Week 10 Predictions – 2022
Last Week: It took 55 minutes into the game before the Buckeyes got it going last week but in that last 5 minutes they got 28 points and won 44-31 going away in Happy Valley. The victory kept them unbeaten and earned them the #2 slot in the first playoff rankings of the 2022 season. It is very clear that Ohio State is on a path to make the playoffs for the third time in that last four seasons. As for our staff weekly predictions, Coach Rick kept his hot streak going with a 4-1 performance, while everyone else went 3-2. Dave continues to hold on to a narrow lead in the overall standings at 35-9 on the year.
This Week’s Games: Ohio State once again hits the road to take on Northwestern, where they have only lost once in the last 50 years. The Wildcats have not won a game in the US this season, can Coach Pat find some magic on Ryan Field? …. The big game of the week will be Tennessee at Georgia. One is ranked #1 in the Playoff poll, one is #1 in the AP poll. Which on will still be unbeaten when weekend is over? …. Almost as big of a game is Alabama going to Baton Rogue to battle the LSU The Tigers can still win the SEC West, and the Tide may be out of the playoff hunt. Which SEC power sruvives to live another game? …. Clemson is still unbeaten and has one more road test remaining. Can they escape South Bend with a win and still in the top 4 in the playoff rankings? …. Wake Forest vs NC State gives a surpising top 25 matchup this late in the schedule. Both have had big wins this year, one of them will come out on top this weekend.
Buckeye Greats: As in the past, we will continue to include former Buckeye players in our prediction fun and we are thrilled to have Vaughn Broadnax back with us as a regular participant for the eighth straight year.
Here we go with our Week 10 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
(2)Ohio State @ Northwestern
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Ohio State over Northwestern 54-3
Coach Rick: Ohio State
Cory: Northwestern has lost seven games in a row, and their only win this season was a 3-point win over Nebraska in the season opener. The Wildcats gave up 42 points to Wisconsin and 33 to Iowa, and those teams have terrible offenses. Northwestern quarterbacks have combined for nine touchdowns against 15 interceptions, and their running backs are averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. There just is not any redeeming quality about this Northwestern team right now. This game should give the Buckeyes a good chance to rotate a lot of guys in. Buckeyes just need to avoid a hangover following last week’s come-from-behind win over Penn State. Ohio State 45, Northwestern 10
Dave: Ohio State 42 Northwestern 14
Gregg: This game should not be a problem for the Buckeyes against Northwestern. The Wildcats have not won since week one against Nebraska. They have looked bad all year and we all know how weak the Big Ten West is so Ohio State could go in and get a blow-out win. An announcement has been made that they are building a new 36,000 seat stadium on campus so this should be the last game between these two teams in this version of Ryan Field. Ohio State is 33-1 in the last 50 years against Northwestern, with that one loss being on Tressel’s watch in 2004. Buckeyes take care of business and maintain their #2 ranking in the college playoff rankings. Ohio State 55 Nortwestern 7
Jason: Ohio State is in the driver’s seat to get in the College Football Playoff and the next several games should provide little challenge. The Buckeyes need to clean up a few things and this game, not unlike the next few, will be used to do just that. Northwestern isn’t 1-7 by accident and they just got torched by an anemic Iowa offense last week. Sophomore QB Brendan Sullivan is completing 73% of his passes since taking over and had two touchdown passes against Iowa. He likes to dink and dunk down the field and there must be more of that against a Buckeye defense that gets after the QB. Northwestern’s offense has had their moments but the defense is porous and playing possibly the best offense in America won’t help. This game won’t be close and Ohio State will run away with it in the first quarter and by halftime it will be way out of reach. Expect a lot of Buckeye backups in the second half. Ohio State 54 Northwestern 10
Joe-S-U: Ohio State
John: The weather forecast for Saturday in Greater Chicago is what is usually termed “upset weather” – cool, chance of rain and high winds. That may help Northwestern keep the score close into the second half, but it won’t be enough for them to pull out a win. In the end, look for the Bucks to win comfortably, but they probably don’t cover the 38 point spread. Ohio State 42 Northwestern 10
Josh: Ohio State will play at Ryan Field for the last time to open up their final month of the regular season. Northwestern has not won in this hemisphere, with their lone win being a week 0 win against Northwestern in Ireland, and I am sure Pat Fitzgerald would have loved to have been able to bottle some of that luck. For the season, Northwestern is giving up double the amount of points that it is scoring, and gave up 33 points against an inept Iowa offense last week. Ohio State needs to take care of business these next three weeks, and work on improving the areas the need to tweak before the showdown against Michigan on November 26th. The fate of their season ultimately rests on that game, and after two straight weeks of a run game that has not gone over 100 yards in either game, this will be a great time to work on it. Ryan Day has shown mercy, and gamesmanship, and I feel like he won’t embarrass Pat Fitzgerald too much. Ohio State 59 – Northwestern 0.
