Sports
Looking at conference title contenders and big matchups ahead of Week 10
Our college football experts preview big matchups, conference title contenders and sound ahead of Week 10.
Saturday will feature a must-see matchup between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 3 Penn State at Beaver Stadium. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is ready to take on the team he rooted for growing up in Pennsylvania, while Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is a game-time decision after sustaining a left knee injury. What changes would the Nittany Lions have to make if Allar is unable to play?
No. 18 Pitt and No. 20 SMU face each other in a big ACC matchup Saturday evening, with both teams entering this game undefeated in conference play. While both teams underwent some changes in the offseason to help them get to this point, how have those changes affected their game this season?
Our college football experts preview big games and conference title contenders and share quotes of the week ahead of Week 10's slate.
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Ohio State-Penn State | Conference title contenders | SMU/Pitt changes
Quotes of the Week
Ohio State: Penn State coach James Franklin said this week that the status of quarterback Drew Allar will be a game-time decision. Allar is coming off a left knee injury that forced him to sit the second half of this past weekend's win at Wisconsin. Led by defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, the Buckeyes have the Big Ten's best sack rate (9.7%). If Allar plays, his mobility could still be limited by the injury. That figures to give Sawyer, Tuimoloau and Ohio State's other pass rushers prime opportunities to sack or pressure Allar.
If the Nittany Lions are forced to go with sophomore backup quarterback Beau Pribula, then Ohio State will have the chance to exploit his relative inexperience. Either way, the Buckeyes have to do a better job pressuring the passer than they did in their Oct. 12 loss at Oregon. In that 32-31 defeat, they failed to sack Dillon Gabriel once. Ohio State's defense also failed to force a turnover. If the Buckeyes can't force Penn State's quarterback -- whoever it turns out to be -- into negative plays, they could have a hard time coming out of State College with a victory. -- Jake Trotter
Penn State: Regardless of whether Allar or Pribula is at quarterback, Penn State needs to display creative offense that supplies big plays. Franklin hired offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki precisely for games like this. In last year's 20-12 loss at Ohio Stadium, the Lions averaged only 3.5 yards per play with only one play longer than 20 yards. Kotelnicki can take some clues from Oregon, which really challenged Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke and others with an aggressive game plan. He also has versatile options such as tight end Tyler Warren. Penn State's defense also has a chance to control the line of scrimmage against an Ohio State offensive front that has dealt with injuries and inconsistency, recording just 64 rush yards last week against Nebraska.
Abdul Carter (four sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss) could be a significant factor in pressuring Will Howard, and the Lions would really be helped if Dani Dennis-Sutton plays to provide a nice complement for Carter. Penn State also must be acutely aware of Tuimoloau, who delivered the best single-game defensive performance I've ever witnessed live two years ago at Beaver Stadium, when he had 2 interceptions, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and a tipped pass that led to another interception. He hasn't had a game anywhere near that good since, but Penn State can't ignore him. -- Adam Rittenberg
ACC: The ACC used to be known for Coastal Chaos -- the annual lunacy in its Coastal Division that upended expectations and resulted in tiebreaker scenarios so complicated NASA would have to get involved. Now, the virus has spread. SMU, Clemson and Miami all remain undefeated in ACC play -- and none of them play against each other. That leaves a very real chance that all three will end up tied with only two able to move on to the ACC title game. And that's not even mentioning Pitt, which is 7-0 (but does play SMU and Clemson over the next three weeks) with eyes on the title game, too. What does it all mean? At this rate, perhaps Virginia Tech (3-1 in ACC play) will end up winning it all. -- David Hale
Big Ten: Oregon and Penn State are the two obvious answers, and Ohio State still has arguably the most star power in the conference, despite some line-of-scrimmage concerns. But Indiana absolutely has displayed the look of a true contender. The Hoosiers have controlled games from the get-go, outscoring their opponents 87-0 in the first quarter and 372-113 overall. Yes, the schedule concerns are valid, but that type of dominance in a Power 4 league isn't a fluke. Even last week, without starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke, Indiana struck first against Washington on D'Angelo Ponds' 67-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Hoosiers aren't overreliant on one player or position group.
