It’s the weekend we’ve all been waiting for this season. Pre-order your food now and claim the best seat on the couch because you’ll be glued to the TV all day Saturday.
There will be seven games pitting the top 25 teams against the top 25 teams on Saturday. All have important implications for the College Football Playoff.
Start your day with holy war in Utah when No. 9 BYU takes on No. 3 Utah (noon ET). The Utes are currently in control of the Big 12, but BYU could shake up the race with a victory over its local rival. How this game plays out could have a big impact on how many bids the Big 12 gets this season.
It’s a busy weekend for the SEC. It starts with No. 7 Texas at No. 18 Missouri, each a two-loss team hoping to stay in the race. No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU could be a playoff eliminator, especially for the Tigers. Alabama may have enough room to survive a loss and still be 9-3, although Kalen DeBoer would surely prefer not to have to test that theory. LSU coach Lane Kiffin is still trying to get his first career win against Alabama.
No. 10 Ole Miss could almost clinch a spot in the field if it can once again beat a No. 2 Georgia program that it eliminated in last year’s playoffs. Unfortunately for the Rebels, they will be without star running back Kewan Lacy, who had two touchdowns against the Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl.
In Knoxville, can Will Stein and the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats continue college football’s best story with a road win over No. 13 Tennessee?
One of the most intriguing matchups is taking place in Columbus between No. 23 Oregon and No. 12 Ohio State. Things haven’t gone as planned for either of the nation’s top two preseason teams. Both are trailing their star quarterbacks and have little to no margin for error this season. The Buckeyes are the first team out of the playoffs and will need to beat the Ducks to prove to the selection committee that they are still one of the best teams in the country, even without Julian Sayin. Oregon is far from making the playoffs and could not only spoil OSU’s hopes, but also increase the chances of the Big Ten getting just two playoff teams.
End your evening with #1 Miami at #11 Notre Dame. The game may have lost some juice without star wide receiver Malachi Toney, but the stakes remain pretty high for the Fighting Irish. A loss in South Bend on Saturday night could condemn Notre Dame to another missed playoff appearance.
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 18 Missouri
Noon on ESPN, Fubo (try for free): The best unit on this field is the Texan defense. Regardless of the health of star edge rusher Collin Simmons, the Longhorns should be able to slow down a Missouri offense that hasn’t faced a swarming unit of this caliber. If Arch Manning can just take care of the football like he did last week, Texas can lean on its defense, win the field position battle and put emphasis on a Missouri defense that showed real vulnerability in losses to Mississippi State and Ole Miss. The Tigers have been excellent at home in recent years, but they are a rung below Texas in terms of overall talent level. Pick: Texas -2.5 – David Cobb
No. 3 BYU vs. No. 9 Utah
Noon on ABC, Fubo (try for free): This is one of the best college football games of the season. BYU has shown absolute brilliance in wins over Arizona and Notre Dame, but isn’t playing its best football. Conversely, Utah has been incredibly stable. Still, 4.5 points is just too much in a rivalry game decided by an average of 2.0 points over the past two years. Pick: BYU +4.5 – Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 12 Ohio State vs. Oregon
3:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app Paramount+ Premium: The Ducks need to pick up where they left off offensively to have a chance here, and they should pick up the tempo a bit and try to spread things out through the air. Ohio State should be able to pass the ball well, and at home I would expect Fahey and the offense to perform a little better in the red zone to put touchdowns on the board when they move the ball. A Ducks offense trying to push the passing game should result in big plays (perhaps for both teams), and this is a rare big game where I expect a lot of points. Choose: OVER 46.5 – Robby Kalland
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 14 LSU
3:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try for free): Although the combination of LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt and Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell offers the potential to score plenty of points, this game could end up being decided by both defenses. Alabama’s offensive injuries have clearly limited their ability to execute on deadline, and LSU’s defense represents the best test they’ve faced since the loss to Tennessee. Likewise, LSU’s passing attack could set them up for some of the turnovers that have propelled Alabama’s excellence this season (+7 turnover margin is tied for 11th nationally) and prevent touchdowns even after successful drives. Overall, this portends a lower-scoring classic, where I’ll favor the home team to make big plays late. Pick: Under 52.5 – Chip Patterson
No. 13 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Kentucky
6:15 p.m. on ESPN, Fubo (try for free): This is a huge matchup for both sides, and the winner will move one step closer to the CFP. Kentucky’s offense has been incredibly efficient and will pose a real challenge to Tennessee’s defense. That said, the first night game at Neyland Stadium will give the Vols an advantage on that side of the ball. Offensively, Tennessee leaned on Bishop and got enough out of his passing game to pull away from Kentucky late and cover the gap by one score. Pick: Tennessee -6.5 – Austin Nivison
No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 10 Ole Miss
7:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try for free): Both games last season between these two were shootouts, and I expect this year’s game to be similar. Ole Miss’ offense has struggled at times this season, but those struggles have usually come on the road. At home they played well and Georgian Gunner Stockton also seems to perform better in bigger matches. Pick: Over 56.5 – Tom Fornelli
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
7:30 p.m. on NBC, Fubo (try for free): Notre Dame started as a 4.5-point favorite and is now at 5.5, with a total of 57.5. History is on the Irish side. Now that Malachi Toney is out, siding with the Irish becomes an easy game. Notre Dame will play the most effective quarterback in the country anyway, but how different is it without its top option? Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s red zone defense has struggled to counter much lesser offenses, so will Toney’s absence really matter? Miami is 5-3 against the spread this season. Notre Dame is 4-4. The Irish can win this game, but coming back by five points will still be difficult. Pick: Miami +5.5 – Brandon Marcello
Air Force versus Army
7:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app Paramount+ Premium: On paper, these two teams should score a lot against each other, but we know that trends and statistical profiles don’t matter much in service academy games. Air Force has played two games all season against FBS opponents that finished under 40 points, but one of them was this 14-9 win over Navy. Army has also topped that total in all but two games, but none of that matters. This game will be decided by whoever creates the handful of big plays – in any of the three phases of the game – and can lean on the other team to try to break them down by the end of the 60 minutes. Pick: Under 44.5 – Robby Kalland
SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 10 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the 80-77 model among the highest-rated CFB picks this season.
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