Steven: If there was ever a game to overlook this one is it. Northwestern coach Pat Fitrzgerald just doesn’t have the horses this year. It would be fair to say the weather may have a more pronounced effect on the game than anything the Wildcats may bring. If the weatherman is to be believed, there is a good chance of rain and possibly storms, so the expectation would be that OSU will rely heavily on the run. We may see 5 or more players carrying the rock Saturday. It may also be a good time to try something different with the short passing game, which was abysmal last week in Happy Valley, Give credit to the Nittany Lions for sniffing out every last bubble screen we tried. The nice thing about OSU’s offense this year is that if you shut one thing down, you only open the door for someone else to beat you. Expect a pretty vanilla game plan, again, maybe a few long bombs for CJ to look like his old self and then pound them into submission via the ground game. OSU rolls 51-10.
Trout: The Buckeyes have had some slow starts the last two weeks, However I don’t think that will be the case against Northwestern. The WIldcats are a downright awful team. Ohio State should have no issues moving the ball down the field. My one concern is the running game. Both backs seem to be a little banged up, I don’t know the status of WIlliams, but Henderson should still be able to play. And I think he should have a better day than what he had last week against Penn State. I also see Stroud having a monster day through the air. He should be able to get 300+ yards passing, and score multiple touchdowns. THis game should be almost over by halftime. Ohio State wins big with Stroud adding to his Heisman campaign. (Ohio State, 48-7)
Final Score: Ohio State 21 Northwestern 7
(1)Tennessee @ (3)Georgia
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Georgia edges Tennessee 35-33
Coach Rick: Georgia
Cory: All college football fans will be glued to the TV this week to see No. 2 Tennessee play at No. 1 Georgia. The Bulldogs have remained undefeated this season but the defending champions have played a cake of a schedule. The best win so far was against Oregon in the opener, and since then they’ve not really been tested. Tennessee, on the other hand, has wins over five ranked teams, including Alabama. I think Georgia is better than their strength of schedule may indicate, however, the difference in this game will come down to offense. We know the Volunteers can put points on the board in a hurry, and I have my concerns that Georgia will be able to keep up with them. Tennessee 38, Georgia 31
Dave: Georgia 32 Tennessee 28
Gregg: Both of these teams are high caliber this year. Both have had a huge win. Tennessee defeated Alabama, and Georgia blitzed Oregon in the opening week. But the big difference is that Uga has been here before and Smokey has not been a factor since 1998. I expect the Georgia crowd and the Georgia defense win this game and move to #1 in all rankings. If Hooker has a Heisman showcase game though, they can pull off the upset. The real question is what are the playoff implications for this one. I think Tennessee can afford a loss and still back into the playoffs but if Georgia losses they may be out of the race with no chance to get to the SEC championship game. Georgia 31 Tennessee 24
Jason: The Game of the week and very possibly a playoff elimination game takes place in Athens, Georgia and the eyes of the college football world will be paying attention. The much-maligned Volunteer defense played their best game thus far, shutting down Kentucky and put any thoughts of a Wildcat upset to bed early a week ago. The offense wasn’t great last week, but they didn’t have to be, cruising to a 44-6 win. While they won’t have that kind of success this week, they don’t have to. They just need to keep pressure on Georgia QB Stetson Bennett and force them off the field on third down. If they can turn the game into a shootout, they have a good chance to walk out of Athens with a win. The Dogs have cruised for the most part, all season long and outside of blasting Oregon, the schedule has not been overly difficult. They struggled a bit against Kent and Missouri, but they seem to have steadied the ship and playing good football. They are still the defending champs and are out to prove it. People have been all about the Vols and rightly so, but they haven’t exactly played a good secondary and that includes Alabama. This will be, by far, the best defense they’ve seen. With the CFP rankings out and Tennessee sitting at 1, Georgia is feeling a bit