The Athletic has live coverage of No. 9 Vanderbilt vs. No. 20 Texas.
We’ve entered the home stretch. Spooky Season is over, and with a month left in the regular season, it’s time to take stock of the chaos. Indiana, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt are in the top 10; Penn State, LSU and Florida have already fired their coaches. Strange days, indeed.
November is a chance to find out which of these surprise teams will impact the postseason, with a number of this weekend’s matchups offering insight into the crowded conference title and College Football Playoff races. Don’t expect the chaos to slow down, though.
Here are the top 10 games of Week 10, starting with a few honorable mentions and counting down.
Honorable Mention: Arizona State at Iowa State, East Carolina at Temple, New Mexico at UNLV, Indiana at Maryland, Fresno State at Boise State, Virginia at Cal, South Carolina at Ole Miss
(All point spreads are courtesy BetMGM. All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)
10. Penn State (3-4) at No. 1 Ohio State (7-0), noon, Fox
An indicator of how chaotic this season has been. A month ago, this was considered one of the marquee matchups, one that would shape the Big Ten and CFP. Now, Ohio State is a world beater, again, and Penn State has a different head coach and quarterback and is a three-touchdown underdog. The Nittany Lions still have talent. Whether it’s motivated enough to make the Buckeyes sweat — which hasn’t happened much this season — is worth keeping an eye on. At least for a quarter or two.
Line: Ohio State -19.5
9. No. 10 Miami (6-1) at SMU (5-3), noon, ESPN
SMU is an enigma, scoring 30-plus points for three straight games and then losing 13-12 at Wake Forest. The Mustangs have three losses, but last week’s in Winston-Salem was their first in the ACC, which means they are weirdly still in the mix of an already weird conference race. Miami played with its food for a half against Stanford before cruising to victory, but one more stumble risks leaving the Hurricanes on the outside looking in at the CFP field for a second straight season. Miami’s first game outside the state of Florida is arguably the toughest one left on its schedule.
Line: Miami -10.5
8. Navy (7-0) at North Texas (7-1), noon, ESPN2
A game that will have significant implications on the American Conference and, potentially, a Playoff spot. Navy is one of six remaining unbeatens in the FBS — the only one that isn’t ranked — and ranks second in the country at 7.6 yards per play. Quarterback Blake Horvath is running for 116.3 yards per game, but the Mids are also averaging 158.9 passing yards per game, the program’s most since 1994. They are 7-0 for the first time since 1978, but the schedule picks up with Notre Dame, South Florida, Memphis and Army ahead. First, Navy is a road underdog against North Texas one week after Mean Green quarterback Drew Mestemaker set a school and American Conference record with 608 passing yards in a win over Charlotte.
Line: North Texas -6.5
It’s insane that North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker didn’t start in high school. One of the best G5 players in the country pic.twitter.com/AnZ3cjOktu
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 10, 2025
7. No. 5 Georgia (6-1) vs Florida (3-4), 3:30 p.m., ABC
We’ll see what to make of the Gators, playing their first game since coach Billy Napier was fired. Unfortunately for Florida and interim Billy Gonzales, they face a top-five Georgia squad that has won four straight in the rivalry and, like Florida, is also coming off a bye. Georgia’s defense is not the typical disruptive force it’s been under Kirby Smart, currently last in the SEC in sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (27), with only six takeaways. However, quarterback Gunner Stockton leads the conference in completion rate (70.5 percent) and has thrown just one interception all season.
Line: Georgia -7.5
6. No. 13 Texas Tech (7-1) at Kansas State (4-4), 3:30 p.m., Fox
Injuries have been the biggest vulnerability for Texas Tech this season. Starting quarterback Behren Morton is set to return from a right leg injury after missing two full games, and just in time, after backup Will Hammond was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Morton has played well when healthy (68.4 completion percentage, 9.9 yards per attempt, 13-to-3 TD/INT ratio), but he was sidelined for the last two games and portions of two others, and now Tech doesn’t have the luxury of a Hammond safety net. The Red Raiders still have a top-five defense and top-20 offense (in yards per play) and the most talented roster in the Big 12, but Kansas State has found a groove, scoring 40-plus in two straight victories.
