Either Michigan will fall to 3-3 or Penn State will lose a fourth straight game on Saturday.
The two perennial Big Ten powers have had rough starts to the 2026 season. What looked to be one of the marquee games of this weekend is now a relative afterthought given the number of other games between ranked teams. But there's still plenty of intrigue.
Here are the players to watch in Week 7.
Memphis QB Marcus Stokes
Memphis at Tulane, 7:30 p.m. ET Friday (ESPN/DIRECTV)
If there's an early-season challenger to Boise State for the Group of Six's playoff spot, it's Memphis. Though the Tigers also lost by 18 points to the Broncos in Week 3.
That's been Memphis' only loss of the season so far, and the former Division II QB from West Florida is a big reason why. He's 101-of-144 passing for 1,535 yards and has thrown 16 TDs to just three interceptions. He's tossed a touchdown in all six of Memphis games so far, and could be in line for a big game against a Tulane defense that has to worry about RB Jaylin Carter. The Green Wave are allowing nearly 220 rushing yards a game, and Carter has rushed for 645 yards on just 89 carries.
Purdue RB Fame Ijeboi
Washington at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET Friday (Fox/DIRECTV)
What will Ijeboi do for an encore after running all over his former team? The Minnesota transfer rushed 31 times for 195 yards in Purdue's 41-13 win over the Gophers in Week 6. After rushing for two touchdowns in two seasons at Minnesota, Ijeboi has nine rushing scores already in 2026 and has received no fewer than 11 carries in a game as Purdue (3-3) has won as many games this season as it did the last two seasons combined.
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Kansas QB Isaiah Marshall
Kansas at Kansas State, Noon ET (FS1/DIRECTV)
The first-year starter has had some uneven moments through KU's first five games of the season. But you can also see how he won the starting job in fall camp. In a 41-24 loss to Utah in Week 6, Marshall was 19-of-37 passing for 333 yards and threw two touchdowns while also adding his first career rushing TD. An upset win for the Jayhawks over their in-state rival would be massive; KU would drop to 2-4 with a loss and could be an underdog in each of its remaining six games.
West Virginia RB Cam Cook
Cincinnati at West Virginia, Noon ET (TNT/DIRECTV)
After leading the country in rushing in 2025 at Jacksonville State, Cook ranks third among all running backs through six games in 2026. Following a 295-carry, 1,659-yard campaign last year, Cook has a nation-high 153 carries for 793 yards and seven scores in 2026 as he teams with QB Michael Hawkins to form one of the best rushing tandems in the country. West Virginia is averaging 295 yards rushing a game but is just 3-3 thanks to a defense that is giving up 6.9 yards per play and nearly 33 points per game.
Michigan QB Bryce Underwood
Penn State at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS/DIRECTV)
Is this a make-or-break game for Underwood's time as Michigan's starter? Wolverines coach Kyle Whittingham said his team was sticking with Underwood as its QB and OC Jason Beck as the team's play-caller after its Week 6 bye. A strong performance in a win over the Nittany Lions to keep Michigan from falling to 3-3 may be imperative for the sophomore quarterback. Underwood threw for just 101 yards and two interceptions in Michigan's Week 5 loss to Minnesota and has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three of UM's five games this season.
North Carolina DL Xavier Lewis
North Carolina at Duke, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/DIRECTV)
Lewis is becoming a developmental success story under Bill Belichick. After eight tackles as a freshman in 2025, Lewis has emerged as one of the most productive defensive linemen in college football in 2026. He had 11 total tackles in North Carolina's win over Pitt last week and has tallied 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss across UNC's first five games of the season.
Wake Forest WR Carlos Hernandez
No. 21 Wake Forest at Cal, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/DIRECTV)
Hernandez followed former Washington State coach Jake Dickert from Pullman to Wake Forest and is flourishing in his fourth season of college football. After having 40 catches for 611 yards and three scores across 13 games in 2025, Hernandez has already surpassed all those numbers in just six games. He had 12 receptions for 117 yards and a TD in the Demon Deacons' 38-14 win over NC State. On the season, he has 49 grabs for 720 yards and four scores.
San Diego State WR Jaylon Hawkins
Fresno State at San Diego State, 10:30 p.m. ET (CBSSN/DIRECTV)
Can Hawkins make it three games in a row with a kickoff-return touchdown? The Aztecs' returner has been absolutely fantastic so far this season. Against Texas State on Oct. 3, he had a 96-yard return for a TD. Last week against Oregon State, Hawkins returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score. Granted, that didn't mean much as the Aztecs were trailing by 52 points at the time, but we'll see if Fresno State kicks away from Hawkins all day.