Week 9 is in the books and we are getting ready for Week 10! I love this time of the year when the contenders are tested and there are upsets every week.
The great thing is that even with a loss, your season is not over as every year at least one one-loss team will make the CFP.
The Pac-12 is continuing to make a statement as the deepest conference of the Power Five this year and we are seeing very top heavy conferences in the Big Ten and ACC and who knows how the Big 12 will turn out.
Every week we start to get more clarity as to the strength of each team and you will see the rankings updated below.
Take a look and see where your team stands in this week’s Top 5 Rankings.
Scroll to the bottom to see how Rivalry Sports did on their picks for the Week 9 games and to see a summary of this week’s picks!
Win/Loss Records of the picks for Week 9:
| Picker | Rivalry Sports – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker |
| Win – Loss Record Week 9 | 13 – 5 | 12 – 6 |
| Overall Won/Loss Record on Picks (starting in Week 5 for Dustin) | 62 – 28 | 46 – 26 |
Guest Picker Won/Loss Records
| Guest Picker | Week | Won/Loss Record on Picks | Winning Percentage |
| Stephanie Kirby | 6 | 11 – 7 | 61.11% |
| Lance Kirby | 7 | 12 – 8 | 60.00% |
| Brandon Kirby | 8 | 11 – 5 | 68.75% |
| Nolan Kirby | 9 | 12 – 6 | 66.7% |
RIVALRY SPORTS LOCK PICK OF THE WEEK
| Week | Rivalry Sports Game Score Pick | Actual Result |
| 6 | Notre Dame over Louisville | Louisville Over Notre Dame 33 – 20 |
| 7 | Utah over California 24 – 10 | Utah over California 34 – 14 |
| 8 | Michigan over Michigan State 38 – 17 | Michigan over Michigan State 49 – 0 |
| 9 10 | Penn State over Indiana 38 – 10 Michigan over Purdue 45 – 17 | Penn State over Indiana 33 – 24 |
Check out last week’s Top 5 Rankings
College football never disappoints, and this year is no exception. Let’s check in with the Weekly Rivalry Sports Top 5 for each Power Conference.
SEC TOP FIVE
The SEC looked weaker than usual a few weeks ago with Georgia seeming to be the only team in the conference that seemed to be a tier 1 team, but many other teams have come through and showed that the SEC is not a one-team conference.
The SEC West is still strong and is deep as Alabama, LSU, or Ole Miss could win the Division and Georgia is not guaranteed to win the SEC East as they still have to play Tennessee, Missouri, and Ole Miss!
1. GEORGIA (8 – 0) AP Ranking – #1
The Dawgs not only showed that they are for real with a dominating win over rival Florida, they showed that even without superstar TE Brock Bowers they are still the defending champs and the team to beat!
QB Carson Beck and his weapons blew the Gators off the field in winning by the score of 43 – 20.
This week they will have another challenge when they face an underrated Missouri Tigers team that only has one loss on the season.
The Bulldogs need to stay focused as they have a tough finish that includes three ranked teams and another rivalry game vs Georgia Tech.
We will see if they can stay focused this week against the Tigers.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 1
Week 10 Opponent: Missouri at 3:30pm EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. ALABAMA (7 – 1) AP Ranking – #8
Alabama had the Bye week to rest up and to clean up any weaknesses as they prepare for their showdown with LSU this coming weekend.
Alabama is the higher ranked team, but LSU comes in with maybe the best offense in college football.
Coach Nick Saban and his staff will have had two full weeks to prepare so I am sure that they will be as prepared as possible to try to slow LSU down.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 2
Week 10 Opponent: LSU at 7:45pm EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
3. OLE MISS (7 – 1) AP Ranking – #11
The Rebels gave Vanderbilt a beatdown by the score of 33 – 7 this weekend.
If Ole Miss can continue with a balanced Offense and a steady Defense then they will be tough to beat the rest of the year.
