College Football Start vs. Sit: Players to Start, Players to Bench for Week 7

We're already at Week 7 of the college football season. Some stuff you can feel fairly confident in. Other things still carry an air of mystery. We are in the thick of conference play, which benefits some teams (looking at you MAC offenses) and hinders some others (tough luck, a handful of SEC teams every week). Here are my players to start, and to sit, for Week 7 of the college football season.

AAC Starts and Sits

START

Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane at South Florida

Spears quietly had 863 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground last season. This year, the yards are a little down, but he has six rushing scores and a passing TD through six games. South Florida has allowed 39.6 points per contest, and it also ranks 129th in rushing yards per attempt.

SIT

Gerry Bohanon, QB, South Florida vs. Tulane

Bohanan has five passing touchdowns over his last two games. Good for him! That gives him five passing touchdowns on the season, and he's turned the ball over eight times. Tulane is 12th in points allowed per game and managed to shut down Adrian Martinez and Kansas State. It can handle Bohanan, even if he's been hot.

ACC Starts and Sits

START

Riley Leonard, QB, Duke vs. North Carolina

North Carolina games are not lacking in excitement. The Tar Heels have a dynamic offense, but also a porous defense, and that's been obvious since that wild game against Appalachian State in Week 1. Leonard doesn't air it out, but he's efficient, completing 65.9 percent of his passes and throwing eight touchdowns against three picks. He's added 290 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Duke will get points at home Saturday, and Leonard should be at the center of that.

SIT

Trey Benson, RB, Florida State vs. Clemson

Treshaun Ward injured his shoulder last week, and I don't think he turns around and plays after that. This would leave Benson as the lead back, and he's averaged 6.4 yards per carry. This should be his big opportunity…but it comes against brutal competition. The Tigers' defense is rounding into form, and it has allowed a mere 1.9 yards per carry, second fewest in the FBS.

Big 12 Starts and Sits

START

Devin Neal, RB, Kansas at Oklahoma

It's clear that Oklahoma's run defense's favorite Guided by Voices album is Do the Collapse. It's Neal's turn to step into the role filled by the likes of Bijon Robinson and Adrian Martinez before him. Neal has averaged 6.6 yards per carry, and while he hasn't had a touchdown in his last four games, he had five over his first two outings, so we know he can score.

SIT

Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State at Texas

Overlooked for the Longhorns is the fact they have one of the best defenses in college football. They have been particularly good against the pass, as they are ninth in passing yards allowed per attempt. Texas also ranks 18th in points allowed per contest. Hutchinson has been stellar, but being down in Austin is going to be his toughest test so far.

Big Ten Starts and Sits

START

Chimere Dike, WR, Wisconsin at Michigan State

When you think "Badgers," you think run game. However, Dike was the star last week with 10 catches for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Notably, he's been targeted 21 times over his last two games. The Spartans' defense is struggling, and they are nearly as bad against the pass as they were last year, when they finished last in passing yards allowed per game. This year, Sparty is 112th in passing yards allowed per attempt.

SIT

Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota at Illinois

Don't expect points in this one. These are the two top-scoring defenses in the FBS. Minnesota is a smidge better, but Illinois is at home. Illinois is also fourth in rushing yards allowed per carry and passing yards allowed per attempt. Basically, no matter how Ibrahim tries to get it done, he's likely to face a lot of resistance.

Conference USA Starts and Sits

START

Jermaine Brown, RB, UAB vs. Charlotte

The Blazers are a run first, run second, run third if you have to offense. DeWayne McBride is the lead back, but there is enough space for Brown to do some damage as well. Through five games Brown has 378 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The 49ers have allowed a staggering 47.4 points per game. If the Blazers get anywhere near 40 points, you can practically count on Brown having at least one touchdown.

SIT

Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte at UAB

The other key to UAB's success? Stout defense, particularly against the pass. The Blazers are fifth in passing yards allowed per attempt. Charlotte's offense is much better than its defense, and DuBose has been a reliable receiver on the fantasy front. This is a tough test, though. When Charlotte when to South Carolina, DuBose was held to four catches for 60 yards. That feels like the ceiling for him in this one.

