College football Week 10 guide: Florida vs. Arkansas and Penix’s duel

College football Week 10 viewing guide

Lamest time window: Noon, if you have to pick. It’s a balanced schedule with big matchups all day.

Noon: No. 25 Kansas State has outscored its last two opponents 82-3 and can challenge No. 7 Texas (Fox). Florida-Arkansas (ESPN2) is a major statement for the direction of both programs.

2:30: No. 17 Air Force can win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy and bolster its New Year’s Six bowl case with a win over Army (CBS Sports Network).

3: Beating Memphis would be the biggest victory yet for Alex Golesh at USF (ESPN+).

3:30: No. 14 Missouri’s trip to No. 1 Georgia (CBS) will likely decide the SEC East. The better game is No. 10 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (ABC) in the last scheduled Bedlam matchup.

7:30: No. 5 Washington at No. 24 USC (ABC) should be a highly entertaining shootout.

7:45: No. 13 LSU at No. 8 Alabama (CBS) will have big SEC West implications.

10:30: Arizona’s offense against the excellent defense of No. 20 UCLA (FS1) is a great matchup to end the day.

Michael Penix vs. Caleb Williams

After leading Washington to a win over Bo Nix and Oregon, Michael Penix Jr. — a Tampa Bay Tech alumnus — will try to keep the Huskies perfect by knocking off the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams in another big-time quarterback duel:

Michael Penix Jr.

Passing touchdowns: 24 (third nationally)

Passing yards: 2,945 (first)

Passing efficiency: 176.05 (sixth)

Points responsible for: 146 (tied for seventh)

Needs 54 passing yards to pass Jake Locker (7,639) for fourth-most in Huskies history

Caleb Williams

Passing touchdowns: 25th (tied for first)

Passing yards: 2,646 (second)

Passing efficiency: 175.36 (seventh)

Points responsible for: 208 (first)

Leads the Pac-12 with nine rushing touchdowns

Big 12 blues

After meeting the last eight seasons (and splitting them 4-4) as AAC colleagues, UCF and Cincinnati face off as Big 12 rookies still looking for their first league win. Keep an eye on two Florida transfers for the Bearcats. Emory Jones has a tenuous grip on the starting quarterback job. Cornerback Jordan Young (Gaither High) leads the team with six pass breakups; can he get a big pick against a UCF offense that has already thrown nine of them?

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Bring on the Bain

Miami freshman Rueben Bain has been the ACC’s top defensive lineman each of the past two weeks with four sacks and 15 tackles in wins over Clemson and Virginia. The former top-100 national recruit could be in for another big game against an iffy N.C. State offensive line.

Bedlam

Oklahoma didn’t allow a rushing touchdown through its first five games but has given up six over the past three. That could be trouble this week against the rival Cowboys. Ollie Gordon’s 553 rushing yards over the past two games are the most for an Oklahoma State player since Barry Sanders in 1988.

Stat of the week

From The Advocate: If Jayden Daniels leads LSU to a win over Alabama, he’ll be the first quarterback to beat Nick Saban in back-to-back years since … Florida’s Rex Grossman topped Saban’s Tigers in 2000-01.

FSU rooting guide

If the No. 4 Seminoles keep winning, it’s hard to see them getting left out of the playoff. Just in case, Florida State fans should root for…

LSU: A win over Alabama would make FSU’s best victory (a 45-24 triumph in Week 1) look even better.

USC: The Pac-12 has been the nation’s best conference, so it’d help if the league cannibalizes itself. The best shot this week is a Huskies loss to the Trojans.

Louisville: The Cardinals are the ACC’s only other ranked team (No. 13 by the committee). FSU’s best-case scenario is facing an 11-1 Louisville team for the conference title; that can’t happen if the Cardinals lose to Virginia Tech.

Florida: Losing to Arkansas would dent, if not doom, the Gators’ bowl chances. That, in turn, would damage the Seminoles’ resume by depriving them of another bowl-eligible opponent.

Uni watch

The Gators are debuting long-awaited black uniforms as part of their “Saluting Those Who Serve” game to honor the military and first responders. Since 2015, the Gators are 10-6 with uniform variations, including a 6-5 record with white helmets. This is Florida’s biggest shift since the swamp green monstrosities they wore in a 19-17 loss to Texas A&M in 2017.

Local of the week

Kansas State running back Treshaun Ward (Tampa Bay Tech)

He’s the Wildcats’ No. 2 rusher (458 yards) and is third in all-purpose yards (82.6 per game) — no surprise to anyone who watched him at Florida State. Ward will have a big opportunity against Texas’ top-30 defense.

Fireworks in Memphis?

USF-Memphis features a showdown between two of the AAC’s top quarterbacks. The Bulls’ Byrum Brown leads the conference in total offense (304.8 yards per game), and the Tigers’ Seth Henigan is second (295.6). Henigan set a school record with his 14th career 300-yard passing game in last week’s win over North Texas. USF’s best hope for victory is a shootout where Brown makes the big play in the end.

By the numbers: Week 10

218 Receiving yards for Alabama’s Amari Niblack (Lakewood High). He’s third on the team and a potential X-factor against LSU

2 SEC venues where Arkansas has never won: Missouri’s Faurot Field and Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

0-18 Missouri’s all-time record against team ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll

11 Consecutive home wins for Georgia against ranked teams

128 Career touchdown passes by Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman. He needs three to tie Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield for sixth in NCAA history

1 Defense holding opponents to under 50% passing: Florida State

51.7 Pitt’s completion percentage, which ranks 128th out of 133 teams

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