Although Ole Miss will have a tough game against Texas A&M this weekend, they will also be keeping an eye on the LSU vs Alabama game as they need LSU to win to keep their SEC West hopes alive.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 3
Week 10 Opponent: Texas A&M at 12:00pm EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. LSU (6 – 2) AP Ranking – #13
LSU was also on a Bye last week in preparation for their showdown with Alabama this weekend.
Although the Tigers have already experienced two losses this year, a win over their rival Alabama would keep them in the running for the SEC West crown.
QB Jayden Daniels is leading a lethal offense that will look to upset the Tide while the LSU Defense will look to hold the inconsistent Alabama Offense in check.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 4
Week 10 Opponent: @ Alabama at 7:45pm EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Tennessee (6 – 2) AP Ranking – #19
Tennessee may not win the SEC East this year, but they are still looking to finish their season strong and get into a good Bowl game.
This past weekend was a good start when they beat Kentucky by the score of 33 – 27.
Tennessee still has four games left and two of them are against ranked opponents in Missouri and Georgia.
If Tennessee can win out or win three of four and then win their Bowl game they will have won double digit games for two years in a row.
This week they have the Uconn Huskies coming to Knoxville and will look to get another win in the books.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 5
Week 10 Opponent: Connecticut at 12:00 pm EDT, Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from SEC Top 5 Rankings:
Same 5 as last week
Big Ten TOP FIVE
The B1G looks like more of a Top-Heavy team each week with Michigan, OSU, and PSU looking like top ten teams and nobody else in the conference ranked.
The last month of the season will determine just how the conference is viewed when Michigan plays both OSU and PSU.
1. MICHIGAN (8 – 0) AP Ranking – #2
The Wolverines had a Bye week this past week and used it to get healthy and try to get refocused for the stretch run of the season.
This will be more difficult than most years as they are dealing with being investigated for an illegal scouting scandal that has left a cloud over the team.
If they can refocus starting with the game against Purdue this week, then this team is a legitimate National Championship contender!
Last Week B1G Ranking: 1
Week 6 Opponent: Purdue at 7:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. OHIO STATE (8 – 0) AP Ranking – #3
The Buckeyes were tested by the Badgers this past weekend, but they showed toughness and came out with a 24 – 10 win.
This is not the same Ohio State team as in past years as the Offense is still good, but not excellent like previous years, but the Defense is strong and among the best in the nation.
The Buckeyes have another tough test this coming weekend against a physical Rutgers team, but with a win they can continue to show their resiliency.
Last Week B1G Ranking: 2
Week 10 Opponent: @ Rutgers at 12:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. PENN STATE (7 – 1) AP Ranking – #9
The Nittany Lions were surprisingly tested by an Indiana team they were supposed to blow out this past weekend.
Penn State still won by the score of 33 – 24, but the game was actually tied with less than two minutes to go.
PSU was probably still dealing with the loss to Ohio State in their previous game, but now they need to get refocused as they face a desperate Maryland team this weekend.
Last Week B1G Ranking: 3
Week 10 Opponent: @ Maryland at 3:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. Iowa (6 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
The Hawkeyes moved up a spot in the rankings after their Bye week by virtue of Maryland dropping out of the rankings.
Iowa will look to continue their march toward the Big Ten West Crown this week against Northwestern who has started to really look like a team that could make a Bowl game.
The Hawkeyes will look to come out of their Bye week with an improved Offense to complement their powerful Defense.
Last Week B1G Ranking: 5
Week 10 Opponent: @ Northwestern at 3:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Wisconsin (5 – 3) AP Ranking – Unranked
By virtue of the B1G not having an obvious team to take the fifth spot in the rankings, Wisconsin is awarded the spot after losing a tough game against Ohio State by the score of 24 – 10.
That is not to say that the Badgers are not a good team, but they are tied with three other teams for first place in the Big Ten West.
If the Badgers can win against Indiana this coming week they will keep their shot at the Big Ten West Crown alive.
Last Week B1G Ranking: Unranked
Week 10 Opponent: @ Indiana at 12:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from Big 10 Top 5 Rankings:
MARYLAND (5 – 3) AP Ranking – Unranked
PAC-12 TOP FIVE
This past weekend really separated Washington and Oregon from the rest of the Conference as they look like they could have a rematch against each other in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Just because those two teams are in line to make the Pac-12 Championship doesn’t mean that there are no other strong teams in the Conference.
