Good morning New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 7 of the college football season.

The college football schedule is really starting to get going, and we have several games against ranked opponents that will have a definite impact on the College Football Playoffs. This week we’ll also get a few games that should serve as scouting tape for the 2025 draft process.

So without further ado, let’s get to the games!

(7) Alabama vs. South Carolina

ABC – afternoon

The college football landscape was thrown into chaos in Week 6 with Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt. No one saw that coming, especially after their dominant first half against Georgia the week before. And just like that, the top of the college football rankings is yours for the taking.

Scouts around the NFL will be interested to see how Alabama bounces back from a huge upset. In particular, the way Jalen Milroe reacts after his pick six played a crucial role in Alabama’s loss could play a role in his draft stock.

This is also a great opportunity for South Carolina, which is coming off its own tough loss: a 27-3 drubbing at the hands of Ole Miss. The Gamecocks have some intriguing players on offense and defense. Defensive linemen Tonka Hemmingway and TJ Sanders have upside as rotational DTs at the NFL level, while DB Nick Emmanwori should be a starter at the NFL level.

On the offensive side, running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders has a legitimately rare mix of size (6-foot-4) and athleticism (reportedly 4.4 seconds 40 plays), and is flying under the radar thanks to The Absurd Season of Aston Jeanty at Boise State.

(18) Oklahoma vs. (1) Texas

ABC – 3:30 p.m

I could talk about Penn State at USC here, and I think that’s a great option with some very intriguing players. The Red River Rivalry is always a fun spectacle, though, and these are also two good teams that could both make the expanded 12-team playoffs.

Oklahoma receiver Deion Burks is still waiting for a breakout game against major competition since transferring from Purdue. He had three touchdowns against Temple on August 30, but things have been pretty quiet since then. A big game against Texas could put him on the national radar. Linebacker Danny Stutsman has been a tackling machine for the Sooners, while safety Billy Bowman is a player to watch in the mid-rounds.

Texas, meanwhile, has one of the most talented teams in the country. Quarterback Quinn Ewers remains in the mix for the top of the quarterback depth chart in April, though he may now be more concerned about stopping Arch Manning. Wide receiver Isaiah Bond is one of the most explosive receivers in the country, while Kelvin Banks should be drafted in the top half of the first round. His linemate Cameron Williams should be off the board by the end of the third round. Cornerback Jahdae Brown could be of interest to the Giants in the second round if they don’t draft a cornerback in the first round.

Just a quick note before we get to the evening timeslot. We have two games in the spotlight here, and I’m not going to choose between them. Choose which one you want, or switch the channel. Either way, these could be great games with a lot of guys playing on Sunday.

(3) Oregon vs. (2) Ohio State

NBC – 7:30 p.m

Last week we got a matchup between the top two teams in Georgia and Alabama. This week we get a showdown between the second and third ranked teams in the country.

The Ducks have a bevy of potential Day 2 players on their roster, including receivers Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson, OL Josh Conerly, CB Jabbar Muhammed and DL Derrick Harmon. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel won’t be ranked highly due to his height (6-foot-1) and age (24 on draft day), but he is a very experienced and capable passer. I considered Gabriel a potential sleeper in last year’s draft class and compared favorably to the top quarterbacks in the 2024 draft class before returning to school and transferring from Oklahoma to Oregon. I still have him as a potential sleeper who could be a Brock Purdy-esque find if he lands in the right situation.

We’ve talked about Ohio State before and I’m not going to discuss all the future NFL players on their roster. But suffice to say, the Consensus Big Board currently lists them with eleven potential top-100 picks on their roster, including four in the Top 35.

(13) Ole Miss vs. (9) LSU

ABC-7:30 p.m

We’ve talked a lot about Ole Miss. Eli’s alma mater has put together a stellar roster through recruiting and the transfer portal.

If Princely Umanmielan and Walter Nolan can make it through the second day, they won’t have to wait long before they’re called up. Also, receivers Tre Harris and Antwane Wells Jr. are both big play threats who should have an impact on whichever team they field. QB Jaxson Dart is currently second on my QB board behind Cam Ward and ahead of Jalen Milroe. Dart is having a phenomenal season and has already thrown for 2,100 yards (350 per game, 12.1 per attempt) while completing 73.4 percent of his passes. From one perspective, Jayden Daniels threw for 317.7 yards per game, 11.7 yards per attempt, and completed 72.2 percent of his passes last year. It’s still very early in the process, but if Dart can keep up that pace through the schedule, his physical attributes and that level of production could see him get called up very early.

Looking at the LSU side, we find two of the best offensive linemen in the entire draft in Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. The LSU bookends could both be drafted in the first 20 picks of the draft, and Campbell might not. make it out of the top 10 – or even top five.

WR Kyren Lacy will get a chance to line up with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. in the N.F.L. He doesn’t lead LSU in receiving — he’s 19 yards behind sophomore Aaron Anderson — but is averaging 14.1 yards per reception and has 5 touchdowns on the season.

QB Garrett Nussmeier is in his first season as a starter after spending the past two seasons as QB 2 behind Jayden Daniels. He has had a strong campaign so far and is seen as a potential first-round pick after being considered a developmental prospect for the year.

Nussmeier is a bit on the thin side for a 200-pound NFL QB, but he has the frame to add some bulk as he matures. That said, he has legitimate NFL arm talent and can drive the ball to all areas of the field with accuracy and speed. Nussmeier also has a reputation as a high-IQ player and a natural leader in the LSU locker room. He is far from a top athlete like Jayden Daniels, and is better compared to Joe Burrow. Teams that prefer smart pocket passers could be intrigued by Nussmeier if he declares for the 2025 draft.