This week has been described as college football armageddon, and with good reason — there are six ranked-on-ranked matchups throughout Saturday. And if you thought the stakes couldn't get any higher, well, think again: Because with the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, some of these showdowns have taken on even more significance. Programs like Notre Dame, Texas and Alabama can solidify their conference and national title hopes — or watch their seasons go up in flames.
But which games should you prioritize in the quad box? Here are the 11 biggest matchups this weekend, ranked in order of their implications for the College Football Playoff.
11. West Virginia Mountaineers at Texas Tech Red Raiders
- When: Saturday, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
Texas Tech needs this game if they want to make the CFP, full stop. With no more marquee games on their schedule, the loss to Cincinnati is going to weigh heavily in the committee's mind. This is their last real chance to put themselves in position for an at-large spot.
West Virginia is not going to be a quality win. But it would be a bad loss, and one Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders might easily take if they are unable to slow down the dynamic run game between Michael Hawkins at quarterback and Cam Cook at running back. The Mountaineers are not going to be a pushover, despite their flammable defense, and if Texas Tech does not bring their A-game, it could be the second loss in three weeks for the Fighting Cody Campbells of Lubbock. And it could also be the end of the road for McGuire.
10. Virginia Tech Hokies at SMU Mustangs
- When: Friday, 7 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
This game looked a lot better before the first rankings came out and top-10 Wake Forest was ranked all the way down at No. 16 by the committee. The message was clear: The ACC is a one-bid league, so these teams need to win this game and get help to have any chance to make it to the final 12.
SMU not only has to win this game, but they also need to hope they can beat Notre Dame when they play later this month; a loss to Syracuse has left the Mustangs with no margin for error. Virginia Tech has enjoyed a solid rebound in year one under coach James Franklin. There is still a small chance the Hokies can sneak into the Playoff, but really, this is more about continuing to build program momentum.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes (No. 21) at Northwestern Wildcats
- When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: FOX
Not even Northwestern and Iowa fans saw this coming as an important game in the summer. But Iowa will be traveling to Ryan Field for an important game between two Big Ten teams now fighting to stay on the fringes of Playoff contention.
Ranked No. 19 in the initial rankings, Iowa can still make the conference title game if they win out and get some help. It would be unlikely that the committee would leave them out of the Playoff if they manage to reach the postseason with two losses.
Northwestern, already with losses to Indiana and Oregon, will find it more difficult but still possible to make it to Indianapolis. And really, just to be a thorn in the side of Iowa and of the conference will be fun to see.
8. UCLA Bruins (No. 5) at Minnesota Gophers
- When: Saturday, Noon ET
- Where to watch: FOX
UCLA has the easiest schedule of any team in the Playoff hunt. But still, this was a team picked to win five games in its first season under Bob Chesney. The Bruins already have eight, and are undefeated heading into this game against a Minnesota team with an elite defense and a game plan that could turn this one into a rock fight.
Expect this game to move quickly as both teams will use plenty of clock. The score will match, and the first team to 20 will come out as the winner. The most challenging game on the UCLA schedule comes in the final week against USC. If they can get there undefeated, they will be a lock for the CFP. But they must win this game first, and Minnesota just took Indiana to overtime on dueling 60-yard field goals after coming into the game as a 20.5-point underdog.
7. Oregon Ducks (No. 23) at Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 12)
- When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: CBS, also streaming on Paramount+
With three losses, Oregon is probably out of the Playoff picture, but after a win over Northwestern last weekend they're looking like very live CFP spoilers. The Ducks have done a lot with quarterback Dante Moore out for the season. They will have to pull out more magic if they want to defeat a desperate Ohio State team in Columbus.
Despite the Buckeyes also starting a backup quarterback, the home environment will be a key factor, and if Oregon is able to pull off a victory anyway, it suddenly gives them a path to the Big Ten title game (thanks to that win over USC) and thus a Playoff spot.
An Oregon loss means we can finally remove them from the discussion. An Ohio State loss, and it will take a lot to get them into the Playoff having lost all their big games save that narrow Indiana victory.Â
6. Texas Longhorns (No. 7) at Missouri Tigers (No. 18)
- When: Saturday, Noon ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
One side here is simple: If Missouri loses, they are out of the Playoff picture at three losses. But it's not so simple for the other in Texas.
Arch Manning has not been what Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns have needed this season. This has directly led to two losses already for Texas and a struggle to earn a CFP bid that they were supposed to get easily.
Plus, Texas is awfully banged up right now. Star EDGE Colin Simmons and wide receiver Cam Coleman are both considered questionable. Coleman's running mate, Ryan Wingo is also ailing and could miss this week, while transfer running back Hollywood Smothers could miss the rest of the season.
