No. 4 Ohio State at No. 3 Penn State – Eric 

Saturday, Nov. 2 — Beaver Stadium — University Park, Pennsylvania

11 a.m. on FOX

Bitter rivals meet again when the Buckeyes head to Happy Valley to face the Nittany Lions in a matchup with huge Playoff implications. 

Coming off a loss against then-No. 3 Oregon, Ohio State managed to bounce back to take a closer-than-expected 21-17 win against Nebraska. Senior quarterback Will Howard was his usual efficient self, which was expected due to the wealth of NFL-caliber weapons he has at receiver. 

The story of the game, however, was the lack of running room for the usually dominant Buckeye attack. Ohio State can expect more of the same this weekend as it faces the No. 8-ranked Penn State rushing defense.

Penn State cruised to a 28-13 victory against Wisconsin, but all eyes will be on junior QB Drew Allar’s injury. Allar went down with a left knee injury in the second quarter and didn’t return to the game. Redshirt sophomore QB Beau Pribula performed well in his stead, but it’ll be a game-time decision as to who will take the ball under center.

Both teams have lockdown defenses, so it’ll be a battle to see which offense can break through. It’s a toss up, but I’ll take the Nittany Lions and their home-field advantage in a narrow victory.

Prediction: Penn State 27, Ohio State 24

Duke at No. 5 Miami – Shalina 

Saturday, Nov. 2 — Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida

11 a.m. on ABC/ESPN+

Fresh off their biggest rivalry win of the season, the Miami Hurricanes are flying high as they prepare to face the Duke Blue Devils at Hard Rock Stadium. With an unbeaten 8-0 record and a coveted No. 5 ranking in the AP Poll — their highest in seven years — the Hurricanes are set to host the Blue Devils, a team that nearly toppled No. 22 SMU last week. The matchup promises to be a battle of Miami’s explosive offense against Duke’s gritty defense, with each team eyeing a critical win.

Miami’s passing and efficient rushing game — especially in red-zone conversions — makes it likely to maintain a lead against Duke. Senior QB and Heisman candidate Cam Ward built a strong connection with senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who has 710 yards and six touchdowns, giving Miami a consistent deep threat. The Hurricanes also bring a productive rushing attack, spearheaded by junior running back Damien Martinez, whose efficiency in the red zone with eight rushing touchdowns has been crucial.

However, the Hurricanes’ offense will face a challenge against a Blue Devil defense that showed resilience in its last matchup against SMU. Duke forced six turnovers and junior linebacker Tre Freeman had a 10-yard interception. Senior defensive tackle Kendy Charles and junior DT Aaron Hall put together four hard-earned plays which prevented SMU from breaking through the one-yard line. Duke’s bend-don’t-break defense could cause issues if Miami underestimates their physicality upfront. 

Miami’s offense needs to capitalize on Duke’s inconsistencies — building an early lead would force the Blue Devils to play catch-up. While Duke’s defense has its moments, Miami’s balanced attack will likely wear it down over four quarters. Ultimately, the Hurricanes have the firepower and depth to overcome Duke’s defensive efforts and should come out victorious. 

Prediction: Miami 38, Duke 14

No. 1 Oregon at Michigan – Roman 

Saturday, Nov. 2 — The Big House — Ann Arbor, Michigan.

2:30 p.m. on CBS

The newly-ranked No. 1 Oregon Ducks are headed on the road to The Big House to take on the defending national champions, the Michigan Wolverines.

Oregon is coming into this game with an undefeated 8-0 record after a 38-9 beatdown against Illinois. In this game, senior QB Dillon Gabriel threw for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior RB Jordan James tacked on 83 rushing yards on 15 carries and senior WR Tez Johnson contributed six receptions with 102 yards and a touchdown. 

Michigan is entering this game with a 5-3 record and coming off a 24-17 win against in-state rival Michigan State as senior QB Davis Warren threw for 123 yards and a touchdown. Junior QB Alex Orji contributed 64 rushing yards and a touchdown off of six carries  and junior tight end Colston Loveland recorded six receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns. 

Both teams have had great success throwing and running the football with a healthy balance between the two. The Ducks’ offense will be sure to test the Wolverines’ defense as it is averaging more than 35 points per game while tallying over 467 yards of total offense per game.

The Big House will pose a hostile environment for the Ducks, as both teams will bring incredible energy to this game. 

While the Wolverines fans would love to see them take down the No. 1 team on their homefield, it will be difficult. Ultimately, Michigan will fall and Oregon will continue its winning streak.

Prediction: Oregon 28, Michigan 14

No. 18 Pittsburgh at No. 20 SMU – Ian 

Saturday, Nov. 2 — Gerald J. Ford Stadium — Dallas

7 p.m. on ACC Network

Is it too early to say the Pony Express is back?

No. 20 SMU sits at 7-1 and 4-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play in its first season in a power conference league since the fall of the Southwest Conference in 1995. Averaging just over 39 points a game, the Mustangs have the 15th-best scoring offense in the nation, ranked 26th in the country in total offense and are in contention for a spot in the conference championship game. 

But to get there, they’ll have to get past No. 18 Pittsburgh, who is 6th and 25th in those same two categories. Meaning, we’ll be in for an ACC shootout under the lights in Dallas.

The Mustangs’ only blemish came against No. 9 BYU in overtime. This will also go into overtime, and be much higher scoring than that earlier 18-15 bout — but this time, SMU gets the dub.

Prediction: SMU 47, Pitt 45 (OT)