KSL.com Sports' College Football Pick'em Week 10 preview

SALT LAKE CITY — As the calendar flips to November, the college football playoff picture is beginning to take shape — and Week 10 could prove pivotal for several contenders.

From an undefeated Navy squad battling North Texas in a potential AAC decider, to ESPN's "College GameDay" setting up shop in Salt Lake City for No. 17 Cincinnati vs. No. 24 Utah, this weekend is packed with high-stakes matchups that could define conference races across the country.

Navy (7-0) vs. North Texas (7-1)

Saturday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. MDT – DATCU Stadium (ESPN2)

Navy and North Texas square off in a monumental matchup for the AAC with a possible College Football Playoff spot on the line.

Why Navy will win:

The Midshipmen are 7-0 for the first time since 1978 and have won 10 straight games dating back to last season. Quarterback Blake Horvath had led a balanced attack for Navy, throwing for 1,063 yards and rushing for another 814. Horvath has 19 total touchdowns on the season and has the Midshipmen sitting a good spot as they aim to make the AAC championship game.

Navy has some tough opponents to close out the season including Notre Dame and Memphis but their biggest test to date will be North Texas this week. The Mean Green like to play fast and push the ball down the field but the Midshipmen's style of play could counteract their playstyle. North Texas struggled against Army, another service academy team that runs a similar offense to Navy.

The Black Knights won the time of possession battle against the Mean Green, controlling the football for 32 minutes and keeping North Texas' high powered offense on the sidelines. In order for the Midshipmen to remain undefeated and keep their playoff hopes alive they will need to control the ball and put together long scoring drives in order to combat the Mean Green offense.

Why North Texas will win:

Since losing a crucial game to South Florida, North Texas has scored 50 points in back-to-back games and are rolling as they face undefeated Navy. Drew Mestemaker set a new conference record in the team's win over Charlotte as he threw for 608 passing yards.

Three receivers had over 100 yards and Mestemaker totaled four passing touchdowns as well. It was a dominant performance for a quarterback and offense that can play as well as any in the country.

The Midshipmen will try to slow the game down in order to prevent the Mean Green offense from going ballistic once again. Navy has played in some close games, escaping with wins against Temple and Air Force and this will by far be the toughest offense they have faced.

North Texas shouldn't change up their game plan but they will need to stop the run and give their offense as many chances as possible to put up points. The Midshipmen might not be built to overcome a big deficit which would benefit the Mean Green if they get out to a hot start.

Line: UNT -6.5

Over/Under: 65.5

New Mexico (5-3) vs. UNLV (6-1)

Saturday, Nov. 1, 1 p.m. MDT – Allegiant Stadium (MWN)

UNLV hosts New Mexico as they look to get back into the win column while the Lobos look to add another conference win.

Why New Mexico will win:

New Mexico dominated Utah State last week, jumping out to a 19-point lead and never allowing the Aggies to threaten. It has been a surprise season for Jason Eck's team in his first year as head coach and the Lobos will have a chance to make another statement in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The Rebels have a high-powered offense but their defense has many cracks throughout which the Lobos must take advantage of. UNLV has escaped many games late with their offense but their defense has allowed 234 points this season which is third-most in the Mountain West, trailing Air Force and Utah State. New Mexico's offense looked good last week against the Aggies, totaling 407 yards while not turning the ball over.

The Lobos will need to find a way to slow down the Rebels' offense and if they are able to, they should be able to take advantage of a weak defense and give themselves a chance to win this one.

Why UNLV will win:

Dan Mullen has UNLV at 6-1 in his first year as head coach of the Rebels. It hasn't always been pretty but UNLV has found ways to win this season. Mullen has always been a great offensive mind and his offense is averaging 37.1 points per game, which is good for 17th in the nation. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has been a great add to this Rebel's roster after transferring from Virginia. Colandrea has thrown for 1,618 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding four scores on the ground.

