Last week was rigged. I mean, come on, who saw Bill Belichick and Jordan Hudson taking Virginia to overtime and holding them under 20 points after failing to stop a nosebleed in the first half of the season? However, I’m easing my way into prediction shape, and the cold weather that is encapsulating the Southeast will only expedite me into prime form. Week 10 doesn’t have the big matchups we expected (Ohio St. Penn St., Florida Georgia, etc.), but it has some doozies that should keep you just as entertained as we expected back in August, when we were all young, dumb, and aspiring fans with tremulous dreams of our teams hoisting the national championship trophy.
Also, I am adding an additional section to each week’s games to include the Squad Blitz tip of the game. If you haven’t already, please download the Squad Blitz app and put “Walk-On Redshirts” as your referral!
Brief Recap of Last Week
1. Navy at North Texas
The American holds the cream of the crop when it comes to candidates to represent the G5 in the College Football Playoff, and these two teams are at the top of that list. Navy comes in with the number one rushing attack in the nation (go figure) behind quarterback Blake Horvath and a nasty offensive line. North Texas has a powerful offense too, but quarterback Drew Mestemaker and company take a little more modern approach with their sixth-ranked passing attack. To change subjects really quick, do you know how to make the sweetness in chocolate pop? Add a little salt. Now, do you know how to make a powerful rushing attack and lethal passing game pop? Just add in Navy’s 115th-ranked pass defense and North Texas’s 118th-ranked rush defense. I like the running game of Navy to be the more dominant force in this matchup.
Navy 41 North Texas 38
Navy +6.5
Over 65.5
Squad Blitz Start Em’ – Navy’s No. 1 rushing offense or North Texas’s No. 6 passing offense versus a terrible North Texas rush defense and just as awful Navy pass defense.
Squad Blitz Sit Em’ – Both Navy and North Texas’s defense… if I had to pick one, I’d hold my nose and tell you to sit North Texas’s defense.
2. 9 Vanderbilt at 20 Texas
Somehow, someone in Vegas got a hold of the Presidential autopen and signed off on Texas being favorites in this matchup. Maybe they know something we don’t know, or maybe they just can’t imagine the Commodore brand doing what it’s doing to the college football landscape right now. Who knows — but all I know is that I think Vanderbilt will take advantage of a Texas team that has failed to live up to expectations and grow the Diego Pavia legend. No stats needed to back this take.
Vanderbilt 28 Texas 17
Vanderbilt +2.5
Over 56.5
Squad Blitz Start Em’ – Vanderbilt’s defense against a sputtering Texas offense
Squad Blitz Sit Em’ – Texas’s passing offense. It hasn’t taken off yet and I’m not too sure it will in this game.
3. 23 USC at Nebraska
This game is a narrative-changing game in my opinion. Nebraska is finally winning its close games but still not quite getting over the hump in terms of playoff contention. USC still has a slow-dripping IV that’s keeping their playoff hopes alive, but they need to prove that they can compete in the Big Ten by winning multiple marquee games. The USC offense has wowed folks, but it’s the defense that has allowed them to finish teams. I think the Trojan stock grows, and the Cornhuskers plateau this weekend, in a classic.
USC 34 Nebraska 32
Nebraska +6.5
Over 58.5
Squad Blitz Start Em’ – USC’s No. 1 passing offense, despite Nebraska having the No. 1 pass defense in the country.
Squad Blitz Sit Em’ – I would sit Nebraska’s defense solely because I think a Lincoln Riley offense will just find a way to score despite how good the Cornhuskers are on that side of the ball.
4. 18 Oklahoma at 14 Tennessee
Speaking of playoff hopes on life support, if the USC-Nebraska game is the “narrative game,” the Sooners-Volunteers matchup is the “CFP CPR” game. Tennessee can score at will, despite getting a last-minute transfer-portal quarterback in Joey Aguilar, but their defense has largely been a disappointment — both starting cornerbacks have been out most of the year, and there are rumblings that their third cornerback will be out this weekend. Oklahoma started off the year with their hair on fire and with John Mateer getting crowned the Heisman Trophy winner. Well, that flame was quenched when Mateer had to have surgery on his throwing hand. Despite having only one hand, the Sooners are still alive, as their defense is deadly. Normally I would tell you that defense travels and to pick the Sooners, but Tennessee’s offensive strength will outweigh their defensive weakness in this game.
Tennessee 31 Oklahoma 27
Tennessee -3.5
Over 55.5
Squad Blitz Start Em’ – Tennessee’s passing offense with Joey Aguilar and Chris Brazzel against an Oklahoma defense that got exploited by Ole Miss’s passing game last week.
Squad Blitz Sit Em’ – Tennessee’s defense. Despite Oklahoma having a one-handed quarterback, the Volunteer defense has shown no signs of life this year.
5. 17 Cincinnati at 24 Utah
The, checks notes, game of the week will be the Utes taking on the Bearcats at 10:15 p.m. in Salt Lake City, Utah. That’s right — we all guessed that would be the game of Week 10 in a slate that holds Ohio St. vs Penn St., Georgia vs Florida, Miami vs SMU, South Carolina vs Ole Miss, and Oklahoma vs Tennessee. Now, to pull up to my computer and give some insight into this game. Cincinnati struggles with the run as they come into the matchup with the 61st-ranked rush defense, which shouldn’t fare well against a Utah team that loves to run the rock. Not so fast though — the Bearcats like to stiffen their necks in the red zone, as they are 18th in the country in red-zone scoring defense. Pair that with their dynamic offense that ranks in the top 25 in points per game, and I like the Bearcats to give the Utes a rare home-field, night-game loss.
Cincinnati 33 Utah 26
Cincinnati +9.5
Over 54.5
Squad Blitz Start Em’ – Cincinnati’s rushing offense, as I believe they will be balanced enough to spend a lot of time in the red zone, and the red zone is a comfortable home for a running game.
Squad Blitz Sit Em’ – Utah’s 94th-ranked passing offense against a Bearcat group that just held Baylor’s high-powered offense to 137 yards passing.
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