Important Games to Watch: College Football Week 10

The college football season is in the home stretch. Every game matters a little bit more in November, with the playoffs just over the horizon.

Here are some important games to watch this weekend, considering where the Tigers are ranked and the playoff implications surrounding them.

At 11 a.m. on ABC, the Holy War will take place as the undefeated Utah Utes host BYU. BYU already has one loss on its record, which came at the hands of a 3-3 UCF team following the victory over Notre Dame. The Cougars would be putting their playoff hopes on life support if they suffered another road loss at this point in the season. Utah is poised to make a strong run at a top-four seed, considering the Utes are ranked No. 3 by the committee this week. If they can continue their undefeated season, a first-round bye should be a lock. However, in order to do that, they will have to defeat a very scrappy BYU team.

Also at 11 a.m. on ESPN, Texas will be on the road to take on Missouri. This is a game with a lot of implications, as both teams have two losses but can still control their own destiny. As an LSU fan, this game should be of particular interest, considering that LSU plays Texas next week. Even the TV networks are interested in the results of this game and LSU vs. Bama. The results from this weekend will determine the start time for LSU vs. Texas, but they will also have a significant impact on the playoff hopes of Texas and Mizzou. Texas has been very vulnerable this season, and Mizzou has shown a lot of promise. However, how that Tiger offense matches up with the Longhorn defense, which is one of the best in the country, will be the deciding factor.

At 2:30 p.m. on CBS, Ohio State will take on Oregon. Ohio State is on the verge of missing the playoffs, especially without starting QB Julian Sayin available. If the Buckeyes were to lose this game, it would pretty much close the door on their chances for postseason play. A loss here, though, could benefit the Tigers as well, pushing them further up the rankings and solidifying their position as the month of November rolls on.

Finally, at 6:30 p.m., there will be two top-10 matchups taking place, as Georgia goes on the road to Oxford to take on Ole Miss, and Miami travels up to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.

Of course, the Georgia vs. Ole Miss game will draw a lot of interest from fans in Baton Rouge, but if Ole Miss loses this game, it could be the end of the playoff road for Pete Golding in his first full season as head coach. Ole Miss will have to take on Georgia without one of its primary playmakers, as Kewan Lacy has been sidelined with a shoulder injury. This injury has been lingering all year, and it’s something that goes back to their playoff matchup against Miami last season.

The running game without Lacy does take a step back, but the reserve running backs are starting to step up. However, Lacy’s ability to make big plays and be a viable option in the passing game has been missed, and Georgia’s secondary should match up very well against this Ole Miss receiving group.

This game will be the nightcap on ABC, and you can put it on your quad box next to the NBC broadcast, where Notre Dame will look to show that it actually deserves to be considered a true contender.

Notre Dame will not face another ranked opponent for the remainder of the season, so if the Irish lose this game at home against the No. 1 team in the nation, there should not be another opportunity for them to make the case that they belong in the playoff. That is especially true considering the strength of their schedule and the fact that they have no conference record to stand on.

This game does present an advantage for Notre Dame, as one of the best athletes in the nation, Malachi Toney, will not be able to play due to a high ankle sprain he suffered during practice. Miami will still have a Heisman favorite in QB Darian Mensah and a very good running back in Mark Fletcher. This is a chance for the Hurricanes to showcase that they are the best team in the country.

This will be a very good weekend of football, but the most important thing for LSU is to win on Saturday. For as much chaos as there could be this weekend, none of it will mean anything if the Tigers do not handle their business first.

What game are you looking forward to watching this weekend outside of LSU vs. Bama? Which team do you think LSU will need to cheer for on Saturday night?

Share your thoughts in the comments.