Our free College Football Picks have sorted through the schedule to find you the five best games of Week Ten action! Our experts have analysed the form and found their best bets for each game, including #3 Alabama coming off a bye to host LSU!
Don’t miss out on our preview for each game along with our College Football Picks for the five best games of this week’s schedule!
#5 Ohio State @ Nebraska – 1pm EDT
While it was closer than they, and bettors, would have liked, the Ohio State Buckeyes managed to pull off their sixth straight win last weekend, beating Penn State. They now get on the road to face a Nebraska Cornhuskers side that has dropped three straight and finds themselves on the bottom of the Big Ten West standings.
Tony Battalio
After losing to the University Of Oregon all the way back in week 2 of this season, Ohio State has looked like one of, if not the best college football team in the nation. Led by CJ Stroud, the Buckeyes just continue to roll off win after win against their fellow Big Ten teams. Stroud has also entered his name into serious Heisman Trophy discussion as of late as well. The Buckeyes look like they are on a collision course with the college football playoff and if they get in they will still need to beat Michigan and Michigan State. Nobody can truly say they do not deserve it at that point especially if they add yet another Big Ten title to their resume this season.
As for the Nebraska Cornhuskers it has truly been a season of heartbreak with multiple close and avoidable losses. Fans of Nebraska and college football as a whole are starting to wonder if Scott Frost’s days are numbered at his alma mater in Lincoln. Despite nearly getting a program-changing win vs then undefeated Michigan, it looks like yet another season of missing or barely making it to a lower level bowl game for the once great Cornhuskers. Nebraska is currently 3-6 and will almost certainly have to win out to make a bowl game.
As for this game, it should be no different from the norm as of late. Ohio State should dominate yet another inferior Big Ten opponent and continue their trek to 11-1 and a berth in the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ohio State is shockingly only a two touchdown favorite in this one, which is why you should jump all over it before the line goes up again.
Tony’s College Football Pick: Ohio State -14.5 (112)
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒. 🔥🎬🍿#TheTrailer #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/g9tnnfeGYv
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 4, 2021
Noah Dunlap
Since an early season loss at home to Oregon, Ohio State has been the second best team in college football, only behind Georgia. The offense, led by Heisman hopeful CJ Stroud has been virtually unstoppable, but the defense still remains a bit of a mystery. Just last week the Buckeye defense gave up 24 points to Penn State, which while it doesn’t sound bad, the Nittany Lion offense has been atrocious for much of the year. This brings up the question of whether Ohio State’s defense is elite enough to challenge for a title. Add in the fact that they still have Michigan and Michigan State left to play this year, and I’m not certain I like the Buckeyes to be totally focused on this game.
For Nebraska, this year has resembled years past in way too many ways. They’ve continued to stay competitive in what seems like every big game they play, only to come up just short in the end. Scott Frost’s days are numbered in Lincoln, barring some massive upset win, which this would be. Unfortunately, the talent disparity is too much for the Cornhuskers to overcome in this one so I’m taking the Buckeyes to win and cover.
Noah’s College Football Pick: Ohio State -14.5 (-112)
#13 Auburn @ #14 Texas A&M – 3:30pm EDT
Our only game for the weekend that has two ranked opponents facing off, as #13 Auburn and #14 Texas A&M both sit at 6-2 on the season. Both sides have been stringing wins together of late, but only one can prevail, and this will have massive ramifications on Bowl Games at the end of the season.
Tony Battalio
Much like the Buckeyes, Auburn has improved a lot since their early season loss, to Penn State and Georgia. They still find themselves in a position to win the SEC West after their huge win against Ole Miss last Saturday. All signs are pointing towards a showdown in the Iron Bowl with Alabama. But first they have to get through a Texas A&M team that beat the Crimson Tide a few weeks ago. Auburn will have to try and neutralize the loud environment of Kyle Field and “The 12th Man” if they want to win this one.
As for the previously mentioned Aggies, there has been much debate over their ranking and if they truly deserve to remain in the top 15 with two horrible losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State in back to back weeks. Both of those games currently haunt the Aggies because had they won at least 1 or both they would be in the driver’s seat of the SEC West division and in a position to make the playoffs for the first time ever. As for right now they would need to not only win this game, but Alabama would have to lose again and they would also need to beat a very good Ole Miss team next weekend in Oxford.
As for this top 25 showdown, it is a game that will go down to the very end. It should be a back and forth shootout on the offensive sides of the ball. In such a hostile environment like Kyle Field in College Station, crowd noise will almost certainly play a huge factor in the outcome. For that reason I am going with the Texas A&M Aggies to grab themselves another massive win at home and end the season at 2-0 against the state of Alabama.