1. WASHINGTON (8 – 0) AP Ranking – #5
Washington survived a closer than expected win against Stanford this past weekend by the score of 42 – 33.
The last two weeks have been much closer games than expected, but most importantly Washington was able to come out with a win each time.
The Huskies will look to get back to their dominating ways this coming weekend when they face a talented, yet inconsistent USC team.
Washington is in control of their own fate and they could make it to the Pac-12 game undefeated.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 1
Week 10 Opponent: @ USC at 7:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. OREGON (7 – 1) AP Ranking – #6
Oregon had one of the best wins of the year this past weekend when they absolutely dominated a good Utah team by the score of 35 – 6.
Oregon lost to Washington at Washington earlier this year, but at the moment the Ducks are looking like one of the best teams in College Football.
If Oregon continues to play like this they could find themselves facing a rematch with Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game.
First though, they have to keep playing well starting with their game against California this weekend.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 2
Week 10 Opponent: California at 5:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. UTAH (6 – 2) AP Ranking – #18
The Utes were riding high going into their game against Oregon, but were dominated in their matchup against Oregon.
Utah has shown enough this year that we know that they are a good team and will not knock them down in the Pac-12 rankings as I think they are still the third best team in the Conference.
The Utes will look to show that this past game was not them when they take on Arizona State this coming weekend.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 3
Week 10 Opponent: Arizona State at 2:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. USC (7 – 2) AP Ranking – #24
USC squeaked out a 50 – 49 win over California this weekend, but still moves up in the Pac-12 rankings due to Oregon State’s loss.
The Trojans could rise or fall from their current spot depending on how motivated QB Caleb Williams and the team can stay.
This week USC will look to improve their ranking with a win over a very good Washington team.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 5
Week 10 Opponent: Washington at 7:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
5. OREGON STATE (6 – 2) AP Ranking – #16
With this past weekend’s loss to Arizona the Beavers fell a spot in the rankings, but they battled with UCLA for the fifth spot and because of their head to head win they came out on top.
Oregon State is disappointed with their loss to Arizona this past weekend, but Arizona is a strong team and could compete for the fifth spot in the Pac-12 rankings by the end of the year.
The Beavers will look to get back to their winning ways this coming weekend when they play the high-profile Colorado Buffaloes.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 4
Week 10 Opponent: @ Colorado at 10:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from Pac – 12 Top 5 Rankings:
Same 5 as Last Week
BIG 12 TOP FIVE
The waters in the Big 12 were muddied this past weekend when Kansas upset Oklahoma.
Now it seems that nobody is going to run away with the Conference and it will be a fight to the end.
1. OKLAHOMA (7 – 1) AP Ranking – #10
Oklahoma almost blew a game against UCF in Week 8 and in Week 9 they once again played with fire and ended up getting burned in their loss to Kansas.
This is a devastating blow not only to the Sooners, but to the Big 12 conference’s hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Now the best the Big 12 can hope for is one of their teams winning the Big 12 Championship with only one loss.
There are enough weeks left in the season that many other teams will lose, but Oklahoma definitely lost any room for error and has not looked like a top 10 team the last couple of weeks.
They will look to get back on track this week against their bitter rival in Oklahoma State in the Bedlam rivalry.
Oklahoma State is angry that Oklahoma is leaving them behind and going to the SEC next year and would like nothing more than to ruin Oklahoma’s season.
The Cowboys will put everything into this game so if the Sooners are not laser focused and motivated they will suffer another loss, but I am betting they get back on track.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 1
Week 10 Opponent: @ Oklahoma State at 3:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
2. TEXAS (7 – 1) AP Ranking – #7
With star QB Quinn Ewers injured, the Defense stepped up and backup QB Maalik Murphy did enough to dominate BYU by the score of 35 – 6.
If Texas can stay afloat while Ewers recovers then they could make a run for the Big 12 Championship.
