College football is back in full swing. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 10.
1. Ohio State at Penn State
Ohio State and Penn State was a game circled on the calendar before the season began. The Buckeyes have one loss, which was by one point on the road at now top-ranked Oregon. They have been good on both sides of the ball this season, scoring 40.3 points and allowing just 11.9 points per game. There is some real concern for the offensive line that has suffered injuries over the last few weeks.
Penn State is undefeated, but still doesn’t have an overly impressive win so far this year. They are scoring 33.6 points per game, but have shown more offensive creativity this season. Their defense has played well, giving up 14.3 points per game. For Penn State, the key injury is to starting quarterback Drew Allar, who had to leave the game last week against Wisconsin. His status is unknown. Either way, it should be a great game and the one to watch of the weekend.
2. Undefeated Teams in the ACC
Fans will need to tune to the ACC Network to see Pittsburgh play SMU in a battle of undefeated teams in ACC play. Pittsburgh is still undefeated overall this year, with their best wins being over Syracuse in-conference and victories over a pair of Big 12 teams in Cincinnati and West Virginia. Their offense has been particularly impressive this year, as they are putting up 40.9 points per game, ranking seventh in the country. Ther defense gives up 22.9 points per game, which makes them a solid unit.
SMU has one loss on the season, which came to undefeated BYU. The Mustangs have decent ACC wins over Louisville and Duke. They score 39.1 points and allow 21.4 points per game. Kevin Jennings has played solidly at quarterback this season, but the running game has really helped the offense. A win in this game would set up the Mustangs pretty well to make an ACC Championship Game in their first game in the conference.
3. Texas A&M’s Road Test
Texas A&M notched a big win over LSU to put them in the discussion to make the College Football Playoff. Now they have a road test at South Carolina. The Aggies have had their ups and downs this season, averaging 32.3 points and allowing 18.4 points per game. Their offense has been fueled by the rushing attack, which averages 221.5 yards per game. The quarterback position has gone back and forth this year, but Marcel Reed finished the game against LSU and figures to start this week.
South Carolina has four wins this season and are still playing to reach bowl eligibility. Their offense has been an issue, as they score just 28.6 points per game. The South Carolina defense has been solid, as they are allowing 18.7 points per game. Their defensive line specifically has plenty of playmakers that can make it tough on any opposing offense. They could help spur an upset.
4. Clemson’s Biggest Game in a While
Clemson lost to Georgia in the opening week of the season and have largely been forgotten about since. That is partially because of the loss and also partially because of them not having a marquee game on their schedule. Despite not getting a lot of recognition, they have played good football and have not lost since week 1.
This week, the Tigers play Louisville. Louisville is 5-3, which makes them the only team above .500 on their schedule since playing Georgia. There are tougher games down the stretch for Clemson, but this will really give a good barometer on Clemson. Cade Klubnik has played well at the quarterback position and this game could reintroduce him to the national landscape as a good college quarterback.
5. Ashton Jeanty Milestones
There aren’t many marquee games this week, which means things will likely get crazy. Keep an eye on the scores, but singling games out here may not lead to the greatest results. That means there are other things to watch. Ashton Jeanty has been appointment television this season and Boise State plays San Diego State Friday night.
So far this season, Jeanty has rushed for 1,376 yards and 18 touchdowns. In this game against San Diego State, who has an average rush defense, Jeanty can hit some key milestones. He could reach 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns on the season. The last Heisman Trophy-winning running back was Derrick Henry in 2015. He had 1,986 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns before bowl season. Mark Ingram won the award in 2009. Ingram had 1,542 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns before bowl season. Jeanty has the chance to smash those numbers and could even surpass Ingram this week. The precedent of production could help him win the Heisman if voters are locked in to late night football.
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