College Football Week 10 Picks: SEC Showdown and Unbeaten SMU Take Center Stage
Week 9 provided plenty of drama in college football, from Kansas State knocking off No. 5 Oklahoma to LSU usurping Alabama at the top of the AP poll. Will we be in store for more chaos in Week 10? The week has just two Top-25 matchups—Georgia vs. Florida and undefeated SMU vs. Memphis—but sometimes those make for the craziest weeks.
Do our writers and editors foresee any upsets? Our full picks for Week 10's biggest games are below:
Season-Long Standings
Lorenzo Arguello: 26–10 (72.2%)
Max Meyer: 77–32 (70.6%)
Molly Geary: 77–32 (70.6%)
Michael Shapiro: 76–33 (69.7%)
Laken Litman: 73–36 (67.0%)
Ross Dellenger: 69–40 (63.3%)
Virginia Tech at No. 16 Notre Dame (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Molly Geary picks Notre Dame: The Irish are coming off an embarrassing performance in a 45–14 loss to Michigan, a game in which Ian Book completed just 8 of 25 passes in a down-pouring rain and the run game failed to do anything. But this is a get-right opportunity for Notre Dame back at home. Virginia Tech is 5–2, but its best win is either by two in 6OT over UNC or at Miami. The Hokies' defense isn't in the same class as Michigan's, which should allow for a much-better effort by Book and Co. If recovering VT QB Hendon Hooker plays, though, his mobility could give the Irish some problems.
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 6 Florida (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Ross Dellenger picks Georgia: Kirby Smart's team is in an offensive funk lately, but what better way to break out of it than with a rivalry clash with the SEC East division lead at stake? This feels like a coin-toss game. The Gators have looked great with backup Kyle Trask, and Dan Mullen continues to prove that he's one of the best coaches in the nation. Expect a close, low-scoring affair. We give the nod to the program that's been on a bigger stage over the last two years.
No. 22 Kansas State at Kansas (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
Ross Dellenger picks Kansas State: Chrs Klieman's crew is coming off a top-five beatdown of Oklahoma, but they'll enter a hornet's nest in Lawren... wait, what? That's right—the Jayhawks are playing well under Les Miles and his new OC Brent Dearmon, scoring a combined 85 points since Dearmon has taken over the unit. Klieman & Co. are just—barely—too much.
Miami at Florida State (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Lorenzo Arguello picks Florida State: When the ACC expanded what feels like a million years ago, it strategically placed Florida State and Miami in separate divisions hoping we’d get a bunch of conference title games featuring these iconic programs. That hasn’t happened yet and this regular season tilt feels like one of the sadder meetings between FSU and Miami since they became conference rivals; each is doing little more than trying to reach bowl eligibility at this point. As for on-the-field matters, the Canes come into this week with a pretty good defense and an average offense, while the Noles are fairly average at everything and feature one of the nation’s premier running backs in Cam Akers. Expect a grind it out game that’ll come down to kicking (surprise! surprise!) and give us FSU for the win.
TCU at Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Michael Shapiro picks Oklahoma State: TCU knocked Texas out of the Top 25 in Week 9, but the Horned Frogs' offense may struggle to keep up with Oklahoma State in Stillwater. TCU QB Max Duggan still has strides to go as a passer, and the Spencer Sanders-Tylan Wallace connection heated up for the Cowboys at Iowa State last week. Expect Oklahoma State's offense to keep cooking against the Horned Frogs.
No. 9 Utah at Washington (4 p.m. ET, FOX)
Max Meyer picks Utah: Washington is coming off a bye and the Huskies usually provide more bark at home in Seattle, but this Utah team is absolutely clicking on all cylinders. Since losing to USC on Friday night, the Utes have won their past four games by a combined score of 146-23. Washington is vulnerable defending the run, and that doesn't bode well facing Zack Moss, who is not only the best running back in the Pac-12, he's one of the best in the country. Utah's defensive line has the edge in the trenches, and that group will cause Washington's inconsistent offense to really struggle at times.
No. 15 SMU at No. 24 Memphis (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Laken Litman picks SMU: ESPN’s College Game Day is heading to Memphis for an epic showdown between AAC West Division leaders. While both Memphis and SMU are coming off nail-biting wins, expect the Mustangs to keep their undefeated record intact. SMU is the more talented team on both sides of the ball, especially on offense, where it ranks first or second in nearly every major conference category. SMU averages more points, more passing yards and more rushing yards than Memphis, while its defense forces more turnovers. Ponies’ leading WR Reggie Roberson (injured foot vs. Houston) is day-to-day, but this team has plenty more weapons to step up and make plays for QB Shane Buechele.
Virginia at North Carolina (7:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
Michael Shapiro picks UNC: Sam Howell has been a revelation for Mack Brown and the Tar Heels as a freshman, and he's played his best games against the top of the conference. Howell tossed five touchdowns against Virginia Tech on Oct. 19, and he threw two touchdowns and no interceptions against Clemson on Sept. 28. He'll snag a key win against Virginia on Saturday.
No. 7 Oregon at USC (8 p.m. ET, FOX)
Max Meyer picks USC: USC is a completely different team at the L.A. Coliseum compared to on the road, but this is still a banged-up team, especially along the defense. I'm not exactly sold on Oregon, however, as the Ducks were fortunate to come away without a loss in their past two games. USC's receivers are the best in the conference, and that's bad news for a Ducks defense that has regressed against Washington and Washington State. I think this will be a high-scoring game, and true freshman Kedon Slovis will continue to make plays under center to lead the Trojans to an upset.
BYU at Utah State (10 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Laken Litman picks Utah State: This one could truly go either way. While BYU should be feeling good coming off a bye after beating then-No. 14 Boise State 28-25, it's 1–3 following an idle week since 2016. Meanwhile Utah State is coming off a disappointing 31–7 loss to Air Force, but defending the triple option is not exactly the same as preparing for BYU’s traditional offensive attack, which is currently led by second- and third-string QBs Jalen Hall and Baylor Romney (Zach Wilson is out with a thumb injury). Give this one to the Aggies at home.
