This is one of the most important weeks of the College Football Season. Without even looking at the slate, there is something more important looming and the results of this weekend will have a major impact. It goes down next Tuesday and no, I’m not talking about the presidential election. We will get our first of six rankings from the College Football Playoff committee. Once the initial rankings are out, it’s up to those teams to control their destiny and make it into the final CFP rankings. Here’s our Top 3 picks for 2024 College Football Week 10.
No. 4 Ohio State vs No. 5 Penn State
Undefeated Penn State has a lot on the line. A win keeps them alive in the hunt for a conference championship and to have an automatic-in for the CFP. A loss and they are battling an uphill battle against politics as the Big Ten has several schools that could be in the conversation. Ohio State is down to its final straw. They lost to Oregon. A second loss would likely eliminate them from the Playoff. They are the better team in this matchup. Penn State has one truly good win on their resume against Illinois, but I haven’t been impressed by anyone else. Ohio State’s defense is slightly better than Penn State’s and ultimately the last stop will be the biggest and my trust is in the team that is allowing under 12 points a game to their opponents. The Big Ten is going to get a whole lot more interesting after this week. Prediction: Ohio State 18 Penn State 15
Duke vs No. 5 Miami
How about those Miami Hurricanes? What a ride this season has been for Mario Cristobal’s team. Just when it looked like the seat could be getting hot for the former Duck, he has put together the best season this program has seen in two decades. A win keeps their perfect season alive and it’s smooth sailing ahead from there. Duke is 6-2 but their two losses have come to teams that don’t impress me whatsoever. Miami is coming off a couple close ones in two of their last three games. Ultimately, I don’t see that being an issue here but knowing what is on the line…anything is possible. Prediction: Duke 20 Miami 45
Louisville vs No. 11 Clemson
Here is another vital ACC matchup. Clemson could be scoreboard watching to see what happens to Miami in hopes of jumping them. In general, I think that Clemson could generally overlook this game. They have a cupcake schedule the rest of the way, but I think the Cardinals could give them some trouble. Louisville has one of the better offenses in all of football. Dabo Swinney says it’s the best they’ve faced since their game against Georgia. They are 14th in yards per game and 20th in points per game. Clemson has a great defense, but we saw Georgia control them from start to finish. Upsets have been brewing in college football. The Cardinals nearly pulled off a big one against Miami, falling 52-45 a few weeks back. This time, they finish the job. Prediction: Louisville 40 Clemson 37