NCAA Football Predictions: Week 7 Opening Line Report and Picks

by Joey House - 10/12/2026

The college football season has reached the point where the undefeated list starts to thin in a hurry, and Week 7 brings several of those remaining perfect records into direct conflict. Nine FBS teams remain unbeaten heading into the weekend, with a reshuffled top of the rankings after Georgia's tight win at Alabama and Texas's loss to Oklahoma. The Bulldogs now sit atop most polls at 6-0, with Notre Dame, Miami, and defending national champion Indiana also unblemished, while the Big 12 has quietly assembled the largest cluster of perfect records, with BYU, Texas Tech, and Utah still intact.

That concentration of undefeated teams makes this week's opening lines particularly sharp, especially with Notre Dame traveling to BYU in a rare meeting of two unbeatens and Indiana hosting Ohio State in a high-stakes Big Ten matchup. Georgia faces Auburn at home, Miami hosts Florida State, and several other perfect squads try to navigate conference play without a slip. The betting market will be forced to sort through which of these remaining unbeatens are built to last and which are simply next in line for a first loss.

Georgia's 20-17 road win over Alabama was sealed in the final minutes amid the usual SEC controversy. After Peyton Woodring's 23-yard field goal gave the Bulldogs the lead with 5:25 remaining, Alabama drove into scoring range only to have a potential tying opportunity stall when officials declined to throw a flag on what appeared to be pass interference by Georgia safety KJ Bolden on a deep ball into the end zone. Bolden then sacked Keelon Russell on the ensuing third down to push the Crimson Tide out of field-goal range. Alabama's hopes of getting the ball back were extinguished when cornerback Dijon Lee drew a personal-foul penalty on Georgia's final possession, allowing the Bulldogs to kneel out the clock for their first regular-season victory in Tuscaloosa since 2007.

We went 1-2 last weekend and slipped further underwater. The 3-unit Oklahoma State play cashed as the Cowboys pulled away from UCF 42-28 and covered the 9.5-point number, but the other two selections both failed. San Jose State fell 16-13 in overtime to Wyoming and never threatened the 6.5-point spread, while James Madison's 27-24 road win over Georgia Southern came up short of the 7.5-point number. That puts us at 7-11 for the season and roughly minus 15 units overall.

Doc’s Sports offers college football expert picks for every game on our college football predictions page.

GAMES

Delaware -2.5 at Middle Tennessee, Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium (Tuesday, Oct. 13, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Delaware is 2-3 and averaging just under 22 points, but the Hens have the clearer edge in this matchup of mediocre Conference USA sides. Nick Minicucci has thrown for over 800 yards with a completion rate near 57 percent, and the offense moves the ball more consistently through the air than Middle Tennessee's group, which sits at roughly 21 points and under 310 total yards per game. The Blue Raiders' defense has been porous against the run, allowing well over 220 yards on the ground, and they were blanked 55-0 at Kansas last week. Delaware's own run game is limited, yet a modest ground effort plus the passing game should be enough to control the line of scrimmage against a defense that ranks near the bottom of the FBS in total yards allowed. Both teams struggle on third down and in time of possession, so this figures to stay close, but the number is short enough that a field goal or late score covers it. Delaware is 3-2 against the spread so far and has covered in both of its wins against non-Power Four competition. On a weekday night in Murfreesboro, the Hens' ability to finish drives is the difference.

PICK: Delaware -2.5

Colorado State at Texas State -13.5, UFCU Stadium (Thursday, Oct. 15, 8:00 p.m. ET)

Texas State's offense has been one of the more productive units in the Pac-12, averaging over 500 yards and 34 points per game behind a ground game that ranks in the top 10 nationally. Torrance Burgess Jr. has already topped 600 rushing yards, and Brad Jackson has been efficient when the Bobcats lean on the pass. Colorado State has scored at a decent clip itself, but the Rams' defense has been among the worst in the country, allowing nearly 39 points and over 480 total yards per game. Their last outing was a 56-26 home loss to Oregon State, and they have yet to hold an FBS opponent under 40 points this season outside of non-conference mismatches. Texas State is at home after a bye and has shown it can pile up points against conference-level defenses. The number is large, but the gap in defensive quality and Texas State's ability to sustain drives on the ground makes a multi-score win the more likely outcome. Colorado State is 0-1 on the road in conference play and has been inconsistent stopping the run. A Thursday night in San Marcos favors the home side that can control tempo.

PICK: Texas State -13.5

Virginia +8.5 at SMU, Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Saturday, Oct. 17, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Virginia is 4-2 and has been one of the more physical teams in the ACC, averaging over 28 points behind a balanced attack with Beau Pribula and a defense that ranks among the better units in the conference against the pass. The Cavaliers just ground out a home win over Syracuse and have been competitive in both of their losses, including a road game at Florida State where they kept it within reach for three quarters. SMU is 4-1 and has moved the ball efficiently with Kevin Jennings, averaging nearly 35 points and over 340 passing yards, but the Mustangs have allowed over 350 total yards in three of their last four games and rank outside the top 50 nationally against the run. Virginia's ability to control the clock and force SMU into longer third downs should keep this closer than the number suggests. The Cavaliers have covered as a road underdog in both of their non-conference trips this season, and a noon kick in Dallas often favors the team that can limit explosives and wins the turnover margin. SMU is strong at home, but the gap in defensive consistency is narrower than 8.5 points indicates.

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Start:	October 12, 2026 @ 10:00 PM
Expert:	Nick Menken
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NCAA Football Predictions: Week 7 Opening Line Report and Picks

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