5 Trap Games That Could Trouble College Football Playoff Contenders

Each of these contenders has a marquee game circled, and the winnable opponent sitting one week earlier is where a season can quietly go sideways.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) faces a tricky early October matchup that could prove to be a trap game for the Bulldogs | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Big college football games are circled on the schedule months in advance. But be wary! A trap game can derail a good season for any team.

Who can forget the iconic Appalachian State upset win over Michigan in 2007? And from that same year, arguably the bigger loss was when No. 1 USC lost by one point to Stanford.

A trap game is a winnable matchup a contender overlooks because a bigger one waits the next week. All five 2026 matchups below fit that criterion.

Georgia vs Vanderbilt on Oct. 3

Georgia Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier (3) tries to break a tackle during the Georgia Spring football game at Sanford Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Georgia hosts Vanderbilt one week before its trip to Alabama on Oct. 10, and Tuscaloosa will pull at Kirby Smart's team all week. That is the danger.

Vanderbilt won 10 games last season, the most in program history, and Clark Lea has turned the Commodores into a team that hangs around against anybody. Vanderbilt did lose quarterback Diego Pavia, who finished second in the Heisman race, and true freshman Jared Curtis is the likely replacement. So the offense may take a step back.

Still, Lea returns one of the county's most experienced defenses, and Vanderbilt has proven it can scare ranked teams inside its division. Two years ago, the Commodores delivered one of 2024's biggest upsets against Alabama. Georgia cannot afford a misstep with Alabama next.

Oregon vs Northwestern on Oct. 31

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) celebrates a catch during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Oregon's marquee game is at Ohio State on Nov. 7. The week before, the Ducks host Northwestern, and that gap is exactly where a lookahead lives.

Northwestern went 7-6 last season and won a bowl game under David Braun, who has 19 wins in three years and openly talks about chasing a Big Ten title. The Wildcats added former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles and hired Chip Kelly to run the offense, so this is not a soft landing spot.

Oregon returns quarterback Dante Moore and enters the year as a national title contender. But Columbus looms seven days later, and a home date against a bowl team is the kind of Saturday when focus slips.

Ole Miss vs Auburn on Oct. 31

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy (5) celebrates a touchdown during the CFP Fiesta Bowl against Miami. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss travels to Texas on Oct. 24 and hosts Georgia on Nov. 7. Auburn sits right in the middle, on Halloween in Oxford, making it a classic sandwich game.

Pete Golding enters his first full season as head coach with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss back after a court fight for his eligibility. Chambliss threw for 3,937 yards last season with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, and running back Kewan Lacy returns after 24 scores.

Auburn is dangerous in a different way. New head coach Alex Golesh brought quarterback Byrum Brown with him from South Florida, and Brown accounted for more than 4,000 yards last year. So the Tigers have a real offense.

If worn out by Texas and with Georgia up next, Ole Miss could look past this one.

Texas at Missouri on Nov. 7

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) reaches with the ball for a first down. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas plays at LSU on Nov. 14 in a game that could shape the SEC race. The week before, the Longhorns travel to Missouri, and Faurot Field in November is a tough place to bring a divided focus.

Missouri returns running back Ahmad Hardy, who ran for 1,649 yards last season, the most in the SEC, and added 16 touchdowns. New quarterback Austin Simmons arrives from Ole Miss to run the offense.

Texas has lost to unranked opponents on the road before under head coach Steve Sarkisian, so this is not a phantom concern. Last season, a 1-3 Florida Gators team upset Texas.

A chilly night in Columbia against a strong running team, with Baton Rouge waiting, is the definition of a trap.

Ohio State at Nebraska on Nov. 21

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) carries the ball against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of the 2025 Cotton Bowl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ohio State closes the season against Michigan on Nov. 28, the game that defines Ryan Day's tenure more than any other. The week before, the Buckeyes travel to Nebraska, and no rivalry commands attention like The Game. That is what makes Lincoln so tricky.

Nebraska went 7-6 last season and added quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who threw for 3,459 yards and ran for 649 yards as the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. Memorial Stadium has waited years for a night this big.

Ohio State returns quarterback Julian Sayin, who threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns, though he faded against Indiana and Miami when games tightened last season. Having Michigan the next week only raises the risk.