The first college football playoff rankings have just been released for the 2022 season. And with two top-10 matchups involving SEC opponents throughout Week 10, it will have direct implications for the league championship game and playoff draw.
No. 1 Tennessee visits No. 3 Georgia in the SEC Game of the Week on CBS. The 25th all-time regular season matchup between teams ranked No. 1 (Bulldogs) and No. 2 (Volunteers) in the AP Top 25 comes just weeks after Tennessee posted its biggest win in decades by handing Alabama. His first loss of the season at Neyland Stadium. Now, the Vols will try to prove their worth against the defending national champion Dawgs, who will provide the nation’s top-ranked offense with its toughest defensive test all season.
As if that weren’t enough, No. 6 Alabama visits No. 10 LSU in the Tigers’ preferred atmosphere: a Death Valley night game. The Crimson Tide can’t afford a second loss if they still hope to make the playoffs, while the Bayou Bengals are looking for a signature win in Year 1 under Chip Kelly. A win for Bama would be a significant rebound from the loss to Tennessee and a key feather in its bid to lock up the SEC West and meet Georgia or Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game.
The SEC isn’t the only conference in the spotlight Saturday. While Big Ten powers No. 2 Ohio State (at Northwestern) and No. 5 Michigan (at Rutgers) are on the road as heavy favorites, the top team in the ACC is also on the road but in tough competition with No. 3 Clemson visits Notre Dame as a 3.5-point favorite. And while No. 13 Kansas State may have two more losses than No. 7 TCU (against Texas Tech), the Wildcats face a key game against No. 24 Texas as they hope to play in the Big 12 Championship Game.
With Saturday’s action wrapped up, we’ll have a clearer picture of what the second round of CFP ratings will look like when Tuesday rolls around. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day long for college football coverage from the opening kickoff. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 10.
Odds via Caesar’s Sportsbook | All the time Eastern
Air Force at Army West Point
Featured game | Army West Point Black Knights with Air Force Falcons
11:30 | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — They are 42-9-1 among service academies since 2005. Although the opponents have bucked the trend and dropped totals over the years, the underdogs continue to make money. The method is simple and works for both teams on both sides of the ball. Because service academies move the ball more than almost any other team in college football, the clock rarely stops. And since Service Academy defenses are familiar with alternate-based principles from practicing on them every day, there aren’t many mistakes that result in long runs. It takes a lot of plays to get the ball down the field 3-4 yards at a time, and those runs keep the clock moving. All these conditions limit scoring and put us back in the hole for another down. Prediction: Below 40.5 — Chip Patterson
No. 1 Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia
Featured game | Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers
3:30 p.m CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — I’ll go out in person and take Tennessee to win outright. Don’t get me wrong, I take those points too, but this Tennessee offense is too good to stop even a defense as talented and deep as Georgia’s. The Volunteers will work at a breakneck pace and exploit the absence of linebacker Nolan Smith while setting up quarterback Hendon Hooker and running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright on the ground. Stetson-Bennett couldn’t keep up and Tennessee would once again record its biggest win in decades. Prediction: Tennessee +8.5 — Barrett Sally
No. 6 Alabama at No. 10 LSU
Featured game | LSU Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide
7 pm | ESPN, fuboTV (Try it for free) — LSU is a top-10 team in the College Football Playoff rankings, but I don’t believe LSU is one of the top 10 teams in the country. Alabama has its flaws and isn’t the same juggernaut dynamo we’re used to seeing, but it’s the better overall team in this matchup. Now, is Bama much better than LSU, who wins by two touchdowns? So I’m not sure. The home atmosphere in Baton Rouge, Louisiana will be tough for Bryce Young and the Alabama offense, and I think the Crimson Tide will have trouble pulling through. I am taking the points. Prediction: LSU +13 – Tom Fornelli
No. 24 Texas at No. 13 Kansas State
Featured game | Kansas State Wildcats vs. Texas Longhorns
7 pm | FS1, fuboTV (Try it for free) — Texas has owned K-State for the past half-decade, but this is the best version of the Wildcats yet. Texas’ Quinn Ewers struggled in his first road start, and Kansas State won’t be a friendly limit for the young quarterback. The Cats hang on to the ball and limit their possessions to an emphatic victory. Prediction: Kansas State +2.5 — Shehan Jayarajah
No. 4 Clemson at Notre Dame
Featured game | Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Clemson Tigers
7:30 p.m NBC, fuboTV (Try it for free) — Notre Dame’s playbook against Ohio State is to lean on defense and play a possession game that will allow the Fighting Irish to hang tight with the Buckeyes as much as possible. Clemson has a history under Dabo Swinney of leaning on defense, playing the field and trying to limit mistakes in these big regular-season shows. The defensive tackle will need to make more field goal attempts and keep the points on the scoreboard low. Prognosis: Under 44 years — Chip Patterson
Which college football picks can you confidently make in Week 10, and which top-25 teams will fall hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and coverage of the broadcast — all from a computer model that has returned nearly $3,000 in profits over the past six-plus seasons — and find out.