Rivalry Weekend, hate week, whatever you want to call it, always delivers every year. This year, it means even more to teams around the country. Let's take a look at all the games to lookout for that could have a major impact on the upcoming College Football Playoff.
We'll start with the Lone Star Showdown. While this result won't affect the Aggies chance of making the playoffs, a loss would likely take the Aggies out of the running for a coveted first-round bye. On the flip side, a win for Texas keeps a very slight hope for the Longhorns to sneak in the playoffs. Even with a win, the playoffs still aren't likely for Texas.
There are a couple of teams that can probably afford to lose, but a win would absolutely lock them into a playoff spot. Oregon has to go on the road to Washington, Ole Miss has to go on the road to Mississippi State, and Georgia takes on Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Watch out for the underdogs in those matchups as they have nothing to lose at this point.
Rivalry weekend is chock-full of games with massive playoff implications
A lot of teams have must-win games in order to stay order to likely secure themselves a playoff spot. Oklahoma hosts LSU, Alabama goes on the road to Auburn, and Notre Dame goes on the road to Stanford. With where these teams are currently at in the rankings, a win this weekend will likely secure them a spot in the playoffs.
Now we get to the teams that have must-win games, but are on the outside of the playoff picture looking to get in. Vanderbilt goes on the road to Tennessee, BYU hosts UCF, and Miami goes on the road to Pittsburgh. All of these teams must win this weekend to still have an argument to make it in the playoffs, but their current rankings will likely leave them out.
The most interesting scenario is in The Game. If Michigan can beat Ohio State at home on Saturday, they will likely be in a spot to steal a bid from another deserving team. Michigan has everything to play for, while Ohio State is already locked into the playoffs. Can Michigan pull off the major upset once again?
Hate and rivalries fuel this beautiful sport, and rivalry weekend always delivers awesome games and moments. With all the games that could have major playoff implications, this weekend is even more magnified than normal. Check back on Sunday for a full breakdown of the playoff picture after a hopefully exciting weekend of games.