November has arrived, and to college football fans that means the season is rounding the final turn and heading for home. Over the next four weeks, we’ll learn who will reach the final four-team playoff, who will get to take their fans to the most attractive bowl destinations, and in some cases which programs will be hitting the reset button.
The Week 10 slate features pivotal conference matchups from coast to coast and all points in between. We’ve ranked the seven most important ones in order of entertainment potential, with national relevance also factored in. We’ll lead off with a prime-time battle of high-flying offenses in the City of Angels.
No. 5 Washington at No. 22 Southern California
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Why watch: Buckle up. This one should be quite a ride, an aerial show that would make Bessie Coleman proud. The Huskies have to hope their bad games are behind them as they begin a challenging final month. The Trojans, coming off a narrow escape themselves against California, aren’t firing on all cylinders either but remain more than capable of putting up a big score. USC’s Caleb Williams and the Huskies’ Michael Penix Jr. have combined for 49 scoring throws. They’ve also both had to take some chances to compensate for defensive shortcomings, so we might see opportunities for picks as well for the likes of Trojans DB Calen Bullock or Washington CB Mishael Powell. The primary breakaway threats for Williams are WRs Tahj Washington and Brenden Rice, and Penix looks most often for WRs Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk.
Why it could disappoint: If you find poor defensive execution, well, offensive, then this might not be the game for you. But the explosive potential of both passing attacks should keep this one interesting well into the fourth quarter.
BAD OPTIONS: Michigan scandal puts Big Ten commish in bad spot
WEEKEND FORECAST: Picks for every Top 25 game in Week 10
No. 13 LSU at No. 8 Alabama
Time/TV: 7:45 p.m. ET, CBS
Why watch: Alabama, season-ending visit to Auburn notwithstanding, will effectively lock up the SEC West with a win here. An LSU victory would give the Tigers a share of the lead and leave open the possibility of a three-way finish, though that would require a colossal upset by Ole Miss next week at Georgia. For all intents and purposes then, this is for the division. The Bayou Bengals bring the conference’s most productive passing game to Tuscaloosa, triggered by QB Jayden Daniels with WRs Malik Nabers or Brian Thomas Jr. usually on the receiving end. There are yards to be had against the Tide secondary, but there are also takeaway threats like promising freshman DB Caleb Downs that must be accounted for. Alabama fans probably don’t want to see QB Jalen Milroe get caught up in a track meet, and he won’t have to if RBs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams can take advantage of LSU’s occasionally leaky defensive front. If Milroe does need to air it out, he must beware of well-traveled Tigers DB Andre’ Sam.
Why it could disappoint: It rarely does, but there are a couple of possibilities. The Tide defense could crank up its pass rush and turn it into a long grinding affair, or the Tigers could explode early and force Alabama into catchup mode that would put Milroe’s long-ball accuracy to the test.
No. 14 Missouri at No. 1 Georgia
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Why watch: Over in the SEC’s other division, we find another set of Tigers sporting their highest ranking in nearly a decade. We’re about to find out if this is their ceiling or if they will smash through it by conquering the two-time defending champion Bulldogs. Georgia’s victory against archrival Florida last week was perhaps its most impressive of the season on a number of fronts, not the least of which is that the Bulldogs were missing standout TE Brock Bowers. In his absence, QB Carson Beck made excellent use of RB Daijun Edwards, and having WR Ladd McConkey back in the lineup also helped. Mizzou DE Darius Robinson and linemate Johnny Walker will do their best to disrupt things in the Bulldogs’ backfield. Tigers QB Brady Cook and WR Luther Burden III are capable of a lightning strike at any time, and RB Cody Schrader has provided steady ground support all season. But finding real estate against LB Smael Mondon and the top-10 Georgia defense is a tall order.
Why it could disappoint: Mizzou provided Georgia with its biggest scare of the regular season last year. That was in Columbia, of course, but even so the Bulldogs aren’t likely to be caught unawares by the Tigers again. We’ll probably know from the first few series if this will be another competitive affair or if the Bulldogs are rounding into championship form.