Tony’s College Football Pick: Texas A&M (-220)
Noah Dunlap
Which Bo Nix do we get? That’s the biggest question I have for this matchup. Nix on the road in his career has been shaky to put it mildly, but at home in the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium, he’s been an elite level quarterback. We all know about the Tigers’ running back Tank Bigsby and the Auburn defense being above average, but can Bo avoid the turnovers. Coming off a big win over Ole Miss last weekend, you can expect for Auburn to be walking into College Station with a ton of confidence, but can they walk out with that same confidence?
Texas A&M, on the other hand, has looked like one of the best teams in football. Outside of two consecutive weeks where they fell apart against Arkansas and Mississippi State, the Aggies have looked great, including a huge win over Alabama. Now they try to pull off the home sweep over the teams from Alabama. I love the Aggies defense in this one, but I’m not sure about the offense’s ability to score on a tough Tiger defense. That’s why despite the somewhat low total, as it currently sits at 49.5, I love the under as the play in this one. The Kyle Field crowd helps A&M control the Auburn offense, but the AU defense keeps the Aggie offense at bay, giving us a low-scoring, tight affair.
Noah’s College Football Pick: Under 49.5 (-112)
#3 Michigan State @ Purdue – 3:30pm EDT
One week after a massive win over their biggest rivals, and seeing their name pop up in the current College Football Playoff picture, the Michigan State Spartans get right back to work against the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue has won two of their last three games, including beating Iowa, when they were ranked #2, but the Spartans remain undefeated for the season and they will want to keep it that way as the Bowl Games approach.
Tony Battalio
Sparty comes into West Lafayette off of a thrilling win vs their in-state rivals, Michigan, and are looking to keep the momentum going against the Boilermakers. Purdue heads into this game with already one huge top 10 upset under their belt this season and they will be hungry and looking for another one.
Michigan State has been to the college football playoff before but that felt like a lifetime ago, now Sparty is back and better following a few down years. Led by upstart head coach Mel Tucker and a fantastic running game, Michigan State has positioned themselves to be much more than a one year wonder once again. However as the old saying goes, to be the man you have to beat the man. In a few short weeks the “man” will be next up as their upcoming date with Ohio State could and likely will determine the winner of the Big Ten East and potentially the Big Tens representative in the 2021 College Football Playoffs.
As for Purdue, they were riding high off the heels of upsetting Iowa at home. Then reality hit and they were blown out by Wisconsin. However, they bounced back last weekend with a nail biting win over Nebraska. At 5-3 the Boilermakers are potentially in the midst of their winningest season thus far under Jeff Brohm. Even with their next two games against Michigan State and Ohio State they still have a chance to win 7 games in the regular season. They finish with games against Indiana and Northwestern, two teams that on paper they should be able to grab a win against and at the very least become bowl eligible for the first time in three years.
As for the game, unfortunately for the fans of Purdue I do not expect this to be close at all. Michigan State will control the game with their rushing attack and wear down Purdue before putting the dagger in them. I expect Michigan State to easily cover the 2.5 point spread.
Tony’s College Football Pick: Michigan State -2.5 (-122)
Kenneth Walker III was turning heads in a Heisman-level performance against Michigan.
🟢 5 TD
🟢 197 YDSWOW 😤 pic.twitter.com/x9eVYVqx0z
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 30, 2021
Noah Dunlap
Coming off of a huge win over in-state rival Michigan, the Spartans of Michigan State remain undefeated and in prime contention for the College Football Playoff, if they can win out. The road to get there won’t be easy however, as they still have games against a stingy Purdue team, Ohio State, and Penn State left on the schedule. The Spartan offense has proven to be up to the task against just about anyone, led by running back Kenneth Walker III, who is squarely in the Heisman race and is the favorite to many. I do still have questions about the MSU passing attack though.
For Purdue, it’s been a hit and miss kind of year. They have a few quality losses (Wisconsin, Notre Dame), but also have a massive win over the then number two team in the country in Iowa. The Purdue defense has shown to be up to the task oftentimes when needed, though they do need to play with more consistency. The key plus for Purdue is wide receiver David Bell, who may be the best receiver in the nation. He had a huge day in the win over Iowa, and I like him to have another monster game against a Spartan secondary that gave up over 400 yards passing to a Michigan team that has struggled to throw the ball all year long.
While the easy pick here would be to take Sparty to get the win with ease, I do think this ends up being the week that Mel Tucker and his squad slip up. They’ve been playing slightly over their talent level all year long, and coming off the huge win last weekend, with Ohio State in two weeks, this feels like a game that is primed to be an upset.
Noah’s College Football Pick: Purdue (+128)
LSU @ #2 Alabama – 7pm EDT
Traditional rivals square off, as Alabama hosts LSU on Saturday night. This will be Ed Orgeron’s last game leading the Tigers against the Crimson Tide, and you know he will want to come out on top, but will Nick Saban let him?
