We've now entered the point of the college football season where team's are looking toward postseason play. For a few, that means battling through the rest of the regular season stretch with the hopes of making it into the top 4 of the College Football Playoff rankings. For others, it's about conference dominance, and for others, it's about trying to secure top-tier bowl games, or a bowl game period, hoping to get that coveted sixth win for eligibility. Here we look at teams like Colorado football and four other teams in Week 10 that must-win to conquer those goals.
Colorado Buffaloes Football
The once 3-0 Colorado football team has truly come back down to size over the last month or so, losing four out of their last five games. Of course, the fact that Deion Sanders patchworked this team together through transfer portal acquisitions and brought a one-win team from last year to four this year is nothing short of remarkable. But you have to believe that at the very least, Sanders and this Colorado football team want to make it to a bowl game.
Colorado football currently sits at 4-4 with four games remaining to get two wins. But the task is a bit of a tall order this week when they host No. 16 Oregon State. Arizona seems a bit more manageable, but they end the season on the road at Washington State and Utah. Every game is a must-win for Colorado football moving forward.
Florida Gators Football
Colorado football isn't the only team needing a win to get to a bowl game. The unranked Florida Gators football team is currently at 5-3, and if Billy Napier wants to prove that he is the right man in Gainesville, the least he could do this season is get to a bowl game. But he better hope for more than that. To see this as a promising season for Napier in Year 2, this year's Gators football team probably needs to finish with no fewer than 7 wins, which is one better than last season, but eight would be the magic number.
Florida will be hosting Sam Pittman and his Arkansas Razorbacks team this week, which is a winnable game for the Gators. But they'll then have to follow that up with two straight road games to No. 14 LSU, No. 12 Mizzou, and then host No. 4 Florida State. Who knows, Florida might just need the win over Arkansas on Saturday just to get to six wins. Their bowl eligibility is more to harp on than Colorado football.
Texas Longhorns Football
The No. 7 Texas Longhorns football team is hosting No. 23 Kansas State in a top-25 showdown in Big 12 action. This one has an upset written all over it for Texas football, who is going to be without their starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers for the second straight week.
Kansas State has the team to beat Texas football this week. They're averaging around 36 points per game and have a great running attack. But if the Longhorns want to not only keep their Big 12 title chances alive in their last season in the conference but also their College Football Playoff chances alive, then beating the Wildcats is a must in Week 10.
Oklahoma Sooners Football
Thanks to Oklahoma football moving to the SEC next year, this will be the last Bedlam matchup. The No. 9 Sooners football team are coming off an upset against Kansas last week that may have ruined any shot of them making the College Football Playoff. However, with a potential rematch set for Texas should they not get upset this weekend either, there's a good shot that them meeting in the Big 12 title game could mean the winner getting into the playoff.
However, if the Oklahoma football falls again, and the Longhorns, for that matter, then the Big 12 is a bit chaotic with both teams suffering two Big 12 losses. That could mean that neither one of them gets in. I'm sure that wouldn't hurt Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark's feelings. Don't look for Oklahoma State to hold back in this one. This is a must-win for the Oklahoma football team in Week 10.
Alabama Crimson Tide Football
No. 8 Alabama is still in the thick of the College Football Playoff race. But they'll need to win out and get to the SEC Championship and most likely win that to get in the top-4 rankings. They'll first have to get through No. 14 LSU this week, who bested the Tide and took their spot in the west in last season's SEC title game.
There's no doubt about it that Nick Saban and Alabama are looking to avenge last year's overtime loss. But stopping Heisman Trophy candidate Jayden Daniels is going to be easier said than done. Could LSU spoil this year's Alabama football team like they did last year's, possibly keeping them out of the SEC title game and the playoff for the second straight year? There's too much on the line here for Alabama football. This is a must-win Week 10 game for the Crimson Tide football team.
Week 10 – Colorado Football and Florida are about bowl games, others are about CFP
As we're now in the last month of the season, each game is more important than the last. Though everyone will be keeping keen eyes on top-25 matchups with Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama, that will be intriguing to the playoff, it's doubtful that many can overlook Deion's Colorado football team with the possibility of getting to a bowl game in two years or Billy Napier's Florida Gators, who need every win they can get.
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