College Football Predictions Today: Purdue, App State on Upset Alert on Friday?

We enter Week 7 of the college football season right in the thick of the conference races and with games now on almost every night of the week.  After two games each on Tuesday and Wednesday and three more on Thursday, we're highlighting two of the three Friday games with upset potential. 

Last week, we nailed Iowa’s upset of Washington on Friday and Kentucky’s outright upset of heavily-favored LSU on Saturday, making it five straight weeks (and seven upsets total) that have hit in this column. 

Friday night’s slate is a mix of conference action with the American, Big Ten, and Sun Belt all hosting national TV matchups. For tonight, we'll focus on a Midwest-West Coast Big Ten game and a Sun Belt rivalry that has produced many upsets over the years. 

Below, we’ll break down our college football predictions and upset picks for Friday, October 16, including Washington vs. Purdue and Appalachian State vs. Coastal Carolina, including spreads and winner payouts on PrizePicks.

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Week 7 College Football Predictions, Upset Picks – Friday, October 16

This Friday's college football slate has some interesting underdogs and spots, but two games stand out as our favorite college football upset spots on Friday, October 16.

Washington, looking for its first Big Ten win of the season, is in Indiana to face Purdue at 8 p.m. on FOX. Elsewhre, Appalachian State meets Coastal Carolina in a Sun Belt in-state rivalry game at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

The payouts listed below indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry pays out $200. The lower the payout multiplier, the higher the chance of the outcome occurring, according to user picks. 

Washington vs. Purdue: CFB Upset Watch for Friday

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

The Washington Huskies entered 2026 with elevated expectations (predicted to finish seventh in the Big Ten by the media) but have started the Big Ten with three straight losses and now head to the Midwest to face a Purdue team coming off a 41-13 blowout win over Minnesota. 

Not to discount the losses, but Washington lost a squeaker on the road at #18 USC and then faced an Iowa team rebounding from its loss to Ohio State. The Huskies fell behind 27-0 in the first half before outscoring Iowa 21-14 in the second half. 

While Purdue has the more productive offense, Washington has a considerable advantage on the other side of the ball. According to Pro Football Focus' team power rankings, the Huskies rank 20th nationally on defense, compared with 123rd for Purdue.

Washington is also much higher in adjusted EPA/play allowed (49th to 102nd), per Game on Paper, and in total defense (330.3 YPG to 400.7 YPG). Purdue has allowed 31.3 PPG, including 38+ in three consecutive losses to Wake Forest, UCLA, and Notre Dame.

The biggest question for Washington is at QB, where Demond Williams Jr.'s injury could force the Huskies to turn to Elijah Brown. That's a significant concern, but whoever starts will be facing a Purdue defense that ranks among the worst in the country.

Make your Washington vs. Purdue picks on PrizePicks now.

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Appalachian State vs. Coastal Carolina: Upset Watch for Friday

Start Time: 9 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN2

Since this is an upset column, why not feature a conference rivalry matchup that has produced upsets each of the last four years?

The Sun Belt battle for the Tar Heel state has been hotly contested over the years, with Appalachian State leading the all-time series 7-5. However, Coastal Carolina's won the last four matchups, all as an underdog. 

Last year, the Chanticleers went into Boone as 10.5-point underdogs and won a 45-37 thriller. Now they are at home, coming off a road upset of Marshall last week in which the Chants forced 6 turnovers, built a 27-0 lead, and ended a three-game losing skid.

The offense is led by redshirt-freshman QB Deuce Bailey, who's thrown 13 TDs and only 3 INTs while averaging 268 passing YPG.

The Mountaineers got off to a fast start at 3-0 but have dropped back-to-back games, including losing 10-3 as an 8.5-point favorite at home to Old Dominion last week — a game played in horrible weather due to the tropical system of former Hurricane Isaias. 

They're led by a passing game averaging 268.6 YPG (33rd), but QB Malachi Singleton was listed as questionable on the midweek availability report. Before last week, he was averaging 301.5 passing YPG and completing 72.7% of his passes. Backup Henry Hasselbeck has attempted only 9 passes this season. 

Coastal's defense has struggled, allowing 403.3 YPG, including 189.7 on the ground. With that said, App State hasn't been particularly effective running the ball, ranking 102nd nationally with 134.2 YPG.

Coastal Carolina has a chance to make it five straight upset wins over Appalachian State by taking advantage of the Mountaineers' uncertainty at QB, forcing App State to rely on a running game ranked outside the top 100, and getting another strong performance from Bailey.

Make your Appalachian State vs. Coastal Carolina picks on PrizePicks now.

Make Friday College Football Predictions Today on PrizePicks

There are three Friday matchups to get us ready for a full slate on Saturday. 

Can Washington bounce back from a loss to Iowa and earn its first Big Ten win of the season? Will Coastal Carolina continue to dominate as the underdog in an in-state rivalry? 

You can make your college football predictions every week of the 2026 season on PrizePicks — including teams to pull off upsets.

Pick More or Less on player stats, or pick game winners, spreads, and totals to earn real money if you're right! In eligible states, combine Team + Player picks for bigger payouts.

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