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ESPN staff
Coming into the assemblage shot season, a batch of absorption was enactment connected the Week 6 slate. Jimbo Fisher against Nick Saban aft an offseason of chatter and the caller property of the Red River rivalry up of an SEC determination highlighted what was expected to beryllium the week that made contenders and pretenders.
We were conscionable disconnected a week, it turns out.
Week 7 brings each the fireworks we were acceptable for past week arsenic Alabama heads to Tennessee successful a top-six SEC showdown that could precise good beryllium the league title game, portion Kentucky and Mississippi State effort to support up with the existent front-runners successful different top-25 matchup. The Big Ten has a top-10 conflict of its ain this week with Penn State traveling to Michigan successful what could beryllium a College Football Playoff-defining game.
No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide astatine No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Set speech the chartless of Bryce Young's wellness and however it volition interaction Alabama's discourtesy connected Saturday afternoon. We saw against Texas A&M past play that Young's backup, Jalen Milroe, mightiness not beryllium acceptable to spell into Tennessee and travel distant with a victory.
Instead, look to the conflict of Tennessee's discourtesy vs. Alabama's defence arsenic the cardinal origin successful this clash of unbeaten teams.
The Vols' discourtesy is archetypal among FBS teams successful people rate, yards per crippled and points per game.
"They're astir apt 1 of the astir explosive offenses, if not the astir explosive offense, successful the country," Saban said.
But the Crimson Tide's defence is nary slouch. It ranks successful the apical 10 successful opposing people rate, yards per crippled and points per game.
Something has to give. And that thing volition apt beryllium determined by Alabama's quality to enactment unit connected Tennessee prima backmost Hendon Hooker, who has 4 talented receivers astatine his disposal with Jalin Hyatt, Bru McCoy, Cedric Tillman and Ramel Keyton -- each of whom person much than 200 yards receiving this season.
In the past, Alabama has struggled against teams that spell up-tempo, and Tennessee is the fifth-quickest squad successful the state successful presumption of clip of possession per play (21.3 seconds). The Vols person allowed the second-lowest unit complaint successful the state (16.1%), which looks astatine immoderate clip the backmost is sacked, nether duress oregon hit.
In different words: Getting a manus connected Hooker won't beryllium easy.
But Alabama has generated the sixth-highest unit complaint successful the state (37.0%) for a reason. Just look astatine the Texas A&M game, successful which the Tide debuted their alleged "Cheetah package" that featured speedy borderline rushers Will Anderson Jr., Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell connected the tract astatine the aforesaid time. Saban said simply, "It was effective." No kidding. The defence racked up 28 full pressures against the Aggies. Anderson had a season-high 12 connected his own.
"Between their unit being bully capable to triumph a batch of one-on-one matchups and past each their pressures and each their games up front, you gotta bash a truly bully job," Tennessee manager Josh Heupel said of his violative line. "You person to triumph the one-on-one matchups and past you gotta bash a large occupation moving unneurotic arsenic each 5 guys." -- Alex Scarborough
No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions astatine No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)
The past clip Michigan and Penn State met astatine Michigan Stadium, they played successful a virtually bare gathering due to the fact that of COVID-19 restrictions. Penn State was 0-5 for the archetypal clip successful squad history. Michigan wasn't overmuch amended astatine 2-3.
The teams are overmuch better, and the stakes are overmuch higher Saturday. Both teams are undefeated and successful the apical 10. Saturday's victor volition beryllium labeled the superior challenger to Big Ten favourite Ohio State, and a bona fide College Football Playoff candidate. Michigan is defending its league title, but Penn State hasn't been successful this presumption since an 8-0 commencement successful 2019.
"We cognize that these types of games each twelvemonth are critical," Penn State manager James Franklin said.
Penn State's fortunes could hinge connected an emerging tally crippled and a pressure-heavy defence nether first-year coordinator Manny Diaz. A Lions discourtesy that hasn't averaged much than 200 unreserved yards per crippled since 2018 has averaged 216.3 unreserved yards implicit the past 4 games with 14 touchdowns. Freshmen Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton are combining to mean 153.2 unreserved yards per game.
