#2 Ohio State vs. Northwestern: Ohio State is 8-1 on the season (5-1 in conference play). This game is not being played in Evanston. Instead, it will be held in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith looks to add to his record-setting touchdown totals as the Buckeyes attempt to lock down a high playoff seed.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 45-13
#5 Texas @ Arkansas
Texas (8-1) is coming off a huge thrashing of Florida, in which quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for five touchdowns in only three-quarters of play. WR Isaiah Bond is healthy again and will be a difficult matchup for the Razorbacks secondary. Look for him to have a big game.
Score Prediction: Texas 40-14
#23 Clemson (pic) @ #18 Pittsburgh
Pitt (7-2) has lost its last two games and now faces a tough Clemson team that beat Virginia Tech decisively last Saturday. This game is likely going to come down to which team can stop which running back, as Phil Mafah (Clemson) and Desmond Reid (Pitt) have been two of the top backs in CFB this season.
Score Prediction: Clemson 30-24
Utah @ #20 Colorado
Utah is coming off a controversial last-second loss at home to BYU. The Utah AD was fined 40K for his comments about the officiating. Now the Utes have to go on the road and play the always controversial Deion Sanders-led Colorado Buffaloes. Will Utah have an answer for Shadeur Sanders and the vaunted CU passing attack? Will “Prime Time” lead his team to a win?
Score Prediction: Colorado 30-23
#6 Penn State @ Purdue
Penn State totally dominated Washington in its last game and now gets the Boilermakers, who were just shellacked by Ohio State last week 45-0. This needs to be a statement game for the Nittany Lions, as they need to show that they have similar firepower to OSU.
Score Prediction: Penn State 42-6
Virginia @ #10 Notre Dame
Notre Dame will operate with an implied team total of 36.5 points versus a Virginia defense that is being shredded through the air, allowing 282.0 passing yards per game (127th in the country). Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is better known for his running prowess, but this might be a week where he throws for multiple scores.
Score Prediction: 45-10
Boston College @ #13 SMU
Kevin Jennings and the Mustangs will be operating with an implied team total of 34 points versus a Boston College defense that is allowing 264.4 passing yards per game (115th in the country). Jennings has been really solid since taking over as the QB1 for the Mustangs, and BC just lost their QB1 to an injury.
Score Prediction: SMU 35-28
#15 LSU @ Florida
Florida Head Coach Billy Napier got the dreaded public statement of support from the UF athletic director, but it still might not be enough to save his job. The only chance that the Gators have of keeping this game remotely competitive is if freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway plays. Lagway has missed the last two games, but there is hope that he will return on Saturday.
Score Prediction: LSU 31-23
#1 Oregon @ Wisconsin
The #1 Oregon Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) go on the road to face Wisconsin on Saturday from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Wisconsin is coming off a BYE week after getting drubbed against Iowa. It’s hard to see anything slowing Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel in this matchup.
Score Prediction: Oregon 50-17
#7 Tennessee @ #3 Georgia
The competitiveness in this game hangs on the injury situation of Vols QB quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who suffered a blow to the head in the 33-14 win over Mississippi State this past weekend. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel says that Iamaleava is in great shape and expects him to play. Georgia has its own star quarterback, Carson Beck, and a strong desire to get back on the winning track after losing last week to Ole Miss.
Score Prediction: 23-17