Rourke isn't their only effective quarterback, and Justice Ellison is one of several capable backs and Elijah Sarratt is one of six players with 15 or more receptions. The offensive line, meanwhile, has been exceptional, tying for 10th nationally in fewest sacks against. IU's defense has individual standouts such as linebacker Aiden Fisher and end Mikail Kamara, but the collective strength of the unit -- 13 players with two or more tackles for loss, 15 with at least a half a sack -- consistently shines through. The Hoosiers probably will be tested Saturday at Michigan State and in the coming weeks, but they display the qualities of a legitimate contender in the Big Ten. -- Rittenberg
Big 12: Let's start with the obvious: BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) and Iowa State (7-0, 4-0) remain undefeated and would not play each other unless they meet in the Big 12 title game. If both manage to reach the finish line without a loss, it's possible the winner would receive the playoff bye with the loser still qualifying for the playoff. There are too many variables to understand what would happen in that scenario, but it's in play. But considering the parity in the conference, it's probably premature to look that far ahead.
BYU was a play away from losing to winless Oklahoma State (0-5 Big 12), so it would be silly to feel confident about the result of any conference game left on the schedule. With only one loss each, Kansas State (4-1) and Colorado (4-1) are very much in the mix, and it wouldn't be a surprise, at this point, if either played its way to the title game. Those appear to be the four primary contenders, but five others sit at two conference losses -- TCU, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, West Virginia and Arizona State -- which means their hopes aren't dead. -- Kyle Bonagura
SEC: Fans across the league are already coming up with scenarios that could produce a four-way tie in the SEC heading into the conference championship game. There are some very intriguing possibilities, too, with so many teams in the mix playing each other over the next five weeks. But the team that looks to be hitting its stride, getting well and playing its best football at just the right time is Georgia, which is coming off a bye week after beating up on then-No. 1 Texas 30-15 two weeks ago in Austin. It's Kirby Smart time, which means he has been exceptionally good at getting his teams to play their best in the games that mean the most. The Bulldogs have won six of their past seven top-five matchups. They also had this past week to rest up and get healthy, and Smart is hopeful his best offensive lineman, senior right guard Tate Ratledge, will be able to play Saturday against Florida after sitting out the past four games because of a high ankle sprain that required surgery.
On defense, having Mykel Williams back and healthy has made a huge difference, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. Now, opposing offenses have to account for Jalon Walker and Williams, who combined for five sacks in the win over Texas. It won't be an easy path for Georgia. After the rivalry game against Florida in Jacksonville, the Bulldogs travel to Ole Miss the next week and then come home to face Tennessee. There's still a lot to sort out in the SEC, but the top Dawg appears to be the same one we've seen over much of the past three years. -- Chris Low
SMU: SMU's defense has been the story of this season, living by the old adage that stopping the run and winning the turnover battle will win you some ballgames. The Mustangs' run defense has been stout, giving up 88.4 yards per game and 2.72 yards per carry, both fifth best nationally. They're tied for ninth in the country with 17 turnovers and have four games with at least three takeaways, tied for the most. The result is they're giving up just 21.4 points per game, including a remarkable stand last week in which the SMU offense lost six turnovers and the defense gave up zero points off those, with Duke reaching SMU territory 11 times and coming away with only 27 points.
The Mustangs have sought to beef up the defense in recent years, and that has paid dividends: A pair of Miami transfers, Elijah Roberts and Jahfari Harvey, are tied for the team lead with six tackles for loss, and they lead the team in hurries, with nine for Roberts and seven for Harvey, also adding three sacks each. Then Harvey blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt by Duke on the last play of regulation to save a 28-27 win. -- Dave Wilson
Pitt: After last season's 3-9 misery, Pat Narduzzi decided he needed wholesale changes on offense. He brought in Kade Bell to run a tempo system, which is often anathema to defense-minded coaches like Narduzzi. So far, the results have been what one might've expected: Pitt has scored more, but the defense has been on the field a ton as a result of the speed at which the offense moves (the Panthers are 133rd in time of possession). The miracle for Pitt is that all of those plays for the defense haven't seemed to matter. Pitt picked off Kyle McCord five times in this past weekend's win over Syracuse, and the defense has held its ground despite playing more plays per game (76.3) than any other team in the country. -- Hale
"I'm stoked, I'm stoked, I cannot wait. It's going to be a homecoming for me. I grew up a Penn State fan. I wanted to go there my whole life, they didn't think I was good enough. I guess we'll see [Saturday] if I was." -- Ohio State QB Will Howard, who grew up in Downingtown, Pennsylvania
"I'm looking forward to going down to Dallas and seeing what they've got down there. I've never played SMU. It's one of those games you never played at, so different stadium. Growing up, Eric Dickerson in those goggles, that's kind of what I grew up in, that era. That guy was a dude, watching him run down there. It's homecoming. We're a homecoming team, so maybe I'll get to meet Eric Dickerson at the 50-yard line or something like that." -- Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, on making friends in new conference stops.