They look a Michigan defence that, contempt the NFL draught losses of prima pass-rushers Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, ranks seventh nationally successful unreserved yards allowed per crippled (81.7) and sixth successful yards per unreserved (2.62). Penn State's tally crippled could instrumentality immoderate unit disconnected elder backmost Sean Clifford, whose numbers to day reflector those of past seasons.
"It's astir execution, but it's besides astir keeping radical connected their toes," Franklin said. "If you tin tally successful predictable passing situations and beryllium businesslike and effective, that's what you privation to do, and vice versa."
Michigan besides wants to broaden its discourtesy arsenic sophomore backmost J.J. McCarthy makes his sixth vocation commencement and archetypal against a ranked opponent. McCarthy's diversion quality and wide accomplishment acceptable springiness Michigan a accidental to unfastened up the discourtesy successful ways it genuinely hasn't nether manager Jim Harbaugh. But McCarthy has operated a mostly blimpish scheme, showing accuracy connected high-percentage routes portion struggling connected deeper ones.
McCarthy's decision-making and execution volition beryllium tested by Diaz's defense, which has pressured quarterbacks 85 times connected dropbacks, much than each but 5 FBS teams.
"When you look astatine what we person arsenic a radical and who we're coached by, and you look astatine what we're doing connected the field, it's conscionable not matching up with our imaginable and wherever we should be, and wherever we're going to be," McCarthy said. "We should not beryllium getting stopped offensively." -- Adam Rittenberg
No. 4 Clemson Tigers astatine Florida State Seminoles (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)
The Clemson-Florida State matchup utilized to beryllium the can't-miss crippled successful the ACC, but it has turned into a comparative afterthought implicit the past 5 years.
Perhaps the Seminoles tin alteration that Saturday.
Though it has mislaid its past 2 games, Florida State (4-2) is successful presumption to situation the No. 4 Tigers (6-0) based connected the improvements the squad has made crossed the board. Much of that starts connected offense, wherever Florida State has 1 of the champion rushing attacks successful the country.
Florida State has 32 explosive tally plays this twelvemonth connected offense, 12th astir successful FBS and tops successful the ACC. Clemson, connected the different hand, has allowed conscionable 4 explosive tally plays -- champion successful the nation. What's more, Clemson is expected to person its apical 5 antiaircraft linemen -- Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis, Xavier Thomas, K.J. Henry and Myles Murphy -- disposable to play for the archetypal clip this play connected Saturday.
On the different side, the presumption of Florida State starring rusher Treshaun Ward remains unclear aft helium sustained an wounded past week against NC State and was seen with a sling connected his limb connected the sideline. Florida State manager Mike Norvell said the wounded wouldn't necessitate country but has not fixed a timetable for his return. If Ward cannot play, Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili volition transportation the load.
That matchup is 1 of the astir intriguing to ticker successful this crippled -- particularly if Florida State has immoderate changeable astatine breaking a six-game losing streak to the Tigers. The results person been disfigured implicit that stretch, though the Seminoles had their opportunities successful a 30-20 nonaccomplishment past year, a crippled successful which they led 20-17 midway done the 4th quarter.
Clemson manager Dabo Swinney said during his quality league this week helium "wanted to vomit" watching the crippled portion from past year, past noted however overmuch amended the Tigers are this twelvemonth -- astir particularly with an improved DJ Uiagalelei and amended violative line.
"Grading our portion this twelvemonth versus past twelvemonth is nighttime and time successful each area," Swinney said.
Clemson is present the overwhelming favourite to triumph the Atlantic Division, portion Florida State is conscionable hoping to debar a 3rd consecutive nonaccomplishment aft starting the play 4-0. Of course, this is besides the 3rd consecutive AP-ranked hostile the Seminoles volition face, the lone squad successful the ACC scheduled to play Wake Forest, NC State and Clemson successful a row.
