Well, we’ve now set and matched the record for ranked AP Top 25 matchups in a weekend (6) twice in 2026, so a lull was inevitable. There are still good games on this Saturday docket, though.
In the morning window, #11 Tennessee will look to avoid giving up the ground they made with last week’s upset in a tricky road contest with unranked South Carolina.
The best game of the day in the conference is in Austin, though. Trinidad Chambliss and #7 Ole Miss visit reeling #19 Texas.
Plus, the Big 12 contenders are shrinking, and #14 Houston and #10 Utah can’t afford a slip if they want at-large consideration.
We’re 10 days from the first set of College Football Playoff rankings. Kalshi's college football traders are taking stands. Let’s roll.
For informational purposes only. This is opinion, not trading advice. Kalshi is not affiliated with the NCAA. See full disclaimer below.
#11 Tennessee at South Carolina
Well, Kalshi traders have sniffed something out here. Unranked South Carolina…as a favorite?
Emotionally, the Vols have to be riding high after unexpectedly dethroning Alabama and saving their season. Their entire offense was built on running back DeSean Bishop’s 159 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, but it was a slog to get there at just 3.7 rushing yards per attempt (YPA) as a team.
The Gamecocks are 37th in rushing YPA allowed (3.7), so if they can bottle up Bishop, it’s possible that LaNorris Sellers’ breakout continues.
The much-maligned, athletic quarterback has posted 252.5 passing yards, 83.5 rushing yards, and 3.5 total touchdowns per game in South Carolina’s last two contests and hasn’t thrown an interception. That led to an upset of Florida in Gainesville.
He’ll really have to prove these strides are genuine against the Vols’ elite front. Xavier Gilliam and company are third in the nation in sack rate (11.2%).
I understand traders’ confidence in Sellers’ legs opposite George MacIntyre (31.1 QBR) to make plays late and find a way to ruin Tennessee’s season.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: South Carolina 23, Tennessee 20
#7 Ole Miss at #19 Texas
Does Arch Manning’s revenge tour start on Saturday?
Coach Steve Sarkisian described Manning as “edgy” in practice, and I get it. He’s taken the brunt of consecutive Longhorns losses on the chin, but last week undoubtedly wasn’t his fault. He was limited to just 20 attempts against a backup quarterback for Florida as the ineffective run game gave the game away.
Manning (59.2 QBR) has struggled against a brutal schedule, but Ole Miss is undoubtedly a reprieve. Pete Golding’s defense is 75th in passing YPA allowed (7.5) and 57th in rushing YPA allowed (4.0). He’s begged his star quarterback and Heisman Trophy odds contender, Trinidad Chambliss, to bail them out.
And he has.
Chambliss’ 86.7 QBR is 11th in the country despite four ranked matchups. Accounting for competition level, he’s pretty clearly the nation’s top quarterback, and it’ll be easier on him that stud Texas EDGE Collin Simmons won’t play Saturday with a knee injury.
Against an iffy Rebels defense, I think Manning punches back this week. He and Chambliss could trade scores in a wild one.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: Texas 34, Ole Miss 31
#16 USC at Wisconsin
As we continue to try to make Darian Mensah, Drew Mestemaker, or CJ Carr a thing, I’m deeply perturbed by the lack of respect for Jayden Maiava.
I think he’s been the best NFL Draft quarterback prospect for two years, but he chose to return to #16 USC because evaluators didn’t agree. Here Maiava sits, carrying a mediocre Trojans defense with the sixth-best QBR (86.8) in the country and constant injuries at running back.
Wisconsin is heading in the right direction under Luke Fickell, evidenced by a 10-point loss to #9 UCLA two weeks ago. They opened the season with a 41-13 loss at Lambeau Field to #14 Notre Dame.
Against unranked schools, Colton Joseph — leading the team in rushing at 333 yards — has been able to scramble around and create magic, but his 54.7% completion rate is a real problem in negative scripts.
The Badgers D is allowing just 4.1 yards per play (YPP; 5th in FBS), but it was 5.4 against UCLA and 5.7 against Notre Dame. Posting 43.0 PPG, Maiava and USC are a considerably better scoring unit than both.
Kalshi traders kind of did this same thing in Week 6 against Penn State. I get it; Lincoln Riley has a wilty reputation, but Maiava is 14-1 in games against unranked opponents since the start of 2025. The only exception was last year’s Alamo Bowl, when he sat the second half. The talented young quarterback gets his against weaker schools.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: USC 30, Wisconsin 19
#14 Houston at #10 Utah
This uncharacteristic Houston team remains intriguing, but they face one of the toughest spots in college football. Utah is 29-6 at home since the start of 2021, and not all of those Utes teams were as potent as this one.
They are 33rd in opponent yards per play (4.9), but the real star of the show is an explosive offense led by Devon Dampier (8.2 passing YPA) and Wayshawn Parker (6.7 rushing YPA). They’ve got video-game-like numbers that haven’t normalized in half the season — or two Big 12 road games.
For years, Willie Fritz’s Cougars were a defense-first squad, but they’re 99th in YPP allowed (6.0). They’ve relied on dual-threat QB Connor Weigman (87.7 QBR), who was inches from keeping Houston undefeated against Texas Tech.
As much as I don’t want to doubt him, the building will be extremely loud, and the home team is allowing just 3.3 yards per carry. Utah is scoring 40.2 PPG, and the Cougars managed just 35 against a weaker defense in Stillwater last week. An upset is a tough sell.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: Utah 33, Houston 26
The opinions and perspectives presented in this article belong solely to the author. This is not financial advice and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to trade any specific product. Information is provided for convenience only on an "AS IS" basis. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Trading event contracts and trading leveraged products, including perpetual futures, involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information. Kalshi is subject to U.S. regulatory oversight by the CFTC. Kalshi is not affiliated with the NCAA.
