The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season are out and the Week 10 schedule is loaded.
Not only are there five ranked vs. ranked matchups, but there are also several ranked teams on upset watch with tough matchups against unranked opponents.
The drama started early Saturday as Clemson held on for a 31-23 win over No. 15 Notre Dame despite several late miscues by the Tigers. No. 10 Ole Miss followed that up with a last-second blocked field goal to survive a scare against Texas A&M and Texas needed a fourth-down stop in overtime to overcome Kansas State.
No. 22 Oklahoma State kept the drama alive later in the afternoon, delivering a 27-24 upset win over No. 9 Oklahoma in what is the last Bedlam rivalry game for the foreseeable future. Georgia, meanwhile, held its own against a lively Missouri team in a crucial SEC East clash.
At this point in the season, there is so much on the line as teams jockey for position in both the CFP rankings and their respective conference standings. We’re in for an action-packed day.
Here’s what we’re watching Saturday night (scroll for live updates):
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | TV: ABC | Line: UW -3 | Total: 76.5
The Huskies are undefeated and the No. 5 team in the country, but they have not looked quite right with shaky wins over Arizona State and Stanford the last two weeks. Washington has the current betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, Michael Penix Jr., at quarterback. On the other side, USC has Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman winner. With both defenses struggling, this could turn into one of the best quarterback duels of the season. And it’s an opportunity for USC to revitalize its season.
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET | TV: CBS | Line: Alabama -3 | Total: 60.5
LSU sort of got pushed to the side when it lost to Ole Miss to fall to 3-2. Since then, however, LSU has won three straight and is 4-1 in conference play as QB Jayden Daniels has put up eye-popping statistics. With a win in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, LSU can put itself in an excellent position to get back to the SEC title game. On the other side, Alabama still has national championship aspirations. This Alabama team isn’t as explosive on offense as some of the teams in recent years, but Jalen Milroe has settled into the starting quarterback role and has been better about limiting mistakes while the team leans on its defense.