College Football Today: Which Week 10 Games Are Worth Watching?

Not all college football games are created equally, and the slate set to kick off in Week 10 is stacked with playoff and national championship implications.

Six matchups will feature ranked teams on both sides of the field, setting up critical tests for conference hopefuls in the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12.

Teams that came into Saturday as contenders could very likely leave as pretenders. Members of the selection committee will be keeping a very close eye. So should you, when it comes to these games.

All times Eastern, and game lines are courtesy of DraftKings

9 BYU at 3 Utah

College Football Today: Which Week 10 Games Are Worth Watching? — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

12 p.m. on ABC

Why it’s worth watching: This year’s Holy War finds two bitter rivals battling for first place in the Big 12, and with it a straight line to Arlington and the College Football Playoff after that. No pressure.

Utah is currently atop the Big 12 standings and just crushed Cincinnati. BYU is tied with Texas Tech for second place and got past Arizona State. The Cougars haven’t looked as confident since beating Notre Dame. Can the Utes stay undefeated?

Line: Utah -4.5 | Total: 48.5

5 Alabama at 14 LSU

3:30 p.m. on ABC

Why it’s worth watching: What happens in Death Valley will amount to a College Football Playoff elimination game. Both these SEC rivals have two losses and a third could cost them a berth, as the selectors will deem the winner as having one very high-quality victory as a result.

Likely regarded as the two best two-loss teams in college football, the winner moves into definitive position among the playoff contenders going forward.

There’s a slim chance the committee gives the nod to a three-loss SEC team, but even so whoever loses this one will have to play perfect football the rest of the way.

Line: LSU -6 | Total: 52.5

23 Oregon at 12 Ohio State

3:30 p.m. on CBS

Why it’s worth watching: You may have forgotten about Oregon, but the Big Ten standings haven’t. They’re still technically in the mix to make Indy and just knocked off a ranked Northwestern to gain some real confidence going into a clash of the would-be titans in Columbus.

There, they’ll meet a Buckeyes squad that just took a costly second loss at USC last week thanks in large part to some very squirrely quarterback play from Julian Sayin replacement Luke Fahey.

Maybe home-field helps Ohio State. Maybe it doesn’t. The preseason No. 1 Buckeyes’ playoff hopes could get the ax in this game. Preseason No. 2 Oregon could direct postseason fortunes in this one.

Line: Ohio State -7.5 | Total: 46.5

6 Kentucky at 13 Tennessee

6:15 p.m. on ESPN

Why it’s worth watching: Kudos to Will Stein, who has Kentucky in first place in the SEC in his debut season as head coach. Now we’ll see how well they handle the intense pressure of pulling out an upset against playoff hopeful Tennessee in a rivalry game on Rocky Top.

It won’t be easy for UK the rest of the way, either. They play Florida, Missouri, and Louisville to close out, putting even more emphasis on getting this game right.

Tennessee is playing tough defense, is among the best rushing teams in college football, and at 3-2 in SEC play after a surprise loss at South Carolina, needs this one badly.

Line: Tennessee -6.5 | Total: 50.5

1 Miami at 11 Notre Dame

7:30 p.m. on NBC

Why it’s worth watching: Notre Dame lovers and haters have a strong rooting interest in this one. A win for the Irish over the No. 1 ranked Hurricanes would produce arguably the single best performance in college football this season and propel the Golden Domers into the playoff conversation for good.

A loss could prove fatal. They already dropped a four-point decision at ranked BYU and the rest of the Irish schedule doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. Two losses against the only real quality teams on that slate could produce a debate that results in their getting dropped.

Line: Notre Dame -7.5 | Total: 55.5

2 Georgia at 10 Ole Miss

7:30 p.m. on ABC

Why it’s worth watching: Both these SEC rivals played twice a year ago, and each time it was decided by one score. Georgia reaffirmed its position as the conference’s best overall team by pounding Florida, and Ole Miss just dominated in a strong performance against Auburn.

The Rebels already have two losses, to now unranked Florida and resurgent Texas, and need to give the selectors something impressive in this critical matchup. They could find some angles to ground Georgia’s passing game, which hasn’t been on fire lately.

Georgia has a win over Alabama but also a loss to unranked Auburn, and a loss here throws some more confusion into the SEC standings at a crucial moment.

Line: Georgia -3.5 | Total: 56.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks

Add us as a preferred source on Google