This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: Three Upset Picks in Week 7
It's Week 7 of the college football season. There were a boatload of upsets in the most topsy-turvy weekend in recent memory. Not only were the Top 25 rankings shaken up tremendously, but the Group 5 teams hoping to make a run at the College Football Playoff took a big hit, with James Madison and UNLV suffering debilitating losses. Let's uncover some big team upsets for Week 7 and find that player to pop, too.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – Saturday, 12 p.m. ET
The Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech took down previously unbeaten Duke last weekend in Atlanta, and it is now a healthy 4-2 on the season. However, both of those setbacks have come on the road against Syracuse as a favorite in Week 2 and at Louisville in Week 4.
Georgia Tech was a slight road favorite in that game against the Orange, but it fell 31-28. In the Louisville loss, the Jackets were an underdog, and the score was a bit deceiving. Louisville had a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the end zone and a blocked field goal return for a touchdown. Still, those things happened, and Georgia Tech did allow two long passing touchdowns of 37 or more yards, too.
Backing North Carolina takes some guts. After a 3-0 start, the Tar Heels have dropped three in a row to James Madison, Duke and Pittsburgh, all unranked teams.
The UNC offense is tremendous, going for 449.0 total yards per game, with 198.3 rushing yards per game. RB Omarion Hampton is one of the best in the nation at his position, and he'll test a nasty Georgia Tech run D. The Tar Heels are also very stout against the run and terrible against the pass. This could be a higher-scoring game as UNC finds a way to halt its skid through the air.
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USC Trojans vs. Penn State Trojans – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
This should be a Rose Bowl matchup, not a conference game. The new college football landscape is so hard to get used to!
Penn State played the other Southern California team from the Big Ten, UCLA, and it eased by the Bruins 27-11 last week. UCLA was never a threat to win, and it only made the game look closer with a touchdown and two-point conversion with 16 seconds left in regulation.
Still, Penn State gained just 85 rushing yards against a porous Bruins D and 237 yards through the air, sleepwalking through another conference win.
The Penn State offense has been adequate, but the defense is where it is at for the Nittany Lions. This is a nasty unit, allowing just 233.2 total yards per game and only 76.2 rushing yards per contest with 11.4 PPG.
USC will be angry like a group of hornets this week, though. Last week, it was dropped 24-17 in Minnesota to slip to 1-2 in the conference. Welcome to the Big Ten, boys!
The Trojans have been strong at home, though, going 2-0 at the Coliseum, including a win over Wisconsin, and this team got the job done against LSU in Las Vegas. This could be a signature win and season-saver for USC, and if QB Miller Moss can be mistake-free, the Trojans are an attractive underdog play.
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Kansas State Wildcats – Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET
The Buffaloes are coming off a bye week following the team's amazing 48-21 road victory at UCF on Sept. 28 as an 11.5-point underdog. Colorado has picked up the pace offensively, increasing its point production in each of the past three outings since its lone loss at Nebraska.
The Wildcats are coming off a 42-20 victory against Oklahoma State in Week 5, and they also are coming off a bye. The win over the Cowboys was impressive, considering K-State was waxed at BYU the previous weekend, 38-9.
The Wildcats are fine at home, going 3-0 straight up, but on the road, they're 1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS while allowing 32.5 PPG. That's not great work defensively when heading to Boulder to face QB Shedeur Sanders, WR/DB Travis Hunter, etc.
While the Buffaloes have problems of their own defensively, and that's bad news against QB Avery Johnson, Colorado catching points at home is rather curious. CU could easily win this game outright.
Week 6 Player To Pop
Xzavier Henderson, WR, Cincinnati 
The Bearcats don't get a ton of attention, and it's easy to forget UC is in the Big 12 sometimes.
Cincinnati has an explosive offense, and that was on display in a wild 44-41 loss at Texas Tech last week. QB Brendan Sorsby went for 426 passing yards and a pick, and WR Xzavier Henderson was the biggest beneficiary with seven grabs for 127 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.
Technically, Henderson has already been popping, posting three 100-yard receiving yards this season, with two of those games on the road.
He and his Bearcats teammates head down to the Bounce House to face a UCF team that ranks 103rd in the nation against the pass, so look for another big day for Hendo.
