College Football

Michigan-Penn State, USC-Utah: CFB Week 7 by the numbers

Updated Oct. 12, 2022 5:22 p.m. ET

Defending Big Ten champion Michigan faces its first real test of the season when the No. 5 Wolverines play host to No. 10 Penn State on Saturday at the Big House.

The game highlights a great set of contests in Week 7 of the college football season and fittingly starts the day's action on FOX Big Noon Kickoff.

The day will also feature a couple of interesting Big 12 matchups, as the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks take on Oklahoma, and No. 8 Oklahoma State faces No. 13 TCU.

Capping off the night is a great Pac-12 matchup as No. 7 USC visits No. 20 Utah, a game that airs on FOX.

But those are not the only big events we're keeping an eye on this week.

Here are the key stats to know for the marquee matchups in Week 7.

SATURDAY

No. 10 Penn State (5-0) at No. 5 Michigan (6-0)
Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app

1997: That's the last time this matchup featured two top-10 teams, when No. 4 Michigan won 34-8 at No. 2 Penn State. Michigan leads the all-time series, 15-10.

.725: Penn State is 58-22 since 2016, a .725 winning percentage that ranks eighth among Power 5 programs in that time span.

49.6%: The Nittany Lions are allowing opponents to complete only 49.6% of their passes, the third-best mark in FBS. They are also forcing turnovers on 28.1% of opponent possessions.

153.2: Penn State running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton are averaging a combined 153.2 rushing yards per game.

1976-77: This is the first time since 1976-77 that Michigan started 6-0 in back-to-back seasons.

11.3: The Wolverines rank fifth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 11.3 points per game. Their offense ranks seventh, averaging 43.0 PPG.

0: Michigan has not trailed at the half in any game this season.

No. 19 Kansas (5-1) at Oklahoma (3-3)
Noon ET

17: That's Oklahoma's current winning streak in this series, which it leads 79-27-6 all-time. Kansas has not won at Oklahoma since 1996.

2007: A win would give Kansas six wins in its first seven games for the first time since 2007, when the Jayhawks finished 12-1. It would also make the Jayhawks bowl-eligible for the first time since 2008.

178.72: Kansas' team passing efficiency of 178.82 ranks sixth in the country.

33: Kansas' 33 TDs so far this season is the second-most by a Jayhawks team in a single season over the past 10 years.

1998: Oklahoma is Looking to avoid its first four-game losing streak since 1998 when it lost five in a row.

3: Brent Venables is the first OU head coach to lose his first three conference games.

1.7: The Sooners' +1.7 point differential is the lowest in the Big 12.

Iowa State (3-3) at No. 22 Texas (4-2)
Noon ET

14-5: Texas has won 14 of the 19 games in this series, but Iowa State has won the last three.

277.5: Iowa State leads the Big 12 in total defense (277.5 yards per game), rushing defense (91.0) and scoring defense (13.7 PPG).

0: The Cyclones have held three of their six opponents scoreless in the second half.

5: Iowa State has beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last five seasons.

100: This will be Steve Sarkisian's 100th game as a head coach, 19th with Texas. He has a career record of 55-44 (.556).

30: Texas is 7-1 when holding opponents under 30 points under Sarkisian.

141.3: Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson leads the Big 12 in all-purpose yards (141.3 YPG), as well as in rushing touchdowns (10), total touchdowns (11), scoring (11.0) and total points scored (66).

No. 3 Alabama (6-0) at No. 6 Tennessee (5-0)
3:30 p.m. ET

15: Alabama has won 15 straight against Tennessee and leads the all-time series 58-38-7.

7: Josh Heupel is the seventh coach since Phillip Fullmer, the last Tennessee coach to beat Alabama.

27: Alabama has won 27 straight regular-season games against SEC Eastern Division opponents, dating back to a 35-21 loss at then-No. 19 South Carolina on Oct. 9, 2010.

97: Nick Saban has 97 wins in his career over AP Top-25 teams, the most in the NCAA history.

