25 Hunches for Week 10 in College Football

It's time for hunches.

Before that, though, here are some things we know for a fact:

Yep, Wisconsin's special teams and "'Hail Mary" defense is officially awful.

Ohio State is a legit Big Ten title contender, K-State is in trouble, and the Tigers and Tide are gearing up for the latest version of the "Game of the Century."

While some less-than-diehard fans are starting to fall away, the true fan knows that now is the time to watch.

September and October decide contenders, November and December reveal champions, at least at the conference level.

So what's on tap for this week?

Read on...

25. Wisconsin Will Not Lose on a "Hail Mary"

What a rough two weeks for Wisconsin.

From title contender, to possible Rose Bowl berth, to has-been, all in the span of two weeks.

The Badgers have lost two in a row, both on the road, both on last-minute passes nearly half the length of the field.

While Braxton Miller's heave was right on target and not exactly a "Hail Mary," there was a sense of desperation to it as it was in the waning seconds, down by three.

Kudos to Miller for playing his best game to date and leading the Buckeyes to the upset.

However, don't expect Bucky to tumble again.

Nothing cures a bad losing streak so well as a visit from Purdue, at home.

24. Nick Saban Isn't Celebrating Yet

Saban, who is in the middle of one of the greatest coaching careers ever, just hit the big 6-0.

With the upcoming showdown with LSU looming large, its tough to imagine that he is doing much celebrating just yet.

If the Tide win Saturday, Saban can celebrate. Until then, things should be relatively calm in the Saban household.

23. K-State Makes It Two in a Row

As if last week's disaster against Oklahoma wasn't bad enough, the Wildcats must face another foe that is likely to send them home with their tails between their legs.

They must travel to Stillwater to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and if they struggled to contain the Sooners' offense, Saturday is going to be a nightmare.

Bill Snyder is still a great coach, and the 'Cats will finish the season with 10 wins, but this won't be one of them.

22. Vandy Takes out Gators

John Brantley and the Florida offense are not exactly the most explosive group in the nation.

Vanderbilt is having an uncharacteristically solid season.

The Commodores' defense has the athletes to hang with Florida, and should be able to slow whatever it is that Charlie Weis decides to try this week.

While not a major upset, it could be the death knell for Florida's bowl chances, with games against Florida State and South Carolina still remaining.

21. Michigan and Iowa Score Tons of Points

Both of these teams still have a shot at the Big Ten title game.

Both teams average over 30 points per game and have suspect defenses.

They will put up a ton of points on each other in what should be a very entertaining game.

The Michigan offense has killed itself at times this season with turnovers and mistakes, but should be able to take advantage of Iowa's defense with their rushing attack.

Hopefully it's not another snore-fest like the Penn State-Illinois game last week.

20. Whitney Mercilus Loses "Sack-Master" Title

Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus is our current leader in sacks.

He leads Marshall's Vinny Curry by one going into the weekend.

The Thundering Herd face a Tulsa team that likes to throw the ball, while Mercilus and the Illini sit idle.

Curry will have a big game in a tough loss to Tulsa, registering at least two sacks, and bumping him into the role of the nation's "sack-master."

19. Longhorns Keep Momentum Going

Texas beat up on the Jayhawks last week, getting the ship righted and scoring 43 in the rout.

What was even more significant is that the 'Horns held an offense that was putting up 26 points per game to none.

This does not bode well for their next opponent, Texas Tech.

The momentum is swinging in Texas' favor, and after a couple of rough weeks against the Oklahoma schools, the 'Horns continue their resurgence against the Red Raiders.

18. Somebody in the Big East Will Be Upset

The Big East is once again a massive mess of teams jockeying for position heading down the season's homestretch.

Seven of the eight teams in the conference are within easy striking range of the lead, and USF, the last place team, is not totally out of it.

If we have learned anything about the Big East this season, it's that there is remarkable parity.

Don't count on the favorites winning games in this conference, you might get burned.

17. Dawgs Bite

The Bulldogs defense got a little bit of swagger going against a sometimes inept Florida offense.

This week, they will once again look pretty solid against a terrible New Mexico State team.

It proves nothing, except that the Dawgs' defense can stop sub-par offenses.

However, these couple of games could be stepping stones to solid performances against the rest of the conference and a potential SEC Championship game berth.

16. Huskers Remain in Control

After the Huskers' victory over Michigan State last week, they are now in control of their own destiny in the Big Ten title race.

Nothwestern is not having a very good season, after some pretty high pre-season expectations.

The two tangle this weekend, and with the Huskers finally getting into gear, they will emerge still in firm control of their division.

As a matter of fact, Northwestern will be fortunate to keep it within three touchdowns.

15. The Keenum Show Just Gets Better

In case you haven't heard, Houston quarterback Case Keenum is throwing up some crazy good numbers.

He is completing 72 percent of his passes for a ridiculous 3,219 yards and 32 touchdowns with only three interceptions.

Last week, against Rice, he threw a whopping nine scoring strikes.

Waiting patiently for their turn to be destroyed are the UAB Blazers.

Keenum may go for double-digit touchdowns this week.

14. UCLA's Woes Continue

As much as we like to rip Coach Neuheisel, he has the Bruins in position to take over the Pac-12 South lead with a win over Arizona State this weekend.

However, the Sun Devils are just too much for the Bruins.

Cameron Marshall and Brock Osweiler will have a field day against a UCLA defense that has consistency issues.

The UCLA offense is a mess and is going to find it tough sledding against Vontaze Burfict and the speedy ASU defense.

13. Oregon "Limps" Along

The Ducks have battled suspensions, significant injuries and cannabis to a solid 7-1 record, and are sitting pretty in the BCS top 10.

