College Football's Biggest Potential Swing Games for 2015
Every college football coach will tell you every game is important.
They're not wrong.
But we all know there's a handful of games throughout the year that have the most swing power over a team's College Football Playoff chances.
Had TCU not blown a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to Baylor last season, they almost assuredly would've made the playoffs over eventual national champion Ohio State.
So which games in 2015 have that same type of swing power? Let's find out.
Alabama vs. Wisconsin
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Right off the bat in Week 1, we'll see Alabama—where the road to an SEC title runs through—and Wisconsin—a Big Ten dark horse—duking it out at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Alabama tempted fate last year in its Week 1 contest against West Virginia with a shaky first half that saw the Mountaineers within striking distance of an upset. That helped spark WVU's early Big 12 run.
As for Wisconsin, it's looking to prove that despite the loss of running back Melvin Gordon, it's still a contender in what is sure to be in a competitive Big Ten.
A win over top SEC dog Alabama would certainly boost Wisconsin's morale and perhaps give it some early juice for a run at a playoff berth.
Expect this game to look like it was played 20 years ago in terms of pace and style but to have major implications for 2015.
USC vs. Oregon
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Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan ranks Oregon and USC as the top teams in the Pac-12 North and Pac-12 South, respectively, heading into 2015.
With Oregon coming off a berth into the inaugural College Football Playoff and USC looking to reclaim a spot among the elite, the Nov. 21 showdown between the two squads should have major Pac-12 and playoff implications.
The two teams haven't met on the field since Nov. 3, 2012, when Oregon bested USC in a 62-51 shootout.
The Pac-12 is known as one of the deepest conferences in the country, and its champion will likely have a place in the playoffs. This game could go a long way into cementing that fact.
TCU vs. Baylor
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The fact that Baylor bested TCU in dramatic fashion last year is what kept the Horned Frogs out of the College Football Playoff.
The 2015 version of the Baylor/TCU matchup on Nov. 27 in Forth Worth—the final game of the year for TCU and the penultimate contest for Baylor—should be even bigger.
With the game being in November, the playoff picture will be narrowing at that point, and this game will only sharpen the image.
Both the Bears and Horned Frogs are projected to be among the top teams in the Big 12 and should battle it out for a conference title again, so expect this one to be an instant classic.
Florida State vs. Clemson
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Without Jameis Winston, it took an overtime for Florida State to upend Clemson 23-17 last year.
That game, between arguably the best two teams in the ACC, was in September. This year's version is Nov. 7, right as the playoff race is entering its final push.
The fate of both teams is up in the air as both squads have plenty of personnel questions. But with an otherwise weak ACC, this game should determine who gets to go to the ACC Championship Game.
Ohio State vs. Michigan
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The Big House: That's where college football's biggest rivalry, Ohio State-Michigan, renews this season on Nov. 28.
Should Ohio State still be in the playoff hunt, this contest could prove to be a trap game for the Buckeyes, as they'll be going against a new-look Michigan team that could be finding its stride.
It's unlikely that Michigan will be in the hunt for the playoffs, but this game has swing power for a different reason.
If Ohio State escapes Ann Arbor, it proves that coach Jim Harbaugh and Co. are still lagging behind their archrivals. Should Michigan defend its turf, it could shift the entire balance of power in the Big Ten.
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