"We try to concentrate on one game, and that's the next one. I don't know that it benefits us to kind of look out ahead and talk about the possibilities of a season. The most important thing is to attack the week and try to get prepared for the upcoming game, which is what we're doing in this one. There's enough emotion and enough at stake in this game. ... Our guys know, and they're mature enough to know what's out there if we can continue to have success, but there's not a more important game on our schedule than this one.'' -- Army coach Jeff Monken, whose Black Knights (7-0, 6-0) are ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and vying for the Group of 5's spot in the College Football Playoff and a second straight Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
Sports
Jets' Rodgers finds 'fountain of youth' in new drink
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he has been drinking cayenne pepper and water as part of his rehab regimen, calling it his "fountain of youth."
Rodgers said he is drinking cayenne pepper and water, suggested to him by teammate Thomas Morstead. Rodgers, dealing with hamstring, knee and ankle injuries throughout the season, said he started drinking it before the Jets' Week 8 game and has continued this week in preparation for Thursday night against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium.
It's a short week, which means most players are battling aching bodies, but Rodgers, 40, said his feels great.
Rodgers said he was not sure if it was all due to his new elixir, but he has made it part of his rehab regimen. Cayenne pepper and water can have several health benefits, including pain relief, according to various medical journals.
"I'm taking care of myself nonstop," said Rodgers, adding that he receives treatment at the facility and later at home.
His age and diminished mobility were noted by Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who told reporters after New England's 25-22 victory Sunday: "Hall of Fame quarterback. Hate to see him go out that way. ... He definitely don't look the same. ... S---, I could run him down and catch him. He don't look mobile at all."
Rodgers said he wasn't aware of the comments.
"He's probably right," Rodgers said. "Yeah, I was hurting, but I feel better today."
That's some pretty quick healing.
"T-Mo gave me a little fountain of youth," he said of Morstead. "He said he's been taking it for a while -- all legal, of course. ... [Maybe] that's why I've been feeling a little bit better."
The Jets (2-6), losers of five straight, need an improved Rodgers to salvage the second half of their season. In a postgame speech to the team Sunday, he expressed a sense of urgency with "a cool head," safety Isaiah Oliver said, adding, "He was still able to express that things need to get better and things need to change, and that we have to do it together. There's no time for pointing fingers."
The four-time MVP acknowledged he was not playing up to his expectations, but he sounded optimistic about Thursday night. Godchaux probably got the wrong impression about him, Rodgers said, because he didn't have to flee the pocket that often, making it appear as if his mobility were compromised.
"That was probably part of it, but I expect to be able to do a lot more this week," Rodgers said. "I'll be under center and, hopefully, back to my faster-than-Godchaux speed."
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich acknowledged that Rodgers hasn't been 100 percent this season, but he added that the postgame checkup Monday "was one of his better evaluations. So, from that standpoint, we're very fortunate."
Asked if he'd consider resting the future Hall of Famer for a week or two, Ulbrich said, "Not at this point."
This hasn't been a vintage Rodgers season. He ranks 23rd in QBR (50.4), well below his career average (67.2). With seven interceptions, he is on pace for a career high.
"Yeah, not as good as I would've hoped," he said of his season. "I've got to play better.
"I just have to be more efficient, not turn the ball over too many times. Interceptions can be misleading at times, but I've definitely had my share of poor throws."
Rodgers said his surgically repaired Achilles wasn't a factor at all, but he has sat out some practice time because of his other leg injuries.
Mobility used to be one of Rodgers' "superpowers," according to Ulbrich, who said the emphasis this week has been on "really being in rhythm and listening to your feet, and trust your eyes, and let it rip. So, the right things are being emphasized -- they are -- and I'm excited to see some growth in that way."
Rodgers played his best game of the season on a Thursday night, a Week 3 win over the Patriots in which he passed for 281 yards and two touchdowns. The short week didn't bother him at all.
"I don't know what it is about these Thursdays," he said, "but I made it to the game without any issues and I feel much better."
Sports
Calvin Austin's 2 TDs help lead Steelers past Giants
Austin, Russell Wilson and the defense all figured into the win over New York.
