College football 2017 Week 10 predictions

Friday, 8 p.m. ET

If anyone needs a furnace, just use Riley Ferguson because this kid is on fire. The Memphis quarterback led the Tigers with three touchdowns against Tulane last week, giving him 14 touchdowns the last four weeks. Memphis goes on the road to Tulsa, who is having trouble securing wins this year. The basement dwellers of the American Athletic West Division will need running back D’Angelo Brewer to have an extraordinary game for the Golden Hurricanes to notch a victory against the division-leading Tigers.

Pick: Tulsa

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

What looked like a sleeper of a game a few weeks ago has all of a sudden became a marquee matchup. LSU won three straight games to make its matchup against No. 1 Alabama a little more interesting. Alabama has won six straight games against the Tigers, but Nick Saban has been surprisingly vulnerable after bye weeks with a 9-4 record since he started coaching the Crimson Tide. With LSU catching fire the last couple weeks, it may be able to jump on an Alabama team coming back from the break.

Pick: Alabama

Saturday, 10 p.m. ET

Washington headed into the bye week bent but not broken. The Huskies shook off a 14-7 loss against Arizona State before the break to roll over UCLA last week, 44-23. Washington running back Myles Gaskin carried the Huskies with 169 yards and a touchdown, and the team will need that production if it wants to counter Oregon’s star running back Royce Freeman in this battle of the backs.

Pick: Washington

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Not seeing Stanford at the top of the Pac-12 North Division is a weird occurrence, but all is right in the world again. The Cardinal is on top of the division again after reeling off four straight wins following two consecutive losses. Now it faces Washington State, who has lost two of its last three games. The Cougars were unable to contain Khalil Tate in their loss to Arizona. The defense will need to find some answers to counter Heisman candidate Bryce Love in the running game if he is healthy enough to play.

Pick: Stanford

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Buckeyes got their revenge against Penn State last week and find themselves back in the playoff picture with a win. But can Ohio State keep itself there? The Buckeyes go on the road to face Iowa, where the Hawkeyes have been tough at home. Faced with a big challenge, Iowa would love nothing more than to rush the field against a top three team.

Pick: Ohio State

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Don’t look now, but Northwestern is making moves in the Big Ten West Division. The Wildcats are climbing up the division, winning three straight games, including a huge win against AP-ranked Michigan State last week. They head to Memorial Stadium to take on Nebraska, who is coming off a come-from-behind victory against Purdue. The Cornhuskers will need more heroics from quarterback Tanner Lee to extinguish the red-hot Wildcats.

Pick: Northwestern

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

When will Miami’s luck run out? It seems that every week, the Hurricanes come up with some late-game magic on offense or defense to come away with a win. Unfortunately, most of these victories have come against weaker opponents they let hang around. Things won’t be so easy against ranked Virginia Tech and quarterback Joshua Jackson. The Hokies have won big games against Miami in the past. They can add to that legacy with a win this week.

Pick: Virginia Tech

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

The Tigers head on the road in their first game after the bye week, making a trip to College Station. Texas A&M is still smarting from its loss against Mississippi State last week. The Aggies will need to solve their defensive issues if they hope to compete against a rested Auburn team.

Pick: Auburn

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET

Bedlam — one of the coolest rivalry names for one of the best rivalry games. This year’s edition has a lot on the line with both teams in the hunt for a Big 12 title and maybe a playoff spot in January. Oklahoma comes in winning three straight games after dropping a game against Iowa State. Oklahoma State has a four-game winning streak, including a victory over a then-hot West Virginia team. Whenever these two teams hook up, it’s a slugfest until the end. Don’t expect anything less this year.

Pick: Oklahoma State

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Gamecocks are feeling themselves, and they have good reason. They’ve won three straight games in the SEC to pull to within two games of their next opponent in the SEC East Division and No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff ranking: the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia is coming off the absolute destruction of Florida in their rivalry game, propelling the Bulldogs to No. 2 in the AP poll. They can provide a challenge the Gamecocks haven’t seen yet this year.

Pick: Georgia

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Tigers recovered from their loss against Syracuse nicely, winning in convincing fashion against Georgia Tech last week and securing a top four spot in the first College Football Playoff ranking. Quarterback Kelly Bryant looked comfortable, throwing two touchdowns and running for 67 yards, but now he steps into hostile territory against the Wolfpack. NC State got a rude awakening against Notre Dame last week, getting dominated by the Fighting Irish, 35-14. With a chance to maintain the top spot in the ACC Atlantic Division, the Wolfpack will fight to the last man to knock off Clemson.

Pick: Clemson

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

For all intents and purposes, this is a game for both teams to get their first win. No disrespect to Southeast Missouri State, but Kansas has put up a bagel this season against FBS opponents, and Baylor has been unable to close out games to get its first win. With both teams desperate to get their first scratch in the win column, it could produce some good football.