Kansas State at No. 6 Texas
Time/TV: Noon ET, Fox
Why watch: Just when you thought a Red River rematch was a foregone conclusion, the Big 12 race is suddenly wide open with five teams sitting atop the standings at 4-1. Three key contests on this week’s slate will shape the title hunt for the closing month, starting with this clash in Austin in the ‘Big Noon’ slot. The Longhorns were all business last week in dispatching Brigham Young, but the Wildcats were just as impressive in a 41-0 whitewash of Houston for their third consecutive double-digit win. Texas QB Quinn Ewers is likely to remain sidelined with a shoulder injury, meaning Maalik Murphy will again direct the attack. Having playmakers like WR Xavier Worthy and RB Jonathon Brooks helps, of course, but not much gets by DB Kobe Savage and the accomplished K-State secondary. Wildcats QB Will Howard can be a bit loose with the ball at times, but if RBs D.J. Giddens and Treshaun Ward can find room to operate they’ll make his job easier. Longhorns LB Jaylan Ford will spearhead the effort to keep them bottled up.
Why it could disappoint: There might not be a lot of flash, and it’s conceivable that either side could find itself unable to mount a rally should a multi-score deficit develop. Ball security will be the top priority for both squads in order to avoid such a scenario.
No. 11 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Why watch: This might be the last Bedlam game, at least for the foreseeable future. But the series could go out with a bang as the Cowboys, winners of four in a row after a less-than-promising 2-2 start, hope to hand the Sooners a second consecutive setback as a farewell present and retain a share of the Big 12 lead in the process. The key to the Cowboys’ reversal of fortune has been the emergence of RB Ollie Gordon II, the nation’s rushing leader with 1,087 yards and 10 TDs. He’ll need a modicum of air cover from QB Alan Bowman to avoid too many encounters with hard-hitting Sooners LB Danny Stutsman. OU has more quick-strike capability with QB Dillon Gabriel, but he’ll want to steer clear of Cowboys LB Nickolas Martin.
Why it could disappoint: It couldn’t possibly, could it? As spectators, our hope is that the game will provide enough memorable moments so that officials at both institutions will recognize the value of keeping this rivalry alive after OU’s departure for the SEC.
No. 23 Kansas at Iowa State
Time/TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Why watch: The Jayhawks can’t afford to enjoy last week’s huge triumph over Oklahoma for long as they face a dangerous trip to Ames, where the Cyclones are somehow among the group fighting for a spot in the Big 12 finale despite all the off-season tumult. Freshman QB Rocco Becht has improved steadily since being pressed into service early in his collegiate career. His friends working in front of him must keep Jayhawks DE Austin Booker from bothering him. Kansas QB Jason Bean achieved legend status leading the game-winning drive against the Sooners, though he can still put the ball in harm’s way at times. Iowa State DB Jeremiah Cooper, who already has five picks this season, will be more than happy to snag any arrant tosses.
Why it could disappoint: No matter how much teams prepare for it, the possibility of a big-game hangover always exists. Kansas could use a fast start to prevent any such notions from popping into their own or their opponents’ heads.
No. 3 Ohio State at Rutgers
Time/TV: Noon ET, CBS
Why watch: The increasingly inevitable second annual battle of unbeatens between the Buckeyes and Michigan draws ever closer. But a few obstacles remain, including this somewhat unexpected one in the form of a vastly improved Scarlet Knights squad that is already bowl eligible. Rutgers did in fact briefly hold a lead at Michigan back in Week 4 but wasn’t able to generate much offense the rest of the way. The Knights will try to get more consistency from QB Gavin Wimsatt and RB Kyle Monangai, but sustaining drives against DT Tyleik Williams and the Buckeyes’ extremely active front will be difficult. The Rutgers defense is a top-10 unit in its own right, featuring LBs Tyreem Powell and Mohamed Toure. But the Ohio State offense is much more formidable with RB TreVeyon Henderson healthy again, and as always WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is capable of taking any ball the distance if QB Kyle McCord is on target.
Why it could disappoint: If this is the week when it all comes together for the Buckeyes’ offense, the Scarlet Knights are in for a long day. If it’s close at all after intermission, that would likely indicate a low-scoring type of game that wouldn’t be the most aesthetically pleasing, but a slog undoubtedly gives Rutgers its best chance to pull off the monumental upset.