disrespected at 3. They are going to come out with something to prove. Heisman Trophy candidate Hendon Hooker will make a few plays, but he has yet to face the pressure he will see in this game. The Vols will score, but can they win, when they don’t put up big points? That remains to be seen and this game will test that theory. Oh yea, Georgia has a good offense too, ranking 2nd nationally behind the Vols in total offense. But, balance on both sides of the ball and playing at home, Georgia pulls away a bit late in the third quarter and Tennessee won’t be able to catch up. The Dawgs take the win and look to move to #1 in the next CFP poll, and in the driver’s seat to play in the SEC title game. UGA 31 Tenn 21
Joe-S-U: Tennessee
John: This is undoubtably the game of the week. The key is how well Tennessee’s high powered offense copes with the stout, although somewhat banged up, Georgia defense that held Bo Nix and Oregon to only three points back in week 1. I would have picked the Dawg’s regardless, but the game being in Athens just makes it easier. Georgia 30 Tennessee 21
Josh: To be honest, this game feels like a game that can go either way. Georgia lost one of their top defenders this week with a torn pectoral muscle which will be big because Tennessee will travel with the country best statistical offense. Hendon Hooker can almost wrap up the Heisman this week with a win, but this defense he will face is a lot better than the Alabama secondary he was able to expose. I anticipate Georgia to play the slow game and try to keep the ball away from the Volunteers as much as they can, and Stetson Bennett to Brock Bowers will be the top match up. With Cedric Tillman back, and Jalin Hyatt exploding since the Alabama game, the Bulldog secondary will have their hands full. I think this one though will come to the wire, and I think Georgia gets the win at home. Georgia 38 – Tennessee 31
Steven: Wow, it is going to be a shame for one of these teams to lose since they are both pretty talented. Maybe I’m being blinded by Hendon Hooker, but I like the Vols in this one. Georgia’s defense hasn’t been quite to last year’s standard, and the Volunteers can score with the best in the nation. It will be a fast track and that favors the offense and Vols should be able to outlast the Dawgs. Now the aftermath is going to be the big question. Clearly, the winner is number one, but the loser could easily stay in the top 4, which would be wild, but it is the SEC. UT 38-34
Trout: I am picking the Volunteers in this game. As of right now, they look like the better team. Yes, both are undefeated, but Georgia just has not looked good consistently. Their most telling games have been with Mizzou and Kent State. Games they should have won by a lot more, they just got by the skin of their teeth. Granted, they’ve looked better as of late, but that has been against bad teams in Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Florida. Tennessee has just been more consistent. Hendon Hooker has played out of his mind, and has made himself a contender for the Heisman. The game should be close. Also, much like Tennessee’s game with Alabama,I think there will be a lot of points scored. Even though the Bulldogs have not looked great, they are still an extremely talented team. They should be able to keep up with Tennessee’s offense for the most part. I see this game going down to the wire, with several lead changes throughout. However, The Vols will score late, allowing themselves to just sneak by the victory. Tennessee wins and keeps this surprising run going. (Tennessee, 42-35)
Final Score: Georgia 27 Tennessee 13
(6)Alabama @ (10)LSU
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Alabama runs through LSU 45-21
Cory: Is LSU good again? It is really hard to tell. The Tigers beat some cupcakes after their close loss to Florida State in the opener, but then after losing to Alabama they beat Florida and Ole Miss. Jayden Daniels doesn’t quite have the touchdown numbers that Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker does, but look at what Daniels has done so far – a 69.9 completion percentage with 12 touchdowns and just one interception. He will need to be at his best this week as LSU plays host to Alabama. The Crimson Tide followed up their loss to the Volunteers with a 30-6 win over Mississippi State last week, but look at the numbers from that one and there is some concern about Alabama. They ran 27 times for 29 yards in that game. Quarterback Bryce Young is terrific, but the Crimson Tide will need a little more balance to come out of this one unscathed. Alabama 31 LSU 24
