After five ranked matchups last week, Week 10 brings us just two — one of which being No. 4 Ohio State taking the trip to State College, Pa., to square off against No. 3 Penn State.
Fret not at the quieter slate, however, as there are still polarizing matchups across the board this week.
No. 13 Indiana at Michigan State (3:30 p.m., Peacock)
Could this be the week?
After Curt Cignetti’s hiring last November, many Hoosier fans likely saw his impressive résumé at James Madison but probably very few imagined Indiana sitting at 8-0 heading into this November.
Even with redshirt senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke missing last week with a finger injury, Indiana easily moved past a slipping Washington team 31-17. Tayven Jackson threw for 124 yards and a touchdown in Rourke’s absence. However, it looks like Rourke could be back this week.
“Optimistic on Kurtis Rourke, he’s thrown the last few days, building up,” Cignetti said on Oct. 28. “(His) workload will increase as the week goes on. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
The Spartans, who fell last week to Michigan 24-17, will need to put together another above-average defensive performance in hopes of dethroning unbeaten Indiana.
Last week, Michigan State held the Wolverines to just 119 yards on the ground and 265 total. If the Spartans can maintain that same pressure against a potential backup quarterback, East Lansing, Mich., might play host to a party come Saturday night. BSB prediction: Michigan State 23, Indiana 16
Texas Tech at No. 11 Iowa State (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Back-to-back weeks of heartbreak for Texas Tech could turn into a night of jubilee this weekend.
Jumping out to a 5-1 start and emerging into the conversation of potential Big 12 champions, the Red Raiders have slipped the past two weeks, allowing a two-win Baylor team to pour on 59 points on the road before squandering a 34-21 fourth-quarter lead to TCU, falling 35-34 last week in Fort Worth, Texas.
Even in its wins, Texas Tech hasn’t been world beaters, outlasting Abilene Christian 52-51 in overtime in the season-opener and its largest win in 2024 being a 66-21 drubbing of North Texas on Sept. 14.
The Cyclones lean heavily on complimentary football, boasting the ninth-ranked scoring defense in the nation at 14.4 points per game while scoring 31.7 points per game. Furthermore, Iowa State’s plus-9 turnover margin is tied for seventh in the country.
A mid-day, nap-hour kick could benefit a Red Raider team looking to head to bowl eligibility with a big win over a sleepwalking Iowa State group. BSB prediction: Texas Tech 35, Iowa State 28
No. 18 Pittsburgh at No. 20 SMU (8 p.m., ACC Network)
The other lone ranked matchup this week other than the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, this game could spell huge implications for both the ACC standings and a potential College Football Playoff bid as the end of the regular season approaches.
The Panthers are coming off of a 41-point outing on Oct. 24 in which they scored three — yes, three — pick-sixes against former Buckeye gunslinger Kyle McCord and Syracuse. In total, Pittsburgh picked off McCord five times in the 28-point rout.
First-year ACC member SMU eked by Duke last week 28-27 in overtime, needing a failed two-point conversion from the Blue Devils to hang on. Sophomore quarterback Kevin Jennings had his worst outing of the season, throwing three interceptions to one touchdown in the narrow victory.
Jennings will need to reverse his woes from last week and will likely have an easy time doing so, as the Panthers sit 111th in the NCAA in passing yards allowed (255.6). However, Pittsburgh’s efficient scoring defense, which gives us 22 points per game, should be able to keep a volatile Mustang team in check. BSB prediction: Pittsburgh 30, SMU 27
Other games to watch:
- Duke at No. 5 Miami (noon, ABC)
- Minnesota at No. 24 Illinois (noon, FS1)
- Florida at No. 2 Georgia (3:30 p.m., ABC)
- No. 1 Oregon at Michigan (3:30 p.m., CBS)
- Louisville at No. 11 Clemson (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
- No. 10 Texas A&M at South Carolina (7:30 p.m., ABC)
- Kentucky at No. 7 Tennessee (7:45 p.m., SEC Network)
