Bugs, lag and poor writers are what keep this game from getting a 10
The only other bad side to this game is the poor quest lines. I have yet to play all of them, but the Companions, Imperials/Stormcloaks and Main Quest all feel very shallow and short. The side quests in this game though are amazing. They are very entertaining and don't feel shallow and short because they have always been short.
The upside to this game though, are the overall mechanics. Bethesda set out to make a game with a very visceral feeling to the combat and they succeeded in doing so. From decapitations to vaporizings, the combat feels real and vicious.
Another improvement that has been made over the past games is the AI. With the AI implemented in this game, NPCs have the ability to have real conversations with other people and no longer stand there dumbfounded when the guy standing next to them just fell over dead with an arrow sticking out of his neck.
Along with all of these, the game has a great atmosphere. The music director has created a great soundtrack to go along with those moments where you're standing in a snow covered forest looking up at the Aurora Borealis. The city designs and dungeon designs are fantastic too. Each city has a different feel to it and I have yet to see the same room twice in dungeons.
Overall, this is a fantastic game, but if Beth would just take time to make better quest lines and bug testing, this game would go from a 9 to a 10.