Pick: Baylor

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Miami has been winning a lot of games by the skin of its teeth. Indiana has been the anti-Miami. The Hoosiers have been in plenty of close games against quality opponents but have always come up short, losing their last three games by an average margin of six points. Now, they host a Wisconsin team that has been rolling through unranked opponents on its schedule. The Badgers have been strong, but so have a lot of opponents Indiana has faced. The Hoosiers could ride the home crowd and turn their luck around this week.

Pick Wisconsin

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Two teams coming off two tough losses, Penn State and Michigan State come into their game looking to erase bad performances last week. Penn State let a second-half lead disappear against Ohio State, and Michigan State fell in a surprise shootout against Northwestern. The Nittany Lions still have hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff, but the Spartans can play spoiler if Penn State isn’t ready.

Pick: Penn State

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

It’s been a great four weeks for the Cyclones. Iowa State beat two top-five teams during its four-game winning streak, surprising a lot of college football teams. The Cyclones find themselves on top of the Big 12 Conference but now head to Morgantown to face West Virginia, who is working through some struggles after falling to Oklahoma State. Iowa State has been perfect on the road, and West Virginia has been fallible at home. Can the Mountaineers right the ship in Morgantown?

Pick: Iowa State

Saturday, 7:15 p.m. ET

Like a lot of other teams, TCU fell victim to Iowa State in Ames. Maybe some home cooking can cure what ails the Horned Frogs as they host Texas this week. The Longhorns got back in the win column against Baylor with a great effort from quarterback Shane Buechele. TCU’s balanced attack will return, as will its defense that has only given up 14.8 points per game. Look for this Texas showdown to be a good one.

Pick: Texas

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

What is it going to take for Butch Jones to get fired? This is a question that is weighing on a lot of Tennessee fans’ minds. The Volunteers are 3-5 and have lost four straight games, including South Carolina at home and Kentucky in Lexington. Southern Mississippi comes to Knoxville for Tennessee’s homecoming. If the Golden Eagles are able to capitalize on the Volunteers' miscues to win the game, fans of the orange and white may have an answer to the question above.

Pick Southern Mississippi

Saturday, 10:45 p.m. ET

The Trojans are teasing fans again. After getting destroyed by Notre Dame, USC recovered to dominate Arizona State in Tempe. Ronald Jones II gained 216 yards on the ground, and Sam Darnold looked like himself again with three touchdowns. Now the Trojans come back to Los Angeles for homecoming, but they won’t have a cupcake matchup against Arizona, who is back in the AP top 25 after four straight wins in the conference. Which USC team will show up on Pac-12 after dark?

Pick: USC

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Two teams, two military academies and two three-game winning streaks — this Army-Air Force game is going to be good. To say both of these teams depend on the running game would be a gross understatement. Army has the second-best running attack in the country, while Air Force has the third best. Unfortunately for both teams (but fortunate for fans), both teams have trouble stopping anyone on defense. If you want to see a grind-it-out duel between two of the best ground games in the country, tune in to this inter-academy showdown with Commander-in-Chief's Trophy implications.

Pick: Air Force

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

With Michigan all but out of the playoff hunt, Jim Harbaugh is turning to redshirt freshman Brandon Peters to lead the offense. Peters will get his first start of the season after taking over for John O’Korn against Rutgers. The Wolverines had an easy time against Rutgers, but now they host a stingy Minnesota team that has lost close games and don’t go down easy. The Wolverines have trouble against teams that hit them back in the mouth. Can they take the Golden Gophers’ best shot?

Pick: Michigan

Saturday, 7:15 p.m. ET

With South Florida suffering its first loss, UCF is now the lone undefeated team in the American Athletic Conference and has sole possession of the lead in the East Division. Quarterback McKenzie Milton leads the best scoring offense the country into Dallas, where SMU waits for the Knights. The now bowl-eligible Mustangs can put up points themselves with quarterback Ben Hicks throwing for 2,305 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. There are going to be a lot of points put up in this game.

Pick: SMU

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Tread carefully, college football. Notre Dame is back. The Fighting Irish have beat three teams that have been in the AP top 16 at some point this season and were rewarded with a spot in the top four of the first College Football Playoff ranking. They continue their march back to national championship legitimacy against Wake Forest, who ended a three-game losing streak against Lamar Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals. Not a lot of people are giving Wake Forest a chance, but Notre Dame could drink too much of its own Kool-Aid and lose this game.

Pick: Notre Dame

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Good-bye, Jim. The Florida Gators fired Jim McElwain after an odd controversy regarding death threats, but the season must go on. The team travels to Missouri with defensive coordinator Randy Shannon taking over as interim head coach. A coaching change is always tough on a team, and this offense that struggled with continuity is likely to suffer even more with instability. The Tigers have won their last two games and could capitalize on a stunned Gators team at home.

Pick: Florida