TUCKER’S PICK ‘EM: College football picks and previews for Week 10

 

 

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – 41NBC’s Tucker Sargent makes his picks in this week’s games of interest.

Record last week: 9-4

Record this season: 80-26

All Times Eastern

All FBS rankings reflect latest College Football Playoff poll

 

 

Navy (5-2, 4-1 AAC) @ Notre Dame (3-5)
Saturday, November 5 at 11:30 a.m. CBS
Notre Dame hasn’t lost to Navy since 2010, but it might happen this weekend.

Yes, the Irish beat Miami last week, but they’ve struggled with consistency all season.

I’m taking the Midshipmen for that reason:

Navy 33, Notre Dame 30

Actual Score: Navy 28, Notre Dame 27 (WIN)

 

 

 

Georgia Southern (4-4, 3-2 Sun Belt) @ Ole Miss (3-5, 1-4 SEC)
Saturday, November 5 at 12 p.m. ESPNU
Georgia Southern couldn’t stop Appalachian State quarterback Taylor Lamb last Thursday night.

The son of Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb threw for 199 yards and added 94 on the ground in the Mountaineers’ 34-10 win.

Now the Eagles get to play Chad Kelly:

Ole Miss 44, Georgia Southern 21

Actual Score: Ole Miss 37, Georgia Southern 27 (WIN)

 

 

 

No. 4 Texas A&M (7-1, 4-1 SEC) @ Mississippi State (3-5, 1-3 SEC)
Saturday, November 5 at 12 p.m. SEC NETWORK
The big “news” of the week is Texas A&M is fourth (ahead of unbeaten Washington) in the first edition of this year’s College Football Playoff rankings.

I’m still trying to figure out why “playoff rankings” are released more than a month before the four playoff teams are determined:

Texas A&M 38, Mississippi State 21

Actual Score: Mississippi State 35, Texas A&M 28 (LOSS)

 

 

 

Vanderbilt (4-4, 1-3 SEC) @ No. 9 Auburn (6-2, 4-1 SEC)
Saturday, November 5 at 12 p.m. ESPN
Time for this week’s “Did You Know?”

Vanderbilt has beaten Auburn the last two times they’ve played. The Commodores won 14-13 in 2008 and 17-13 in 2012.

The Tigers made coaching changes after both seasons:

Auburn 37, Vanderbilt 14

Actual Score: Auburn 23, Vanderbilt 16 (WIN)

 

 

 

Georgia Tech (5-3, 2-3 ACC) @ No. 21 North Carolina (6-2, 4-1 ACC)
Saturday, November 5 at 12:30 p.m. ACC NETWORK
UNC welcomes Georgia Tech and its triple-option offense to Chapel Hill, hoping to stay in first place in the ACC Coastal Division.

The Tar Heels will counter with their high-powered passing game, led by quarterback Mitch Trubisky. The junior is third in the nation in completion percentage (0.712).

If you like offense, tune in:

North Carolina 33, Georgia Tech 24

Actual Score: North Carolina 48, Georgia Tech 20 (WIN)

 

 

 

Albany State (5-3, 3-1 SIAC) @ Fort Valley State (3-6, 3-3 SIAC) *in Columbus, Ga.
Saturday, November 5 at 2 p.m.
Wins in its last two games have undoubtedly helped Fort Valley State’s team morale.

But barring a miracle in the 27th annual Fountain City Classic, the Wildcats will finish 3-7:

Albany State 31, Fort Valley State 10

Actual Score: Fort Valley State 21, Albany State 17 (LOSS)

 

 

 

East Tennessee State (3-5, 1-5 SoCon) @ Mercer (4-4, 2-3 SoCon)
Saturday, November 5 at 3 p.m. FOX SPORTS SOUTH
The SoCon Newbie Bowl is in Macon this year.

Mercer picked a good opponent for homecoming:

Mercer 40, East Tennessee State 16

Actual Score: Mercer 21, East Tennessee State 13 (WIN)

 

 

 

No. 11 Florida (6-1, 4-1 SEC) @ Arkansas (5-3, 1-3 SEC)
Saturday, November 5 at 3:30 p.m. CBS
We’re about to find out how good Florida really is.

Arkansas is arguably the best team the Gators have seen (besides Tennessee—the Gators’ only loss), and the schedule gets tougher from here, including trips to LSU and Florida State:

Florida 28, Arkansas 18

Actual Score: Arkansas 31, Florida 10 (LOSS)

 

 

 

Missouri (2-6, 0-4 SEC) @ South Carolina (4-4, 2-4 SEC)
Saturday, November 5 at 4 p.m. SEC NETWORK
Will Muschamp’s first year is going better than Barry Odom’s, that’s for sure.

With four games left, the Gamecocks could still (mathematically) earn a bowl bid:

South Carolina 27, Missouri 26

Actual Score: South Carolina 31, Missouri 21 (WIN)

 

 

 

Georgia (4-4, 2-4 SEC) @ Kentucky (5-3, 4-2 SEC)
Saturday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m. SEC NETWORK
After a 3-0 start, Georgia has lost three of its last four games. Now it draws red-hot Kentucky.. on the road. At night.

The Wildcats have won three in a row and five of their last seven, but they haven’t beaten the Dawgs since 2009:

Georgia 27, Kentucky 24

Actual Score: Georgia 27, Kentucky 24 (WIN)

 

 

 

No. 1 Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) @ No. 13 LSU (5-2, 3-1 SEC)
Saturday, November 5 at 8 p.m. CBS
Leonard Fournette was supposed to shine against Alabama last season. Instead, he rushed for 31 yards.

A chance for redemption awaits Saturday night in Death Valley.

The Crimson Tide will pull away in the fourth quarter and beat the Tigers for the sixth straight time:

Alabama 30, LSU 20

Actual Score: Alabama 10, LSU 0 (WIN)

 

 

 

No. 10 Nebraska (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) @ No. 6 Ohio State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)
Saturday, November 5 at 8 p.m. ABC
Here’s an example of why those “way-too-early” playoff rankings I mentioned are irrelevant.

If one of these teams wins out, there’s no way it misses the playoff. The same can be said for almost half the teams in the Top 25:

Ohio State 35, Nebraska 24

Actual Score: Ohio State 62, Nebraska 3 (WIN)