College football is going to give us a full slate of meaningful games this Saturday. As many as six of them could affect the playoff picture and the national-championship race. That is, if other teams don't get walk away with upsets.
It all starts at 11 a.m. with the University of Oklahoma hosting Baylor University on Fox Sports 1 in one of two huge Big 12 match-ups. The two-loss Sooners can knock the one-loss Bears out of the playoff race.
There isn't much time to catch your breath before Notre Dame travels west to face Arizona State University on ABC at 2:30 p.m. out of the Pac-12 conference. The Sun Devils and Fighting Irish have one loss each, but the loser of this game will be on the outs in the title hunt.
When the sun goes down, the action really heats up. The second major Big 12 showdown takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Fox. One-loss Kansas State University, who lost out of conference to Auburn University, faces its one-loss host, Texas Christian University. The battle between the Wildcats and the Horned Frogs could be for the Big 12 championship, since the loser may forfeit both a conference race and playoff spot.
It might be time to get another TV because the big games keep coming as the Horned Frogs and Wildcats play at 6:30 p.m. on Fox, and the University of Alabama puts its hopes on the line against Louisiana State University at 7 p.m. on CBS. The Crimson Tide has a date with Mississippi State University after this game. An Alabama loss would mean they would, most likely, be out of the SEC West race.
As you flip between the SEC and Big 12, ABC ups the ante with a Big-10 battle between Ohio State University and host Michigan State University that could decide the east division. Neither team has a conference loss, yet. Virginia Tech upset the Buckeyes at home before the Hokies' season went sideways. Only the Oregon Ducks out of the Pac-12 have beaten the Spartans in a game that Michigan State was in control of in the third quarter. This is another game where the loser is doubly punished, getting knocked out of the conference title race and the playoff race at once. This game will give us the third team of the day to suffer its second loss.
Night owls can stay up late and turn over to ESPN at 9 p.m. to catch the over-achieving Utah Utes as they host the Oregon Ducks. Utah lost this past week to Arizona State, which knocked them out of the playoff race. The Utes will try to return the favor to the Ducks this week.
This weekend will provide a clearer picture of the playoff race. The room for error is now razor thin for all the hopeful teams.
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