However, they have a tough game this week against a surging Kansas State team.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 2
Week 10 Opponent: Kansas State at 12:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
3. Kansas State (6 – 2) AP Ranking – #25
With the Wildcats using both veteran QB Will Howard and Freshman phenom QB Avery Johnson, Kansas State has looked like a different team.
This past weekend the Wildcats beat Houston by the score of 41 – 0 and showed that they are a team to take seriously.
This week will show just how far Kansas State has come when they go into Austin and take on a talented Texas team.
Last Week Big 12 Ranking: 3
Week 10 Opponent: @ Texas at 12:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. KANSAS (6 – 2) AP Ranking – #22
The Jayhawks just won one of the if not the biggest upsets of the season when they beat Oklahoma this past weekend by the score of 38 – 33.
Backup QB Jason Bean has seemingly gotten better each week and the Jayhawks are surging.
They will look to keep winning this week against an underrated Iowa State team.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 4
Week 10 Opponent: @ Iowa State at 7:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Oklahoma State (6 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
Coach Mike Gundy has led the Cowboys from a horrible start to the season to a tie for first place in the Conference!
This past weekend they dominated Cincinnati by the score of 45 – 13.
Don’t count out the Cowboys who have ridden veteran QB Alan Bowman and superstar RB Ollie Gordon to a four game winning streak!
This week is a game that everyone in Oklahoma will be watching as it is Bedlam week!
The Cowboys will take on the Sooners and look to win the last Bedlam game before Oklahoma departs the Big 12 for the SEC next year.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 5
Week 10 Opponent: Oklahoma at 3:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from Big 12 Top 5 Rankings:
Same 5 as Last Week
ACC TOP FIVE
The ACC has experienced a huge change this year as Florida State has taken the pole position in the league with Louisville in second place.
If FSU can finish out the season undefeated and win the ACC Championship, they should ensure themselves a spot in the CFP.
1. FLORIDA STATE (8 – 0) AP Ranking – #4
The Seminoles looked good again this past weekend when they defeated Wake Forest by the score of 41 – 16.
FSU is a complete team that is strong on Offense and Defense and has the look of a real playoff contender.
They still have four regular season games left so they need to stay focused, starting with this week’s game against Pitt.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 1
Week 10 Opponent: @ Pitt at 3:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (7 – 1) AP Ranking – #15
With the Cardinals domination of Duke by the score of 23 – 0, they jump up from fourth to second in the Conference rankings.
The Cardinals control their destiny and could play Florida State in the ACC Championship Game if they can win out starting with this week’s game against Virginia Tech.
Coach Jeff Brohm has excelled in his first season as the Coach of the Cardinals and Louisville is a dangerous team right now.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 4
Week 10 Opponent: Virginia Tech at 3:30PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. NORTH CAROLINA (6 – 2) AP Ranking – #Unranked
The Tar Heels have to stop the reeling!
After losing to Georgia Tech this past weekend that is the second loss in a row after they started the season with six straight wins.
Even with the two losses in a row I feel that a Drake Maye led team is dangerous and is the third best team in the Conference.
They will look to get back to winning when they play Campbell this weekend.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 2
Week 10 Opponent: Campbell at 12:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. Miami (6 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
Miami got a tough overtime win against Virginia this past weekend by the score of 29 – 26 and it kept them in the top 5 of the Conference.
The Hurricanes are a tough team to gauge as they have at least one loss that should have been a win.
I believe they are one of the 5 best teams in the Conference and they will be looking to get another win this weekend when they face a tough NC State team.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 5
Week 10 Opponent: @ NC State at 8:00PM EDT Saturday 11/4/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. DUKE (5 – 3) AP Ranking – #Unranked
The Blue Devils have fallen out of the national rankings after 3 losses in their last 4 games.
The losses have coincided with the injury to star QB Riley Leonard, who is back playing, but is not himself.
If Leonard can get healthy, the Blue Devils will look to finish the season strong and make a good Bowl game.
This week they take on Wake Forest in a pivotal Thursday night game!
