Week 7 brought us some fireworks! Lots of great games and more teams jockeying for a shot at the CFP!
To find out where your team stands in this week’s Top 5 Rankings scroll down and take a look.
Scroll to the bottom to see how Rivalry Sports did on their picks for the Week 5 games and to see a summary of this week’s picks!
Win/Loss Records of the picks for Week 7 :
| Picker | Rivalry Sports – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker |
| Win – Loss Record Week 6 | 12 – 2 | 11 – 3 |
| Overall Won/Loss Record on Picks this Season | 88 – 23 | 89 – 22 |
Guest Picker Won/Loss Records
| Guest Picker | Week | Won/Loss Record on Picks | Winning Percentage |
| Stephanie Kirby | 1 | 16 – 3 | 84.2% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 2 | 17 – 2 | 89.5% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 3 | 12 – 2 | 85.7% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 4 | 10 – 3 | 76.9% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 5 | 13 – 3 | 81.3% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 6 | 10 – 6 | 62.5% |
| Stephanie Kirby | 7 | 11 – 3 | 78.6% |
RIVALRY SPORTS LOCK PICK OF THE WEEK
| Week | Rivalry Sports Game Score Pick | Actual Result |
| 1 | #5 Alabama over Western Kentucky 45 – 13 | #5 Alabama over Western Kentucky – 63 – 0 |
| 2 | #6 Ole Miss over MTSU 48 – 10 | #6 Ole Miss over MTSU 52 – 3 |
| 3 | #17 Michigan over Arkansas State 38 – 10 | #17 Michigan over Arkansas State 28 – 18 |
| 4 | #8 Miami over South Florida 41 – 10 | #8 Miami over South Florida 50 – 15 |
| 5 | #8 Oregon over UCLA 34 – 17 | #8 Oregon over UCLA 34 – 13 |
| 6 | #5 Georgia over Auburn 42 – 17 | #5 Georgia over Auburn 31 – 13 |
| 7 | #17 Boise State over Hawaii 48 – 20 | #17 Boise State over Hawaii 28 – 7 |
| 8 | #10 Clemson over Virginia 38 – 24 |
Check out last week’s Top 5 Rankings
Weekly Rivalry Sports Top 5 for each Power Conference
SEC TOP FIVE
SEC, SEC, SEC, … well the top team in the SEC is newcomer Texas. That is not to say that there are not many other good teams in the SEC, but it is hard to tell just how good Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss really are with losses and/or close games.
LSU jumps into the rankings this week after a HUGE win over Ole Miss this past week. Unfortunately for Ole Miss this is probably their best team in many years and they already have two losses on the season!
Georgia has the best loss in the SEC with their only loss to Alabama, but they just don’t look like Georgia yet this year besides the first game of the year. Alabama is hard to predict as they barely beat South Carolina after losing to Vanderbilt last year. The defense cannot be trusted for Alabama and that is concerning.
Tennessee is known for their offense, but it is their D that has kept them as a Top 5 SEC team. However, if the offense can’t get back on track then Tennessee will fail to hit their potential. You also have Texas A&M knocking on the door to get into the Top 5 and that is to say nothing about Missourit who is also 5 and 1.
What a year so far in the SEC and there is much more to come!
1. Texas (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 1
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 1
Week 7 Result: Win over #18 Oklahoma 34 – 3
Week 8 Opponent: vs # 5 Georgia at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Loss
2. Georgia (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # 5
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 4
Week 7 Result: Win over Mississippi State 41 – 31
Week 8 Opponent: @ #1 Texas at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
3. Alabama (5– 1) AP Ranking – # 7
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 2
Week 7 Result: Win over South Carolina 27 – 25
Week 8 Opponent: @ #11 Tennessee at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
4. Tennessee (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # 11
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 3
Week 7 Result: Win over Florida 23 – 17
Week 8 Opponent: vs #7 Alabama at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Loss
5. LSU (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # 8
Last Week SEC Ranking: # Unranked
Week 7 Result: Win over #9 Ole Miss 29 – 26
Week 8 Opponent: @ Arkansas at 7:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
Dropped from SEC Top 5 Rankings:
Ole Miss (5 – 2)
Big Ten TOP FIVE
The B1G clearly has two teams at the top of the conference (Oregon and Ohio State) followed by Penn State and then another tier of teams fighting for a spot in the B1G Top 5.
