Most of the principal College Football Playoff contenders are either prohibitive favorites this weekend or are not in action. One conference provides a major exception, however, as the delayed Big Ten campaign heats up with a pair of pivotal – if unanticipated – divisional showdowns.
Elsewhere, the front-runner among the Group of Five candidates gets a key road test, a fierce rivalry in the Big 12 could end the league’s fleeting playoff hopes once and for all, and the Pac-12’s most plausible nominee looks to defend its home turf and move up in the polls.
Here’s the breakdown of the top five impact games in the quest for the playoff.