Last Week ACC Ranking: 3
Week 10 Opponent: Wake Forest at 7:30PM EDT Thursday 11/2/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from Big 12 Top 5 Rankings:
Same 5 as Last Week
NOTABLE Week 10 GAMES
The season just continues to provide us with games to look forward to. There are lots of good games on the schedule for Week 10, and some of the most exciting games for Week 10 are listed below:
- #13 LSU @ #8 Alabama – This game is one of my favorite games each year. These two teams are always good and oftentimes competing for the SEC West crown just like this year!
- #25 Kansas State @ #7 Texas – KState is surging and Texas is playing with a backup QB. Is this a recipe for an upset?
- #14 Missouri @ #1 Georgia – Georgia started the toughest part of their schedule last week against Florida. This week is a new challenge with an exciting Missouri team!
- #10 Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State– Bedlam week is a rivalry that takes a backseat to no other. Oklahoma is struggling and Oklahoma State is surging, who wins Bedlam?
- #5 Washington @ #24 USC – USC is unhappy with how their season has unfolded, but it would make them feel a lot better to ruin Washington’s season.
Rivalry Sports Lock Pick of the Week – Michigan over Purdue 45 – 17
Rivalry Sports Underdog Pick of the Week – #25 Kansas State over # 7 Texas
Check back in for updated Top 5 Rankings next week!
WEEK 9 PICKS REVIEWED
| Week 9 Pick Results | Record |
| SEC | 3 – 0 |
| B1G (Big Ten) | 2 – 1 |
| Pac – 12 | 4 – 1 |
| Big – 12 | 3 – 2 |
| ACC | 2 – 3 |
| Total | 14 – 7 |
WEEK 9 GAME PICK RESULTS
| GAME | RIVALRY SPORTS PICK – Dustin Kirby | GUEST PICKER PICK – Nolan Kirby | WINNER |
| Georgia @ Florida | Georgia | Georgia | Georgia |
| Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| Tennessee @ Kentucky | Tennessee | Kentucky | Tennessee |
| Ohio State @ Wisconsin | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Indiana @ Penn State | Penn State | Penn State | Penn State |
| Maryland @ Northwestern | Maryland | Maryland | Northwestern |
| Washington @ Stanford | Washington | Washington | Washington |
| Oregon @ Utah | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon |
| Oregon State @ Arizona | Oregon State | Oregon State | Arizona |
| USC @ California | USC | USC | USC |
| Oklahoma @ Kansas | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Kansas |
| BYU @ Texas | Texas | Texas | Texas |
| Houston @ Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| Cincinnati @ Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State |
| Florida State @ Wake Forest | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State |
| North Carolina @ Georgia Tech | North Carolina | North Carolina | Georgia Tech |
| Duke @ Louisville | Duke | Duke | Louisville |
| Virginia @ Miami | Miami | Miami | Miami |
| Total Wins | 13 | 12 | 18 |
Week 10 Game Picks
| Game (Home team listed 2nd) | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Richard Strick | Winner |
| Missouri vs Georgia | Georgia | Georgia | |
| LSU vs Alabama | LSU | Alabama | |
| Texas A&M vs Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | |
| Connecticut vs Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennessee | |
| Purdue vs Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | |
| Ohio State vs Rutgers | Ohio State | Rutgers | |
| Penn State vs Maryland | Penn State | Penn State | |
| Iowa vs Northwestern | Iowa | Iowa | |
| Wisconsin vs Indiana | Wisconsin | Indiana | |
| Washington vs USC | Washington | Washington | |
| California vs Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | |
| Arizona State vs Utah | Utah | Utah | |
| Oregon State vs Colorado | Oregon State | Colorado | |
| Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma | |
| Kansas State vs Texas | Kansas State | Texas | |
| Kansas vs Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas | |
| Florida State vs Pitt | Florida State | Florida State | |
| Virginia Tech vs Louisville | Louisville | Louisville | |
| Campbell vs North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | |
| Miami vs NC State | Miami | Miami | |
| Wake Forest vs Duke | Duke | Duke | |
| WINS PER PICKER | 21 |
