The 2026 College Football season continues into Week 7 and the selections can be read below.
Northwestern Wildcats @ Michigan State Spartans Pick: The Big Ten has arguably taken over from the SEC as being the best Conference in College Football and the fact the National Champion has resided in this one over the last two years backs that up. A number of Big Ten teams have begun this season unbeaten in the Conference and it is going to be a strong race until the finish to see which of those teams is able to get themselves invited into the College Football Playoff Bracket at the end of the season.
It is unlikely that the Northwestern Wildcats (4-1) or the Michigan State Spartans (2-4) will be involved in the final shake up- the former is 1-1 in the Big Ten this season, while the Spartans have lost all three Conference games played.
Preseason expectations around each school would not have been that great, but the Wildcats can at least say they are well on the way to becoming Bowl eligible as they prepare to face an opponent who have appointed Pat Fitzgerald as Head Coach.
Of course Pat Fitzgerald had been the Head Coach at Northwestern for seventeen years before he was fired back in 2023 and that was amidst a scandal.
Both teams will be downplaying the impact of having Fitzgerald on the sidelines in 2026 and instead the focus is trying to win football games.
There is another connection between the teams and that is Northwestern Quarter Back Aidan Chiles who started twenty games for the Michigan State Spartans in the last two seasons before transferring to the Wildcats. Last season Aidan Chiles threw 10 Touchdown passes with 3 Interceptions as a Spartan, while adding 6 Touchdowns on the ground, but he has begun his time with the Northwestern Wildcats impressively having already thrown over 1100 yards and with 9 Touchdown passes and 0 Interceptions.
As a dual-threat Quarter Back, Aidan Chiles already has 6 Touchdowns on the ground as well, although you have to imagine the Michigan State Coaches have a pretty good idea as to what to expect from him.
Knowing what to expect and stopping what to expect is very different and the problem for Michigan State is that the Defensive Line has not played the run well enough to believe they can put Aidan Chiles in a position where he is throwing from third and long spots on the field. The game plan for the Wildcats is to establish the run and they look to have the edge at the Line of Scrimmage on this side of the ball, which should mean Northwestern are pretty comfortable with the Offensive plan for much of the game.
Playing on the road is difficult, but Aidan Chiles has to be more than aware of what to expect and he should be able to keep the chains moving from a likely third and manageable spot. Play-action becomes a real option, as does any RPO plays and the Northwestern Wildcats should be able to continue the momentum that has been put together in the last two games since the narrow defeat to defending National Champions Indiana Hoosiers.
While it should be expected that the Wildcats will have Offensive successes, the Michigan State Spartans may also feel they can have an impact on this game.
They have not run the ball as well as Northwestern, but the Spartans are facing a Wildcats Defensive Line that have had some issues in slowing the run in recent games and that will be a help for the home team. It has to be questioned whether the Spartans have enough about them to take full advantage as the Offensive Line have struggled to consistently open the running lanes and have also had problems when it comes to pass protection.
Alessio Milivojevic split time at Quarter Back with Aidan Chiles last season and has become the full time starter for Michigan State in 2026- his season has begun with some decent passing numbers in terms of yardage, but 5 Touchdowns with 3 Interceptions is not the kind of ration that will lead to a lot of team success.
Turnovers can be key in games like this and this Northwestern Secondary have allowed some Quarter Backs to have success throwing against them, but have also been able to pick off passes and give the Offensive unit those extra possessions to make the difference.
It may be the case in Week 7 of the 2026 season against the former Head Coach with the three years that have passed since Pat Fitzgerald was fired leading to enough transition for Northwestern to present him something different.
These two Big Ten rivals have not met in five years since Michigan State earned a blowout win on the road, but it is the Wildcats who can earn revenge with a double digit victory in East Lansing on Saturday.
Auburn Tigers @ Georgia Bulldogs Pick: The Georgia Bulldogs (6-0) have beaten the Auburn Tigers (3-2) nine times in a row and they host this game in Athens as a big favourite.
This cannot be a surprise after the Bulldogs beat the Alabama Crimson Tide on the road last week and are now the only team in the SEC with an unbeaten record. However, the Auburn Tigers may feel they are being disrespected as they return after the Bye Week and especially when you think of the the competitive losses they have suffered.
In saying that, the Tigers are 1-2 in the SEC games played in 2026 and this looks a very difficult match up for them on the Offensive side of the ball.
Auburn will be hoping to lean on the Offensive Line and see if they can at least find a way to run the ball and give the unit an opportunity to sustain drives. The Tigers have managed to move the ball on the ground with some efficiency, although they are facing a Georgia Defensive Line that have held opponents to 3.5 yards per carry in recent weeks and continue to be stout up front.
Placing Quarter Back Byrum Brown in third and manageable spots on the field is the key for the road team.
Byrum Brown has produced some solid outings, but he is playing behind an Offensive Line that has struggled to protect him when he has stepped back to throw. In third and long spots, the Bulldogs pass rush is likely to collapse the pocket around the Quarter Back and that could lead to turnovers or stalled drives that allows the Georgia Bulldogs to win the field battle.
The road team are going to believe in their own capabilities, but Auburn may need to rely on the Defensive unit to keep them competitive in this game.
There will be confidence in the Auburn Defense, although they may also accept that this Georgia Bulldogs team may offer the most significant test in the 2026 season.
The Line of Scrimmage will be important on this side of the ball with the Bulldogs looking to run the ball and Auburn heading into the Bye Week having offered some resistance. The edge is with the Georgia Bulldogs to at least keep Gunner Stockton in third and manageable spots and that will allow the experienced Quarter Back to pick his passes and keep the chains moving.
Gunner Stockton will respect this Auburn Secondary, but the numbers may be influenced by the fact the Tigers have faced Vanderbilt and Tennessee in the last couple of SEC games. Neither team has the same kind of experience on the Offensive side of the ball as Gunner Stockton and the Georgia Bulldogs bring into this game and a win at the Line of Scrimmage should give this Quarter Back an opportunity to hurt the Tigers down the field.
The Bulldogs have won both home SEC games by comfortable margins this season and they may be able to move the ball with enough consistency to have an opportunity to cover a big spread.
A turnover or two may prove to be the key and the Bulldogs can find a way to pick those up and ultimately lead to a strong win before heading into the Bye Week.
MY PICKS: Northwestern Wildcats - 6.5 Points @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)
Georgia Bulldogs - 19.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Texas Tech Red Raiders - 15.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Miami Hurricanes - 20.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Utah Utes - 14.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Wake Forest - 9.5 Points @ 1.81 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Week 6: 2-4, - 2.16 Units (6 Units Staked, - 36% Yield)
Week 5: 3-3, - 0.14 Units (6 Units Staked, - 2.33% Yield)
Week 4: 4-3, + 0.49 Units (7 Units Staked, + 7% Yield)
Week 3: 1-4, - 3.17 Units (5 Units Staked, - 63.40% Yield)
Week 2: 2-3, - 1.28 Units (5 Units Staked, - 25.60% Yield)
Week 0: 0-3, - 3 Units (3 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)
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