Thanks to that win against Ohio State, Texas is thought to have a decent Playoff cushion. But they also have two potentially bad losses, depending on how Florida's season ends. The Longhorns still have a remaining trip to LSU, and if the Tigers can beat Alabama on Saturday, this will be another massive game for both when it comes to making the Playoff. But, for Texas to get there, they need to go to Colombia and defeat another set of Tigers in Missouri first.
5. Kentucky Wildcats (No. 8) at Tennessee Volunteers (No. 16)
- When: Saturday, 6:15 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
Kentucky, whose only loss is a 28-point defeat to Alabama, finds themselves one spot behind the Crimson Tide ranked at No. 6 in the CFP. One-point overtime wins against LSU and South Carolina are their biggest victories to date, and their road conquest over Texas A&M looks worse with each passing week. A win against Tennessee in Knoxville will go a long way to giving them more relevance in the eyes of fans who think that six is too high for a feel-good story.
For Tennessee, with narrow losses to Texas and South Carolina and a dismantling of Alabama, being ranked eight spots behind the Crimson Tide is a slap in the face. A win against a surprising Kentucky team will show that they deserved to be higher last week, or that Alabama needs to be lower this week. Either way, this is an elimination game for Tennessee’s playoff hopes, and it could also put the Cats' backs against the wall moving forward.
4. BYU Cougars (No. 9) at Utah Utes (No. 3)
- When: Saturday, noon ET
- Where to watch: ABC
The Holy War is not just a game this season; it could also determine which team gets to the conference title game and makes the Playoff.
Utah is ranked third, BYU eighth, and both will look to get another banner win for their resume. While the Cougars can fall back to Notre Dame, they also have a bad loss to UCF, something the Utes have managed to avoid so far.
The best outcome in this game for the Big 12 is for BYU to win and then Utah to win a championship game rematch, which would probably get both teams in. But neither of these rivals wants to hear that.
Utah has looked good all season and come in having put up 42 points in the first half against Cincinnati last week. They are on a mission (no pun intended) after letting go of Kyle Whittingham, and Morgan Scalley has proven so far that he was the correct choice for this program moving forward. For BYU, a loss would make the rest of the season a must-win, and even that may not be enough if they are unable to get to the conference championship game to get revenge on their in-state rival.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 5) at LSU Tigers (No. 14)
- When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ABC
Alabama at No. 5 was the biggest shock of the first week of Playoff rankings. The Tide have two losses, one of which was ugly at Tennessee, but are still ahead of a team like UCLA with no losses and a BYU team with one loss and a win over Notre Dame. It is shocking how biased the committee and college football is toward the SEC logo, and Alabama is benefiting immensely from this fact.
LSU has looked, at times, like the best team in the country. At other times, they looked like they were a middle-of-the-road SEC squad. This week, the Tigers need to look like the former as Alabama will be ready to go in Death Valley hoping to prove they belong in the top five of the rankings.
After Saturday, Alabama has games against Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn, while LSU will still need to get through Texas and Tennessee — with one more loss likely sealing their fate. As with most editions of this rivalry, this game will go a long way in determining which of these teams gets a Playoff berth and which one goes home for a long offseason of contemplation.
2. Georgia Bulldogs (No. 2) at Ole Miss Rebels (No. 10)
- When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ABC
Georgia found themselves ranked second in the first CFP rankings on Tuesday, just behind Miami. Some can argue that the Bulldogs are better than Miami; I would. But with one loss already on the ledger, the second position is fair.
A win this week against Ole Miss, which is also in the top 10 of the rankings, would give Georgia another elite bullet point to add to their victory over Alabama on the road. Surviving in Oxford, even by one point, with a Miami losss to Notre Dame in the marquee game of the week, and Georgia will vault to Playoff pole position.
For Ole Miss, if they can beat Georgia for the second time in a row in Oxford, this would be the best win for them on the season by far. Better than the LSU victory, and better than any other win they can get on their remaining schedule. I will put them in the top five next week, and if they do not falter down the stretch the way they did against Florida and Texas, they will be in position for a first-round Playoff bye. But, if the Rebels take another loss here, it will be difficult for them to come back and get into the dance for the second season in a row.
1. Miami Hurricanes (No. 1) at Notre Dame (No. 4) Fighting Irish
- When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: NBC
The marquee game of the week and the season to this point features Notre Dame, which is unbelievably ranked at No. 11 by the playoff committee and now needs this game for their CFP lives.
The committee made clear that they're dinging the Irish for not having a signature win — you know, like Miami over [checks notes] Wake Forest and Clemson. In their only big game to date, Notre Dame lost to BYU (and the Big 12 officials). This visit from Miami is their final chance to change that.
The Canes, although ranked No. 1 right now, can drop like a stone if they lose this game as they will also not have a marquee win to fall back on. This game will make or break Notre Dame, but it can also make or break Miami. If the Hurricanes lose and then lose the ACC title game, they can find themselves on the wrong end of a road game in the first round of the Playoff. If they win on Saturday, or lose close and then win out, there is a chance to still get a bye.
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