Week 10 Preview

Week 10 brings some awesome games. The biggest being against LSU and Alabama, two teams ranked in the top 4 of the first CFP rankings of the season. Other big matchups include top ranked Clemson going to Florida State and TCU going to Stillwater for a game against two unbeatens. I’ll be in Oxford for the Arkansas Ole Miss and I can’t wait. I won’t see much football, but being at a game makes up for it.

Notable Games
20Mississippi State at Missouri (Thurs) This is an interesting matchup. Missouri has a good defense, but their offense has been allergic to the end zone in recent weeks. The Tigers also announced that QB Maty Mauk has been suspended for the rest of the season. I think Dak Prescott will once again carry his team to a win. It will be interesting to see if Mizzou can score a TD against the Bulldogs. Miss State doesn’t have the greatest defense, but Missouri’s offense is pretty bad. I think the Bulldogs will pull away pretty quick, but wont score a ton of points. I am picking Mississippi State.

16Florida State at 1Clemson The College Football Playoff Committee ranked Clemson at the top for their first poll of the season. Florida State is sitting where Ohio State was in the first rankings last year. Neither ranking really means anything with so much football left to play, but it makes this game even more important for both teams. A loss here doesn’t necessarily eliminate Clemson from the playoffs, but it would really hurt their chances. Florida State has to win this game to have hopes of making it to the top 4. I think Clemson is the better team, but they gave up a lot of points to NC State last week. Their defense will need to step on the road. The ‘Noles played well even without their two best offensive players last week. This should be a good game. I am picking Clemson.

2LSU at 4Alabama These two teams make a habit of being ranked high when they face off. This is a major game in the SEC, especially if Ole Miss beats Arkansas. An Alabama win against LSU could derail the SEC’s playoff hopes if Ole Miss wins out. I am really excited to see (well, listen, on my drive from Oxford back to Memphis) how these two offenses match up. Both have been impressive. This Bama defense will be Leonard Fournette’s biggest challenge so far. Brandon Harris and the LSU WRs will have to step up to win this game. Alabama needs to take care of the football if they are going to win this game. I think this will be another classic game and it could come down to the very end. I am picking LSU.

8TCU at 14Oklahoma State This Big 12 battle features two unbeaten teams. I haven’t looked at the over/under for this game yet, but I’d take the over. Both of these teams score a lot of points and allow a lot of points. I’m expecting a high-scoring shootout. This game will probably come down to the team who has the ball last. I wouldn’t be surprised if both teams scored in multiple different ways. If you like offense, this will be the game for you. I find it really hard to pick against Trevone Boykin. He’s really good. Just ask WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen. I am picking TCU.

Arkansas at 18Ole Miss Arkansas could really help the SEC out by winning this game. If the Hogs take down Ole Miss, it makes it easier the winner of the Alabama-LSU game to make it to the SEC Champ game. Strangely enough, The Hogs aren’t out of the SEC West race yet. They do have an uphill battle. Arkansas has shown that their secondary isn’t good, which is good news for Ole Miss. Chad Kelly likes to throw the ball, but he has had issues taking care of the ball. Kelley has thrown 12INTs this season (tied with Vandy’s Johnny McCrary for worst in the SEC). Arkansas has picked of 7 passes this year and will look to get a couple more. Alex Collins is coming off a huge game and will need to step up again to give the Hogs a chance. Brandon Allen will also need to be accurate against this Land Shark defense. I’m going to be at this game. It is supposed to be cold and rainy, but it’ll be worth it as long as Arkansas plays hard. This will be the 7th SEC stadium I’ve been to.

Auburn at 19Texas A&M Both of these teams were involved in close game last week. Auburn gave Ole Miss a scare and Texas A&M came close to losing to South Carolina. Texas A&M has the more proven offense, even with Kyler Murray starting at quarterback. Auburn’s Sean White finally threw a TD last week and if his receivers catch the ball, the Tigers have a chance. Neither of these teams have great defenses, so expect a little bit of a shootout. This should be a really good game and has upset potential. I am picking Texas A&M.

Duke at North Carolina Usually this game isn’t very relevant in football, but it is this year. North Carolina is 7-1 and undefeated in ACC play and Duke should also be undefeated in the ACC. UNC is leading the coastal division and has been playing well. The Tar Heels have the more prolific offense and I think it will be too much for a Duke team that isn’t built to score 35 points per game. Rivalry games always bring out the best on the field, so I expect a relatively close game. I am picking North Carolina.

California at Oregon This is a very interesting Pac 12 game. California started the season off strong but has faded in the last couple weeks. Oregon has been getting by in conference play and is looking for a good home win. The Ducks have not won a Pac 12 game at home this season, and the crowd at Autzen is hoping for a good showing. If Cal is going to win this game QB Jared Goff will need to step up. He needs to take care of the ball a little better. Based on how these two teams have played lately, I wouldn’t be surprised with any outcome. It all depends on which teams show up. I think Vernon Adams Jr. and Royce Freeman will be too much for Cal’s defense to overcome. I am picking Oregon.

Top 25
Minnesota at 3Ohio State
5Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
6Baylor at Kansas State (Thurs)
7Michigan State at Nebraska
9Iowa at Indiana
Vanderbilt at 10Florida
11Stanford at Colorado
12Utah at Washington
Navy at 13Memphis
Iowa State at 15Oklahoma
Rutgers at 17Michigan
Penn State at 21Northwestern
22Temple at SMU (Fri)
23UCLA at Oregon State
Northern Illinois 32 24Toledo 27 (Tues)
Cincinnati at 25Houston

Other Games
Arkansas State at Appalachian State (Thurs)
Kentucky at Georgia
Arizona State at Washington State
South Carolina at Tennessee
Arizona at USC