Want to see just how unpredictable college football can be? Look back at Week 6, where Vanderbilt shocked Alabama and three other top-10 teams faced defeats as well.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Week 7 offers exciting matchups, including Oregon versus Ohio State and the annual Texas-Oklahoma clash in Dallas. Yet, there are also significant games where underdogs could emerge victorious. So, what surprises might be in store?

That’s where the YSL News Sports college football team comes in! Experts Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus, and Dan Wolken share their bold predictions for this week’s college football action:

Alabama and Tennessee ready for a home rebound

Before the Crimson Tide and Volunteers clash next week on their traditional third Saturday in October, both teams need to recover from disappointing road losses that, in typical seasons, might dash their national championship hopes. Alabama’s surprising defeat to Vanderbilt and Tennessee’s loss to Arkansas highlight the consequences of not performing at their best, leading to goalposts being removed and fans storming the field.

The SEC will incur penalties for not following “the league’s access to competition area policy.”

As a result, Florida and South Carolina might face the repercussions of Alabama and Tennessee’s frustrations as both teams bounce back this week. — Scooby Axson

Colorado and Arizona stir up Big 12 challenges

The race for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff through the Big 12 is highly unpredictable, especially after this weekend. Two frontrunners – Brigham Young and Kansas State – face tough challenges as the Cougars go against Arizona and the Wildcats visit Colorado. Although Arizona has had mixed performances lately, they’ve also managed to take down teams like Utah. Meanwhile, Colorado’s performance has surpassed expectations, making them a surprising 3-0 in Big 12 play. Iowa State may also be in danger of an upset against West Virginia. — Jordan Mendoza

West Virginia hands Iowa State their first defeat

Iowa State, undefeated so far, may face a challenging road environment as they clash with West Virginia, risking their unbeaten streak and adding chaos to the Big 12 standings. Although the Cyclones performed well against Baylor last week, WVU has been steadily improving after a rocky start. Historically, Iowa State has struggled in Morgantown, recording a 2-3 record since West Virginia joined the conference, including a loss in 2021. — Paul Myerberg

USC interrupts Penn State’s West Coast excursion

James Franklin has expressed some frustrations this week about the need for his team to travel to Harrisburg due to journey complications to Los Angeles. While it may be a good story, it likely won’t affect the game outcome for the Nittany Lions. However, there’s concern that they might overlook Southern California, particularly after their loss to Minnesota last week. That would be a major error. Although USC’s offense seems outmatched against Penn State’s strong defense, it presumes that the Lions are completely focused and not distracted by last week’s events. Human nature tends to take over, so it’s plausible Penn State might struggle on this lengthy trip and possibly lose to a desperate USC team fighting to maintain any hopes for Big Ten or playoff contention. — Erick Smith

Iowa looks to get a jump on Washington

The new Big Ten teams from the West Coast haven’t fared well traveling east, at least until now. Oregon is an exception, having not left the Pacific time zone yet. However, the other three have a collective 0-4 record in conference matchups while visiting the East. Washington is responsible for one of those losses at Rutgers. After bouncing back with a win against Michigan, they find themselves back on the road to Iowa City this week.

Iowa plays a style similar to that of Washington’s earlier opponents, focusing on toughness and featuring a solid defense. While the Hawkeyes struggled offensively in their recent game against Ohio State, many teams likely will do the same against the Buckeyes. The travel timing presents a challenge for the visiting Huskies, as the game will feel like an early 9 a.m. start time for them. Eventually, the west coast teams will figure out the travel dynamics, but for now, we pick the Hawkeyes to take this match. — Eddie Timanus

Vanderbilt maintains momentum against Kentucky

The betting lines don’t seem to take Vanderbilt’s impressive victory over Alabama seriously, or perhaps they simply have a high opinion of Kentucky, which has had an inconsistent season. Regardless, the spread of nearly two touchdowns is too much, even in Lexington. I believe Vanderbilt can win outright. The team boasts a strong offense led by Diego Pavia and could easily be undefeated with a bit of luck. I think they are simply a better team than Kentucky, who has received too much praise after a bizarre win against Ole Miss. — Dan Wolken