SMQ: What is the value of a win versus a loss in the College Football Playoff?

4th Down: Five key matchups to look forward to in Week 12

As we wrap up this week’s Sunday Morning Quarterback, let’s use this last down to look ahead at the upcoming week. Here are five key matchups you won’t want to miss as we continue to evaluate the College Football Playoff race.

Arkansas at Alabama

Arkansas has been something of a revelation this year under Sam Pittman’s leadership. The Razorbacks have won seven games for the first time in five years, and they have already claimed victories over Texas, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and LSU. Arkansas also lost by just one point on the road against Ole Miss. Alabama will still be a heavy favorite for the early Saturday game in Tuscaloosa, but with the Iron Bowl looming the following week this game has the risk of becoming a trap for the Crimson Tide if they aren’t careful.

Oregon at Utah

Oregon and Utah are on a collision course to meet in Las Vegas on December 3 to square off for the Pac-12 championship. First, though, the Ducks and Utes must meet one another in Salt Lake City during the regular season. With Ohio State playing a pair of top-10 opponents over the next two weeks, this is Oregon’s best chance to improve its schedule strength and its optics as a contender before the selection committee debate concludes on Tuesday. A Utah victory in Week 12 would effectively eliminate the Pac-12 from the College Football Playoff discussion for a fifth straight year.

SMU at Cincinnati

SMU was supposed to be Cincinnati’s biggest challenger in the American Athletic Conference this year. Instead, Houston has already booked its ticket to the AAC championship game out of the west. This game nevertheless presents a prime opportunity for the Bearcats to bolster its schedule strength against an eight-win opponent. Watch where the point spread closes on this game and see if Cincinnati can meet this publicly determined standard of excellence — or if they will continue to play just below the selection committee’s uncommunicated standards.

Michigan State at Ohio State

Ohio State obliterated Purdue. Michigan State took care of business with ease against Maryland. That set up a top-10 elimination contest in Week 12 between two of this year’s three juggernauts in the Big Ten East. The Spartans come to Columbus with the chance to steal away the division, and they will also have a chance to fortify the Heisman case of Kenneth Walker III. Michigan State’s defense will have its hands full with one of the most prolific offenses in the country. The winner keeps their College Football Playoff dream alive, while the loser fades from contention.

Wake Forest at Clemson

This game in the ACC could be a potential changing of the guard. Clemson has fallen mightily this year after serving as the hegemonic force in the league for half a decade. Wake Forest has stepped into that void and is the ACC’s last longshot hope of reaching the College Football Playoff. The Demon Deacons can seal their division crown with a win this week, while Dabo Swinney’s crew could technically stay alive in the hunt for their seventh straight ACC title if they win at home in Week 12. The stakes are higher than they have been for years in this divisional showdown.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for another edition of the Sunday Morning Quarterback next week!