Laken Litman
College football and soccer analyst
We have reached week 10 of the college football season, meaning we were that much closer to the first official College Football Playoff rankings, which will be released Tuesday.
Saturday features a handful of intriguing matchups, highlighted by No. 4 Ohio State visiting No. 3 Penn State. It's the game of the week and there are a lot of questions about it. Will Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar play? Can the Buckeyes avoid a second Big Ten loss? What does the outcome, whatever it may be, mean for the CFP?
Elsewhere, Miami (Fla.) will look to remain undefeated as Texas A&M and South Carolina face off in a defensive matchup. That evening, undefeated Pitt visits SMU with one loss in a game that surprisingly has both ACC and potentially CFP implications.
It's the first weekend in November, a time when it's usually revealed who can go undefeated and who the real national title contenders are.
Here are the five best games to watch this weekend:
No. 4 State of Ohio at number 3 Penn State (noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
Ohio State Buckeyes
O.S.U
-3.0
-157
O 47
Penn State Nittany Lions
PSU
+3.0
+131
U 47
This is the big one from week 10.
Earlier this week, Penn State head coach James Franklin said Allar would make a game-time decision after suffering a knee injury in last week's win over Wisconsin. If he can't go, the home team will have to rely on less experienced backup, sophomore Beau Pribula. Regardless of which QB gets the nod, the Nittany Lions will need to use every offensive weapon at their disposal, especially 6-foot-4, 261-pound Tyler Warren and the talented tailback tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
Ohio State's defense, led by future NFL defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, will need to apply pressure early. Despite having the No. 2 defense in the country, the unit struggled against then-No. 1. 3 Oregon a few weeks ago. The Buckeyes had zero sacks and forced zero turnovers against the Ducks, and they need to make those big plays if they want to win in Happy Valley.
Of course, this game also has huge implications for the CFP. Ohio State needs to avoid another loss as coming up with two in the CFP will be a challenge at this point. Penn State, which enters this game with a perfect 7-0 record, could handle one loss, but that could ultimately hurt the team in a head-to-head decision.
Duke bee No. 5 Miami (Fla.) (noon ET)
Duke Blue Devils
DUKE
+20.5
+848
O 54.5
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Miami (FL) Hurricanes
MIA
-20.5
-1515
U 54.5
Dukes Manny Diaz returns to Miami to coach against the Hurricanes for the first time since being let go by the program in December 2021. The Blue Devils, coming off a narrow 28-27 overtime loss to SMU, have a chance to play spoiler for an undefeated Canes team looking to make a run to the ACC title game and the CFP.
If that happens, it will be because of Duke's defense, which is among the top 20 units in the country in defensive scoring (18.6 ppg). However, it will face the best QB it has faced all year: Cam Ward, who is a Heisman Trophy candidate and projected to be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward has an average of 343.3 passing yards per game, the third-best mark nationally and has 25 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season, which is the best among Power 4 QBs. In last week's 36-14 win over Florida State, Ward didn't pass for a touchdown, but he did catch one on a trick play in the fourth quarter.
No. 1 Oregon bee Michigan (3:30 PM ET)
Oregon ducks
ORE
-14.5
-699
Oh 45
Michigan Glutton
MICH
+14.5
+483
U 45
No. 1 Oregon has a chance to go 9-0 for the first time since 2012 when it beats defending champion Michigan in the Big House on Saturday. The Ducks, a two-touchdown favorite, are finally getting into a rhythm after starting the season a bit wobbly. QB Dillon Gabriel feels extremely comfortable. The Heisman Trophy candidate is among the nation's top 10 signal callers in nearly every statistical category, and he is the most accurate passer, completing 76.2% of his throws. In the Ducks biggest showdown of the season so far, a 32-31 win over Ohio State in Week 7, Gabriel threw for 341 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and his offensive line held him up all night.
Meanwhile, Michigan has had a disappointing season as it has struggled especially at quarterback. The inconsistencies on offense don't bode well against an Oregon team that is one of the best at breaking up passes and sacking the QB. If the Wolverines lose, they are realistically looking at one more winnable game on their schedule, which looks like this: at No. 13 Indiana, at home against Northwestern, at No. 4 Ohio State. One season after winning the national championship, the Wolverines could finish 6-6 this year.
No. 10 Texas A&M bee South Carolina (7:30 PM ET)
Texas A&M Aggies
TXA&M
-3.0
-159
O 44
South Carolina fighting cocks
SCAR
+3.0
+132
U 44
Texas A&M is the last remaining undefeated team in SEC play, and it plans to remain that way after visiting South Carolina on Saturday. Since their opening week loss at home to Notre Dame, the Aggies look like one of the best teams in the country, with seven straight wins, including last week's victory against then-No. 8 LSU.
South Carolina, on the other hand, is 4-3 but could honestly be 6-1 after close losses to both Alabama and LSU by a combined five points. However, the Gamecocks are a tough opponent to beat and would like to get their first conference win and pull off an upset at home.
If you like physical defense on the field, then this game is for you. Both teams are loaded with talent, especially along the defensive line. For A&M, watch for defensive lineman Nic Scourton, who has 12.5 tackles for a loss and 5.0 sacks this season. For South Carolina, keep an eye on defensive end Kyle Kennard, who also has 12.5 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks. The Gamecocks had 9.0 sacks in a win over Oklahoma last week, although the offensive line gave up 6.0 sacks itself and has already given up 32.0 sacks this season.
No. 18 Pittsburgh at number 20 SMU (8:00 PM ET)
Pittsburgh Panthers
PITT
+7.0
+228
O 57
SMU Mustangs
SMU
-7.0
-285
U 57
After going 3-9 a year ago, it's no wonder Pitt was picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC. But ultimately, these Panthers are one of eight undefeated FBS teams still entering the month of November.
Pat Narduzzi's team comes into this week fresh off a dominant 41-13 win over Syracuse in which the defense intercepted QB Kyle McCord five times, with three of those picks returned for touchdowns. The defense is young but largely keeps opponents in check and has compiled 10.0 sacks over the last two games. Redshirt freshman QB Eli Holstein has also held his own, throwing 17 touchdown passes and just five interceptions so far. The 20-year-old transfer from Alabama suffered an injury last week against Syracuse, but is expected to play Saturday in Dallas.
Meanwhile, SMU is doing well in its first season as an ACC member. The Mustangs are 7-1 (4-0 in conference play) with impressive wins over Florida State, Louisville and Duke. They currently lead the ACC in rushing offense (201 yards per game and 19 touchdowns) and defense (88.4 YPG, six TDs) and have figured out ways to keep winning despite mounting injuries. That includes last week's gritty 28-27 overtime victory over the Blue Devils, which included five turnovers by QB Kevin Jennings, which head coach Rhett Lashlee expects to bounce back against Pitt.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and football for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her up @LakenLitman.
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