College football games of note: Week 10

As we head into one of the final four weeks of this college football season, several not-so-delicate things hang in the balance, including Alabama's and UCF’s perfect seasons. Here are some games to keep your televisions tuned to this weekend.

Temple at No. 9 UCF

This is the battle of the unbeatens – UCF boasts the nation’s longest win streak, now at 20 games, and Temple is the proud owner of a matching 4-0 conference record, having just defeated Cincinnati 24-17 in overtime two weekends ago. This Thursday night, if the Bounce House is a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’. The school has suspended classes after 3 p.m., and the only buildings that will be open at kickoff are the library and the dining hall. This bout with the Owls is UCF’s “Space Game,” in which the Knights wear special uniforms symbolizing roots in the United States space program. As for the football — both teams are coming off bye weeks, and both have question marks at key positions. Temple’s running back Ryquell Armstead and defensive tackle Freddie Booth-Lloyd are both day-to-day, and UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton will also be a game-time decision. Ultimately it will come down to who can throw the ball farther; Temple’s defense hasn’t surrendered a pass completion of 20 yards or longer in its past five games. The Knights have completed 27 throws of at least 20 yards this season. Temple’s offense has completed 31 passes of at least 20 yards this season (thank you, Anthony Russo). I still wouldn’t bet against the Bounce.

No. 1 Alabama at No. 4 LSU

If UCF-Temple is the Week 10 amuse-bouche, then the Crimson Tide vs. the Tigers is the four-course dinner of your dreams. In fact, it will be the only ‘Bama game I will have watched in its entirety this season. Sorry not sorry. Since we all know how good these two teams are, let's consider the variables. In eight games this season, Alabama is averaging 54.1 points per game while holding opponents to just 15.9 points per game. In those eight games, the Tide have been held under 50 points only twice. LSU’s defense is one of the best in the country but is susceptible against the run, ranking 43^rd nationally in yards per carry allowed. Plus LSU linebacker Devin White will miss the first half due to a targeting call. There is also Tua Tagovailoa’s injured knee and Jalen Hurts' injured ankle to consider. Alabama is a 15-point favorite — the biggest deficit the Tigers have faced at home since 1997. But I expect the Tigers to rattle Tua and create turnovers (LSU leads the nation in interceptions), effectively shocking the world with a close-game upset.

No. 3 Notre Dame at Northwestern

Noticing a theme with all these games yet — the high-stakes, the drama and the implications. It’s big-boy college football weekend, and it continues as the Fighting Irish head to Illinois looking to survive the mighty Northwestern Wildcats. Notre Dame is looking to continue its perfect record and vie for that coveted Playoff spot, and the Fighting Irish definitely possess the tools to do so. They have won five of their last seven road games, quarterback Ian Book is completing 76.5 percent of his passes and running back Dexter Williams had three touchdowns in Notre Dame’s 44-22 win over Navy last weekend. Meanwhile, Northwestern is coming off a huge upset over No. Wisconsin — sorry, Dexter, but the Cats have the juice in this game despite being a 9.5 underdog. In a bizarre twist, Northwestern is now leading the Big Ten West and I’m not even mad — just impressed because Pat Fitzgerald can coach. The Wildcats are balanced on offense and stingy on defense, which is good because this one is going to be physical. Look for the Wildcats to pull off the fourth-quarter victory.

No. 16 Utah at Arizona State

If you enjoy a good rushing game, then this is the contest for you. Utah’s Zack Moss (964) and Arizona State’s (938) Eno Benjamin are nationally ranked fif^th and sixt^{h, respectively,} in rushing yards. This is an important game for the Utes as they inch closer to the Pac-12 South title. Fun fact: Utah is the only Pac-12 South team to not have won a division title. The Utes are on a roll though after a shaky 2-2 start — Utah is 4-0 in October and has outscored its opponents by an average of 41-17 this month. The team has a one-game lead over everyone in the South and already hold three tiebreak advantages. But getting by Arizona State won’t be easy. ASU might not boast a lot of depth, but it has high-impact players in Benjamin and quarterback Manny Wilkins, who has thrown for 12 touchdowns this season with only two interceptions. Plus, wide receiver N’Keal Harry is a literal beast and will require all of the attention from Utah’s secondary. Utah ranks 14^th nationally in scoring defense and thi^rd in rushing defense, but I’m betting Herm Edwards has some tricks up his sleeve.

Hall over the place

Over the course of the 2018 season, Emily Hall Van Buskirk will be traveling across the country, attending as many college football games as humanly possible. In this sacred section, she will share with you the details of her travels as she embarks on this adventure. Follow along as she makes her way across the country, bringing back tales of glory and memoirs of misfortune.

So we didn’t make it to Pasadena for the UCLA-Utah game because LaLa land had other plans for us. We found ourselves watching the World Series in the biggest sea of Dodgers fans you can imagine. (My "Sideline Sass" podcast co-host, Kaleigh Krish, is a die-hard Dodgers fan; we are sorry for her loss.)

But we did make it to San Diego to watch No. 3 Notre Dame dismantle Navy, 44-22. Book looked impressive, but Williams blew me away with his speed and natural ability. Plus he is a solid blocker, which head coach Brian Kelly said was something keeping him from being an elite back. Check out our full recap.

Football aside, it was wonderful to see the different ceremonies and presentations honoring all our service men and women.

This weekend I will be taking a break from the road and watching all the games from my couch again, an experience I look forward to after long car trips like the ones I have been taking. So come tweet with me as we watch Saturday’s slate of games together!