College Football Rankings 2017: Reviewing NCAA Week 11 Standings Before Saturday
Saturday's college football schedule has everything a fan could ask for and then some.
At the top of the marquee are three top-10 showdowns that could alter the College Football Playoff standings on Tuesday.
In addition to the colossal clashes, there are a handful of other games that will play a role in determining where certain teams land during Tuesday's rankings release and whether a few conferences are still in the hunt for the top four positions.
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College Football Playoff Top 25
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Notre Dame
4. Clemson
5. Oklahoma
6. TCU
7. Miami (FL)
8. Wisconsin
9. Washington
10. Auburn
11. USC
12. Michigan State
13. Ohio State
14. Penn State
15. Oklahoma State
16. Mississippi State
17. Virginia Tech
18. UCF
19. Washington State
20. Iowa
21. Iowa State
22. Memphis
23. NC State
24. LSU
25. Northwestern
3 Top-10 Clashes Highlight Saturday Slate
There are seven games involving a pair of Top 25 teams on Saturday, but the first one of importance to the playoff picture starts at 3:30 p.m. ET in Auburn, Alabama.
Georgia, who already clinched the SEC East, faces an Auburn team that has everything to gain in the next month, with the Bulldogs, Alabama and potentially the SEC Championship on its schedule.
An Auburn win would not only allow the Tigers to jump higher in the rankings, but it would also open the door for the Pac-12 and Big Ten to get a representative into the national semifinals.
You could speak of the same impact for the pair of 8 p.m. ET kickoffs. No. 5 Oklahoma hosts No. 6 TCU in what will be an elimination game for the Big 12 in relation to the playoff, while No. 3 Notre Dame visits No. 7 Miami (FL) in a clash that could end up benefiting the ACC greatly or close the door on Miami's playoff aspirations.
No matter which team you're partial to, Saturday's games in Auburn, Alabama, Norman, Oklahoma, and Miami will hopefully go a long way in deciphering the playoff mess—or it could just add chaos to a muddy picture.
Wisconsin, Rest of Big Ten Will Watch Intently
With the Pac-12 still looking up at the top four and the Big 12 having an elimination showdown in Norman on Saturday, the Big Ten—and Wisconsin specifically—stands to be the conference with the most to gain in Week 11.
Although they are unbeaten, the Badgers are sitting in eighth and need quite a bit of help to feel secure about their spot in the top four.
The Badgers are guaranteed to jump at least two positions if they win, with four of the teams directly above them playing each other. However, a victory won't come easy on Saturday, as Wisconsin welcomes an Iowa team fresh off a bashing of Ohio State to Camp Randall Stadium.
With change expected in the rankings after Week 11, the winner of the Michigan State-Ohio State game still has something to play for as well outside of Big Ten East supremacy.
It's not out of the realm of possibility that a two-loss team makes the playoff. However, if there's a team to do it right now, it's Auburn. Like Wisconsin, the winner of the Buckeyes-Spartans clash will need extra help to reach its goal. But this is college football, where chaos is expected this time of year.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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