Dave: Alabama 28 LSU 21
Gregg: Already, the playoff committee is working the scenarios that Alabama will make the playoffs. But to do that, they can’t lose to the Tigers so they will find a way to win this one, even though they are not as good as everyone thinks they are. I look forward to Ohio State playing them in the playoffs. Roll Tide, keep winning. Alabama 34 LSU 24
Jason: Another big one in the SEC and this one takes place down on the Bayou as the suddenly hot Bayou Bengals host big, bad Alabama. The Tide has struggled at times early in the year, but despite the shootout loss at Tennessee, they’ve survived and still in the CFP hunt. Introducing Jayden Daniels, the best QB nobody is talking about. He ran for 121 and 3 td’s against Ole Miss and beat the Gators will his legs, scoring another 3 in that game. He’s also throwing the ball very well, hitting on over 70% of his passes and the Tide D is suspect defending the pass. The saving grace for Alabama is LSU doesn’t go downfield much so the DB’s just need to contain. For Alabama to come out of a night game in Death Valley with a win, they must be better at keeping offenses behind the sticks. Tide QB Bryce Young will get pressure and he is very good in those situations, so Alabama will have success moving the ball, but how will they contain Daniels and his feet? The Tide has the speed on the edge to keep Daniels from really going off, but he will have his share of big plays. This game will go back and forth for four quarters, but the visiting Tide will come up with enough stops to get out of Baton Rouge with the win. Bama 38 LSU 35
Joe-S-U: Alabama
John: The Alabama defense has looked anything like the dominant unit that they have had in recent years. Texas and Texas A&M exposed the Bama D, and Tennessee shredded them. LSU’s offense seems to be hitting its stride, putting up 45 on both Florida and them #7 Ole Miss. With the game in the Bayou, I think LSU has enough Offense to keep up with ‘Bama’s and the home field gives then the win. LSU 42 Alabama 38
Josh: You never want to play against Nick Saban after a bye week, as they are nearly unbeatable. Add that to the fact that Alabama came in as the 6th ranked team, they know that they need to win out, and they will make their 8th college football playoff. LSU comes in as the highest ranked 2 loss team, and also have set themselves up in a position to potentially be the first 2 loss team to make the college football playoff. A win this week against Alabama would set themselves up in a nice position for the SEC West, with their toughest remaining opponent in Texas A&M at the end of the year. I think Bryce Young will be the difference maker in this one, and Alabama will win on the road for their first of two games away from home. Alabama 38 – LSU 31
Steven: If you’re Paul Finebaum, your dream scenario starts here. Assuming both Georgia and Tennessee win out after this week’s tussle, Alabama also needs to win out. If they then win the SEC Championship game it would put two one-loss non-SEC Champion teams in the running for spots in the College Football Playoff. I’m not sure I could take the SEC onanistic self-love if that would ensue. To prevent an SEC-pocalypse, LSU needs to play the role of spoiler. Alabama has been undisciplined on defense, but their offense has been really good since Bryce Young came back from injury. LSU coach Brian Kelly, and his faux southern accent has done a nice job with the Tigers this year, but ‘Bama’s just better on both sides of the ball. It will take a monster upset to beat the Tide. Liking the Tide to keep Paul’s fantasy alive… ‘Bama 33-28.
Trout: The fact that the CFP committee ranked the LSU tiger at 10 is crazy to me. They have not been a good team since Burrow left. And even then, they only one because Joe Burrow played out of his mind. Their defense was basically a revolving door. But because they beat an overrated Ole Miss team, they now are considered a top 10 team. I think Alabama beats them, and beats them comfortably. Clearly the Crimson Tide are not the juggernaut that they have been, but they are still one of the best teams in the country. Bryce Young should have no issues slinging the ball around to his wide receivers. The Tigers might be able to hang early. I can see the game being close, or even tied at halftime. But, Alabama’s superior talent will begin to shine through in the second half and the Tide will be able to pull away. Alabma hands LSU their third loss of the season, and keeps their playoff hopes alive. (Alabama 45-21).
