Dan Mullen picks Ohio State vs. Penn State, other pivotal Week 10 games

Week 10 of the college football season is here and so are picks from ESPN analyst and former Florida head coach Dan Mullen. Each week, Mullen picks several of the biggest games of the college football weekend.

Not only does Dan Mullen pick who will win the game, but he also makes a pick against the spread. Here are his choices for Week 10, including the Big Ten showdown between Ohio State and Penn State:

Ohio State (-3.5) at Penn State

Two of the top teams in the Big Ten will face off on Saturday as Penn State hosts Ohio State. During the preseason, this looked like it would be one of the biggest games of the entire college football season. Both teams have lived up to that hype thus far.

Ohio State and Penn State are both ranked in the top 5, and the Buckeyes are 6-1, while Penn State is 7-0. Dan Mullen expects the Nittany Lions to not only cover the 3.5-point spread but also to win the game.

Pitt at SMU (-7.5)

Pitt and SMU have been two of the biggest surprises of the college football season thus far. Both teams have College Football Playoff aspirations as Pitt is 7-0 and SMU is 7-1. Both teams are also unbeaten in ACC play.

The winner of Saturday’s matchup will greatly increase its chances of reaching the ACC Championship Game and potentially the College Football Playoff. Mullen has Pitt covering the 7.5 points. This is the one game he didn’t actually pick a winner for.

Ole Miss (-7.5) at Arkansas

Arkansas has been up-and-down throughout the 2024 college football season. Yes, the Razorbacks upset Tennessee at home. However, they were also blown out by LSU.

Now Arkansas is welcoming an Ole Miss team to town that still has aspirations of making the College Football Playoff. Dan Mullen has the Rebels rolling against Arkansas and not only winning the game but covering the spread.

Indiana (-7.5) at Michigan State

Indiana has exceeded everyone’s expectations so far this season and is still undefeated as the calendar turns to November. The Hoosiers received some good news on Thursday as head coach Curt Cignetti revealed that star quarterback Kurtis Rourke will start against Michigan State.

There are some who have Indiana on upset alert against the Spartans. However, Dan Mullen expects Indiana to not only win but cover the spread.

Virginia Tech (-3.5) at Syracuse

Virginia Tech has rebounded nicely from a 2-3 start to the season to win three straight games. The Hokies had high expectations in the preseason and are starting to live up to them.

As for Syracuse, the Orange have exceeded expectations and are 5-2 (2-2), despite an ugly loss to Pitt last week. Dan Mullen expects the Hokies to beat Syracuse and cover the 3.5-point spread.

Texas Tech at Iowa State (-13.5)

The Cyclones are off to an impressive 7-0 start to the season and are in position to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. Iowa State is coming off of a bye week after escaping against UCF on Oct. 19.

Texas Tech is having a solid year, too, and is 5-3 (3-2) heading into the game. Dan Mullen has Iowa State winning the game and covering the 13.5-point spread.