MAC Starts and Sits

START

Carlos Carriere, WR, Central Michigan at Akron

I feel like I could throw a dart at every MAC roster every week and hit a player worth starting. A defense-rich conference this is not. Akron is the worst of the bunch, though. The Zips are 129th in points allowed per game and passing yards allowed per attempt. Carriere has lost a couple of fumbles, but he has 33 catches for 379 yards and two scores in the five games he's played, and he missed Bucknell but caught Oklahoma State and Penn State.

SIT

Collin Schlee, QB, Kent State at Toledo

Kent State had a brutal non-conference schedule, so you may be excited that he went over 300 yards passing in each of his last two games. He's on the road against perhaps the toughest defense in the MAC, faint praise as that might be. Toledo is second in points per game in the conference, and it does rank 38th in passing yards allowed per attempt, best of any MAC squad.

Mountain West Starts and Sits

START

Toa Taua, RB, Nevada at Hawaii

I feel like Taua is taken for granted, or maybe the coaching shakeup made people skeptical of Nevada's offense. However, the back has 430 yards and seven rushing touchdowns through six games, and only Iowa has kept him in check. Laugh at the Hawkeyes offense all you want, but that's a tough defense. Hawaii is not, as it ranks 130th in points allowed per game and rushing yards allowed per attempt.

SIT

Jalen Cropper, WR, Fresno State vs. SJSU

No Jake Haener seems like a problem for Cropper, who had two catches for 23 yards against Boise State last week. Additionally, after having 11 touchdowns last season, he has zero this year. San Jose State may end up winning the Mountain West, and its defense is a big reason why. The Spartans have only allowed 13.3 points per contest.

Pac-12 Starts and Sits

START

Jaydn Ott, RB, Cal at Colorado

I believe Ott will be the best fantasy running back in Week 7. The freshman has rushed for 532 yards and five touchdowns and added 104 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The Buffaloes have allowed 43.2 points per game, and they rank last in rushing yards allowed per attempt.

SIT

Deshaun Fenwick, RB, Oregon State vs. Washington State

Ott was kept in check, by his standards, last week by this Cougars defense. Wazzu ranks 28th in points allowed per game, and 30th in rushing yards allowed per attempt. Fenwick started the year with a touchdown in four-straight games, but hasn't scored in his last two. He's also been targeted all of five times in the passing game, so he likely won't contribute that way.

SEC

START

Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia vs. Vanderbilt

Who is facing Vanderbilt? Georgia is facing Vanderbilt, and at home for good measure. That's all the logic I needed for this one. Stetson Bennett, Kenny McIntosh, and Brock Bowers are all too highly ranked for me to take that low-hanging fruit, but McConkey is somebody you might not think of immediately. The Commodores are in the bottom 20 in several defensive categories, including 117th in points allowed per game.

SIT

Jabari Small, RB, Tennessee vs. Alabama

OK, Tennessee, just how legitimate is your offense? We're about to find out, but Alabama's defense has plenty of track record to earn my confidence. This is a defense that has allowed a mere 2.4 yards per carry, third-fewest in the FBS, and has only given up 12.5 points per game. Hendon Hooker has been Heisman caliber, so I may still play him, but I'm skeptical about Small.

Sun Belt Starts and Sits

START

La'Damian Webb, RB, South Alabama vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Webb had not played since the 2020 season with Florida State, but he's taken to being the lead back for South Alabama with gusto. He has rushed for at least 75 yards in every game and has at least one touchdown in every outing as well. ULM has allowed 41.0 points per contest, so I expect Webb to keep his touchdown streak alive.

SIT

Jalen White, RB, Georgia Southern vs. James Madison

White has been a nice surprise, as he already has 521 yards and eight touchdowns through six games. James Madison is an even better surprise, though. The Dukes have an elite defense, especially against the run. In fact, James Madison has the top run defense in the FBS, including allowing only 1.6 yards per carry. One of these nice surprises is getting a dose of reality in Week 7. My money is on White.