Final Score: LSU 32 Alabama 31 OT
(4)Clemson @ Notre Dame
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Clemson relieves Notre Dame of it’s misery 38-20
Coach Rick: Clemson
Cory: It would be nice to see an upset here but Clemson is looking pretty good again, and I’m still not a believer in Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are coming off a good win over Syracuse, however, the issues are still there. Notre Dame cannot throw the ball. Quarterback Drew Pyne completed just 9 of 19 passes against the Orange last week. That is just not going to cut it against a team like Clemson. DJ Uiagalalei has been much better this year than last year so it’s difficult to see the Fighting Irish hanging tough in this one. Clemson 38 Notre Dame 20
Dave: Clemson 24 Notre Dame 20
Gregg: Maybe I am the only one that thinks the ACC is really bad and Clemson is overrated but Marcus and the boys will be ready for them. I have taken DJ out of my starting line-up in the Fantasy League. Notre Dame should have not lost to Marshall but they were probably still recovering from the Ohio State game which they probably worked all summer toward. The win over Syarcuse last week was real, they may finally getting things going in the best direction for them. And everyone knows the playoff committee had Texas, with three losses, ranked to prop up Alabama. After the Irish beat Clemson this week, I bet they don’t have get ranked by the committee. Hopting they beat the Tigers to help the OSU resume and prove my theory. Notre Dame 17 Clemson 14
Jason: How good is Notre Dame? Do we even know? Yes they got a nice road win over a beat up Syracuse team, hung with Ohio State in the opener and beat an overrated BYU and North Carolina team. However….they lost to Stanford and Marshall and nearly went down to Cal. So, which team shows up Saturday? Clemson struggles to defend a downfield passing game, but Notre Dame can’t throw with any effectiveness. For the Irish to win this game, they need to move the sticks with their running game. Coming off a bye, the Tigers should be rested. They will struggle for a while offensively against a solid Notre Dame defense, but eventually they will break through and D.J. Uiagalelei will make a couple big time throws. Notre Dame will very likely take a lead into the fourth quarter, but a couple stops and scores gets Clemson back in front and they hold on for a big road win that puts them in a very good spot to get into the CFP. Clemson 27 ND 21
Joe-S-U: Clemson
John: Which Notre Dame is the real one? The one that were upset by Marshall and Stanford, or the one that played #2 Ohio State tough and beat then #16 Syracuse like a drum last week. Clemson has looked beatable at times this year. For some reason it just feels like the Irish are due, plus an Irish win would really shake things up in the playoff race. Notre Dame 31, Clemson 28
Josh: Clemson is coming off a bye week after being the first team to reach 8-0. Their strength of wins took a big hit though as Syracuse and Wake Forest both lost last weekend to inferior teams, and Notre Dame is coming in with a lot of confidence at home. I dont think Clemson is that great of a team, and even with they took out DJ, its not like they relied on their passing game to beat Syracuse. I think Notre Dame pulls off the upset at home. Notre Dame 24 – Clemson 21
Steven: Both Notre Dame and Clemson seem to be improving. The Irish are coming off a huge upset on the road at Syracuse. Can they do it again? The running game was working against the Orangemen, but Clemson’s rush defense is much better, to the tune of 50 less yards per contest and giving up 6 less touchdowns on the ground this season. Notre Dame’s QB Drew Pyne is undersized and isn’t a game-changer, especially since his receivers, save tight end Michael Meyer, are fairly inexperienced. Being at home, I look for the Irish to keep it close, but it will take a tremendous effort to bring home the win. The Irish lose a close one.28-27.
