HYPE INDEX: Your guide (and predictions) for Week 10 in Texas college football

This is the Texas College Football Hype Index, where Dave Campbell’s Texas Football managing editor Greg Tepper ranks the FBS college football games in Texas from least-watchable to most-watchable.11: UTEP at Middle Tennessee, 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Murfreesboro, TN One foot in front of the other, the Miners trudge on, with no semblance of anything that could even be misconstrued as hope. There’s a signpost up ahead. It reads “Murfreesboro, Tennessee.” The group lets out a sigh, knowing. This is their fate. A bleak future awaits them. Watchability Rating: 0 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: Middle Tennessee 31, UTEP 1010: Rice at UAB, 2 p.m. Saturday in Birmingham, AL It’s a matchup between a team that’s relaunching its program and a team that’s in a death spiral. Do not watch this game, I implore you. It will only make you sad. Watchability Rating: 1 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: UAB 31, Rice 209: Baylor at Kansas, 11 a.m. Saturday in Lawrence, KS This really and truly might be the matchup of the two worst Power 5 teams in the nation. The difference: Baylor, at least, has flashed some promise, while the lowly Jayhawks have not. This is a must-win for the Bears, who would then be staring 0-12 in the face. Watchability Rating: 2 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: Baylor 37, Kansas 218: New Mexico State at Texas State, 2 p.m Saturday in San Marcos The Bobcats have not won back-to-back games since November of 2014, so a victory here over soon-to-drop-to-FCS New Mexico State would be huge. That said, the Aggies are surprisingly competent after transforming into a pass-heavy spread attack. Texas State must pick off a couple of passes and protect its own passer to have a chance. Watchability Rating: 3 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: New Mexico State 33, Texas State 237: UTSA at Florida International, 6 p.m. Saturday in Miami, FL This is the sleeper game this week. UTSA is trying to reassemble the pieces of its hot start, and they’ll now have to travel to Miami against a strange FIU squad. The Golden Panthers have a decent offense, but their offensive line has struggled, which could be an opening for UTSA. Can the Roadrunners muster enough offense? Watchablity Rating: 4 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: UTSA 27, FIU 206: East Carolina at Houston, 11 a.m. Saturday in Houston East Carolina is bad. They’re really bad. They don’t do much of anything well aside from hitting the occasional big play in the passing game. The intrigue here is what the Houston offense looks like under new QB D’Eriq King, making his first career start after dazzling last week against South Florida. The game shouldn’t be close, but it’ll be worth watching. Watchability Rating: 5 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: Houston 38, East Carolina 105: North Texas at Louisiana Tech, 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Ruston, LA Oh boy — North Texas on the road. The Mean Green are feasting at Apogee Stadium, but floundering on the road, including a drubbing at the hands of Florida Atlantic two weeks ago. Louisiana Tech ain’t FAU — they’re an average offense and a below-average but opportunistic defense — but can the Mean Green shake their travel woes? If so, they’ll be officially bowl-eligible for the first time since 2013. Watchability Raying: 5 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: North Texas 38, Louisiana Tech 334: Kansas State at Texas Tech, 11 a.m. Saturday in Lubbock Two teams that are heading the same direction, and it ain’t up. Ever since Tech coughed up a second-half lead at West Virginia, it’s been all downhill. And ever since Kansas State lost QB Jesse Ertz — who’s questionable for this game — they haven’t been the same. Can Tech’s offense get back on track against a below-average Kansas State defense? A bowl game — and maybe Kliff Kingsbury’s job — may depend on it. Watchablity Rating: 6 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: Texas Tech 41, Kansas State 373: No. 18 UCF at SMU, 6:15 p.m. Saturday in Dallas This could be a shootout — and it probably should be if SMU wants to win it. Central Florida’s offense is humming thanks to a tremendous play-action passing game to complement a Top 10 rushing attack. The defense is pretty solid against the pass, and they pick off a lot of errant throws, making accuracy a priority for Ben Hicks. The higher the score, the better for the Ponies. Watchablity Rating: 6 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: UCF 48, SMU 332: No. 14 Auburn at Texas A&M, 11 a.m. Saturday in College Station As strange as it is for a team that’s a 15-point underdog, this feels like a must-win for Kevin Sumlin. Fair or not, the Aggies need a big win to shake all sorts of narratives — they’re 3-11 against SEC West teams at Kyle Field, and they’re notorious for collapsing down the stretch. It won’t come easy, though, as Auburn is an outstanding running team even without star RB Kamryn Pettway, and QB Jarrett Stidham (remember him?) is beginning to blossom. Oh, and their defense is really good. Can the Ags pull the stunner, and maybe save their coach’s job? Watchability Rating: 7 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: Auburn 37, Texas A&M 171: Texas at No. 8 TCU, 6:15 p.m. Saturday in Fort Worth There are so many questions here that’s it’s even hard to sum up. Can Texas feed off of its momentum after last week’s thorough victory over Baylor? Can TCU bounce back after its stunning loss to Iowa State? Can Texas find any sort of success offensively against a fast and ferocious Frogs defense? Can Kenny Hill take care of the ball? Does the fact that this is a night game in Fort Worth matter? This is the most compelling game of the weekend for a million reasons. Watchability Rating: 9 out of 10 Tepper’s Prediction: TCU 24, Texas 17