Ohio State's playoff chances got a big boost with their win in Iowa City last weekend. That was a game where, coming into it, it was plausible that the Buckeyes could lose. They still have a few more games left that are losable. This week's game against Maryland shouldn't be one of them, but there are some games around the country that could affect Ohio State's playoff chances.
(7) Indiana vs Nebraska
Indiana puts their 21-game winning streak on the line in Lincoln on Saturday. The defending national champions have largely been their dominant selves outside of a close one against Northwestern, who might actually be a good team. Nebraska might also be a good team, but they still have questions.
The Cornhuskers have started the season 5-0 after coming in with low expectations, but they haven't really played anybody yet. Their next two games are against ranked opponents, and they finish the season with two more.
They get Indiana and Ohio State at home, and if they can beat both of those teams, they'll have a real playoff argument. We will find out a lot about the progress of Nebraska football over the next couple of weeks.
(1) Texas vs Oklahoma
The Red River Rivalry is one of the most anticipated games on the college football schedule every year. This year's game might be so ugly that it makes the State of Texas ban these football programs from the state fairgrounds. Texas is the number one team in the AP poll.
If there was a poll for the most disappointing team, Oklahoma would be number one. That all said, it feels like this rivalry is always prone to delivering some weird results. Don't just assume that the Longhorns will remain unbeaten on Saturday afternoon just because all prior information assumes that they should.
(21) UCLA vs (13) Oregon
The biggest game of the week in the Big Ten features a rising power on the West Coast going against the region's top dog. Two years ago, James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti left to go take the job at Indiana, a program that had struggled for years, and led them to an 11-1 record and a playoff appearance.
Bob Chesny took over at JMU, went 23-6 at that program, and then got the job at UCLA. The Bruins are off to a 4-0 start, scoring over 45 points in three of the first four games. If they can beat Oregon in Eugene, there will be real playoff conversations in Pasadena.
They don't have any more ranked opponents on their schedule until they end the season at home against USC, and who knows what state the Trojans will be in by late November. Oregon looked better in their last game against USC, but concerns are still prevalent about the Ducks' defense.
Going against this high-powered UCLA offense will be another test for that unit. Quarterback Dante Moore returned to practice this week, so we'll see what his status is for Saturday. If the Ducks lose this game, their backs will be against the wall, and they'll likely need to win out to get back to the College Football Playoff, and they still have a trip to Columbus coming up on the schedule.
Maryland vs (5) Ohio State
Ohio State has one final break in its schedule as it hosts Maryland in Ohio Stadium on Saturday. This should be the last "easy" game for the Buckeyes and could also be the final game in Mike Locksley's career as head coach at Maryland.
(10) LSU vs Kentucky
LSU travels to Lexington on Saturday night for one of the biggest games in the recent history of Kroger Field. The Wildcats pulled off a big win at Texas A&M before the Aggies fully lost control of their season.
LSU could effectively be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss in Lexington, as they still have Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee left on the schedule, and winning all of those games will be a challenge. If the Tigers are the team that they paid for this offseason, they shouldn't have too many issues on Saturday night.
(2) Georgia vs (6) Alabama
The biggest game of week six is an SEC championship game rematch between Georgia and Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Last season, these two teams played each other twice, with Alabama winning in Athens and Georgia winning in Atlanta.
The two teams were both selected for the playoff and are looking to do so again this season, as both are off to 5-0 starts. I think the winner of this is pretty much a lock to make the CFP this season. The Bulldogs will have a tough three-game stretch where they play Florida in Atlanta, at Ole Miss, and Missouri.
If they are a team good enough to win in Tuscaloosa, I can't see any world where they lose all three of those games. The Crimson Tide have just two difficult games left. Both of them are on the road at Tennessee and at LSU.
Even if they lose both of those games, they should be in the final 12. Big stakes in Tuscaloosa, in what has been a one-sided rivalry in recent seasons. Kirby Smart has just 21 losses in 11 seasons as the head coach at Georgia. 7 of those 11 losses have been against the Tide.
(19) USC vs Penn State
This game might feature two teams that are standing on the side of the cliff and waiting to push the other one over. One could argue that Penn State is already there, as they've lost their last two games against Wisconsin and Northwestern.
If the Nittany Lions have any fight left, they'll need to bring it against USC in front of the Beaver Stadium whiteout. USC hasn't looked the same since the first half of the Oregon game. They pulled out a win over Washington last week despite a subpar defensive performance against a Washington team that had been struggling to find much offense early in the season.
A loss in State College would likely be a season-ender for a Trojans team that still has to play Ohio State, Indiana, and UCLA.
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