2021 Week 10 Preview

Week nine saw six ranked teams upset by unranked teams. I got the chance to watch football all day last Saturday and it was great. I didn’t have to stress out about Arkansas. That stress comes back this week and will be heightened because I will be at a wedding for at least the fourth quarter. This week features only one ranked vs ranked matchup. We are headed into the home stretch of the season and there is real potential for everything to go crazy in these last few weeks. Let’s dive into week 10!

My Record: 5-1 last week, 35-19 overall (65%)

Notable Games
3Michigan State at Purdue
The spread on this game is less than 5. I think that is a bit weird because I am confident that Michigan State is the better team in this game. Also, Purdue is a giant killer, but mostly when the opposing team is ranked #2. There is a possibility that Sparty is going to be emotionally hungover after their big comeback win over Michigan last week, but I don’t think it will be so bad that they lose this game. I don’t really expect this to be a blowout by Michigan State, but I think it will be a comfortable win.
I am picking Michigan State

11Oklahoma State at West Virginia
West Virginia is coming off a nice upset win over Iowa State and Oklahoma State very comfortably beat Kansas. I believe this has potential to be one of the more fun games of the weekend. Both teams are good and both teams have quality wins on their resume. I think Oklahoma State has the advantage because of their defense. Their offense has been stepping up over the last few weeks, and they will probably need another strong performance to win this game.
I am picking Oklahoma State

13Auburn at 14Texas A&M
This is week 10’s marquee matchup. This game should be back and forth and really good. Auburn has improved a lot this season and they are a solid team. QB Bo Nix has had a lot more good games than bad ones and that has really helped his team. Texas A&M has been a tough team at home. Backup QB Zach Calzada has done a great job and has settled into the offense. The defense for the Aggies is also great. I think the 12th Man will be the difference in this game and I’m also tired of Auburn winning and looking good.
I am picking Texas A&M

Tennessee at 18Kentucky
I have gone back and forth with this pick all week. I ended up going with Kentucky only because they are the home team. This game has the potential to be absolutely crazy. Tennessee has really improved this season and looks like a pretty decent team. Kentucky is coming off a bad loss to Mississippi State last week and have struggled since losing to Georgia. Both teams need a comeback win and are looking to finish off the season strong. This should be a fun game to watch unless you are a fan of either of these teams. I have no strong feeling on who is going to win this game.
I am picking Kentucky

Boise State at 23Fresno State
I have been bad at picking the Mountain West this season. It has been a competitive conference at the top this year. Boise State has been very, very up and down this year. They have yet to win or lose two games in a row. They beat Colorado State in their last game so they are due for a loss. Fresno State only has two losses this season: at Oregon (barely) and at Hawaii. They are a very good team and are the better team in this matchup. I’m hoping the Broncos keep this game close but the fourth quarter will belong to the Bulldogs.
I am picking Fresno State

UTSA at UTEP
This game was the potential College Gameday host until UTEP lost to FAU last weekend. While UTSA is not ranked in the CFP rankings (I don’t know why), they are ranked 16th in the AP Poll. They are undefeated and are just playing loose this season. I have not watched either of these teams play this season, but I am putting my faith the Roadrunners. MEEP MEEP!
I am picking UTSA

17Mississippi State at Arkansas
This is a big game for the Hogs. They are coming off a bye week and are hopefully well rested and healthy. They also don’t have to play at 11am this weekend. Mississippi State is coming in after a big win over Kentucky last week. I really am hoping to see an improved and balanced offensive performance. The defense has been hit with some key injuries and I am worried about them too. The key to this game for both teams is creating big plays on offense and stopping big plays on defense. I don’t expect either team to really win this game with long drives that eat the clock. The Hogs need one more win to get to bowl eligibility. Six wins in year two for Sam Pittman is a success in my eyes. I know after starting the season with 4 straight wins bumped the bar for a lot of Arkansas fans, but realistically, I think they are ahead of schedule if we get to six. The Bulldogs are also looking to get bowl eligible in this game. I hope the 3pm kickoff will help the crowd in Fayetteville to be a factor in this game. Including this game, are there are three winnable games left of the schedule and two are for rivalry trophies.

Top 25
Missouri at 1Georgia
LSU at 2Alabama
3Michigan State at Purdue
4Oregon at Washington
5Ohio State at Nebraska
Tulsa at 6Cincinnati
Indiana at 7Michigan
8Oklahoma BYE
9Wake Forest at North Carolina
Navy at 10Notre Dame
11Oklahoma State at West Virginia
12Baylor at TCU
13Auburn at 14Texas A&M
Idaho State at 15BYU
Liberty at 16Ole Miss
17Mississippi State at Arkansas
Tennessee at 18Kentucky
19NC State at Florida State
Illinois at 20Minnesota
21Wisonsin at Rutgers
22Iowa at Northwestern
Boise State at 23Fresno State
24San Diego State at Hawaii
25Pittsburgh at Duke

Other Games
Boston College 14 Virginia Tech 3 (Friday)
Utah 52 Stanford 7 (Friday)
Army at Air Force
SMU at Memphis
Penn State at Maryland
Clemson at Louisville
Texas at Iowa State
USC at Arizona State