"I emotion this team. I emotion the mindset of what they bring," Norvell said. "Nobody wants to person a disappointing result successful immoderate crippled oregon successful immoderate play, but however you take to respond to things is truly what's indicative of the quality that you person and the individuality of what you are going to enactment out. These guys proceed to work, they proceed to believe. We've got to person a large week of prep to capitalize connected what's coming present Saturday night." -- Andrea Adelson
No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs astatine No. 22 Kentucky Wildcats (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN app)
The 2 "Wills" were ever going to predominate the buildup to this shot crippled -- Mississippi State backmost Will Rogers and Kentucky backmost Will Levis.
But there's a spot of a twist.
Levis has generated overmuch of the buzz this play from pro scouts and is wide regarded arsenic 1 of the apical backmost prospects successful the 2023 NFL draft. He's besides not steadfast and is battling a turf toed wounded that kept him retired of the South Carolina crippled a week ago, a 24-14 location nonaccomplishment that saw the Wildcats mean conscionable 4.7 yards per play and spell 3-of-12 connected 3rd down with redshirt freshman Kaiya Sheron making his archetypal vocation commencement astatine quarterback.
The Wildcats (4-2) are hopeful that Levis tin instrumentality for this game, though it could inactive beryllium a game-time decision. Whoever is astatine quarterback, the Wildcats person to find a mode to support him amended if they're going to debar their 3rd consecutive loss. They've allowed 25 sacks successful six games, which ranks them 129th nationally retired of 131 teams successful sacks allowed. Zach Arnett's 3-3-5 defence astatine Mississippi State has feasted connected forcing turnovers (12 successful six games) and has allowed conscionable 16 touchdowns successful six games. Two of those TDs came successful the 4th fourth of blowouts.
The Bulldogs (5-1) person been a much balanced squad each the mode astir this season, beryllium it moving the shot much consistently connected discourtesy oregon playing the benignant of defence that's going to support them successful each game.
But the centerpiece remains Rogers, who is the lone backmost successful the state with much than 2,000 passing yards (2,110) and much than 20 passing touchdowns (22). If helium ever was genuinely underrated, he's not now. The 6-2, 210-pound junior, who inactive has 2 years of eligibility remaining, has established himself arsenic 1 of the astir productive quarterbacks successful assemblage football. He passed Georgia's Aaron Murray past week arsenic the SEC's all-time completions leader. Rogers did it successful lone 28 games. Murray acceptable the people implicit a span of 52 games.
"He's a feline that elevates adjacent the different sides of the ball," Mississippi State manager Mike Leach said of his quarterback.
Rogers has been masterful astatine spreading the shot astir this season. Six antithetic Mississippi State receivers person caught astatine slightest 20 passes. No different SEC schoolhouse has much than 3 (Georgia).
Kentucky has had occupation scoring against SEC foes. The Wildcats person yet to people much than 19 points connected discourtesy successful their archetypal 3 league games, which becomes adjacent much of a occupation depending connected Levis' health.
On the flip side, fewer teams successful assemblage shot person been amended astatine scoring successful the reddish portion than Mississippi State, which leads the federation with 19 touchdowns successful 21 trips wrong the opponent's 20-yard line.
The past happening the Wildcats privation is to get into a scoring lucifer with the Bulldogs, who are 12-0 nether Leach erstwhile they people astatine slightest 30 points. -- Chris Low
No. 15 NC State Wolfpack astatine No. 18 Syracuse Orange (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network/ESPN app)
When NC State hosted Syracuse a twelvemonth ago, the antiaircraft crippled program for QB Garrett Shrader was elemental enough: Make him propulsion the ball.
Shrader had proved an exceptional runner successful 2021, and indeed, helium carried 17 times for 70 yards and a people successful past year's 41-17 nonaccomplishment to the Wolfpack. But throwing the shot was misery. Shrader completed conscionable 8 of 20 throws for a measly 63 yards, positive an interception for bully measure. The passing crippled was Syracuse's kryptonite. For the year, Shrader completed conscionable 52.6% of his throws.
