Week 10 of the college football season is the biggest yet, with three massive conference showdowns headlining a stacked slate. We're here to get you up to speed in advance of a long day on your coach tomorrow with our College Football Weekend Preview: Everything You Need To Know In Week 10.
Saturday's Biggest Games
#16 Florida State Seminoles (7-1, 5-1) @ #1 Clemson Tigers (8-0, 5-0) -- 3:30pm EST on ABC: The roles are reversed from 2014 as it's now Clemson who has the inside track towards a College Football Playoff berth while FSU is serving as a spoiler. However, a win over Clemson in Death Valley would be enough to vault FSU back into the playoff race, so ACC rivalry showdown has national championship implications for both teams. It's also going to be a massive Heisman showcase for Clemson QB Deshaun Watson who reannounced himself as a contender with six touchdowns in the team's 56-41 win at NC State on Halloween.
#8 TCU Horned Frogs (8-0, 5-0) @ #14 Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-0, 5-0) -- 3:30pm EST on FOX: This Big 12 showdown has all the makings of a College Football Playoff elimination game. Both teams are undefeated, yet remain on the outside looking in at the current final four. Neither team can afford a loss at this juncture, especially with no conference title game to fall back on. This has all the makings of a good old-fashioned shootout, as both TCU (#2) and Oklahoma State (#15) sport high-wire acts on offense.
#2 LSU Tigers (7-0, 4-0) @ #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1, 4-1) -- 8:00pm EST on CBS: This isn't only the game of the day. It may be the most important regular-season game of 2015. Alabama's strength of schedule helped the one-loss Crimson Tide vault over a host of undefeated squads into the final slot of the projected College Football Playoff. Another loss, however, could very well do their chances in. As for LSU, they'll look to ride RB Leonard Fournette to a near-guaranteed #1 ranking while giving themselves the likely luxury of being able to absorb a future loss while still making the CFP.
Heisman Candidates To Watch
RB Leonard Fournette -- LSU Tigers: Fournette has been virtually untouchable as the prohibitive Heisman favorite all year long, but that could very well change if the sophomore star struggles against a stout Alabama run defense. It may be unfair considering Fournette has rushed for 150 yards or more in each of LSU's eight games, but Baylor WR Corey Coleman is nipping at his heels after gashing Kansas State for 216 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday. Coleman now has 1178 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns on 58 catches this year.
RB Christian McCaffrey -- Stanford Cardinal: McCaffrey bursted onto the Heisman scene with back-to-back games of 300 all-purpose yards or more, but was tamed just a bit in Stanford's 30-28 escape job against Washington State last week. If McCaffrey is going to sustain his forward Heisman momentum, he'll need to take advantage of an advantageous road matchup against Colorado.
RB Ezekiel Elliott -- Ohio State Buckeyes: Zeke has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in each of Ohio State's games this year. In fact, he's currently riding a 13-game streak of 100-plus yard games. However, he's been lost in the Heisman shuffle with the rise of guys like Coleman, Fournette and McCaffrey. That could all change if he busts loose against Minnesota in Columbus.
Coaches Who Need A Win
Mike Riley -- Nebraska Cornhuskers: A vocal sect of Nebraska's fan base is about to stage a full-on revolt after last Saturday's 55-45 loss to Purdue last Saturday. The Huskers are 3-6 and in grave danger of missing out on bowl season for the first time since Bill Callahan's last season in Lincoln. However, a home win over an undefeated Michigan State squad could be enough to turn the tide of public opinion -- at least for now.
Charlie Strong -- Texas Longhorns: All the good will from Texas' wins over Oklahoma and Kansas State appears to be flushed down the toilet after last week's deflating 24-0 loss to a bad Iowa State team. Losing to an even-worse Kansas team at home on Saturday night could very well cost Strong his job.
Mike London -- Virginia Cavaliers: It appears to be bowl-or-bust for London's tenure with the Cavaliers, and at 3-5 it's looking pretty grim. There's no guarantee that a bowl will save London, but he will likely buy himself a little bit of time with a road win at Miami.
Other Huge Conference Games
Penn State Nittany Lions (7-2, 4-1) @ Northwestern Wildcats (6-2, 2-2) -- 12:00pm EST on ESPNU: Don't look now, but Penn State has an outside chance at a New Year's Six bowl. It's not likely, but things could definitely fall into place where they're at least considered. QB Christian Hackenberg is the biggest reason why PSU is even in the conversation right now.
Cincinnati Bearcats (5-3, 2-2) vs. #25 Houston Cougars (8-0, 4-0) -- Houston's offense has been absolutely electric this season, and this is their chance to set up a potential undefeated showdown against #13 Memphis who hosts Navy this week. If both teams Saturday, the winner of next week's game is the favorite for the Group of Six's New Year's bowl slot.
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