8 College Football Teams In The Top 25 Most Likely To Lose In Week 10

College football teams that are ranked in the Top 25 at this point in the season have proven they deserve to be on the list of the best teams in the country, but more than a few of them have their work cut out for them in Week 10.

Week 10 of the college football season features two matchups between teams in the Top 25 (including the most anticipated showdown on the entire schedule) as well as a few others where teams with a number next to their name are facing off against some very stiff competition.

Here’s why all of the teams in the most danger on paper could end up losing by the time everything is said and done.

#3 Penn State

Game of the Week honors firmly belong to the highly-anticipated contest between #3 Penn State and #4 Ohio State, which is shaping up to be quite the battle.

The Nittany Lions are 3.5-point underdogs on their home turf in a game where both James Franklin and Ryan Day are facing a ton of pressure to prove they can win when it matters most.

The status of Penn State QB Drew Allar is the biggest concern after he was banged up against Wisconsin, and there are also potential issues on the defensive side of the ball due to the injuries Anthony Donkoh and Dani Dennis-Sutton suffered during the win.

These two teams are very evenly matched on both sides of the ball, and while Ohio State will face a formidable rushing defense, they still have the talent to hand Penn State its first loss of the season.

#4 Ohio State

On the flip side, Penn State will have home-field advantage and will be doing everything in its power to snap the seven-game winning streak Ohio State has had in the series since winning in 2017.

The aforementioned injuries are obviously less than ideal, but the Nittany Lions have enough depth to overcome them and are more than equipped to dispatch an Ohio State team that had to eke out a win over Nebraska last week.

If the team’s defense plays to the best of its ability, the Buckeyes could be in for a very long day.

#10 Texas A&M

The 7-1 Aggies have rattled off seven wins in a row after losing to Notre Dame to open up the season, and they definitely earned a spot in the Top 10 with a decisive win over LSU last week.

With that said, Texas A&M is only listed as a 2.5-point favorite over South Carolina on the road, and it’s hard to ignore the internal QB battle that’s been brewing as Mike Elko replaced Conner Weigman with Marcel Reed midway through the win over the Tigers.

The Aggies offense has been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, but it hinged heavily on the running game against LSU—a feat that will be much harder to pull off against South Carolina’s rushing defense.

#13 Indiana

All signs point to Indiana improving to 9-0 while continuing one of the more unexpected success stories we’ve been treated to this season, as they’re favored to beat Michigan State by eight points on the road.

QB Kurtis Rourke is expected to make his return from a thumb injury that sidelined him against Washington, although his health may still be a slight cause for concern.

Michigan State’s defense will need to play a virtually perfect game if it wants to come away with the win, and while I’m not particularly optimistic they’ll be able to do so, they looked pretty solid against Michigan despite the loss to the Wolverines last week.

I’ll be surprised if Indiana ends up with its first loss of the season, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

 

#18 Pitt

The second Top 25 matchup this week features #18 Pitt and #20 SMU, and the undefeated Panthers are facing their toughest contest yet as 7.5-point underdogs against a new ACC opponent.

Pitt got some good news this week after announcing QB Eli Holstein should be healthy enough to play after getting injured against Syracuse, but he’ll be facing a tough defense with a secondary that’s ready to pounce on any mistakes.

SMU also has a pretty electric offense led by QB Kevin Jennings (who is expected to play after suffering a setback of his own against Duke), and they can get things done on the ground and in the air.

Pitt prides itself on its defense, but the Broncos have shown they have what it takes to make life very, very difficult for the guys on that side of the ball.

#19 Ole Miss

As is the case with Indiana, I’ll be fairly surprised if Ole Miss ends up on the wrong side of an upset against an Arkansas team that’s listed as a 7-point underdog.

With that said, the Razorbacks have surpassed expectations this season and have already pulled off a major shocker with a win over Tennessee.

Ole Miss has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in the form of Jaxson Dart, and stopping the passing attack will be the biggest key for Arkansas if they want to win.

The Razorbacks can also get things done in the air and on the ground, and if Ole Miss struggles to contain them, they could end up with their third loss of the year.

#20 SMU

As I mentioned above, Pitt’s defense is nothing to scoff at, and while I find it hard to believe Kevin Jennings is going to implode like Kyle McCord did when the Panthers played Syracuse, he and the rest of the offense are going to be facing a ton of pressure throughout the course of this game.

The Panthers are going to need to make an impressive stand to get the win, but they’ve shown they’re more than capable.

#24 Illinois

Illinois might be in the Top 25, but they’re still listed as 3-point underdogs against Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers are 5-3, but they got a statement win over USC a week after coming incredibly close to pulling off an upset against Michigan.

Minnesota has come a long way since losing to North Carolina to start the season, and while their running game (or lack thereof) is a cause for concern, they can easily make up for it by getting things done in the air.

Illinois has also had issues stopping teams on third down, and their opponents can take advantage of that reality to control the game, wear down the defense, and come away with a win.