Tony Battalio
Most years this is usually one of the most important games in the entire landscape of not only the South Eastern Conference title race but also college football as a whole. However outside of 2019 that is no longer the case as LSU football has fallen off a very steep cliff and Alabama continues to be the gold standard of the sport. This year’s game features a one-loss Crimson Tide team trying to stay alive in the playoff race and coach O’s final season as coach of the Tigers.
LSU comes into this game at 4-4 and are attempting to salvage a lost season and turn it into a bowl eligible campaign. They have had ups and downs all season, and the biggest of them all is perhaps the season opening loss to UCLA. They will need to find a quick fix if they want to give themselves a chance to beat Alabama on Sunday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Alabama looks more motivated than ever following their shocking loss to Texas A&M a few weeks ago. A motivated Crimson Tide team is bad news for the rest of the SEC and college football. As of right now they are still in prime position and control their own destiny for an SEC title game berth and playoff berth. All roads lead towards a showdown with Auburn in the Iron Bowl and Georgia in Atlanta for the SEC title game.
In this game I do not expect LSU to stand a chance. The Crimson Tide should control this one from start to finish. However the large four touchdown spread is enough to steer me away from taking Alabama with the points, so in my opinion the moneyline is the safer bet.
Tony’s College Football Pick: Alabama (-4500)
Noah Dunlap
Take Alabama in a big, big way. The Tide, since the midseason loss on the road to Texas A&M, have been playing at the level that we all expected to see earlier this season, and what that means is that a below-average LSU team, whose season is already lost, and with Ed Orgeron already announcing that this is his last year in Baton Rouge, is in for a world of pain when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
Bryce Young has a huge day against a mediocre (at best) LSU secondary, and the Tide defense stands up and gives up fewer than 17 to an injury-ridden Tiger offense. Against other teams, I think Saban would be willing to let up just a bit as the game gets out of hand, however, in a rivalry like this, where this game is normally one of a single game or two yearly that decides the SEC title, don’t expect for Nick, or anyone else on the Alabama sideline, to feel bad for the destruction they put on LSU in this one. Look for a final score sitting somewhere around Alabama 52-17, which gives the easy play with the Tide and the points.
Noah’s College Football Pick: Alabama -28.5 (-110)
Indiana @ #7 Michigan – 7:30pm EDT
How does Jim Harbaugh and Michigan respond? They suffered their first defeat of the season in their biggest game of the season, against Michigan State, and now have to get back on track against Indiana on Saturday night. The Hoosiers are just 2-6 for the season and 0-5 in conference play, meaning this should be a comfortable bounce back game for the Wolverines.
Tony Battalio
In the Big Ten night cap, Michigan looks to bounce back from yet another heartbreaking loss to a rival in the Jim Harbaugh era. Meanwhile Indiana is trying to turn a lost season into a chance at a bowl game later this year. Michigan had every chance you could imagine to win their game with Michigan State last week and they blew it. Now they must find a way to regroup and keep themselves in the Big Ten East title conversation. However it will not be easy as they would need Michigan State to lose twice as well as beat Ohio State to get the outright 1st place spot.
The Hoosiers lost star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. early on in the season and it has been a trainwreck playing a tough schedule that includes teams like Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State. They could use a big win to give them momentum heading into the final stretch. However that will not happen in my opinion, the Wolverines should have no issue responding to last week’s loss with a dominating victory in this one.
Tony’s College Football Pick: Michigan -19.5 (-108)
Michigan’s pass-rushing duo is DIFFERENT 〽️@UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/GfYUvw7xg8
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 3, 2021
Noah Dunlap
With the injury to quarterback Michael Penix Jr. early this season, Indiana has been a shell of themselves, as we’re talking about a team that arguably should’ve played for the Big Ten title last season. They’ve struggled to put up points on virtually everyone, and the defense ends up getting worn down as they get late in games, which causes them to give up more yards and points then they otherwise would.
As for Michigan, how do they respond to the anguish that was last weekend? After blowing a 16-point lead on the road to their in-state rival, it’s a fair concern to imagine that they may come out flat in this one. The good news for the Wolverines is that if they win out, with a little help from Ohio State against MSU, they could still find their way into the Big Ten title game and even a shot at the College Football Playoff. However, when dealing with college kids, even though everything may still be laid out before them, you never quite know what you’re going to get coming off of the heartbreaking loss last week in East Lansing. I still think the Wolverines get the win, but I do think the line is just a touch high to be confident about Harbaugh and company being able to win against the spread, so take Indiana to keep this one just close enough to cover the number.
Noah’s College Football Pick: Indiana +19.5 (-104)
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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