Copyright CBS Sports
The first Saturday of November is here, bringing a slate of significant showdowns across the college football landscape as conference title races heat up. College Football Playoff implications are also starting to get real with the first CFP rankings of the season set to be released Tuesday, giving teams a clearer sense of where they stand entering the home stretch. No. 1 Ohio State is well-positioned to claim the top spot in the initial rankings if it can hold off Penn State at home in a noon Eastern kickoff. The early window also features a top-20 SEC clash as No. 9 Vanderbilt travels to No. 20 Texas, looking to continue its storybook season. A third loss would leave the Longhorns' CFP hopes on life support. The afternoon slate is headlined by No. 2 Indiana taking its unbeaten mark on the road against Maryland in a Big Ten showdown on CBS, as the Hoosiers aim to reach 9-0 and stay on Ohio State's heels in the race for national supremacy. In the same window, No. 5 Georgia faces a potentially tricky rivalry matchup against a Florida team playing its first game under interim coach Billy Gonzales. In the evening, No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 18 Oklahoma in a battle between two-loss SEC teams trying to stay in the CFP picture. Here are the CBS Sports expert picks for those games as we head into another huge college football Saturday. Army vs. Air Force Noon on CBS, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: There isn't an obvious trend to follow, with neither Army nor Air Force being particularly consistent against the spread this season while being on opposite sides of the over/under trends when it comes to totals. But the Falcons showed signs of life recently, finally prevailing for a win against Wyoming in Week 8 to snap a five-game losing skid, which included back-to-back defeats by a field goal. Momentum and historical home-field advantage gives Air Force the slight edge here. Pick: Air Force SU -- Cody Nagel No. 1 Ohio State vs. Penn State Noon on Fox, fuboTV (try for free): Just over a month ago, Penn State went toe-to-toe with Oregon before falling in overtime. Since then, the Nittany Lions have found new ways to lose, but their four defeats have come by a combined 13 points. Coming off a bye week and with nothing to lose, Penn State is a talented underdog with something to prove. Expect the interim coaching staff to pull out all the stops to make life uncomfortable for an Ohio State team that hasn't been tested much since Week 1. Pick: Penn State -20.5 -- David Cobb No. 20 Texas vs. No. 9 Vanderbilt Noon on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): Texas has been living a risky life the past two weeks in narrow road wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State that have further illustrated its shortcomings. The Longhorns have no running game, erratic quarterback play and are not elite enough defensively to squash quality opponents into submission. Vanderbilt is running the football well and has a quarterback in Diego Pavia who keeps the chains moving. The Commodores are strong on both lines of scrimmage and bring much better vibes into this game than a Texas team that is struggling to meet the expectations associated with being ranked No. 1 in the preseason. Pick: Vanderbilt +3 -- Cobb No. 5 Georgia vs. Florida 3:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): Florida will come out juiced against their rival, especially with Billy Gonzalez leading the program. The Gators will take big swings and maybe even build a lead in Jacksonville. However, Georgia is too patient and has too many avenues to win this game for it to last. The Bulldogs will lean on their physical running game and pull away late. The line will be touch-and-go into the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs can pull away late. Pick: Georgia +7.5 -- Shehan Jeyarajah No. 2 Indiana vs. Maryland 3:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Maryland has kept things close in its last three games, but that doesn't change the fact that said games still resulted in a loss. Maryland's last loss came against UCLA -- the same UCLA team that Indiana just beat 56-6. Results often are not directly translatable in a sport as chaotic as college football, but they certainly can be indicative of what to expect. In this case, it's hard to see Maryland hanging with the scorching-hot Hoosiers. Pick: Indiana -21.5 (-115) --Will Backus No. 18 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Tennessee 7:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): Josh Heupel's involvement has made this one of the great new rivalries post-SEC expansion, and if his emotional locker room moment last year didn't drive it home enough, this result will back up his desire to beat the Sooners. Neyland Stadium should be rocking under the lights and a Tennessee defense that has been a bit boom or bust throughout the season could find success flipping Oklahoma turnovers into easy points in a crucial win for the Vols' playoff hopes. Pick: Tennessee -3 -- Chip Patterson Washington State vs. Oregon State 7:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Oregon State played its best football of the season last time out, but don't be fooled by the 45-13 victory. Beating up on an FCS opponent is no sure sign of a turnaround, especially given that it took until the second half to pull away. Washington State is the better offensive team in this matchup, its defense seems to have turned a corner and it will have the special teams advantage against one of the worst teams in the country in that regard. The Cougars are better in all three phases than a team simply looking to get across the finish line with its interim staff. Pick: Washington State -3.5 -- Carter Bahns
