Week 7 College Football: Notre Dame-BYU, Ohio State-Indiana

ESPN's Bill Connelly previewed a Week 7 college football slate he described as "loaded," headlined by Notre Dame's trip to Provo to face BYU and a rematch of last season's Big Ten championship game between Ohio State and Indiana, in a breakdown published Oct. 16, 2026.

Connelly's column walks through the Saturday slate in order of stakes, from marquee top-10 and top-15 matchups to a deep undercard of rivalry games.

What Makes Notre Dame's Trip To BYU So Important?

The tougher stretch of Notre Dame's schedule begins with a road game at BYU, according to Connelly's breakdown. An accompanying video segment on ESPN's site frames the matchup with the line that the game is "very important" for the Irish, who are facing their first real test of the season in Provo.

How Does Ohio State-Indiana Compare To Last Year's Title Game?

Ohio State and Indiana meet in what Connelly calls a rematch of "last year's epic Ohio State-Indiana Big Ten championship slugfest." The piece frames the game as a midseason preview of a potential rivalry-week rematch later in the year.

Why Does The Third Saturday In October Carry 'Desperation'?

Connelly's breakdown notes that the day traditionally known as the Third Saturday in October — longtime shorthand in the sport for a marquee SEC matchup — "features wafts of desperation" this year, without naming specific teams in the excerpted material. The column pairs that game with another SEC top-15 matchup elsewhere on the slate, giving the conference matching marquee games sandwiched between the day's other top-10 contests.

Which Teams Face Hangover Tests After Week 6?

Kentucky and UCLA both come off what Connelly calls "stirring" wins in Week 6, and both now face what he terms "tricky hangover tests" in Week 7. The framing suggests both programs are being watched for whether a signature win can be followed by a letdown.

What Else Is On the Week 7 Undercard?

Beyond the marquee games, Connelly's breakdown points to "a lovely set of rivalry games" filling out the day, along with notable matchups among smaller schools. The structure, he writes, is close to ideal: top-10 games bookending the slate, with the SEC's top-15 pairings in between.

For fans looking to put their own picks on the board before kickoff, pick'em-style games such as the Smorgi Challenge let readers test predictions against a Week 7 slate this crowded.

Connelly's full breakdown, including game-by-game analysis of each matchup, is available on ESPN.com.