Why not call college football's upcoming slate the best-ever in the College Football Playoff era? That's not hyperbole, by the way. You'll need to keep the remote close on Saturday, when the offering provides a smorgasbord of first-round-caliber matchups and enough new data points to fill a spreadsheet for the selection committee next week, after its wild first set of rankings.
This is what an expanded playoff promised -- more teams with meaningful games down the stretch carrying substantial weight within the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 title discussions, along with Notre Dame's prove-it stage against No. 1 and unbeaten Miami. The Week 10 slate features six AP top-20 matchups, tying for the most ever in AP poll history for a single weekend. Half of college football's most meaningful games left will be played Saturday, making it arguably the most impactful single day of the CFP era, which dates back to 2014.
Before glancing at the narrative-setting games, we combed through the last 15 seasons of impactful November weekends that featured stunning results that made a significant impact on the following week's playoff rankings. How will Week 10's slate stack up with some of the best since 2014? Looking at Saturday's appetizing menu, parity could resurface, as it has weekly this fall, for contenders aiming to strengthen their grip on coveted seeds while battling opponents with a margin for error nearing zero.
Stakes: Winner takes the driver's seat in the Big 12 Championship race There's nothing like a Holy War that means something nationally, and this one is particularly juiced up in Salt Lake City. BYU's trip to Utah could help determine whether the conference's three-bid playoff ambition remains realistic or deteriorates should the Utes win. That would put BYU's best-case finish at 10-2, falling short of a berth in the conference title game if Utah and Texas Tech win out.
Cincinnati was supposed to be a worthy adversary for the Utes last time out, but Utah steamrolled the Bearcats after taking out the Red Raiders. Stakes: Bruins' first loss would create a three-way tie for first in the Big Ten The best way UCLA can prove the non-believers wrong is to keep winning. Nothing's been pretty the last few weeks for one of college football's three remaining unbeatens, but the Bruins are getting it done.
Offensive efficiency is ranked 48th nationally right now against a favorable schedule without Nico Iamaleava at quarterback following his season-ending injury, and that's part of the reason many have tried to poke holes in this unblemished start. However, UCLA has allowed just 35 total points over its last five games, and this weekend's opponent has been offensively challenged at times, scoring only a couple of touchdowns in the season's second half. Keep it moving, Bruins -- however that may look.
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