Week 7 is loaded so we’re reaching deep into the piggy bank and finding enough cash to award a $500 Visa gift card to the winner of Run The Board, this week’s pick’em game. All Certified and Premium members of our Patreon are eligible for prizes. Joining up gets you access to the game, supports the show and unlocks these Verballer perks:

👉 Run The Board
Weekly pick’em for prizes

👉 Ad-Free Episodes
Every show, no ads

👉 Bonus Shows
Exclusive content

👉 Early Access
Hear us first

👉 Discord Community
CFB talk, 24/7

👉 Verballer Top 12 Poll
Vote every week

Join today, unlock the perks, and know you’re helping keep show going strong. And yes—you’ll also be in the mix for this week’s prize!

Ohio State has, without question, the best defense in college football through six weeks. 

In five games, the Buckeyes have allowed a total of 25 points, good for a 5 PPG average. In high-profile matchups against a then-highly ranked Texas and an up-and-coming Washington team, Ohio State allowed seven and six points. Funny enough, the team that has had the most success against Matt Patricia’s defense was the in-state Ohio Bobcats, which ran up the scoreboard with nine points.

All this to say, Ohio State might have a once-in-a-decade defense. On Saturday, the Buckeyes will square off against Illinois, which, at the time of writing, probably has the best chance of any team thus far to give Ryan Day’s team a game. But what should be the expectations for the Fighting Illini when up against a defense of this caliber? 

Contrary to popular belief, the way to beat Ohio State is probably less about how many points you score (though you’ll surely need to score more than single digits) and more about slowing down the Ohio State offense to give yourself a fighting chance.

While breaking in freshman quarterback Julian Sayin against Texas, the Buckeyes mustered just 14 points. Against Washington, Ohio State scored just 28 points, and it took them a while to do so. Even though both offenses struggled mightily, the defenses held up well, all things considered. And it gave both teams a shot in the second half.

I’m not a coach. And I’m not here to tell Bielema’s bunch how to do their jobs. But from where I sit, the key to hanging with Ohio State just might be to compress the game, do your best to limit big plays, and do your best to drag the Buckeyes into the mud. 

Best of luck, Illinois!

Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has proven to be arguably the biggest steal of the most recent transfer portal running back class.

Through five games, he's rushed for 730 yards and nine touchdowns, four shy of his scoring total from last season at Louisiana-Monroe. He's currently averaging 7.1 yards per attempt and has rushed for 146 yards per game on average. Stats aside, he's brought an Ashton Jeanty-like attitude to the Mizzou backfield, trucking defenders and rarely going down on the first or second instance of contact.

On Saturday, Missouri will host eighth-ranked Alabama in one of the biggest matchups of a jam-packed slate. The noise around this game has centered on the QB battle between Beau Pribula and Ty Simpson, and whether the Crimson Tide's run game is back with Jam Miller healthy. But I think Hardy, and his potential impact on the game, could swing the outcome.

If the Tigers can gash the Alabama defense in the run game, it will surely open things up for Pribula and the pass game. If there's a semblance of balance with Missouri's offense, it'll make it harder for Bama's defense to blitz and tee off on Pribula. And if Hardy gets going, the Tigers can keep Simpson and the Crimson Tide offense on the sideline.

Hardy having a big game doesn't guarantee anything. But if he does pop, it should go a long way in aiding Missouri's upset bid chances against perhaps the best team in the SEC.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning has taken his fair share of flak this season.

The Manning buzz was built like a skyscraper, tall, shiny, and impossible to ignore. The problem? It has a shaky foundation. Through a handful of games, Manning has looked unrefined, failing to do the simple things that, in turn, let him do the remarkable things. 

Now, the Longhorns find themselves unranked and up against a swarming fire-ant hill of a Brent Venables defense. With Manning struggling, I’m starting to question whether Oklahoma, even with backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. in for the injured John Mateer, has the quarterback advantage entering Saturday’s Red River Rivalry. 

To be fair to Manning, it’s not like Hawkins Jr. has exactly knocked our socks off. He split reps late last season with a struggling Jackson Arnold. Upon Mateer’s arrival, he settled in at the QB2 spot. Last weekend, in his first start this season, Hawkins was fine, finishing with 162 yards and three touchdowns against arguably the worst team in the FBS in Kent State.

Perhaps Manning has an edge in this one. Or maybe it’s dead even. No matter the answer, the fact that it’s even a question says all you need to know about how things are going for Texas, Arch Manning, and Steve Sarkisian this season.

Indiana has looked every bit the part of a very good football team in the lead-up to Saturday’s matchup against Oregon.

The Hoosiers haven’t allowed more than 15 points in a game this season. They blew out Illinois in a primetime spot. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has shown flashes of NFL ability. And even in a clunky win over Iowa, the Hoosiers found a way to win late, and that’s got to count for something.

All that said, there is very little about this team that makes me think it can beat Oregon. Hot take? I don’t think so.

Indiana has the makings of a good football team—Oregon has the bones of a great one. The Ducks and Hoosiers probably break even at the quarterback position, with both Mendoza and Dante Moore playing at a high level. But everywhere else on the field, the advantage goes to Oregon. 

Curt Cignetti has worked wonders at every stop along his coaching journey. Last year, he flipped the Hoosiers’ program on its head, taking them from doormats to dominant. He’s silenced plenty of critics before. And surely he’ll do it again. I’m just not sure that’s going to be this Saturday.  

The American Conference is shaping up to have one of the more exciting title game races in recent memory. 

It’s early days in the conference schedule, but at the time of writing, the league has three teams with undefeated overall records (Navy, Memphis, North Texas) and two teams with one loss overall (South Florida, Tulane). All of the aforementioned teams are undefeated in the American, although one will definitely bite the dust this weekend when USF and North Texas square off.

As for which team should be favored to win the conference (and possibly represent the G6 in the College Football Playoff), I think I give the edge to Memphis. Ryan Silverfield’s bunch has started the season 6-0 and will host USF, Tulane, and Navy in home games later in the season. But I refuse to discount the likes of Navy, Tulane, or USF. All three teams have quality quarterback play, legit head coaches, and if things break right, could certainly take down Memphis.

There will be plenty of hoopla about conference title races as we creep closer to the end of October. Be sure to keep your eyes on the American, as this one is shaping up to be a real doozy. 

College Football Week 7 is upon us, and we're diving deep into what might be the steeliest slate of the season. This isn't about flashy plays or explosive offenses—this week belongs to the teams willing to do the dirty work in the trenches.

After walking back through some extra thoughts on Alabama-Mizzou, Ohio State-Illinois, and Indiana-Oregon, we get down to business. In this episode, we break down every major matchup and the debates get heated as we disagree on nearly every pick, including whether Oklahoma can shock Texas, if Auburn can pull the upset in Jordan-Hare, and which team controls the trenches in Michigan vs USC. Plus, we preview BYU-Arizona, Iowa State-Colorado, and a loaded slate of under-the-radar games that could shape the playoff picture.

Plus, as a special treat, ESPN's Chris Fowler joins us to discuss the season's biggest surprises, why he misses calling games out West, and more. We also get his take on the unpredictability of this college football season and what makes a great broadcast moment.

▶️ Listen on Apple Podcasts

▶️ Listen on Spotify

▶️ Watch on YouTube