This is the pivotal week of the 2025 college football schedule. It is also the point at which nearly all schools in the country will have completed their eight-game schedule, or two thirds of it. Football Playoff rankings reveal. That’s right. The selection committee will announce its first 25-team list on Tuesday, November 4. Although a lot can change between now, and the last weekend of November, this first ranking gives us a good idea about the thinking behind the selection committee. It is important to understand how the committee values teams. More than ever, it is important that teams make a good first impression. All three of the ranked games this weekend will be scrutinized. Check out the College Week 10 games that are important. Football Playoff races and their implications for the two teams involved.
Vanderbilt has not much to prove but they still have a long way to go if they hope to complete their Cinderella tale in the College Football Playoff. The team has two road games left against opponents ranked in the top 20 over the past month. The team also has to play their in-state rival, No. To end the year, 14 Tennessee will be playing. Vanderbilt must at least split the Texas and Tennessee matches to be considered for the at-large slot. It must also win against Kentucky and Auburn. This shouldn’t prove too difficult as these programs have a combined SEC record of 1-9. All eyes are focused on Texas quarterback Arch Manning. He left the Longhorns game against Kentucky in Week 9 with an apparent injury to his head. Matthew Caldwell was a backup who had joined Texas as an insurance option in the spring. He played well during overtime to save his team from a potentially disastrous loss. Caldwell has been a popular choice for some Texas fans, who have seen the team’s offensive woes continue. A win for Texas could throw the playoff race into disarray. The Longhorns have fallen well short of preseason expectations, but they’re hanging around. No. 18 Oklahoma is ranked No. 14 Tennessee
In this game, neither team has any margin for error. The Sooners lost to a Texas team that was unranked in their last two games. In Week 9, they also missed a golden chance when they lost at home to the No. Ole Miss. Given the anticipated glut of Power Four 10-2 teams at the conclusion of the season, they can’t afford another slipup. Oklahoma will have to be careful as this is the second in a series of four ranked teams that they face.
Oklahoma does have a win over a Power Four squad with a winning record. Tennessee, on the other hand, has none at this time. Tennessee has lost each of its two games against top-25 opponents. Every conference opponent has scored at least 30. This includes a Kentucky team who couldn’t break the barrier even against Toledo. Tennessee’s final game of the season is at least more manageable compared to Oklahoma’s. The Vols face the Sooners, as well. They will face No. 9 Vanderbilt in their home stadium and, on the road, they’ll be facing a Florida squad that just fired its coach Billy Napier. Tennessee, like Oklahoma, cannot afford to drop below two losses.
USC’s ranking in the AP Top 25 has changed a lot this year. The Trojans have lost two of their three last games to ranked opponents. But they still had time to prepare before the Nebraska game, which is a must-win. USC is still struggling with Lincoln Riley and Nebraska will not be the opponent to get them there. This win could give the Trojans some momentum going into a critical stretch of late season, including a game against No. 6 Oregon. Nebraska is another team that hasn’t “gotten over the hump.” The Huskers bounced back from their awful, no-good loss to Minnesota last week by defeating Northwestern 28-21. Matt Rhule has a pretty good team this year, at least when it comes to one-score games. That’s progress. Nebraska hasn’t beaten a top-ranked team yet under Rhule. Rhule, himself, has not beaten a top-25 team since 2016, when at Temple. He’s 0-18 since. Nebraska will most likely not get another shot at this after this weekend.
Cincinnati is a team that has remained under the radar despite its recent resurgence, thanks to coach Scott Satterfield. The Bearcats are the only two unbeaten teams left in the conference. They have avoided the chaos that is typical of the Big 12. Saturday is their biggest challenge yet. It’s never easy to win at Utah, and Cincinnati would love to keep above the two-loss mark before they are ranked No. In a few short weeks, BYU will be in town. Utah has been able to punch down opponents this year. However, the Utes struggle when playing teams that are at or above their own level. The Utes’ two losses were against Texas Tech, and BYU. Both are top-15 programs. Utah’s potential as a national and conference competitor has been severely diminished by these two losses. Week 10 represents their last chance to notch a truly marquee victory.Dark Horse Game of the Week No. Miami at SMU
This game does not have a “dark horse”. This game is worth mentioning because it’s a trap for Mario Cristobal and his Hurricanes. They have a history of losing games that they shouldn’t. Even though this is the same Mustang team that lost to Wake Forest, it is still tough to travel to SMU. SMU has been 11-1 since joining the ACC in conference play and hasn’t lost at home since September 6, 2024.
SMU doesn’t technically leave the College Football Playoff race either. If they win this game, they will be within shouting range of Georgia Tech and Virginia. These two teams are at the top of their conference standings.
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