- November’s college football matchups will be critical in determining the College Football Playoff field.
- Several high-stakes games feature top-ranked teams from the SEC, Big Ten, and other major conferences.
- Key rivalry games, such as Ohio State at Michigan and Georgia at Georgia Tech, have significant playoff implications.
We’re days away from the debut College Football Playoff rankings, a few weeks away from the announcement of the playoff field and under three months from crowning the season’s national champion.
Things are getting very serious in the Bowl Subdivision. September and October helped separate contenders from pretenders; November will trim that list with a series of high-profile matchups in the SEC, Big Ten and beyond, led by several end-of-year rivalries with far more on the line than just bragging rights.
The biggest games of the month feature the top teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll, including No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Alabama. No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Georgia Tech are set for Black Friday one year after the Bulldogs took an epic, eight-overtime affair in Athens.
Which matchups are the biggest? These November showdwons will determine the Power Four and which teams earn automatic and at-large playoff bids:
No. 11 Vanderbilt at No. 19 Texas, Nov. 1
Vanderbilt’s quest to one-up Indiana as the most unexpected participant in playoff history will hinge on road games against the Longhorns and No. 14 Tennessee. These two games bookend November and sandwich favorable matchups at home against Auburn and Kentucky. A win on Saturday in Austin would exponentially increase the Commodores’ odds of an at-large berth.
Tulane at No. 25 Memphis, Nov. 7
With a win against South Florida already in hand, Memphis can take a big step toward an appearance in the American championship game by securing the tiebreaker against the Green Wave. The Tigers have another key matchup against No. 23 Navy to end November. But at a minimum, beating Tulane could put Memphis in the driver’s seat for a rematch against one of the Midshipmen, Green Wave, Bulls to decide which Group of Five team makes the playoff.
No. 10 Brigham Young at No. 13 Texas Tech, Nov. 8
There are more than a few Big 12 games guaranteed to impact the most unsettled conference race in the Power Four. The unbeaten Cougars travel to Lubbock is a statement game for both sides: BYU is rising in the US LBM Coaches Poll but has just one ranked win, while Texas Tech has an immensely talented roster but a conference loss already in hand. A win likely puts the Cougars in the Big 12 title game. A loss likely knocks out the Red Raiders.
No. 23 Navy at No. 12 Notre Dame, Nov. 8
The Fighting Irish can’t afford a misstep against a November slate of Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Stanford. While the Midshipmen might not end up being the toughest test of the month – Pittsburgh could easily force a turnover or two and make things very interesting – a convincing win against an unbeaten opponent would help solidify Notre Dame’s place in the bracket heading into the home stretch of the regular season.
No. 18 Oklahoma at No. 4 Alabama, Nov. 15
There’s plenty at stake for Oklahoma and coach Brent Venables, who can avoid a stressful offseason by earning a split of four November games. For Alabama, the Sooners are the toughest matchup of the month given that LSU has thrown in the towel by firing Brian Kelly and Auburn has struggled to stay above water in Hugh Freeze’s third year. A win at home here could put the Tide into the SEC title game and on the short list of teams locked into the playoff with a few weeks to go.
Southern California at No. 6 Oregon, Nov. 22
USC has two good losses, to Illinois and Notre Dame, and wins at Nebraska this weekend and at home against Iowa on Nov. 15 would make the Trojans a serious contender for an at-large playoff berth. An earlier loss to No. 2 Indiana will likely keep Oregon out of the Big Ten championship game, but defeats of Iowa, USC and Washington in November could make the Ducks the highest-ranked non-conference champion in the playoff bracket.
No. 5 Georgia at No. 7 Georgia Tech, Nov. 28
The Yellow Jackets should be booked for the ACC championship game when they host this rivalry. But will Tech be unbeaten when it gets there? Will Georgia have just one loss? For the Bulldogs, this will be must-win territory should they drop an SEC game to Florida, Mississippi State or the Longhorns. A loss in advance of Black Friday and an eighth loss in a row to Georgia would likely require that Tech take the ACC championship in order to make the playoff.
No. 3 Texas A&M at Texas, Nov. 28
Texas has to beat the Commodores this weekend and then top Georgia on the road to still be a playoff contender heading into the finale. The Longhorns – with just one league loss – remain in the mix for the SEC title game, too. Meanwhile, A&M is in prime position to play for the SEC crown and would essentially lock down at least an at-large bid by beating No. 20 Missouri on Nov. 8.
Vanderbilt at No. 14 Tennessee, Nov. 29
A perfect close against Oklahoma, New Mexico State, Florida and the Commodores would send Tennessee back to the playoff. To do so, the Volunteers have to get more out of a defense that has given up at least 31 points in all five SEC games. Vanderbilt has dropped six in a row in this series.
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 21 Michigan, Nov. 29
This may be the year the Buckeyes snap Michigan’s four-game winning streak. In the big picture, the result may be meaningless: OSU is unlikely to be tested, let alone beaten, by one of Penn State, Purdue, UCLA and Rutgers, and should be locked into the playoff field before arriving in Ann Arbor. There’s much more at stake for the Wolverines, who could be in play for the Big Ten title game and in position to become the third at-large team and fourth playoff team overall from the league.
