College GameDay’s Week 10 picks came in with a clear theme: the panel is leaning hard into the heavyweights, with almost every voice landing on the same side in the biggest matchups.
The day’s guest picker was Notre Dame fan and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, and he joined Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit in making their calls for Saturday’s slate. In several games, the group was nearly unanimous.
Ohio State drew a full sweep from Howard, Saban, McAfee, Sudeikis and Herbstreit. South Carolina did, too, with all five backing the Gamecocks.
Utah also earned broad support, with Howard, Saban, Sudeikis and Herbstreit taking the Utes while McAfee went with BYU.
There were a few splits along the way. In Texas-Missouri, Howard, Saban, Sudeikis and Herbstreit were on Texas, while McAfee took Missouri.
Tennessee-Kentucky followed a similar pattern, with McAfee alone on Kentucky and the rest of the panel picking Tennessee. Georgia-Ole Miss was another divided call, as McAfee backed Ole Miss and the others went with Georgia.
The biggest disagreement came in LSU-Alabama. Howard, McAfee and Sudeikis took LSU, while Saban went with Alabama. Miami-Notre Dame also leaned heavily one way, with Howard choosing Miami and Saban, Herbstreit, Sudeikis and McAfee all picking Notre Dame.
The panel’s written breakdowns pointed to the same factors across the board. Utah was favored over BYU because of home field advantage and an inspired defense against a BYU offense that isn’t running the ball as well as it could.
Texas was picked over Missouri on the strength of the Longhorns’ pass rush and run stop, not necessarily Arch Manning. Alabama was chosen over LSU because the Crimson Tide has a little more firepower to spread the field.
Ohio State got the nod over Oregon with the idea that the Buckeyes’ defense has to carry the load and help their green quarterback. Tennessee was selected over Kentucky thanks to the Vols’ defense and run game.
Georgia was favored over Ole Miss, with Kewan Lacy’s absence noted as a possible issue for the Rebels even though they should still test the Bulldogs’ secondary. And Notre Dame was picked over Miami, with Malachi Toney’s absence and Miami’s pass defense cited as factors, even as the Hurricanes’ run game was acknowledged.
In Other News...
Kentucky Fans Just Turned Tennessees Campus Into Rivalry Fuel
The buildup to Kentucky-Tennessee always finds a way to spill beyond the field, and this week it landed on one of the most recognizable spots on the Volunteers campus. Kentucky fans painted The Rock in blue with white lettering as a prank ahead of the football matchup, turning a campus landmark into a fresh flashpoint in a rivalry that has long thrived on any edge, any slight and any chance to get under the other sides skin.
Tennessee fans moved quickly to cover it back up, and the scene briefly escalated with a confrontation at the site before the paint was removed. It was a reminder that this series still carries the kind of heat that makes even a pregame prank feel like part of the main event, with kickoff looming and both fan bases already locked into the weeks latest round of bragging rights. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Heads Into Knoxville With One Huge Tennessee Variable
Kentucky heads into Knoxville with plenty of momentum and a spot near the top of the rankings to protect, but this SEC matchup carries the kind of uncertainty that can change a game plan in a hurry. The Wildcats are 7-1, riding a six-game winning streak and sitting No. 6, while Tennessee comes in at 6-2 and No. 13 in a game with College Football Playoff implications on both sides.
The biggest variable, though, is still under center for the Volunteers. Josh Heupel has not named a starter, even with George MacIntyre having started recent games and dealing with turnover issues, leaving Kentucky to prepare for a Tennessee offense that could look different depending on who takes the first snap. For a Wildcats team trying to keep its surge rolling, that uncertainty is just as important as the rankings and records. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Bench Just Gave The Wildcats A New Depth Question
Kentuckys 89-80 win over James Madison had the kind of feel that can travel with a team, because the Wildcats did not lean only on their usual names to get it done. Justin McBride and Mason Williams gave the bench a real lift, and Kam Williams was back on the floor for his season debut after working his way back from a foot injury that required two surgeries. For a team still sorting out its rotation, those minutes mattered as much as the final score.
James Madison made the night uncomfortable in its own way, launching a Rupp Arena-record 45 three-point attempts and knocking down 15 of them. Kentucky survived that barrage, but the bigger takeaway may be what the bench showed in a game that demanded answers from deeper in the roster. If those second-unit contributions hold up, the Wildcats may have found a useful strength. If not, the questions about how this group will be used are only going to get louder. [Read more 🡒]