College football is entering the most critical phase of the season for those with conference and national title aspirations.
Each week, we dive into the most important people in the sport. Here are those with the most on the line in Week 10.
James Franklin | Penn State head coach
It’s safe to say this is one of, if not the most, important game of Franklin’s career on Saturday. No. 3 Penn State (7-0) won’t be out of the College Football Playoff hunt with a loss, but its path to a first-round bye via the Big Ten title becomes extremely narrowed.
Franklin has a 1-8 record against top-five teams, hardly what the program needs to rise into the national title contender tier. Hosting the No. 4 Buckeyes (6-1) in Happy Valley is surely an advantage, but losing eight straight to them could be unsurvivable for Franklin without silverware to wash it away at the end of the season.
Ryan Day | Ohio State head coach
On the other side of the field, Day needs to show his team can brush off any concerns about its durability following the loss to now No. 1 Oregon (8-0). The Week 9 win over Nebraska (5-3) was shaky at best, needing a Dylan Raiola interception to escape a possible comeback bid.
Day is 2-6 against top-five opponents, albeit most of those have been Michigan. A second loss for the Buckeyes on Saturday would spell doom for its conference title hopes and put it in a precarious position on the playoff bubble with No. 13 Indiana (8-0) lurking at the top of the Big Ten standings.
The starting Penn State quarterback
As of this publishing, it’s unknown whether starter Drew Allar or backup Beau Pribula will be under center against Ohio State. Allar left the team’s Week 9 contest against Wisconsin late in the first half with a knee injury, and Pribula stepped in to finish off the 28-13 win.
Franklin told reporters Wednesday, “so far so good,” but that it will likely be a game-time decision with Allar.
Pribula, a sophomore, was serviceable for the Nittany Lions, completing 11-of-13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in Week 9. However, lining up opposite the Buckeyes is much different than facing a weaker Wisconsin team for one half.
Whoever does start will have a massive task on their hands but could go down in the program’s annals as a legend if they pull off a victory.
Dan Lanning | Oregon head coach
Being the No. 1 team in the country comes with enough pressure as it is, but being the top program in your first year in the Big Ten is a whole other beast. Lanning will have to prepare his team for what could be a trap game against an inconsistent Michigan squad (5-3).
With three teams nipping at the Ducks’ tailfeathers in the conference standings, Saturday’s matchup is one the team cannot overlook.
However, if it does clear the hurdle in Ann Arbor, it can begin to look forward to the title game in Indianapolis, as the remainder of its schedule is near child’s play.
Dillon Gabriel | Oregon quarterback
Now the new Heisman favorite entering Week 10, Gabriel arguably has an additional layer of pressure added to an already challenging matchup. Attention to his every decision on the field will be at an all-time high on Saturday, and any falter could prove catastrophic to his candidacy and the team’s national title hopes.
On the other hand, another dominant performance could solidify his place as a finalist in New York City come December.
Marcel Reed | Texas A&M quarterback
Originally the backup entering the season for the Aggies, Reed put on an explosive offensive showing against then-No. 8 LSU in Week 9. The 38-23 comeback victory, punctuated by Reed’s 132 total yards and three rushing touchdowns, sent No. 10 Texas A&M (7-1) to the top of the crowded SEC standings.
A&M head coach Mike Elko has no choice but to bench Connor Weigman and roll with Reed for the rest of the season if the program wants to take advantage of a seemingly vulnerable SEC.
Reed seemed to be able to handle the pressure of a ranked matchup, but now he must navigate an unranked foe with the capability to upset just about anybody.
Shane Beamer | South Carolina head coach
Speaking of that unranked foe, South Carolina (4-3) could very well be in the SEC hunt if the ball perhaps bounced its way just a couple of times. The Gamecocks nearly upset LSU and Alabama this year, meaning Texas A&M will have a lot on its plate in Columbia on Saturday.
Head coach Shane Beamer has his team bought in on the culture of believing it can beat any team on any given week. That could prove problematic for the Aggies in hostile territory, especially with the stakes so high.
Eli Holstein | Pittsburgh quarterback
The undefeated Panthers (7-0) are waiting in the wings of the ACC, ready to pounce on any opportunity to overtake No. 5 Miami and No. 11 Clemson for a spot in the championship game. Saturday’s matchup with No. 20 SMU (7-1) stands in the team’s way of that mission.
Quarterback Eli Holstein has been the key to Pittsburgh’s offense, ranking No. 14 in the FBS. If it weren’t for a weaker schedule, he would likely be in the Heisman race himself.
Putting the Broncos in the rearview mirror on Saturday will get Pittsburgh one step closer to the ultimate goal, or a loss may just dash those dreams altogether.
Rhett Lashlee | SMU head coach
Needing an upset to stay in the ACC title hunt, Lashlee and No. 20 SMU have their work cut out for them. Coming off a tumultuous overtime victory over Duke in Week 9, Lashlee must have his boys level-headed and engaged on the greater threat.
However, the Broncos may have to get it done without star quarterback Kevin Jennings, who is questionable for Saturday. A win would shake up things not only in the ACC but also in the College Football Playoff conversation.
Matt Campbell | Iowa State head coach
The No. 11 Cyclones (7-0) have an opportunity to jump Big 12 rival No. 9 BYU (8-0) while the Cougars are on bye. A win over a formidable Texas Tech squad (5-3) all but ensures Iowa State and BYU will be playing in Dallas for the conference title.
On the other hand, head coach Matt Campbell will need to avoid an upset at all costs. A stumble at this juncture in the season would reopen the Big 12 race and likely limit the conference to just a single team in the playoff.
