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...
Ole Miss Faces Huge Georgia Test With One Big Complication
Saturday night in Oxford already had the feel of a measuring-stick moment, and ESPNs Kirk Herbstreit only sharpened the focus by naming Georgia at Ole Miss as the Week 10 college football game to watch. The matchup brings together a No. 2 Bulldogs team and a No. 10 Rebels squad that has been tough to beat at home, riding a 16-game winning streak inside its own stadium.
The timing, though, comes with a major wrinkle for Ole Miss. The Rebels are set to take the field at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC without All-America running back Kewan Lacy because of injury, leaving a huge hole in a game that already demanded near-perfect execution. Against a Georgia defense and a playoff-level opponent, how Ole Miss adjusts in the backfield may end up being every bit as important as the atmosphere in the stadium. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Has Ole Miss Fans Watching Alabama For One Reason
Alabamas trip to Baton Rouge has Ole Miss fans paying close attention, and not just because the Crimson Tide are sitting No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The matchup with No. 14 LSU carries the usual weight of a longstanding rivalry, but it also has a direct bearing on the playoff picture, which is enough to make this one matter well beyond the usual SEC weekend.
For Lane Kiffin, the game adds another layer. In his first year at LSU, he is trying to get his first win against Alabama as a head coach, and the Tigers enter with the same record as the Tide. For Ole Miss fans, the interest is obvious: any result in this one could ripple through the conference race and the playoff chase, and Kiffins latest shot at Alabama is part of the reason the whole league will be watching. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces A Playoff Swing Game That Could Change Everything
Several of the weekends biggest games carry more than rivalry weight, and the ripple effects could reach well beyond the teams on the field. BYUs meeting with Utah has Big 12 implications, Alabamas trip to LSU is the kind of matchup the College Football Playoff selection committee will study closely, and Ohio State against Oregon is another high-end test with bracket consequences attached.
For Ole Miss, the broader picture matters because the Rebels are watching the same crowded playoff race from the SEC side, where every result among the contenders can reshape the conversation. Kentucky-Tennessee and Miamis trip to Notre Dame without wide receiver Malachi Toney only add to a slate that could alter how the committee sorts out the top teams when the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]