Line: Texas Tech -7
5. No. 8 Georgia Tech (8-0) at NC State (4-4), 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
The Yellow Jackets are 8-0 for the first time since 1966 and atop the ACC standings. Quarterback Haynes King leads an offense that ranks sixth nationally with 7.3 yards per play and is coming off a stellar performance against Syracuse with 304 passing yards, 91 rushing yards and five combined touchdowns; he’s up to fourth in The Athletic’s latest Heisman straw poll. The Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry with Georgia looms on Black Friday, but GT has a prime opportunity to run the table in the ACC over the next three games. It starts with a tricky trip to NC State. The Wolfpack have lost two straight but handed Virginia its only loss early in the season.
Line: Georgia Tech -5.5
4. No. 23 USC (5-2) at Nebraska (6-2), 7:30 p.m., NBC
It feels like a must-win for both teams. USC, coming off a bye following a loss at Notre Dame, is still in the Big Ten mix with only one conference loss, but another defeat likely ends that and any Playoff hopes, and puts the Lincoln Riley tenure right back under the microscope. Nebraska and coach Matt Rhule desperately need a ranked win as well and will have to do it as a home underdog. The Cornhuskers have lost 28 straight against ranked opponents; Rhule, who just signed an extension to stay at Nebraska, has lost 18 in a row, dating back to his time at Baylor, and is just 2-23 in his career against ranked teams.
Line: USC -4.5
3. No. 18 Oklahoma (6-2) at No. 14 Tennessee (6-2), 7:30 p.m., ABC
This is another elimination game, in terms of conference and Playoff hopes. Each has a pair of SEC losses. Oklahoma is in the midst of a meat grinder, coming off the loss to Ole Miss with Alabama, Missouri and LSU ahead. It doesn’t offer the rosiest outlook for a Sooners squad that continues to pair one of the best defenses in college football with a pedestrian offense. If the Vols’ high-scoring offense — second in the FBS at 45.6 points per game — has enough firepower to outlast Oklahoma, Tennessee could be set up for a strong finish with a schedule that is far more manageable the rest of the way, despite finishing with Vanderbilt.
Line: Tennessee -3
Joey Aguilar 👀 pic.twitter.com/vLt7iwwDsu
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) October 26, 2025
2. No. 17 Cincinnati (7-1) at No. 24 Utah (6-2), 10:15 p.m., ESPN
A blockbuster matchup in the Big 12, with a surprising double-digit spread. The Utes are at home in Rice-Eccles Stadium, where they tend to be a handful, but the surging Cincinnati Bearcats are riding a seven-game winning streak behind one of the best offenses in college football, led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Utah expects to get its own dynamic quarterback, Devon Dampier, back from injury. With undefeated BYU idle, Cincinnati needs a win to keep pace atop the conference standings, and Utah needs a win to keep its Big 12 hopes alive. Expect some high-scoring Big 12 After Dark between two teams that average more than 38 points per game.
Line: Utah -10
1. No. 9 Vanderbilt (7-1) at No. 20 Texas (6-2), noon, ABC
There are so many storylines packed into this game, the headliner being: Vanderbilt, welcome to the epicenter of college football. After two straight ranked wins and hosting “College GameDay,” Vandy and quarterback Diego Pavia are in the top 10 and lurking in the SEC. The schedule finally eases up a bit, including a Texas team that barely pulled out wins at Kentucky and Mississippi State. Little about how the Longhorns have played suggests they are the 20th-best team in college football, but they have been resilient on the scoreboard and are a slight favorite in this game. That’s even with starting quarterback Arch Manning in concussion protocol and listed as questionable, which is a storyline unto itself — especially if backup Matthew Caldwell steps in and plays well.
Line: Texas -2.5