4 games with the biggest College Football Playoff implications in Week 2

Week 1 saw Boston College put the final nail in the coffin for No. 10 Florida State's already slim College Football Playoff hopes.

Week 2 provides a pair of ranked-on-ranked matchups with serious playoff implications. On top of that, two Group of Five teams have an opportunity to potentially eliminate a couple other Top 25 foes and insert themselves into the conversation.

No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan

The Longhorns and Wolverines announced this game as part of a home-and-home series back in 2014. A decade later and both programs are probably glad the game has the attention of virtually the entire college football world. This will only be the second time the teams meet, with the first coming in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Texas prevailed 38-35 but if Michigan avenges the 20-season-old loss then there's a rubber match scheduled in Austin for 2027.

Playoff implications: A Texas loss wouldn't be the end of the world but it sure would hamper the Longhorns' quest for an SEC title in its first year in the conference. The new 12-team format is more forgiving to one-loss teams and a Top 10 falter isn't more than a blemish in the committee's eyes. Beating Michigan is expected and wouldn't be as much of a boost as it looks on paper. A win for Michigan, however, would be a heck of a turnaround after barely getting by Fresno State in Week 1. Falling short at home will leave the Wolverines little room for error on their remaining schedule.

No. 14 Tennessee at No. 24 NC State

The Volunteers and Wolfpack have met just three times in the past with Tennessee taking the last two meetings. When NC State last won in this series both World Wars hadn't yet occurred (1911).

Playoff implications: A ranked win would be a solid notch in Tennessee's belt, especially with a stacked SEC this season and LSU having already faltered in Week 1. The Wolfpack would be required to win this game if it were to have any hope of taking advantage of a weak ACC field (sans Miami).

Boise State at No. 7 Oregon

Saturday's matchup in Eugene will feature Heisman favorite Dillon Gabriel against potential Heisman sleeper Ashton Jeanty. The junior running back for Boise State rushed for six touchdowns in Week 1 and could cause havoc for the Oregon defense. The Ducks' quarterback struggled under pressure against Idaho but still threw for almost 400 yards. This could be a boat race if the offensive lines prevail.

Playoff implications: Boise State is among the favorites to represent the Group of Five in the playoff as the highest ranked conference champion. A win against a Top 10 foe would bolster its resume hugely against other challengers like Memphis. A loss for Oregon would leave it teetering on the edge of playoff elimination throughout the rest of the season.

Appalachian State at No. 25 Clemson

Like Florida State on Monday night, Clemson is in do-or-die mode after losing to — scratch that, after getting whooped by No. 1 Georgia in Atlanta. On paper, the Tigers should view this as a get right game with an opportunity to run up the score and prove they still belong in the rankings going forward. But we all know what App State is best known for.

Playoff implications: A win for the Mountaineers wouldn't inject them into the playoff conversation whatsoever but a loss for Clemson would be devastating for head coach Dabo Swinney. A return to the Top 25 would be unlikely unless Clemson rattles off five straight wins by a wide margin and even then there's little to no chance it gets back into the playoff conversation this year.