The Oregon vs Ohio State game was a classic with Oregon securing a last second victory, but these two seem destined to meet again in the B1G championship. Penn State could put their name in the running, but at this point, including barely pulling out a win vs USC this week, they look a tier below the top 2 teams.
Indiana and Nebraska round out the Top 5 and had a bye week last week, but they can stake their claim to staying in the Top 5 with wins this week. Right on their heels outside of the Top 5 is Illinois with a 5 and 1 record.
1. Oregon (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 2
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 2
Week 7 Result: Win over #2 Ohio State 32 – 31
Week 8 Opponent: @ Purdue at 8:00 PM EDT Friday 10/18/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
2. Ohio State (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # 4
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 1
Week 7 Result: Loss to #3 Oregon 32 – 31
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Bye
3. Penn State (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 3
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 3
Week 7 Result: Win over USC 33 – 30
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Bye
4. Indiana (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 16
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 4
Week 7 Result: Bye Week
Week 8 Opponent: vs Nebraska at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Loss
5. Nebraska (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # unranked
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 5
Week 7 Result: Bye week
Week 8 Opponent: @ Indiana at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
Dropped from Big 10 Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
BIG-12 TOP FIVE
The Big 12 is a fun conference that is probably not getting enough love this year. Many of the Preseason top picks (Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma State) to win the conference have fallen to the middle or the back of the conference standings.
That leaves teams like Iowa State, BYU, Texas Tech, and Arizona State a void to fill and boy have they filled that void. Joining those four in the battle for the top of the conference is one lone standing preseason top pick, Kansas State.
Right now we could end up with a couple of teams from the Big 12 battling for a spot in the CFP, the question is which of these teams will it be? I can’t wait for another week of unpredictable and underappreciated football from the Big 12!
1. Iowa State (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 9
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 2
Week 7 Result: Win over West Virginia 28 – 16
Week 8 Opponent: vs UCF at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
2. BYU (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 13
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 3
Week 7 Result: Win over Arizona 41 – 19
Week 8 Opponent: vs Oklahoma State at 10:15 PM EDT Friday 10/18/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
3. Kansas State (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # 17
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 4
Week 7 Result: Win over Colorado 31 – 28
Week 8 Opponent: @ West Virginia at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
4. Texas Tech (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # Unranked
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 5
Week 7 Result: Bye Week
Week 8 Opponent: vs Baylor at 4:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
5. Arizona State (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # Unranked
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # Unranked
Week 7 Result: Win over #16 Utah 27 – 19
Week 8 Opponent: @ Cincinnati at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
Dropped from BIG-12 Top 5 Rankings:
Utah (4 – 2)
ACC TOP FIVE
The ACC has endured a surprising year with top preseason contender Florida State hitting extreme lows and hopeful Miami looking like a real deal CFP contender. Besides Clemson, who is absolutely rounding into form, the other ACC Top 5 teams would also be considered surprises in Pitt, SMU, and Syracuse.
Pitt is playing typical tough D, but with QB Eli Holstein leading the offense this team has a lot of moxie. Transfer QB Kyle McCord has sparked Syracuse’s season and made them a contender not only for a Bowl game, but also for the ACC Top 5. Newcome SMU has been a fun addition to the conference and is looking like they are a team to take seriously.
Duke is just out of the Top 5 rankings, but with a 5 and 1 record, they are trying to prove that they are for real. These next few weeks will continue to sort this conference out, but it is definitely nice to see traditional powerhouse Clemson looking like they are rounding into form.
