College football always delivers, no matter what. With so few weekends in this sport, there's no shortage of riches each and every Saturday.
With only three ranked on ranked matchups this weekend in college football, some may call this a "boring slate". I beg to differ. There are plenty of games scheduled this weekend that will not only be exciting, but could narrow the potential playoff field.
Playoff implications of college football's biggest games in week 11
One is starting tonight in the Big 10. An underrated 5-3 Northwestern Wildcats team goes on the road to Los Angeles to take on the USC Trojans. This is a classic look-ahead spot for USC. They have to win out to have a chance at the CFB Playoff— but in their next two games they will host Iowa and then head to Eugene to face Oregon.
Another trap game in the Big 10 could be the Washington Huskies going on the road in Madison to face off against the Wisconsin Badgers. Washington will need to win out to have a shot. Their path looks pretty clear up until they host Oregon on Thanksgiving weekend. Don't count out the Badgers in this game. Despite the abysmal offense, their defense has played really solidly this year, and they're a team with nothing to lose.
Your marquee Big 10 matchup this weekend will be the Oregon Ducks traveling to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes have quietly made their way into the rankings and still have a shot to win out and contend for a playoff spot.
Their season will come down to this weekend and next. They get an Oregon Ducks team that don't necessarily have to win this game, but will put a lot of pressure on them if they lose. Oregon is also looking for their first big win to put on their resume after Penn State went completely downhill.
Taking a look at the SEC slate, there are four matchups that could have serious playoff implications. Georgia heads to Starkville to face off against Mississippi State. Georgia can't afford to let this one go. They still host Texas and will face off against Georgia Tech in Atlanta to end the season. This may be a must win for Georgia.
Vanderbilt hosts Auburn this weekend in Nashville, fresh off the Hugh Freeze firing. Vanderbilt needs to win out to remain in contention, and the still have to go to Knoxville to face Tennessee at the end of the season. Auburn has nothing to lose in this game, and they may have the best defense in the conference that can keep this game close.
LSU goes on the road to Tuscaloosa to go up against Alabama tomorrow, fresh off the firing of coach Brian Kelly. LSU's season is pretty much over, but they can make life a lot harder on the Crimson Tide. Alabama still has to host Oklahoma and potentially would need to win the SEC title to make it in the Playoffs if they drop another regular season game.
Your only ranked on ranked matchup in the SEC this weekend will occur when the Texas A&M Aggies head to Columbia to play the Missouri Tigers. The Tigers need to win out to be in contention. Including the game tomorrow against the Aggies, Mizzou still hosts Mississippi State, and go on the road to Oklahoma and Arkansas to end the season. The odds are stacked against them. The Aggies, on the other hand, may be the only SEC team that can afford to lose two conference regular season games and still make the playoffs.
When looking at the BIG 12, one game stands out for the College Football Playoff race, with the BYU Cougars going on the road to Lubbock to face off against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. If BYU can win this game, and win out in the regular season, they would likely be a lock for the Playoff, even without winning the conference title game.
Texas Tech desperately needs this win, and likely will still have to win out to make the playoffs. A win against BYU for Texas Tech pretty much secures them a spot in the conference title game to play for the automatic playoff bid. If BYU loses this game, they will need to win out, likely including the conference title game, just to make the playoffs. They still have to travel to Cincinnati to play the Bearcats.
Let's not forget about the ACC. Louisville hosts the Golden Bears of California and Virgina hosts the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. Both will be must win games for the home teams as they inch closer to an ACC title berth, and likely both need to win out to have a shot at the CFB Playoffs.
Even with only three ranked matchups this weekend, there's potential for a lot of chaos that could completely change the College Football Playoff landscape.