Week 7 of the 2026 college football season offers a solid appetizer on Friday night before Saturday’s loaded slate of ranked-versus-ranked matchups.
Three games get national exposure, featuring an American Athletic Conference showdown, a Big Ten contest, and a Sun Belt rivalry game.
College Football Games Today: Week 7 Schedule for Friday
All times Eastern, and game lines are courtesy of DraftKings
Memphis at Tulane
Fri., Oct. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Line: Memphis -7 | Total: 55.5
Memphis, 5-1 under first-year coach Charles Huff, has been one of the more explosive offenses in the Group of Six, averaging nearly 39 points per game with strong contributions from the ground game and some efficient passing.
The Tigers’ only loss came on the road at Boise State; they’ve dominated since, including blowouts of Charlotte and UAB, ranking 23rd in FBS in scoring.
Tulane has been competitive but inconsistent, with losses to power-conference foes and Army. The Green Wave will need to slow Memphis’ attack and generate offense of their own in a game that projects as one of the higher-scoring of the night.
Washington at Purdue
Fri., Oct. 16 | 8 p.m. | Fox
Line: Purdue -3.5 | Total: 50.5
Barry Odom’s Boilermakers have found traction with back-to-back conference wins, including a dominant 41-13 home victory over Minnesota last week on the back of a strong rushing day. Purdue has shown improved balance and physicality at home.
Washington has dropped three straight in Big Ten play and enters with uncertainty at quarterback after recent injury issues. The Huskies remain competitive defensively but have struggled to sustain drives against conference competition.
Appalachian State at Coastal Carolina
Fri., Oct. 16 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2
Line: App State -1.5 | Total: 48.5
Sun Belt rivals meet in Conway as App State (3-2, 0-1) visits Coastal Carolina (2-4, 1-1). Coastal has won the last four meetings and five of the past six after the Mountaineers dominated the early years of the series. App State leads the all-time series 7-5.
Appalachian State started 3-0 before consecutive losses, while Coastal snapped a skid with a win at Marshall. Both teams sit in a competitive Sun Belt East race where a loss here could prove costly.
The short spread reflects a close, physical rivalry game with some modest scoring expectations. Coastal’s recent series dominance at home adds intrigue.
Looking Ahead
Friday’s slate may lack the star power of Saturday’s ranked battles (Ohio State-Indiana, Alabama-Tennessee, Notre Dame-BYU, and others), but it still delivers some potentially meaningful conference implications and a rivalry game.
Memphis-Tulane stands out as the highest-profile and most offense-friendly matchup, while Purdue-Washington offers a chance to see whether Odom’s rebuild is gaining any real traction in the Big Ten.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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