1. Miami (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 6
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 1
Week 7 Result: Bye week
Week 8 Opponent: @ Louisville at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
2. Clemson (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # 10
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 2
Week 7 Result: Win over Wake Forest 49 – 14
Week 8 Opponent: vs Virginia at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
3. Pittsburgh (6 – 0) AP Ranking – # 20
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 3
Week 7 Result: Win over Cal 17 – 15
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Bye
4. SMU (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # 21
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 4
Week 7 Result: Bye Week
Week 8 Opponent: @ Stanford at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday 10/19/24
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Win
5. Syracuse (5 – 1) AP Ranking – # unranked
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 5
Week 7 Result: Win over NC State 24 – 17
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Week 8 Prediction: Bye
Dropped from ACC Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
NOTABLE Week 8 GAMES
Take a look at some of the highest ranked or most intriguing games of the week listed below.
- #7 Alabama @ #11 Tennessee – Two teams that are top 10 teams and are fighting for a spot in the CFP. The loser is by no means out of the running for the CFP, but the winner gets a huge jump in the race to the CFP.
- #24 Michigan @ #22 Illinois – Two teams that like to play smash mouth football meet up in a game that is sure to be physical.
- Nebraska @ #16 Indiana – This is another game between two teams that have improved dramatically over last year. This game will show who has come farther.
- #5 Georgia @ #1 Texas – A HUGE game between these two SEC powerhouses. The newcomer to the SEC takes on the current SEC annual power!
Rivalry Sports Lock Pick of the Week – #10 Clemson over Virginia 38 – 24
Rivalry Sports Underdog Pick of the Week – #5 Georgia over #1 Texas
Check back in for updated Top 5 Rankings next week!
Week 8 Game Picks
| Game (Home Team listed 2nd) | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Stephanie Kirby |
| #5 Georgia @ # 1 Texas | Georgia | Texas |
| #7 Alabama @ #11 Tennessee | Alabama | Tennesee |
| #8 LSU @ #Arkansas | LSU | LSU |
| #2 Oregon @ Purdue | Oregon | Oregon |
| Nebraska @ #16 Indiana | Nebraska | Indiana |
| UCF @ #9 Iowa State | Iowa State | Iowa State |
| Oklahoma State @ #13 BYU | BYU | BYU |
| #17 Kansas State @ West Virginia | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| Baylor @ Texas Tech | Texas Tech | Baylor |
| Arizona State @ Cincinnati | Arizona State | Cincinnati |
| #6 Miami @ Louisville | Miami | Miami |
| Virginia @ #10 Clemson | Clemson | Clemson |
| #21 SMU @ Stanford | SMU | SMU |
Week 7 GAME PICK RESULTS
| Game (Home Team listed 2nd) | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Stephanie Kirby | Winner |
| #1 Texas @ # 18 Oklahoma | Texas | Oklahoma | Texas |
| South Carolina @ #7 Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama |
| Mississippi State @ #5 Georgia | Georgia | Georgia | Georgia |
| Florida @ #8 Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennesee | Tennessee |
| #9 Ole Miss @ #13 LSU | Ole Miss | LSU | LSU |
| #2 Ohio State @ #3 Oregon | Oregon | Ohio State | Oregon |
| #4 Penn State @ USC | Penn State | Penn State | Penn State |
| #16 Utah @ Arizona State | Utah | Utah | Arizona State |
| #11 Iowa State @ West Virginia | Iowa State | Iowa State | Iowa State |
| Arizona @ #14 BYU | BYU | BYU | BYU |
| #18 Kansas State @ Colorado | Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| #10 Clemson @ Wake Forest | Clemson | Clemson | Clemson |
| California @ #22 Pitt | Pitt | Pitt | Pitt |
| Syracuse @ NC State | Syracuse | Syracuse | Syracuse |
| Total | 12 | 11 | 14 |
