Subscribe
Follow Us
We're getting down to the nitty-gritty entering Week 10 of the regular season in college football. That means games played during this last month will have major implications toward the College Football Playoff rankings, where a loss could be detrimental, completely eliminating teams from contention. Now that the first week of rankings have been released, here are four matchups that are worth keeping an eye on during Week 10.
No. 23 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Texas
It'll be a 6-2 Kansas State going into Austin to take on the 7-1 Longhorns in a top-25 matchup. This is a game that has a number of implications, not just that of the playoff. The Big 12 is on the line here, with the Wildcats still not out of the running.
Like Texas, the Wildcats have just one conference loss, but the story here will be that of Kansas State trying to spoil Texas' last season in the Big 12 before they leave for the SEC next year. Texas football is definitely the more talented group here in the game, but this is also a Wildcats team that upset TCU in the Big 12 title game last year. Can they make a bigger upset this year in the middle of the season against the Longhorns football team with major playoff aspirations?
Texas looks like they could be without Quinn Ewers again, which will leave Maalik Murphy starting for the second straight week. Texas can't afford another loss — they can barely afford another close game since Oklahoma lost to Kansas last week. If they lose, then say goodbye to Texas in the CFP.
No. 14 LSU vs. No. 8 Alabama
The team that Texas beat early in the season, Alabama, to give them their only blemish, has been doing nothing but winning since their encounter. It may have not always been pretty, but nonetheless, the Crimson Tide football team is still one of the best teams in the country.
Saturday's game against SEC West rival LSU will be a massive conference matchup that is possibly the biggest of the whole Week 10 weekend. Some of that is history and some of that is this being a top-15 game, and one that has felt lost in the SEC this season.
Brian Kelly and LSU had the advantage of Death Valley to pull them through a close one over Nick Saban and Alabama last season, which is what ultimately led to the Tigers representing the west in the SEC title game. Alabama, like Texas, can't suffer another loss, especially within the conference. A loss would have them plummet down the College Football Playoff rankings.
No. 12 Mizzou vs. No. 2 Georgia
It's not unusual to get a top-25 SEC matchup late in the year, it's just that they usually take place earlier in the year as well. So far, that hasn't been the case in the SEC, which is suffering a bit of a down season.
Georgia's lone ranked matchup this season was against Kentucky when they were ranked 20th. Now they face three in a row in their final month of the season. Mizzou has been a bit of a surprise this year and shouldn't be looked over if you're a Bulldogs football fan. The Tigers have scored at least 30 points in every game but one.
The good thing for Georgia is that they're undefeated, so a loss isn't the end of the world, but they would more than likely need some help if they wanted to get back into the top-4. Being that the SEC is in a down year, the conference schedule may not go in their favor like in years past, thus would put them out of the top-4 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Article Continues Below
No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 22 Oklahoma State
The Sooners are coming off an upset loss to Kansas last weekend that may have completely changed the dynamic of the Big 12 and one of their team's having a chance at the CFP. No longer does it feel certain that we'll get the much-anticipated rematch between the Sooners and Texas, as both have looked shaky since the Red River Rivalry, where Oklahoma walked out of the Cotton Bowl with a victory.
Most wouldn't have predicted this be as anticipated a few weeks prior when the Cowboys were losing to Southern Alabama and Iowa State back-to-back. However, both of these teams only have one conference loss with both ranked in the top-25.
To add even more intrigue to this game is the fact that it will be the last time Oklahoma and Oklahoma State face off against one another for the foreseeable future — and it's in Bedlam. The Cowboys will be looking to do anything that can send the Sooners packing early, beating them for the last time before they leave for the SEC.
Oklahoma might need all the help they can get if they want to make the playoff, a loss and they're gone.
No. 5 Washington vs. No. 20 USC
This Pac-12 top-20 Week 10 matchup doesn't have quite the anticipation it once did like early in the season. But still, there's something to watch out for here.
USC has been reeling for over a month now, and yet they've somehow just managed two losses when there should have probably been a few more. The Trojans' chances of making it to the CFP are all but zero at this point. But Washington, snubbed out of the top-4, is still in great shape to reach the CFP. All they have to do is win out, and it would be difficult to see them not getting at the very least the fourth spot.
A loss wouldn't be the worst, but it would be hard to see how the Huskies could still make the playoff, given that the Pac-12 and its schools don't often get their due respect. USC, on the other hand, needs a decisive win, and one where they're not playing for their lives. If Washington wins, it gives them another top-25 win. But they can't look ahead and be sloppy like they have been post the Oregon game.