40: Since 2018, Alabama has scored 40 or more points in 71% of its games, the best in the nation. Ohio State is second at 66.1%.

2016: Tennessee is off to its first 5-0 start since 2016 and is ranked in the top 10 for a fourth straight week.

547.8: The Vols are top in the nation in total offense at 547.8 YPG. They are a perfect 28-for-28 in the red zone.

+5: Tennessee's +5 turnover margin leads the SEC. The Vols have not lost the turnover battle in eight straight games.

No. 8 Oklahoma State (5-0) vs. No. 13 TCU (5-0)
3:30 p.m. ET

63-17: Oklahoma State routed TCU 63-17 last season. Still, the teams have alternated wins in their last four seasons, with each team winning at home.

10+: Oklahoma State is one of just two FBS teams (Ohio State) to win every game by double-figures this season.

18: The Cowboys have been ranked in the top 15 of every AP poll since Oct. 3, 2021, a school-record 18 straight.

2017: That's the last time TCU started a season 6-0.

8.08: The Horned Frogs lead FBS in yards per play, at 8.08. They are also averaging 46.4 PPG, their highest mark since averaging 51 PPG in 2015.

6.61: TCU leads the Big 12 in yards per rush, trailing only Ohio State (6.96) among FBS schools.

500/5: TCU is the only team in the country averaging at least 500 YPG while committing fewer than five turnovers.

No. 15 N.C. State (5-1) at No. 18 Syracuse (5-0)
3:30 p.m. ET

13-2: N.C. State has won 13 of the 15 matchups between these teams, including three straight and seven of the last eight.

9: N.C. State leads the ACC and ranks seventh in FBS with nine interceptions.

6: Six different Wolfpack players have scored their first career touchdowns this season.

2001: This is the first time an AP-ranked Syracuse team has hosted an AP-ranked opponent since Nov. 24, 2001, against Boston College.

6: In the modern era (post-World War II), Syracuse has won its first six games of the year twice — 1987 and 1959. Both of those squads went undefeated during the regular season.

14.0: Syracuse is allowing just 14.0 PPG, ninth-best in the nation.

No. 4 Clemson (6-0) at Florida State (4-2)
7:30 p.m. ET

6: Clemson has beaten Florida State six times in a row, with the Seminoles' last win coming in 2014.

12: The Tigers have the nation's longest active winning streak.

1: Clemson is the only team in the country to have 30 or more trips to the red zone and have scored on each one.

+21: Clemson's +21 points differential per game trails only Syracuse (+24.4) in the ACC.

170.3: Florida State is first in the ACC and 14th in the country in passing defense, holding opponents to an average of 170.3 yards per game through the air.

12: Florida State is the only team in the country that ranks in the top-12 in both kickoff return average and kickoff return defense.

1.17: The Noles allow only 1.17 sacks per game, tops in the ACC and 25th in the country.

No. 7 USC (6-0) at No. 20 Utah (4-2)
8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app

13-7: USC leads the all-time series, winning 13 of 20, including two of the last three.

2005: That's the last time USC started a season 7-0. The Trojans started 12-0 that season before losing to Texas in the BCS National Championship Game.

29.7: The Trojans are averaging under 30 PPG over their last three games. They averaged 50.7 PPG in their first three games.

+14: USC’s +14 turnover margin is double the second-best margin in the Pac-12 (Utah and Cal are tied for at +7).

22: Utah has won 22 of its last 23 home games, including 11 straight.

4/2: In every win this season the Utes have led at halftime (4-0) and in every loss they have trailed at the half (0-2).

5: Utah has allowed only five sacks this season, the second-fewest in the Pac-12.

19: Utah has gone 19 straight seasons with an interception returned for a touchdown. It is the longest active streak in the nation, four seasons longer than Iowa (15 seasons).

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- Are Texas Longhorns a top-15 team?

- College football rankings: Ohio State tightens grip on No. 1