Enter Robert Anae. The caller violative coordinator for the Orange has refined the passing crippled and worked wonders.
"Everyone thinks Syracuse tin conscionable tally the ball, and that's it," receiver Oronde Gadsden II said. "We wanted to make a passing crippled truthful that erstwhile they're moving Cover 1, Cover Zero, we've got immoderate dudes retired determination that tin bushed antheral and get unfastened and people touchdowns."
Syracuse tin surely tally the ball. Shrader's mobility is simply a weapon, but so, too, is tailback Sean Tucker, who was an All-American past season. But present there's a genuine alternate erstwhile teams stack the box, and Shrader has proved helium tin find receivers downfield.
So acold this season, he's completing 71% of his throws with 10 passing TDs and conscionable 1 pick. He trails lone North Carolina's Drake Maye successful passer standing among ACC QBs.
"Last year, I thought helium struggled throwing the football," NC State manager Dave Doeren said. "Now helium has a 70% completion complaint and is playing truly well."
Shrader is 1 of conscionable 4 QBs successful the state with 1,200 passing yards, 200 rushing yards, 10 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing. Add successful a completion percent of much than 70%, and the lone different QBs to lucifer those marks done 5 games successful the playoff epoch are Brock Purdy, Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts.
Doeren said the precedence remains containing Shrader successful the pouch -- thing NC State struggled to bash against different mobile QB, Florida State's Jordan Travis, conscionable past week. Travis ran for 108 yards successful the 19-17 NC State win, a week aft Clemson's DJ Uiagalelei ran for 70 against the Wolfpack. NC State has allowed conscionable 745 rushing yards (not counting sacks) this season, which ranks among the champion marks successful the ACC. But 358 of those yards (48%) person travel from QBs. And the information that the Wolfpack indispensable present respect Syracuse's passing crippled opens up adjacent much avenues to run.
"It's 11-man shot successful the tally game, and sometimes the tally is conscionable created successful a walk wherever a feline jumps backmost and takes off," Doeren said. "We person to bash a large occupation with their backmost and not allowing him to get out." -- David Hale
No. 7 USC Trojans astatine No. 20 Utah Utes (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox)
When asked earlier this week what it would instrumentality to duplicate USC's undefeated archetypal fractional implicit the adjacent six games, manager Lincoln Riley said with a smile: "Just six?" alluding to wanting to play for not conscionable the league rubric but possibly a playoff game, too. "That'll get quoted, ohio boy. Everybody calm down."
The unprecedented tally to an undefeated season, though, gets tougher for the Trojans this week. Few places person fixed USC arsenic overmuch occupation arsenic traveling to Salt Lake City successful the past decade. Before the Trojans bushed the Utes successful a fan-less Rice-Eccles Stadium during the COVID-shortened play successful 2020, USC hadn't won determination since 2012.
This weekend's matchup mislaid immoderate of its luster aft UCLA bushed Utah astatine the Rose Bowl, but the value of this crippled -- for some teams -- has not been diminished.
Though Utah has not met preseason expectations, Kyle Whittingham's squad is stronger astatine home, and the anticipation is that the Utes volition bounce backmost from Saturday's loss, particularly aft an uncharacteristic two-turnover time from backmost Cameron Rising.
Earlier this week, Riley waxed poetic astir Rising, whom helium recruited retired of precocious school. And by each accounts, Rising mightiness beryllium the champion backmost USC's turnover-happy defence has faced truthful far.
For the Utes, dropping a 3rd crippled (second successful conference) would mean that the roadworthy backmost to the Pac-12 title would necessitate not conscionable winning out, but hoping 1 of the L.A. teams and Oregon falter. For the Trojans, a triumph would not lone support their undefeated grounds intact heading into an easier agelong (and a bye week), but it would besides make a elemental way toward the rubric game: Beat UCLA.
"This is erstwhile it gets the astir fun," Riley said. "You enactment yourself successful a large position, present it's clip to spell accelerate and beryllium our best." -- Paolo Uggetti
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