Texas took on the Buckeyes in week 1.
This matchup could very well end up being a defensive battle as well and it will be important for Steve Sarkisian is one of the best offensive minds in football and he will need to put his quarterback in the best position and take advantage of his strengths in order for the Longhorns to come out with a win.
Line: OU -1.5
Over/Under: 43.5
No. 18 BYU (5-0) vs. Arizona (4-1)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 6 p.m. MDT – Arizona Stadium (ESPN2)
The Cougars travel to Tucson to take on the Arizona Wildcats in a key Big 12 matchup.
Why BYU will win:
The Cougars continue to find ways to win every week and a rain filled contest against West Virginia couldn't slow them down. Bear Bachmeier had his best passing game as BYU's starting quarterback, throwing for 351 yards and a touchdown. He has looked more and more comfortable every game he plays and this Cougar offense provides a major challenge for the Wildcats.
Arizona has played well to begin the season, only dropping a road game to a ranked Iowa State team. This BYU team may be the best team that they have faced however, especially with how better the Cougars seem to get every week. This will not be an easy game despite BYU dominating the Wildcats in their previous matchup last season. Kalani Sitake and the Cougars have a good track record against Arizona and it should continue if they can play the way they have through five games.
Why Arizona will win:
BYU linebackers Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glakser both exited last Friday's game due to injury and their status is uncertain for this matchup. This could be a major blow for one of the top defensive units in the country and it will be on Arizona to take advantage. The Wildcats might be able to catch the Cougars off guard as their eyes may be peaking ahead to next week's game against rival Utah.
In order for the Wildcats to pull off this home upset, they will have to rely on the play of the quarterback, Noah Fifita. Fifita has played well to begin this season, tossing 1,341 yards with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has led an Arizona offense that is averaging 33.2 points per game but they will face a tough test with this BYU defense.
With two of the Cougars' top players out and a rivalry game coming up, this may be a bad spot for BYU while Arizona has played well enough this season to take advantage.
Line: BYU -1.5
Over/Under: 47.5
No. 21 Arizona State (4-1) vs. Utah (4-1)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:15 p.m. MDT – Rice-Eccles Stadium (ESPN)
The Utes host the Sun Devils as they both look for a massive win in the Big 12 standings.
Why Arizona State will win:
The Sun Devils have picked off right where they left off last season, outside of a fourth-quarter collapse on the road against Mississippi State. Since that loss, Arizona State has defeated a solid Texas State team and picked up solid Big 12 wins against Baylor and TCU. Kenny Dillingham's team has started to find its groove again as they continue to play a tough stretch of games.
Since joining the Big 12, the Utes are 0-5 at home in Big 12 games and this Sun Devil team is good enough to keep Utah winless. Arizona State arguably has the top wide receiver and quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft with Jordyn Tyson and Sam Leavitt.
Tyson has already hauled in seven touchdown receptions this season and is coming off a big game against TCU in which he totaled eight receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He will receive much attention from the Utes' secondary and the Sun Devils will need other pass catchers to step up. Tight end Chamon Metayer would be the guy to step up if Utah can contain Tyson.
Arizona State's defense will have to step up against Devon Dampier and this Utes' offense to leave Salt Lake City with a win. Their defense is capable of doing it as they held the Horned Frogs to 269 total yards after they came into that matchup averaging 437.2 yards per game.
Why Utah will win:
Utah is coming off a bye week after a blowout win over West Virginia. They rebounded well from their home loss to Texas Tech as the Red Raiders have been the only team to score more than 14 points on the Utes' defense so far this season. The Sun Devils may not have proved to be as good as Texas Tech so far this season, but they are a step up in the competition that Utah has faced in their other games.
This is a chance for the Utes to put themselves back into the Big 12 championship conversation after an embarrassing home loss to the Red Raiders. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has been one of the best coaches in the country for two decades and despite Utah's home record in the Big 12, they have still produced big home wins at Rice-Eccles Stadium over the span of the last decade.
Dampier has been electric at the quarterback position while Arizona State's defense is ranked in the middle of the pack among FBS teams. This is the perfect opportunity for the offense to make a statement at home after holding the team back in 2024.
Line: Utah -5.5
Over/Under: 48.5
Utah State (3-2) vs. Hawaii (4-2)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 p.m. MDT – Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex
Fresh off of a bye, Utah State travels to Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors in a Mountain West showdown.
Why Utah State will win:
Both of the Aggies losses this season have been road losses to ranked SEC teams. They have averaged 36.4 points per game this year and scored 35 points against Vanderbilt in their last game, two weeks ago.
Fresh off a bye, the Aggies now travel to Honolulu to take on the Rainbow Warriors who have struggled against good competition. Hawaii's wins are against teams that are a combined 3-18 with their best win coming against Stanford in week 0.
Utah State's run game will be a major factor in this one as they enter this game averaging 168.8 yards per game while the Rainbow Warriors like to run an air raid offense. Shortening the game with the run game and controlling the football can not only take the ball away from Hawaii's offense but it will play into a strength of the Aggies.
Why Hawaii will win:
Making the trek from the mainland to the island of Oahu gives the Rainbow Warriors an advantage as well as the late kickoff. Hawaii has improved in 2025, as they are one win away from matching last season's win total. Much of their improvement comes from the play of their quarterback, Micah Alejado.
Alejado has been far from perfect but the redshirt freshman has given head coach Timmy Chang a reliable option at the quarterback position. He's been a great option to run this air raid offense for a team that has improved in every season under Chang since he took over in 2022.
Utah State may be scoring a lot of points but they are also allowing nearly 31 points per game and this Rainbow Warriors' offense could pose a lot of problems to a defense that has struggled in 2025. If Hawaii wants to take another step in the Mountain West, they may need to win a shootout.
Line: USU -2.5
Over/Under: 57.5
