With the season hitting the halfway mark, there are some schools where we still do not know about. Can we trust Alabama and Nebraska as contenders in the SEC and Big Ten, respectively? Games against Georgia and Indiana this weekend will tell us.
But the Tide and Huskers are not the only teams who need to make a declarative statement on Saturday. There are a few more that will be tested this weekend, and which we'll get an answer about one way or another.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to watch: ABC
Alabama has looked great this season. The run game is finally back, and the defense has bent a bit but not broken.
Giving up 36 points to Florida State needs to be concerning. But quarterback Keelon Russell has 1,411 yards and 11 touchdowns through five games, the offense has been scoring 49.6 points per game and the defense is allowing just 20.8 points. Kalen DeBoer is finally finding his footing in his third season in Tuscaloosa; the Crimson Tide finally look like a true SEC contender. But they will need to win against Georgia this week at home to make that a reality.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart has never defeated Alabama in the regular season. But he has two big wins against them in the post season in a national championship game and again last season in a dominating SEC Championship Game victory. Their defense is stellar and their offensive line has an inside track to winning the Joe Moore Award as the best in the nation. If they can lean on the Alabama defense in potential awful weather, Smart may just get his first regular season win over Alabama. If not, Alabama can prove it is the best team in the SEC and even with a Texas win over Oklahoma, may ascend to the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll.
Florida Gators vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 12:45 p.m. ET
- How to watch: SEC Network
After a massive win over Ole Miss, Florida came to Columbia last weekend and laid an egg worthy of an omelet station. With both running backs rushing for less than 75 yards, the Gators struggled when the game was placed into the hands of quarterback Aaron Philo.
South Carolina does not pose a tough challenge. If they do, Florida is worse than we thought, but seeing how Jon Sumrall's team bounces back this week will be the key to finding out if this program has truly turned things around already — or whether they're still a year away.
South Carolina and Shane Beamer are on the fast track to a divorce. If the Gamecocks get blown out in this matchup, it may happen as early as Sunday. If they can manage to hang tough or even win the showdown in Gainesville, there will need to be more concern on the Gators' sideline than there is hope on the Gamecocks'. It is just a matter of time. But, for Florida, which started out the season so strongly, this will be a maturity test to see if they can leave the past in the past and focus on the here and now.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Indiana Hoosiers
- Saturday, Oct. 10, noon ET
- How to watch: FOX
Dylan Raiola has the Cornhuskers rolling in 2026. Oh wait — it is not Raiola, who left before the season to back up Dante Moore at Oregon. Instead, it is Anthony Colandrea, a quarterback who is fun to watch but, like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.
Colandrea can be a head coach’s best friend or their worst nightmare; it just depends on the afternoon and how many plays he attempts to make. With him taking care of the ball (so far), Nebraska is undefeated. But it can all change in an instant against an elite team like Indiana.
Despite being elite, Indiana is not as dominant as 2025, and they have struggled at times — especially two weeks against an overmatched but determined Northwestern team. If the Hoosiers have everything going, the -7 line for Indiana is a sure bet. But, with windy conditions expected due to the hurricane in the gulf, this will limit the downfield passing game that the team utilizes with quarterback Josh Hoover.
Indiana is currently a playoff-level team. Nebraska wants to get there. A win here, or even a close loss, would help their case come the end of the season.
Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins Sat. 3:30 PM, CBS
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m. ET
- How to watch: CBS
After a late hit took Dante Moore out of the USC game two weeks ago, Dylan Raiola came in and brought the Ducks to victory with 289 yards and two touchdowns. After a bye week, Moore is still not ready to go, and Raiola will get his first start in Eugene. It comes in an important game for the Ducks against the undefeated UCLA Bruins, who are rolling under first year coach Bob Chesney.
For UCLA, this would be another feather in the cap of what's been a great season so far. The Bruins were not supposed to compete in 2026, and the fact they are is a mini-miracle. But Oregon is different; they were supposed to be the top team in the country for many people. They brought back everything on offense and defense and have had top-five recruiting classes for years to add depth. But, after a loss to Oklahoma State, the Ducks need this game to remain alive for a playoff berth, and they will be forced to do so with a backup quarterback.
Although Raiola is not the average backup, having started 22 games for Nebraska, he is still a backup and has not had the time to build a rapport with the Oregon starters. Showing he can win games when Moore is out will go a long way to proving that Oregon is still a team to be dealt with, and that Raiola will be ready to lead the Ducks into 2027 as the starting quarterback.
USC Trojans vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to watch: NBC
While this feels obvious, it could also go in both directions. The only reason we're focused on USC and not Penn State here is that, with the remaining schedule for the Nittany Lions, there is no chance of making the Playoffs after two losses in a row. While the Trojans have looked bad for two weeks now, they still have a chance to get to 10-2 and squeak in. But only if they can finally win in the eastern time zone, in a White Out game no less.
USC has remaining games against Indiana and Ohio State, so nothing will be guaranteed even with a win. But a loss will guarantee another disappointing season under Lincoln Riley, which could mark his last in Los Angeles.
AD Jen Cohen did not bring Riley to Los Angeles. She did bring Kalen DeBoer to Washington, and if she decided to fire Riley, DeBoer, who has been both vilified and rooted for with Alabama, might be persuaded to make another move back west.
Saturday nights at State College can be magical. It is just a matter of time whether this one is black magic or not.
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