Pac-12
Southern California running back Darwin Barlow (22) is congratulated by offensive linemen Gino Quinones (66) and Joe Bryson (61) after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Colorado, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

College Football’s Biggest Matchups in Week 10, Outside the SEC

Week ten in college football looks to be full of big games.

The first week of the College Football Playoff rankings came out last week, with Ohio State at No. 1, Georgia at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3 and Florida State rounding things out at No. 4. With just five weeks left in the regular season, teams like Oregon have no room for error.

Looking at the field, here are the top three matchups in college football for week 10. Coming in at third is a Heisman battle between Caleb Williams and USC versus Michael Penix Jr and undefeated Washington. Second, another ranked matchup between Kansas State and Texas. Texas has its college football playoffs on the line this week after losing earlier in the season to 12th-ranked Oklahoma. At the top of my rankings is a rivalry matchup between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series.

Heisman Battle

No. 24 USC hosts No. 5 Washington in the Trojans third top-25 matchup of the season. Suffering brutal losses to Notre Dame and Utah just 3 weeks ago, Caleb William’s hopes of making the College Football Playoff have been forgotten. However, a Heisman candidate battle between Williams and Penix Jr is sure to be entertaining and filled with fireworks.

A loss for Washington would complicate their aspirations for the College Football Playoff. Expect this game to be high-scoring, as USC has had a lackluster defense all season. Just last week, 3-5 California had 527 total yards of offense in the 49-50 loss to the Trojans. This is the first time these two teams have matched up since 2019, which resulted in a Huskies win, 28-14.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Big Offense

No. 7 Texas hosts No. 23 Kansas State in an important matchup for the Longhorns. Both teams are leaders in the Big 12, with Kansas State sitting just below Texas. With playoff aspirations still alive, the Longhorns cannot afford another loss in what is a tight race for the elusive fourth spot.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers leads the way for Texas, throwing for 1915 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. The Wildcats have used two quarterbacks throughout the season, with Will Howard dominating the passing game while Avery Johnson uses his dynamic run ability to make things difficult for defenses.  Both teams are averaging close to 40 points per game, so expect this game to be fast, entertaining and high-scoring.

Kickoff is set for noon.

https://twitter.com/TexasFootball/status/1719057925673529459

Bedlam Series Finale

In the game of the week, the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the last game of the Bedlam Series before moving to the SEC. Defense will be a key in this one, as Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II is having a monster season. The star running back has 1087 yards rushing on the year to go along with 10 touchdowns.

This game has major implications for the Big 12 Championship Game, with both teams tied for first. Oklahoma is averaging 41.9 points per game, their monster offense being led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel has thrown for 2,302 yards and 19 touchdowns on the season. Ultimately, this game will come down to which team can contain the other in an important final matchup of the Bedlam Series.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

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