Ranking the 10 Best College Football Games in Week 10
TJ Inman
Host · Writer
We are now in the back half of the college football season, and the Week 10 schedule is filled with great games. Some of these games have conference title implications, some have College Football Playoff chances on the line, and some should be really entertaining showdowns. Here are the ten best (in chronological order)!
1. Penn State at Ohio State (-20.5) – Noon on FOX
This game was expected to be a gigantic showdown in the Big Ten. Still, things have not gone according to plan for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and they are nearly three touchdowns underdogs as they travel to Columbus to play the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes. One of the primary reasons James Franklin was fired after a three-game losing streak was PSU fans’ dissatisfaction with the team’s inability to beat Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won 12 of the past 13 meetings between these two programs, and Penn State has not won in Columbus since 2011. While this is not expected to be particularly competitive, Penn State still has plenty of talent, and it’s a chance to see how Ohio State looks against a somewhat similar caliber of athlete.
2. Vanderbilt at Texas (-1.5) – Noon on ABC
The Texas Longhorns got just 68 yards on 21 carries from their running backs against a dreadful Mississippi State rush defense, and the offensive line somehow managed to give up 12 tackles for loss against the Bulldogs. That is an alarming number, but it continues a trend for the Texas offensive line and is another sign that the line just isn’t good enough in Austin this season. Vanderbilt is excellent against the run, and their offense is due to bounce back after a rough game against Missouri. The Commodores go to Austin this Saturday in a game that will go a very long way toward determining which of these teams has a real chance at the College Football Playoff and whether either can reach the SEC Championship Game. How will Diego Pavia play on this huge stage?
3. Army at Air Force (-1.5) – Noon on CBS
The second leg of the Commander in Chief Trophy takes place on Saturday afternoon in Colorado Springs as the Air Force Falcons host the Army Black Knights. Navy beat Air Force in one of the wilder games of the college football season, so the Falcons need a win in this game to stay in the running. The Falcons have had a surprisingly high-flying offense this season: 30 points against Utah State, 37 against Boise State, 35 against Hawaii, 31 in the classic against Navy, and 48 in a heartbreaking loss to UNLV. The defense finally showed some life last week, as the Falcons beat Wyoming. Army is a slight underdog, but they definitely have the better defense and know how to control the type of attack they’ll see from Air Force. The games between the academies are always must-watch affairs.
4. Navy at North Texas (-6.5) – Noon on ESPN2
The Navy Midshipmen are 7-0 and 5-0 in the American Athletic Conference. They don’t have anything that would be considered a marquee victory, but chaos elsewhere has opened the door for the Midshipmen to at least think about earning the Group of Five’s College Football Playoff bid. They’ll get their biggest test of the season thus far as they travel as underdogs to take on the North Texas Mean Green in Denton. North Texas is 7-1 and 3-1 in the American with the lone loss coming to South Florida. Both teams are very alive in the race to play in the American Athletic Conference title, but a loss to a fellow contender would throw a wrench in those plans. It’s the top rushing offense of Navy against the aerial assault of North Texas in what should be a shootout!
5. Georgia (-7.5) vs. Florida – 3:30 on ABC
How are the Florida Gators going to respond under interim coach Billy Gonzales? Billy Napier was fired, and the Gators have had a bye week to adjust and get ready for this game against rival Georgia. These things go one of two ways. One path is the team plays free and loose and comes out with an inspired performance after a change. The other path is the team checks out and gets steamrolled under the interim coach’s direction as they wait for the season to end. If the Gators are in the former category, they absolutely have the talent to make Georgia really work in this game. The Bulldogs have struggled at times on defense, and Florida’s weapons, along with UGA’s lack of a pass rush, mean this won’t be a cakewalk.
6. Texas Tech (-7.5) at Kansas State – 3:30 on FOX
The Kansas State Wildcats began the season with a loss to Iowa State in Dublin and then returned home and survived a scare against North Dakota, 38-35. There was a thought that they would look more like the team many had expected after some rest, but they lost to Army and Arizona and looked far from competitive. After being left for dead, the Wildcats have responded by winning three of four games, with the lone defeat being by one point at Baylor. The two most recent contests were their best of the season as they beat TCU 41-28 and dominated Kansas 42-17. Avery Johnson is playing much better than he did to start the season, and head coach Chris Klieman appears to have figured out how to reach this team. They now host Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders have some concerns at quarterback. Kansas State continues to play well and upsets Texas Tech, all but ending the Red Raiders’ College Football Playoff hopes.
7. Georgia Tech (-5.5) at NC State – 7:30 on ESPN2
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets remain unbeaten, and they have climbed to number eight in the national rankings. The oddsmakers still don’t appear to be huge believers in the Yellow Jackets as they are only 5.5-point favorites on the road against the 4-4 North Carolina State Wolfpack. NC State is only 1-3 in the ACC and has allowed 145 points in four ACC games. That spells trouble against Haynes King and the Georgia Tech offense. Given the lack of quality wins on Georgia Tech’s resume, what is going to happen if they go 11-0, lose to Georgia in the regular-season finale, and then lose in the ACC Championship Game? Would they still make the College Football Playoff? Probably so. If they drop a game before the Georgia contest, those at-large hopes probably disappear, so this is a “must-win" for Brent Key’s squad.
8. Oklahoma at Tennessee (-3.5) – 7:30 on ABC
Florida is now without a head coach. The LSU job is on the market. UCLA, Arkansas, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and several others are also open. Now, more than ever, schools are looking at the success others are having and are refusing to show any patience. The Oklahoma Sooners had a promising start to the season, but an injury to John Mateer brought in some concern and losses to Texas, and now Ole Miss has put Oklahoma’s back against the wall. They now take on another two-loss team, Tennessee, as their challenging schedule continues. A third loss for Oklahoma is going to all but guarantee that they do not reach the College Football Playoff, and that will turn up the heat on Brent Venables. Peak ahead at the other three games on their schedule: at Alabama, vs. Missouri, and vs. LSU. Things are going to get very dicey, very quickly, for the Sooners, and both teams desperately need this victory.
9. USC (-6.5) at Nebraska – 7:30 on NBC
The USC Trojans had a bye week to lick their wounds after getting beaten up by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and falling to 5-2. The Trojans hit the road as a touchdown favorite and take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a game that will go a very long way towards determining the bowl game pecking order in the Big Ten. Lincoln can be a tough place to win at night, and the Huskers have a really good running back in Emmett Johnson (5.7 yards per carry) that could take advantage of a USC defense that was just gashed over and over again by Notre Dame.
10. Cincinnati at Utah (-7.5) – 10:15 on ESPN
The Cincinnati Bearcats are 7-1 with seven straight victories, but they now face their toughest test, travelling to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Utes. The Bearcats have not faced a road environment like this, and the Utes are one of the best teams in the Big 12. But examine Utah’s wins thus far: UCLA before the coaching change, Cal Poly, Wyoming, West Virginia, Arizona State, and Colorado. Their two losses came against ranked foes Texas Tech and BYU. Utah will be starting a freshman quarterback for the second straight week. While he played really well in his first outing, the Bearcats have a better defense than Colorado, and they’ll likely be better prepared after seeing some film on Byrd Ficklin. The Bearcats have one of the better quarterbacks in the country that few know about, and Brendan Sorsby will be needed to have a big game, but if he does, Cincinnati can keep on rolling and cover this big spread.
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