UNLV has just four conference losses since 2023 with Boise State being responsible for two of them. The Broncos also defeated the Rebels in the past two conference championship games and outside of those losses, UNLV has dominated the Mountain West.

The Rebels can put points on the board but Colandrea and this offense will need help from the defense if they want to remain in the playoff hunt. UNLV is also coming off a bye after losing 56-31 to Boise State two weeks ago and they will hope the extra week of preparation will allow them to clean things up on defense.

Line: UNLV -4.5

Over/Under: 61.5

No. 15 Virginia (7-1) vs. California (5-3)

Saturday, Nov. 1, 1:45 p.m. MDT – California Memorial Stadium (ESPN2)

California hosts the Cavaliers as Virginia makes a trip across the country to play the Golden Bears.

Why Virginia will win:

Tony Elliott has completely turned around this Virginia program in his fourth year as head coach. After back-to-back three win seasons before a five win campaign last year, the Cavaliers are 7-1 and ranked for the first time since 2019. Sixth-year senior quarterback Chandler Morris has been a big part of Virginia's resurgence in the ACC as he has thrown for 1,807 yards while adding 16 total touchdowns.

Running back J'Mari Taylor has also had a major impact for the Cavaliers after coming over from North Carolina Central. Taylor has rushed for 581 yards and nine touchdowns to help power this 18th ranked scoring offense.

Virginia's upset against No. 8 Florida State was regarded as a great win for the team but after four consecutive losses from the Seminoles, the win doesn't look as great as many thought. Defeating Louisville on the road is the Cavaliers best win so far as the Cardinals are ranked just behind Virginia at No. 16 with that loss being their only one of the season.

Going into a tough environment in Louisville shows this team is capable of winning challenging road games and traveling across the country to California will be another test.

The Golden Bears have had an up and down season and the Cavaliers can take advantage of that inconsistency as they look to inch closer to a potential spot in the ACC championship game.

Why California will win:

As previously stated, California has been inconsistent throughout the 2025 season which can be expected when starting a true freshman at quarterback. Despite this, there is no doubt that quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is a special player.

After throwing for three touchdowns en route to a win in his college debut, Sagapolutele has had an up and down season, showing flashes of greatness but also coming up short at times. His performance in this one could dictate whether or not the Golden Bears pull off the upset.

California has one of the best passing defenses in the ACC and has the ability to slow down Morris and this Cavaliers passing attack. Allowing just 190.9 pass yards and 24.4 points per game, the Golden Bears can give Sagapolutele and their offense a chance if they are able to limit the Virginia offense.

The Cavaliers have played in tight games the last two weeks with their last two matchups being decided by a combined three points. Virginia escaped an upset from North Carolina as the Tar Heels' two-point conversion in overtime fell short. Now they have to make the trek across the country to take on California who could play spoiler to some ACC hopefuls.

Line: UVA -4.5

Over/Under: 53.5

Washington State (4-4) vs. Oregon State (1-7)

Saturday, Nov. 1, 5:30 p.m. MDT – Reser Stadium (CBS)

The lone two Pac-12 members face off for the first of two meetings.

Why Washington State will win:

The Cougars have played a tough schedule this season and have stayed afloat at 4-4 with a bowl game in reach. For a team that lost its head coach and star quarterback this offseason, first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers has done a good job after coming over from FCS South Dakota State. Washington State had to replace a ton of production after losing much of its roster to the transfer portal and have found success with those who stayed as well as newcomers.

One of those impact additions has been running back Kirby Vorhees, who followed Rogers from South Dakota State. Vorhees has accounted for 351 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season. It's not eye-popping numbers but the Cougars run an air raid offense and Vorhees has a 4.4 yards per carry average this season.

Wazzu's best offensive threat is wide receiver Joshua Meredith who has stuck around Washington State for all four years of his college career. Meredith has totaled 472 yards and two touchdowns as the top target for quarterback Zevi Eckhaus.

