College football predictions: JD PicKell gives picks for top Week 10 games

Get ready for more college football predictions for the biggest games of Week 10 of the 2024 season as On3’s JD PicKell gave us the must-watch games.

There are some big headliners but some absurd lines. Still here at On3, no one will shy away from making picks even with lines that might make you look twice.

PicKell broke down the biggest games of the weekend on The Hard Count and made his predictions. Let’s dive in.

Ohio State (-3.5) at Penn State

PicKell: “If you’re a Penn State student, I know it hurts a little bit. It’s not a white out game. I get there’s a bunch of traditions within the Big Ten, or a bunch of rules that are like archaic within the Big Ten, they’re still going to bring like a white out level of energy for this game. Ohio State, 3.5 point favorites… If you’re Penn State, man, there’s a beautiful part of the 12-team playoff as it pertains to this game. Nobody inside that building is thinking like, hey, we can drop this game and still make the playoff. Nobody’s actually thinking that. But if you are going to zoom out from a fan base level, the stakes have never been lower for this spot, because of what I just said. 

“You could, in theory, lose to Ohio State, regardless of the score, and I think be in a really good position to still make that 12 team dance. Now you play to win, but I’m just saying now, lower stakes in theory should equate to less pressure. Less pressure should equate to, in a lot of cases, not playing tight. Not playing tight equates to playing pretty well.”

PicKell knows the key of the game for Penn State is to get to Ohio State QB Will Howard. Abdul Carter is a menace and Ohio State has struggled in pass protection lately. But the On3 host expects some adjustments from OC Chip Kelly and they’ll take some shots at the Nittany Lions. Based on talent alone, PicKell is leaning towards Ohio State. As far as the pick, it’s the same. He’s going with the Buckeyes and the points to cover on the road, 28-24.

Georgia (-16.5) vs. Florida

PicKell: “Georgia’s favored by 16.5 points in this football game, right? Georgia, to me, right now, is kind of like the Heath Ledger ‘Joker.’ There’s that scene in the ‘Dark Knight’ where Joker is just like menacingly clapping at the police chief, and you’re not really sure why, but then it becomes very apparent as to why. Because Joker is about to go crazy on you. That’s Kirby Smart right now. 

“So if you’re keeping track at home, we have now compared Kirby Smart to ‘Thanos’ and the Heath Ledger ‘Joker.’ But the reason for that being that is, I think the way that Georgia is trending, they are off a bye week. The last time you saw them, they beat the No. 1 team in America at the time, the Texas Longhorns, by two touchdowns at their place. Okay, Georgia right now is about to ascend, about the boom, and that’s kind of what they do this time of year.”

This is a lot of points for PicKell on the surface. He’s wondering if there’s a sense of “exhale” now that Georgia got by Texas and proved itself again, so to speak. That’s despite going up against a rival this weekend. 

Unfortunately, Florida is going up against the Bulldogs at the wrong time. That’s not to say DJ Lagway won’t flash a bit for the Gators in this one, but Georgia is too much. PicKell is leaning towards Georgia and the cover.

Kentucky at Tennessee (-15.5)

PicKell: “This place is going to be on fire. And the thing with Tennessee now, they got a bye week. Had Alabama before the bye week. And the feel, a little bit for me, is for Tennessee now, do you have this feeling like, Okay,  now we go? Like, now we’ve proven to ourselves we’re good enough to hang with the top tier in college football, which is what Alabama was when he played them. Are we able to get this thing rolling? Now, momentum is a dangerous thing, especially in college football. 

“I’m curious, because the question hasn’t ever been, does Nico Iamaleava have the physical tools, or does the offense have the plays? They’re like, nobody’s questioning Josh Heupel, nobody should be questioning Nico’s physical gifts. The question right now is can we make it all work together? Kentucky as much as they’ve shown on tape, I think the answer should be, if it’s not this game when’s it happening?”

PicKell noted how the vibes are bad with Kentucky. It makes no sense right? As he put it anyway. For the Wildcats to win, you better hope Nico Iamaleava is off in this one, especially at home. Hence why Tennessee is the big favorite in this SEC matchup. Tennessee’s “safety net” is too high to drop this game.

PicKell isn’t inspired by the Kentucky offense either and the Georgia game is a distant memory. So, take Tennessee with the points, in the black uniforms!

Texas A&M (-2.5) at South Carolina

PicKell: “Overlook South Carolina at your own risk, is what I would say for Texas A&M because you see that record, you see what they are in the conference, like, oh my gosh … We just beat LSU. We’re about to roll okay. I mean, that spread is what it is, for a reason. South Carolina, they are in the business of hunting heads. Make no mistake … They have a top three sack rate in America, darn near 11%. That’s not comfortable, especially if, and I’m assuming this is the case, you’re rolling out there with Marcel Reed, the redshirt freshman quarterback … and again, “But in this spot for A&M now, while LSU is a tougher roster test, think that’s totally true, this is going to be the most difficult spot they have had all season long. And the reason why I feel that way is you just had the emotional win. You had a huge win at home. You switched quarterbacks, more than likely, and now we’re in a spot where, if you’re A&M, gotta go on the road to one of the most difficult environments in the SEC.”

PicKell got into the more nitty gritty stuff like A&M being susceptible to the big play. South Carolina can take advantage Saturday. LaNorris Sellers is good enough to ad lib against the Aggies, especially if the latter is out of position. In the end though, A&M might have a little too much on defense, despite praising the abilities of the Gamecocks. Talent might be the difference. PicKell is going with Texas A&M to win this game and cover and perhaps even win by double digits.

Oregon at Michigan (+15.5)

PicKell: “Michigan now, back on track, back on track with a win over Michigan State, and it’s great to beat your rival. Totally get that. But I think the thing that stood out to me, even more than them just beating Michigan State was (we) saw a little bit of the edge for Michigan … But, like, I never want to glorify fighting, because I think, like, fighting should happen in the octagon, in MMA, not in college football, but you saw Michigan show a little bit of juice there at the end of the game, but Michigan State going back and forth. 

“Now, I don’t want to just give a broad strokes take on that, because we’ve seen that there’s some ugly stuff that’s happened within this rivalry when it comes to fighting. So I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but I am saying like seeing just some pride some metaphorical fight for Michigan. I think if you’re a Michigan fan that’s been missing. And I think that was needed in terms of how they looked against Michigan State.”

Oregon is a big favorite for a reason despite going to Ann Arbor and Michigan maybe finding itself again. There’s a big talent discrepancy at certain positions, in favor of the Ducks. PicKell is just unsure if the Wolverines can keep pace in the end. Oregon wins definitively, but Michigan will cover at home. Maybe a 34-20 type of score, per the esteemed On3 host.