This week, the College Football Playoff Committee unveiled their initial Top 25 rankings, giving us a clear look at how the race for the Playoff is stacking up. After getting the first set of rankings, each team knows where it stands, and the next few weekends will be all about jockeying for better positioning.
As we head into Week 11, there are currently 37 teams who still have a chance of making the College Football Playoff. Each weekend will start to see that number get slimmer as contenders face off while upsets will always shake the Playoff race. This weekend brings a massive slate of games which will help shape the race for the Playoff.
These 5 games will shake the Playoff race
Tulane Green Wave Vs Memphis Tigers
On Friday Night, Memphis and Tulane face off in a pivotal matchup for the College Football Playoff. While there isn't a Group of 5 team ranked in the College Football Playoff committee's Top 25, Memphis was picked as the committee's Group of 5 representative in the Playoff bracket. If Memphis wins, they'll remain the Group of 5 representative while Tulane could throw this race into chaos with a win.
#7 BYU Cougars Vs #8 Texas Tech Red Raiders
The biggest game of the weekend takes place in Lubbock as the two biggest powers in the Big 12, Texas Tech and BYU meet. The Cougars are the last unbeaten team in the Big 12, and handing Texas Tech a second loss would move them even closer to clinching a place in the Big 12 Championship.
After losing to Arizona State, Texas Tech can't afford another loss, and knocking off BYU would bolster their resume while making it a wide open race for the Big 12. If Texas Tech gets the big win, they're almost certainly in the Big 12 Championship as their final 2 games come against two of the worst teams in the Conference.
#3 Texas A&M Aggies Vs #22 Missouri Tigers
Texas A&M has proven they're one of the best programs in the Country and a win in this game would all, but punch their ticket into the Playoff as at worst they'd finish with 2 losses. Missouri on the other hand has two losses which has them fighting for their College Football Playoff lives. This will be the first game for Missouri without quarterback Beau Pribula, meaning they'll need to pick up a statement win with True Freshman QB Matt Zollers.
#9 Oregon Ducks Vs #20 Iowa Hawkeyes
When the College Football Playoff committee ranked Oregon as the 9th best team in the Country, it sent a message that the Ducks resume wasn't good enough. This weekend, they'll get a chance to improve that resume when they face Iowa. The Hawkeyes are red hot as of late, and if their offense can play at a high level in this game they will have a great chance to pull off the upset. Dan Lanning's team had two weeks to prepare for this game, and they can send a statement with a dominant win.
Navy Midshipmen Vs #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Saturday Night brings a game that's quietly massive for the College Football Playoff race as Notre Dame hosts Navy. The Midshipmen are in the hunt for the Group of 5 bid and adding an at-large win over Notre Dame would only help their case if they win the American. Notre Dame on the other hand is currently inside the Top 10, but the Fighting Irish simply can't lose another game otherwise they'll miss the College Football Playoff.