Fansided

25 games that will shape the 2019 College Football Playoff

By Jeremy Morris

AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 25: Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Auburn Tigers rushes during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 25: Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Auburn Tigers rushes during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 08: The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David Rosenblum/IconSportswire) /

Which 25 matchups on the 2018 schedule will have the greatest impact on how the cards fall at season’s end and which four teams play in the 2019 College Football Playoff?

Every season, there are a handful of games that can be circled as matchups that will loom large when it comes to conference championship standings and playoff seating. The ten to 15 rivalry games and marquee non-conference matchups early in the season will put most of the puzzle pieces together but there are always a couple upsets and surprises that come out of nowhere to help shape the eventual outcome.

Iowa’s 55-24 win over Ohio State was something no one expected but it ended up keeping Ohio State out of the College Football Playoff and opened the door for two SEC teams in Georgia and Alabama to make the playoff and meet in one of the most memorable championship games we’ve seen in a long time.

The Iron Bowl, Ohio State vs. Michigan and the rest of the games between Big Ten powers, Washington vs. Stanford and other are a given. But which games will unfold this season to shift the playoff picture? What upsets are looming in addition to the lineup of assumed playoff contenders?