What To Watch For In Week 10 Of The 2021 College Football Season

There's just one matchup between ranked teams, but it has massive implications in the SEC West.

Although there’s just one matchup between ranked teams this weekend, this college football season has taught us that upsets happen when we least expect it. Just ask Iowa, which has dropped two straight games to unranked teams after rising all the way to No. 2 in the polls.

So, while No. 13 Auburn at No. 14 Texas A&M (3:30 p.m. on CBS) will get most of the attention heading into Saturday, there are several other games worth keeping an eye on, including No. 5 Ohio State at Nebraska (12 p.m. on FOX), No. 9 Wake Forest at North Carolina (12 p.m. on ABC), No. 3 Michigan State at Purdue (3:30 p.m. on ABC) and LSU at No. 2 Alabama (7 p.m. on ESPN).

The Aggies are looking for their first win at home over the Tigers since they joined the conference in 2012 and will need it to keep within striking distance of Alabama in the SEC West.

Auburn, meanwhile, comes into the game full of confidence following a massive victory over Ole Miss. They’ll need another stellar game from quarterback Bo Nix to keep on the path toward a winner-take-all Iron Bowl in a few weeks.

The Buckeyes were faced with adversity for the first time since their Week 2 loss to Oregon, but got another defensive score and four field goals from kicker Noah Ruggles to escape with a nine-point win over Penn State.

They could be in for another challenge this week against the Cornhuskers, who have lost to Oklahoma, Michigan State and Michigan by a combined 13 points. All six of Nebraska's losses have come by eight points or less, so Saturday’s game might be closer than expected.

The Demon Deacons will look to keep their unblemished record intact against the Tar Heels, who haven’t lived up to their lofty preseason expectations this season.

Quarterback Sam Howell has been impressive despite North Carolina’s 4-4 start, as he’s thrown and rushed for a combined 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns. If he gets any help offensively, this could easily turn into another shootout for Wake, which beat Army, 70-56, in its last road game.

Coming off a massive win over archrival Michigan, the Spartans head to West Lafayette to take on the Boilermakers, who have already played spoiler once before with the aforementioned win over the Hawkeyes on Oct. 16.

Purdue should feel confident about its ability to throw the ball against Michigan State, which is allowing 300.5 passing yards per game against far less talented receiving corps. But can they stop Spartans running back Kenneth Walker III? That will be key to pulling the upset.

A matchup between the Crimson Tide and Tigers is usually must-see television, but this game has lost its luster with the latter limping to the finish under lame duck head coach Ed Orgeron. A win in this game would give him one last feather in his cap.

Unfortunately, Alabama is a 28.5-point favorite for a reason. LSU can’t run the ball and can’t stop the run, which means Crimson Tide running back Brian Robinson should have a big game. After all, he vividly remembers Orgeron’s comments following the Tigers’ win in Tuscaloosa in 2019.

"We make sure people know just the disrespect that was with that, how it made us feel and everything we have to do to make sure that doesn't happen again," Robinson said during his media availability this week.

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