College football’s most important people in Week 7

The pressure is ratcheted up a few notches in college football for Week 7, which features multiple matchups of ranked teams.

For some, the season is going as planned, while for others, it’s slipping away. 

Ahead of the biggest weekend of the season to date, here are Yardbarker’s most important people who will shape the sport.

Lincoln Riley | USC head coach

It seems like the unranked Trojans are slowly watching their season slip away. The season-opening win over No. 13 LSU was nice, but losses at Michigan and Minnesota have USC at 3-2. Even the Trojans’ 38-21 win over Wisconsin was unconvincing because USC trailed by 11 at the half. 

Can Riley turn things around? His play-calling must be spot-on Saturday at home against No. 4 Penn State (5-0). The Nittany Lions defense ranks fourth in the nation (233.2 YPG). It will take USC’s best offensive effort to score an upset.

Ohio State offensive line

The untested No. 2 Buckeyes (5-0) will receive their biggest test Saturday at No. 3 Oregon. Is the offensive line up to the challenge? OSU is one of 15 teams to allow four sacks or fewer this season. The defense for Oregon (5-0) ranks 11th with 16 sacks. If the Buckeyes protect quarterback Will Howard, they’ll probably win.

Michael Hawkins Jr. | Oklahoma quarterback

Hawkins is set to make history Saturday against No. 1 Texas (5-0) as the first true freshman quarterback to start in the Red River Rivalry game. Pulling off an upset requires great quarterback play, so the task for No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1) comes with ample pressure.

So far, Hawkins (23-of-37, 323 yards) — who replaced former starter Jackson Arnold — has looked like he can handle it. If history repeats itself, he’ll need all the poise he can muster. Nine of the past 11 Red River games have been decided by eight points or fewer.

Jaxson Dart and Garrett Nussmeier | Ole Miss and LSU quarterbacks

This Top-25 showdown in Baton Rouge is expected to be a shootout, putting Dart and Nussmeier on center stage. No. 9 Ole Miss QB Dart leads the SEC in passing with 2,100 yards. No. 13 LSU QB Nussmeier has thrown for 1,652 yards and a conference-leading 15 TDs. The game could come down to offensive line play. Ole Miss (5-1) has allowed 11 sacks, while LSU (4-1) has allowed only two. The quarterback who can stay upright and play a cleaner game will put his team in the driver’s seat.

Kansas State secondary

The Wildcats (4-1) play at unranked Colorado (4-1) in a Saturday night game at Folsom Field. With quarterback Shedeur Sanders and a talented roster of wide receivers, Colorado can put up points in bunches. K-State’s offense is no slouch either, averaging 432.4 yards per game, but at some point the Wildcats’ 47th-ranked defense (336 YPG) must make stops. With Sanders’ escapability and big arm, the secondary will shoulder a heavy burden.

CJ Donaldson Jr. and Jahiem White | West Virginia running backs

Donaldson and White are a two-headed monster for unranked West Virginia (3-2) in the backfield, amassing 713 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Against No. 11 Iowa State (5-0) at home Saturday, they’ll be the key to an upset win. The Cyclones defend the pass better than almost any team in the country. If West Virginia can rely on Donaldson and White, eat up clock and grab an early lead, it could shake up the top of the Big 12.

Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey | Big Ten and SEC commissioners

The sport’s two most powerful conferences are throwing their weight around again. On Thursday, Petitti, Sankey and other officials from the leagues met in Nashville. Topics for discussion included the College Football Playoff, a scheduling partnership and more. For now, it’s just talk, but big ideas will be discussed. Big decisions loom. The Big Ten and SEC have the most important games on the calendar. No doubt the meeting will feature heavily in television coverage for the future.