Big 12 Week 10 Matchups and Predictions

TCU vs. Baylor highlight a weekend slate of rivalries

Oct 4, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Savion Williams (3) cannot catch a pass in the end zone against the Houston Cougars in the third quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Week 10 of college football is here! This week, many rivalry games are being played in and out of the conference, like Georgia vs. Florida and TCU at Baylor.

Week 10 exclusively features conference play! There are five conference games. I think the best game this week will be TCU at Baylor.

*Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas, Utah, and West Virginia have their second bye weeks this week.

Big 12 Week 10 Matchups and Predictions

All times listed are Central Time.

Arizona at UCF

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., FS1

Oct 19, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) looks for free space against the Iowa State Cyclones defense at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Both teams have lost four games straight. UCF just played the best two teams in the Big 12 in back-to-back weeks and played Iowa State very tightly. UCF running back RJ Harvey has found his groove again and has run for 125 yards and two touchdowns for two straight games. UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown has thrown for 387 yards and ran for 339 yards this year. These two are a scary duo for defenses due to their top-end speed. The Wildcats, on average, give up 154.3 rushing yards per game; I believe they will give up a lot more than that.

Arizona quarterback Noah Fafita is coming off one of his best games of the season and may create issues with the Knights' defense. Star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is coming off a fantastic game where he had ten receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights have the 109th-rated passing defense, giving up 247.3 yards per game, which could be the team's downfall this week. UCF will win, but I would avoid betting on the spread. The over-under is currently 56 points, and I would take the over.

Pick: UCF

#17 Kansas State at Houston

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., FOX

Oct 26, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats running back DJ Giddens (31) tries to run from Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Mello Dotson (3) during the fourth quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images / Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Houston got a great win versus Utah last week. This week will be a beatdown, I think. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is playing phenomenal football right now, and I do not think the Cougars have a chance. Wildcats running back DJ Giddens has run for over 100 yards in three out of the last four games. I do not see a way Houston can keep up both offensively and defensively.

Pick: Kansas State

Texas Tech at #11 Iowa State

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN

Oct 19, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) throws a pass during their game with the UCF Knights at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones beat the Knights 38 to 35. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Texas Tech has rapidly fallen from grace. Two weeks ago, they were in first place in the Big 12, and now they are in sixth. Not only is Texas Tech struggling, but Iowa State is coming off their bye week. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has played well this season and continues to thrive in the Cyclones offense. The Cyclones have a committee of running backs they use to take advantage of different players' skill sets. Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton got hurt last week versus TCU and is listed as questionable for this week. Due to Morton's injury, the Red Raiders will have to lean into running back Tahj Brooks, who is a great player, but I doubt he can do enough. The spread is currently -14 for the Cyclones, I would not take any spread until Morton's availability is known.

Pick: Iowa State

Arizona State at Oklahoma State

Saturday, 6:00 p.m., FS1

Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) tries to elude Utah Utes safety Rabbit Evans (13) in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is back. He only played one snap against Cincinnati two weeks ago. The Sun Devils are coming off their bye week and are in a prime position to beat the Cowboys. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo is one of the best running backs in the nation and has a week of rest to prepare for this game. The Sun Devils quarterback running back duo is electric and is hard for defenses to stop. Leavitt is a competent passer who can beat teams with his arm. Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman is coming off one of his best performances of the year. Bowman has been very inconsistent this year and has thrown an interception in all but one game this season. The only game he did not throw an interception was the opener against San Diego State, a non-Power 4 opponent.

I think Oklahoma State will lose this game due to Bowman's decision-making with the ball and the fact that the Cowboys' defense is ranked 133rd out of 134th in yards per game allowed. Oklahoma State's defense has allowed 499.9 yards per game and is ranked second to last in the FBS in rushing yards allowed per game. This was the deciding factor on who would win this game. ASU is a run-heavy team, and Oklahoma State will struggle to stop the Sun Devils.

Pick: Arizona State

TCU at Baylor

Saturday, 7:00 p.m., ESPN2

Oct 26, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) rolls out to throw against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Both teams are playing complementary football right now and are on an upward trend. Both teams have won two games straight, and their offenses look dangerous. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson has accounted for nine touchdowns in the last two weeks and is playing fantastic football. The Bears have scored ninety-seven points over the last two weeks and have found lightning in a bottle.

TCU had a fantastic come-from-behind win last week against Texas Tech. Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover won the Manning Award for Star of the Week last week. He has thrown for 2,614 yards this season with nineteen touchdowns and eight interceptions. Over the last few games, he has had a fumbling issue, which kills momentum. The Horned Frogs have so many options at wide receiver that Baylor will have difficulty stopping. If TCU can establish their running game, I think Baylor is in for a tough game. Baylor is not particularly good against the pass or run. TCU wide receiver Savion Williams has been lining up at quarterback, running back, and receiver over the past few weeks. He will be the key to this game. I think the Horned Frogs win this in a close, high-scoring game.

Pick: TCU

Week 10 Big Games Outside the Big 12

#4 Ohio State vs #3 Penn State

Saturday, 11:00 a.m., FOX

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a touchdown pass in front of Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Isaac Gifford (2) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is Penn State's only challenging test for the rest of the season. This gives Ohio State an opportunity to prove itself as a top team after losing a close game to Oregon. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has thrown for 1795 yards with seventeen touchdowns and four interceptions. He has run in the ball for five touchdowns as well. Ohio State has a very talented roster with NFL-level players at nearly every position.

Penn State is a good but not great team that is overachieving right now. They should not be the number three team in the nation. The Nittany Lions struggle to put opponents away and have yet to play any great teams. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, as of now, is a game-time decision on whether he will play. Without him, the Nittany Lions have very little chance of winning.

Pick: Ohio State

#2 Georgia vs Florida

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ABC

Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Davon Booth (21) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24) and linebacker CJ Allen (3) at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

It's time for the world's largest outdoor cocktail party. Georgia/Florida is here, one of the best rivalries in the country; regardless of the teams' rankings going into the game, anyone can win this game. Georgia has won six of the last seven matchups. Florida is playing like a different team than they were at the beginning of the year. The Gators have won three of their last four games, with a close loss against Tennessee. I expect Georgia quarterback Carson Beck to play well, although he has been throwing off his back foot and not stepping into his passes, which has been creating accuracy issues. Beck is from Jacksonville and played at Mandarin High School, which is around a 25-minute drive to the stadium. Both teams are coming off their bye weeks, and I think Florida has an edge over Georgia because the Dawgs lack film on Florida quarterback DJ Lagway. Georgia will win this game in a dominant fashion due to the aggressiveness of their defensive line and Florida's inexperience at quarterback.

Pick: Georgia

#18 Pittsburgh vs #20 SMU

Saturday, 7:00 p.m., ACC Network

Oct 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) throws a pass during the second quarter while being chased by Syracuse Orange defensive lineman Denis Jaquez Jr. (11) at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh has been one of my favorite teams to watch all year. Their defense scored twenty-one points last week and had five interceptions. Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein has played like the best first-year quarterback in the country. He has thrown for 1808 yards with seventeen touchdowns and five interceptions. Both teams have very potent offenses capable of scoring at any moment. SMU has the 100th-ranked pass defense in the country, which the Panthers will take advantage of. Pittsburgh has the 112th-ranked passing defense, which allows 255.6 passing yards per game. Unfortunately, the Mustang's strength is running the ball. The Panthers have the ninth-ranked rushing defense in the nation and only give up an average of 93.9 rushing yards a game.

Pick: Pittsburgh

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