Week 10: Finally Some Top 25 Matchups

(3) LSU at (5) Alabama (8 PM ET, CBS)
There's no question that this is the best game of the week, especially after the Playoff Committee put both LSU and Alabama in the top four. (I don't know how an undefeated Baylor gets placed behind a one-loss Bama and a one-loss Notre Dame, but that's another topic.) LSU's star RB Leonard Fournette is averaging almost 200 ypg, but if anyone can stop him, it's Bama's rushing defense. The Crimson Tide only allows 78.5 yards per game on the ground. An LSU win would fortify the Tigers' spot atop the SEC West and knock Bama out of the playoff picture. A Bama win leads to a three-way tie for the top spot in the West and would complicate LSU's path to the playoff.

Line: Alabama by 6

(14) Navy at (10) Memphis (7 PM ET, ESPN 2)
The Math puts Navy ahead on this one, but I'm not so sure. Navy has the nation's third-best rushing offense, posting nearly 320 rushing ypg, but Memphis has a Top 25 rushing defense. On the other side of the ball, Memphis posts more passing yards per game than Baylor, while Navy's passing defense is average. Either way, with Navy's only loss to non-conference Notre Dame and with Memphis undefeated, this game will break up the three-way tie at the top of the American West.

Line: Navy by 3

(7) TCU at (21) Oklahoma State (3:30 PM ET, Fox)

Speaking of breaking up three-way ties at the top of a conference, some clarity to the Big Twelve race begins to arrive today as we enter the part of the season where TCU, Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Oklahoma actually start playing each other. And in the conference where points are made up and defenses don't matter, the team with the better offense will win. In this case, that team is TCU; the Horned Frogs are second in the nation in terms of both points per game (48.9) and total yards per game (616). If either team feels disrespected by the Playoff Committee, a Statement Win™ over a Quality Opponent™ should quickly terminate that disrespect.

Line: TCU by 8

(20) Florida State at (1) Clemson (3:30 PM ET, ABC)

When your conference's two best teams play in the same division, the conference championship doesn't really get played at the end of the year. The Clemson-Florida State game has decided who wins the ACC for the past three years, and this year is no different. The difference is that Clemson should actually win this year.

Line: Clemson by 23

(13) Utah at (43) Washington (7:30 PM ET, Fox)

This game looks a lot more interesting after the Huskies ripped Arizona apart last week. Washington has actually beaten both of their opponents from the Pac-12 South, but that won't become a pattern. Utah, despite their loss to USC two weeks ago, is still the best team in the South, and Washington will be tested more by the Utes than they were by a pre-firing USC or an injured Arizona squad. Utah wins this battle in Seattle, but the Huskies keep it close.

Line: Utah by 3