We are coming down the home stretch of the college football season as the calendar shifts to November. This is where things should get interesting. Teams are jockeying for position as far as the College Football Playoff rankings are concerned.
The Week 10 board isn’t filled with a ton of marquee matchups. However, there is sure to still be plenty of excitement. Here are two games to keep an eye on this Saturday (ESPN).
Auburn at Texas A&M: 3:30 EST on CBS
This is a huge game that may end up deciding who will challenge Alabama for the SEC West division crown. Auburn is 6-2 and should be riding high after beating a very good Ole Miss team. Texas A&M has won three straight games and is coming off of a bye week.
Bo Nix underwent a major transformation after he was benched against Georgia State on September 25. Nix is playing with more competitive fire and his teammates have rallied around him. The 6-3 junior has thrown for 1,764 yards and 9 TDs while only throwing 2 INTs.
Running back Tank Bigsby is having a fine season as he’s rushed for 666 yards and 7 TDs so far. Look for head coach Bryan Harsin to give Bigbsy plenty of carries in this game against A&M.
The Aggies defense is one of the best in the country as they rank 3rd in points allowed per game, 11th in yards per play allowed, and 9th in yards per pass allowed. This unit also does a good job of getting pressure on the QB.
A&M’s offense hit its stride against Alabama a few weeks ago. New QB Zach Calzada has shown a remarkable amount of maturity for a young sophomore. Calzada has thrown for 1,364 yards and 12 TDs.
Liberty at Ole Miss: Noon EST on SEC Network
This may not be a marquee game but it has an intriguing storyline. Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze returns to Oxford, where he coached the Rebels from 2012-2016. Freeze would love nothing more than to upset his former employer in this game.
Liberty has a legitimate NFL QB prospect in Malik Willis. The 6-1 junior has thrown for 1,986 yards and 21 TDs so far this season. He also ranks 7th in the country in quarterback rating (82.5).
The Flames offense should be able to move the ball against the Rebels defense. Liberty ranks 9th in the nation in yards per pass while Ole Miss ranks 96th in yards per pass allowed. This means that there should be plenty of points scored in this game.
Ole Miss lost a tough game to Auburn last week but QB Matt Corral could still end up winning the Heisman Trophy. Corral may be the best dual-threat QB in the country, as he has thrown for 15 TDs and ran for 10 TDs. The Rebels’ best receiver is Dontario Drummond, who has caught 40 passes for 658 yards and 6 TDs.