College football picks, schedules: predictions against the spread, odds for NCAA top 25 games in Week 7

Week 7 brings a blockbuster assortment of matchups as the midway point of college football's regular season requires plenty of sorting through the national rankings. By late Saturday night, we should have a clearer picture of where many teams — especially the Big Ten's top contenders — stand in the pecking order.

No. 4 Penn State hits the road for the first time since Week 1 as it faces USC in a game that could put the Nittany Lions in prime position to claim a spot in the Big Ten title game. Teams traveling multiple time zones have battled this season for the Big Ten battle, and the Trojans hope that trend continues as they look to bounce back from a 1-2 start in conference action.

No. 2 Ohio State makes a cross-country trek while the Buckeyes face No. 3 Oregon in the most anticipated matchup of the day. Although Ohio State is favored, it will enter a hostile environment as the Ducks host the Buckeyes for the first time since 1967.

Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff. Let's take a look at our expert picks for the best games of Week 7 with picks quoted from the best sports betting apps.

Always east

No. 7 Alabama at South Carolina

Noon abc, fubo (try for free) — South Carolina doesn't have the offensive weapons to pick apart Alabama like Vanderbilt, but the Gamecocks are much better defensively — especially on the line where they should be athletic enough to keep Jalen Milroe in the pocket and force him to throw. I actually expect this to be a pretty low-scoring game, and even though South Carolina is equipped to cover a huge spread, Alabama should still net a comfortable enough win. Pick: South Carolina +21.5 via FanDuel — Will Backus

No. 4 Penn State at USC

3:30 pm | cbs, Paramount+ with ShowtimeCBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app — The biggest question coming into the season was how USC's defense would perform. At the midway point, there are more questions surrounding Riley's offense than a group that has shown flash under first-year defensive coordinator De'Anton Lynn. Penn State and USC have two of the best passing defenses in the country, so this game could come down to who can control the trenches and who can run the football better. Penn State has a dynamic one-two punch with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the backfield, so the advantage in that department should go to the road team. Pick: Penn State -5.5 via DraftKings — Cameron Salerno

well 1 Texas vs. Well. 18 Oklahoma (Dallas)

3:30 pm | abc, fubo (try for free) — Red River Revelry is one of those matchups where you have to throw away records. Granted, it's one of the more difficult tasks to do since Texas comes in as a much better team than Oklahoma, but stranger things happen in the Cotton Bowl. A win for Oklahoma would be huge for Brent Venables' fortunes after a disappointing start to his third year. Taking care of business will help cement Texas as a serious national title contender. The Longhorns came away with a win, but two touchdowns in a hotly contested game was too much. Pick: Oklahoma +14.5 via BetMGM — Shehan Zeyarajah

No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU

7:30 pm | abc, fubo (try for free) — This game seems ripe for chaos and confusion with a back-and-forth style that could come down to which team has the last ball. Although Ole Miss has been the statistically superior-performing team, LSU should come out of the off week with a strong focus on what it takes to win and maintain its undefeated start in SEC play. In this series, the home team is 10-2 over the last 12 and has covered the spread in nine of the last 10. It continues here. Pick: LSU +3.5 via Caesars — Chip Patterson

No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon

7:30 p.m. NBC, fubo (try for free) — This will be Ohio State's first real test of the season. This is the Buckeyes' first game against a ranked opponent, and Autzen Stadium is a tough place to play. Ryan Day's squad matches this one really well, though. Oregon hasn't exactly set the world on fire thus far, and its offensive struggles are a big reason why. The Ducks' offensive line allowed seven sacks in the first two games, and although they've been down since then, Ohio State brings the best defensive front they'll see all year. Oregon's run game has sprung up recently, but Ohio State has held three of its five opponents under 100 total yards. This game will be closed, and Ohio State should be covered. Pick: Ohio State -3.5 via Fanatics Sportsbook — Backs

SportsLine's proven computer model calls for 10 straight upsets in Week 7 of college football. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for each game from a model that simulates each game 10,000 times.