The first half of the college football season provided plenty of reminders of just how difficult it is to stay perfect at the top with Alabama, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Stanford all suffering early losses at one point or another.
There is every reason to expect the upset trend to continue with a higher level of parity than ever before and that includes this weekend with another full slate of college football action on tap.
Here is a look at the four ranked teams that will be on upset alert for Week 7.
Michigan State…An Underdog At Michigan?
Michigan State survived an early challenge from Oregon at home but the Ducks dropped games to Utah and Washington State since, so it’s hard to put too much stock in to that victory. The Spartans have won six straight to open the season but Oregon is the only ranked opponent they have played. Now they are set to face their toughest test of the year so far when they visit Michigan on Saturday.
The Wolverines have absolutely dominated their opponents over five straight wins including a 97-0 combined margin of victory over three consecutive shutout wins. Michigan State has beaten up on some Big Ten basement dwellers already but they are going to face a much tougher challenge from rival Michigan. Nobody expected Michigan would be this good but that’s what has Sparty on upset alert with their undefeated season on the line.
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Ole Miss Better Be Careful At Memphis
Ole Miss bounced back from its loss to Florida with a lopsided win over New Mexico State but that was expected. New Mexico State is a pushover and arguably the easiest game they’ll have on the schedule. The real test in terms of a rebound comes this weekend against a Memphis team that is far better than expected. They’re looking pretty good at 5-0 to open the year. They’re actually on a 12-game winning streak that dates back to last season, which is the third-longest in the nation (only behind Ohio State and TCU).
While this is still an SEC-versus-AAC matchup, which means the Rebels certainly have the talent to win this game, the Tigers shouldn’t be slept on. Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch has been one of the best kept secrets in the country this season.
He’s completed 70% of his passes without throwing a single interception. He’s averaging 307 passing yards per game with a 181.5 passing efficiency ratio. The Tigers won’t be the pushovers some are expecting them to be – especially at home. Look for Memphis to throw everything it has at Ole Miss with the potential to pull off the upset here.
Wildcats Looking To Surprise Another Top 25 Team
Northwestern’s loss to Michigan has opened the door for Iowa in the Big Ten West and created an even more interesting dynamic heading in to this week’s showdown. The Hawkeyes have the opportunity to open a two-game lead at the top of their conference as they have quietly crept into the Top 25.
They haven’t played a very challenging schedule but they’ve done everything that’s been asked of them, including beating rivals Iowa State in Ames, Pittsburgh at home and going on the road to top No. 19 Wisconsin. They’re on the road again in this spot and the Wildcats would like nothing more than to answer back with a big win this weekend. Home field and a short memory will both work in Northwestern’s favor.
They’ve already proved the value of playing in front of their home audience as you might recall they upset Stanford on the opening week of the season. While Michigan ran them off the field last week, remember that this Michigan team is now a Top 10 team in the country and has shutout three straight opponents. It’s not as if Northwestern lost a game they were expected to win. Expect them to put Iowa on upset alert with a substantial challenge this weekend.