Trout: Clemson should win this game, but I think it’ll be closer than expected. Notre Dame has been able to somewhat turn their season around. They still have a long way to go, but they are definitely playing better as of late. Clemson on the other hand, has been average at best. Besides Georgia Tech, they really haven’t blown anyone out. They are undefeated at this point, so they obviously haven’t been bad, they just have been underwhelming. They also have a quarterback controversy brewing. DJ Uiagalelei had some issues with Sycracuse. He started looking like his 2021 self. Having said all that negative stuff against Clemson, they are still a better team than the Irish at this point. It should be a very close, relatively low scoring game. I see Clemson getting a late score, allowing them to pull ahead.And Notre Dame will be unable to answer before time runs out. The Tigers remain unbeaten, but keep their trend of struggling against lesser teams going. (Clemson, 24-21)
Final Score: Notre Dame 35 Clemson 14
(21)Wake Forest @ (22)NC State
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): North Carolina State beats Wake Forest at home 28-24
Coach Rick: NC State
Cory: Everything was going well for Wake Forest until they got annihilated by Louisville last week. Wake Forest gave up over 200 rushing yards and quarterback Sam Hartman threw four interceptions. That’s a recipe for disaster, and if the Demon Deacons don’t clean it up they could fall to a wounded NC State team this week. The Wolfpack has obviously struggled since the lost of quarterback Devin Leary, who is out for the season with a shoulder, and though their backups played well against Virginia Tech last week the Hokies are a 2-6 team. I like Wake Forest to get things back on track this week. Wake Forest 45 NC State 24
Dave: Wake Forest 38 NC State 32
Gregg: As with my Clemson prediction, the ACC is weak and overrated, and these are two of the better teams in the conference, which is like saying these are good teams in the Big 10 West. I will give the edge to the Wolfpack only because they are at home. More than once they will be saying “another Wolfpack First Down”. NC State 27 Wake Forest 24
Jason: Wake is coming off a poor effort a week ago, getting rolled by Louisville in a game where they turned it over six times and while NC State won, it took a crazy comeback to down Virginia Tech. For Wake, it starts and ends with QB Sam Hartman, who threw three picks last week, yet still sits #2 in the ACC in efficiency. It will be strength on strength in this one. NC State leads the conference in pass defense, allowing just 10 TD’s to go along with 11 interceptions. The game plan for the Deacons will still be to throw it around but a performance like last week, won’t cut it. Pack freshman QB MJ Morris will get his first start after throwing for 265 and 3 TD’s a week ago, but Wake has a much better D than Va Tech. NC State will come after Hartman and their D will be just a bit too much for the Deacons and being in Raleigh, NC State will come away with a late stop to secure the win before the home fans. NC State 28 Wake Forest 24
Joe-S-U: Wake Forest
John: Not gonna lie. I don’t know anything about these two teams. Wake Forest 24 NC State 17
Josh: NC State’s season has not gone the way it was anticipating, with a lot of hype based on their experience coming back, and a down year for the Tigers, the ACC appeared to be up for grabs. With Dennis Leary out for the season, I don’t think the Wolfpack offense is as efficient, and the Deacons behind Sam Hartman have been dangerous. I like Wake Forest to win this game on the road. Wake Forest 35 – NC State 28
Steven: In a contest of ACC also-rans, you have to go with the better defense which favors the Wolfpack. Even in NC State’s losses their defense has been solid. Wake, while they have scored a ton in their wins, they have been inconsistent and up against a good defense, they tend to falter. I really like Wake’s QB, Sam Hartman, but if the Wolfpack play a smart, ball control game, they should be able to contain him. Pack wins 29-24.
Trout: I don’t really know much about either of these teams. But just looking at their stats, I am picking the Demon Deacons to win this game. Both teams seem to be average ACC teams, but it looks like Wake Forest is slightly better offensively. They average 12 points more than the Wolfpack, and they also average 434 yards compared to NC State’s 355 yards. I think the game should be very close. I don’t see Wake Forest fully dominating NC State.They are better offensively, but the difference between the teams is not insurmountable. NC State should be able to put together a few drives on Wake Forest’s defense. I see the game ending in a field goal with the Demon Deacons pulling off the slight upset as the last seconds tick off the clock. Wake Forest wins, and hands the Wolfpack their third loss. (Wake Forest, 22-21)