They are basically on cruise, even if guys like Darron Thomas or LaMichael James are not on the field.

Washington presents a bigger than average challenge on the road, but the Huskies demonstrated against Stanford that they struggle when defenses bring pressure.

Expect Chip Kelly and the Ducks to do just that, and walk away with another win, regardless of which quarterback and running back are in the backfield.

12. Montee Ball Scores Three

So the Badgers are now officially toast, but Montee Ball is still rolling.

The guy scored two more touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving last week against Ohio State.

He has now scored a total of 22 times this season, and with Purdue coming back to Mad-Town this weekend, Ball should have a field day.

Keep an eye on him, he has thrown for a touchdown, as well as catching three and rushing for 18.

11. Ronnie Hillman Takes over

Right now, David Wilson of Va Tech is leading the country in rushing yards.

Not for long.

San Diego State's running back, Ronnie Hillman is right on Wilson's tail, averaging right around 150 yards per game.

Hillman and the Aztecs face hapless New Mexico, and with only 128 yards to catch the idle Wilson, expect Hillman to be your national leader in yards after next week.

10. Floria State Keeps Streaking

The Seminoles have quietly marched along to a 5-3 record.

Nearly bowl eligible.

This weekend, they will get there.

FSU faces a miserable Boston College team, before a pretty tough stretch against Miami, Virginia and Florida.

The 'Noles defense is playing well, and E.J. Manuel has been effective since returning from his shoulder injury.

Chalk one up for the fighting Jimbos...

9. South Carolina Struggles

In spite of all the LSU/Alabama love, Arkansas is still right in the thick of the SEC West race.

This week, they have a big hurdle to get over, South Carolina.

The Razorbacks have the inside edge, as the Gamecocks have gone through some significant turmoil recently, losing Marcus Lattimore to injury and Stephen Garcia to dismissal from the program.

Arkansas gets to host this one, and SC fans should keep in mind that they are much better than Tennessee.

Expect the Razorbacks defense to step it up and be a big part of the "W" for the Hogs...

8. USC Rebounds, Big

OK, Lane, the ref promised you a timeout, now move on...

The Trojans suffered a tough loss to Stanford last week, but there is a sure remedy coming up on the schedule.

Colorado is in the middle of a brutal 13-game schedule with no off week.

Throw in the fact that they are 0-5 in the Pac-12 and have yet to win a game against a BCS opponent, and it could get ugly.

On top of all that, the Buffaloes are 117th in the country in points allowed, allowing over 38 points per contest.

7. Buckeyes Keep Rolling

Don't look now, but the Buckeyes could well make their way to the Big Ten title game.

After their thrilling upset of Wisconsin in the "Shoe," the Buckeyes now face an Indiana squad who has struggled all season.

The return of Dan Herron from suspension and the emergence of Braxton Miller has provided the Buckeye offense with enough spark to support their stellar defense.

Keep an eye on OSU, they might come up roses in January.

6. Somebody Gets Upset

The upsets have started, unbeatens are falling, and if past history is any indicator, it will continue to happen.

There likely won't be any major upsets, but unranked foes have a good shot against teams like Texas, Nebraska and Michigan.

One thing's for sure, even if you think nothing crazy could possibly happen, we don't dare turn away from this season, it's just getting good. 

5. Kellen Moore Throws Four Touchdowns

Boise State is still undefeated, but has not been the usual dominating squad we have been accustomed to seeing.

However, quarterback Kellen Moore is still putting up solid numbers, and could sneak in as a Heisman finalist with a few good performances throughout the rest of the season.

This week's opponent, UNLV, is sad.

They are allowing almost 300 yards through the air per contest, and against Moore and Boise State, that will be their downfall.

Expect Moore to take advantage and score multiple TDs.

4. You Will Be Reminded, Once Again, That the SEC Rules

In case you had forgotten, the SEC is still king.

Alabama sits at 8-0 and No. 2 in the rankings, while LSU has the same record and sits atop the BCS rankings.

These two teams meet this week in what some consider a de facto championship game.

However, this is not the only clash of top 10 teams from the SEC.

Arkansas and South Carolina, ranked at No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, clash this weekend in Fayatteville.

Theoretically, we could see three, possibly even all four of these teams end the season in the BCS top 10.

Any more questions about which conference is the best this season?

3. Oklahoma Decimates A&M

Oklahoma is on a mission.

The Sooners crushed a previously unbeaten K-State team on the road last week, and their next victim is Texas A&M.

The Aggies have shown a propensity for struggling in every big game they have played this season, and have dropped from the rankings after starting the season in the top 10.

Landry Jones and his team of crazy good receivers should have a field day, and if end Frank Alexander and his mates can get some consistent pressure on A&M QB Ryan Tannehill, the Sooners win this one going away.

2. Luck Goes Off...again

Can we just end this and give Andrew Luck the Heisman?

The guy is having a great year, and like it or not, his team's undefeated status has added to the cachet his name carries.

Oregon State has just got pasted by a sad Utah team, and struggles hard with good passing offenses.

Expect Luck to toss multiple touchdowns and throw for over 250 yards against a defense that allows over 220 passing yards per game.

1. LSU Handles Their Business

The storyline is great—No. 1 versus No. 2, former coach takes on team, national title implications.

However, at some point we need to actually address the game and go with one or the other this weekend, and my feeling is LSU.

The Tigers have a slightly less stout defense, but a more consistent offense than the Tide, even though they must go to T-Town.

Enough has been written about this one to fill several pages, so suffice it to say that Les Miles outsmarts Nick Saban in the late minutes of the fourth to keep LSU on top.

Of course, Alabama could come out and punish the Tigers defensively, but even if that happens, I expect the Tigers ability to put up points to manifest itself at some point, and the Tide will struggle to hang.