Not only did Austin score the franchise's first punt return touchdown in nearly five years in the third quarter, but he later caught another signature Russell Wilson moon ball in the fourth for his second receiving TD of the season.
And though the Steelers defense allowed Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. to erupt for a career rushing night with 145 yards and a touchdown, T.J. Watt came through -- as he's apt to do -- with a massive strip sack of Daniel Jones and fumble recovery to keep the Giants from capitalizing on Wilson's fourth-quarter fumble. Beanie Bishop Jr. had a game-sealing interception on the Giants' last drive.
QB breakdown: In his second start as a Steeler, Russell Wilson had no problem building on his 245-yard performance from a week ago with 278 passing yards and one touchdown. Wilson unleashed his moon ball several times in the win, most notably with a pair of deep passes to Van Jefferson to end the third quarter and a 29-yard bomb to Austin early in the fourth for the first offensive touchdown by either team. At the point of that touchdown, Wilson was 4-of-6 with a TD on passes of at least 20 air yards this season. Wilson was sacked four times and lost a fumble, but showed increased mobility and escapability.
Promising trend: Though they only put up nine first-half points, the Steelers were moving the ball at an impressive clip, recording 14 plays of at least 10 yards. It was their most in a half since Week 2 of 2018 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, when they also had 14, per ESPN Research. Prior to this week, the Steelers had trouble moving the ball in the first half, but they recorded 237 yards of offense -- including 104 rushing yards -- in the first two quarters, a sign that perhaps the slow starts are behind them. The Steelers also scored field goals on each of their first three drives, marking the first time since Week 10 of the 2023 season against the Packers that they opened with three straight scores.
Pivotal play: House call. Austin's third-quarter, 73-yard touchdown was the Steelers' first punt return for a TD since Diontae Johnson scored one in Week 14 of the 2019 season against the Arizona Cardinals. Not only did it give the Steelers their first touchdown of the night and a 16-9 lead after their first two were called back, but it was another feather in the cap of longtime Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith, whose unit blocked kicks in three consecutive games entering Monday night. Austin found the end zone again a quarter later on a 29-yard moon ball from Wilson.
Next game: at Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 10)
Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. The Giants are a team that needs to play close to perfect to beat quality opponents like the Steelers on the road. They didn't do that Monday night.
Far from it. The Giants and their struggling offense committed six penalties on the first two drives. One negated a touchdown.
And then their special teams, which seems to be competing with their offense for the worst unit on the team, allowed a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown to Austin. This is how you end up losing six of your first eight for the second straight year.
QB breakdown: Daniel Jones had a productive first half despite being under heavy pressure. He went 11-of-16 passing for 141 yards, but was unable to get his team into the end zone. The pressure was too much in the second half, though. Jones was sacked four times, including a strip sack by Watt in the fourth quarter. Jones finished 24-of-38 passing for 264 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in Steelers territory in the final moments. Not good enough. Jones fell to a woeful 1-15 in prime time, which includes seven straight losses.
Biggest hole in game plan: Where's the run defense? The Giants still can't seem to get this right. Coach Brian Daboll continues to lament the team's run fits. Not good enough again as they allowed 104 yards and 6.5 yards per carry in the first half alone. The Giants came into the contest 32nd in the NFL, allowing 5.43 yards per rush. They allowed 167 yards on the ground Monday.
Most surprising performance: Tyrone Tracy Jr. The Giants seem to have found a running back. Tracy, a rookie fifth-round pick, had his second 100-yard game in four weeks and the first against the Steelers this season. He rushed for 145 yards on 20 carries before leaving with an injury. That includes five runs of at least 10 yards, with a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Eye-popping stat: 34.2 air yards to Darius Slayton. The Giants needed to hit some explosive plays and Jones and Slayton connected on a deep ball on the Giants' opening drive that went for a 43-yard gain. It was just the second pass thrown over 30-plus air yards that Jones has completed this season. He was 1-of-11 passing on throws of 30-plus air yards prior to the first-quarter toss Monday. The Giants finished with three explosive plays (20-plus yards), but Jones was just 1-of-3 on deep balls.
Troubling trend: Deonte Banks' play. The Giants' second-year cornerback was pulled from the game in the second quarter after some shaky tackling and soft coverage. The team did not report an injury. Instead, the 2023 first-round pick was replaced by Greg Stroman Jr. just one week after Banks gave poor effort trying to tackle Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Not encouraging.
Next game: vs. Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 3)
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