Eckhaus has split time with Jaxon Potter at quarterback this season but has taken control of the job in recent weeks. Like many players on this Cougars team, Eckhaus doesn't have eye popping numbers but this team is full of underdogs that can find ways to win.

All four of Wazzu's losses came from teams with six or more wins and they even gave Ole Miss a scare on the road. Washington State's best win came against 6-1 San Diego State in week two and they should have the advantage over Oregon State.

Why Oregon State will win:

It has been a disappointing season for the Beavers, as they sit 1-7 with their only win coming against FCS Lafayette. Maalik Murphy was Oregon States' prized transfer after the signal caller came over from Duke after beginning his career at Texas. Murphy has shown flashes of his potential but has failed to put it all together in Corvallis.

If you thought Washington State's schedule was brutal, the Beavers' has been much tougher. All of the teams they have faced have a record of .500 or better which has not been kind to this Oregon State team.

With that being said, they are battle-tested and this is the Pac-12, or at least what remains of it. Scarier things have happened on the west coast and the Beavers will have a chance in this one.

Turnovers have killed Oregon State this season and if they can cut back and keep them to a minimum and win the turnover battle, they will give themselves to pull off the upset.

Line: WSU -3.5

Over/Under: 47.5

No. 17 Cincinnati (7-1) vs. No. 24 Utah (6-2)

Saturday, Nov. 1, 8:15 p.m. MDT – Rice-Eccles Stadium (ESPN)

ESPN's College Gameday heads to Salt Lake City as the Utes host Cincinnati in a Top-25 Big 12 showdown.

Why Cincinnati will win:

Since losing their season-opener against Nebraska, the Bearcats have rattled off seven straight wins and now sit at the top of the Big 12 standings. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby has come up big for the 13th ranked scoring offense in college football as the junior has thrown for 1,843 yards and 27 total touchdowns while just throwing one interception.

Sorsby has helped power head coach Scott Satterfield's offense but they face a big test against a stout Utah defense. Sorsby will need to be good once again if they want to have a chance at the upset.

The Utes' two losses this season have come against the other top teams in the Big 12 after losing to Texas Tech and BYU. Cincinnati is capable of replicating what those two teams did in order to defeat Utah as the Bearcats have similar team averages on offense and defense.

Sorsby and running backs Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker have each rushed for over 400 yards this season as they have contributed to a strong rushing attack while defensive tackle Dontay Corleone clogs up the middle of this Cincinnati defense.

Colorado failed to do anything well in their 53-7 loss to the Utes as Utah rushed for 422 yards. Corleone and this defense will be tasked with slowing down the Utes' run game which can be effective with either Devon Dampier or Byrd Ficklin in at quarterback.

If the Bearcats can stop the run and force either of Utah's quarterbacks to beat them through the air, they will have a chance to shock the home crowd.

Why Utah will win:

The Utes dominated the Buffaloes from start to finish in last week's game. Ficklin excelled in his first career start after filling in for an injured Dampier. The status of Dampier heading into this matchup will be unclear once again as Kyle Whittingham loves to play these games with his injury report but Dampier and Ficklin are similar players with Dampier being more polished as a passer.

Ficklin should still give the Utes a good chance to win this game if Dampier is still unable to go after he totaled 291 yards of offense and three touchdowns against Colorado.

Utah's defense can wreak havoc any given Saturday, and last week's game against Colorado was a statement performance after a disappointing loss to their most bitter rival, the Cougars.

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley had his defense dialed in all game, allowing just 140 total yards to the Buffaloes. Cincinnati has a much more prolific offense than Colorado but last week's performance may give us a taste of what another night game at Rice-Eccles Stadium is like.

The Utes still have all of their goals in front of them but taking care of business against the Bearcats on Saturday night is the first step for Whittingham and his team as they look to get back in the mix for a Big 12 Championship birth.

Line: Utah -9.5

Over/Under: 55.5

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