Three days before the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season are released, No. 2 Penn State and No. 6 Ohio State will play a game that could complicate the selection committee’s task down the road – if the Buckeyes win.
The Nittany Lions will try to win back-to-back games against ranked Big Ten East rivals in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday and put the Buckeyes’ championship hopes – both Big Ten and national title – in critical condition.
Penn State (7-0) staying undefeated against the Buckeyes (6-1) means the Nittany Lions can put a vice grip on the division with a win the following week against No. 16 Michigan State. Penn State’s final three games are against Rutgers, Nebraska and Maryland. A Penn State-Wisconsin Big Ten title game might not guarantee the winner a playoff spot – but it might. It would probably make the Big Ten fairly easy to sort through in the national picture.
If Ohio State wins it gets trickier because that home loss to Oklahoma is still sitting there, working against not just the Buckeyes but the whole Big Ten. And for the Michigan State fans saying, `Hey, don’t forget about us,’ the Spartans’ lopsided loss to Notre Dame could turn out to be a stumbling block, too.
Penn State-Ohio State is one of several games the committee surely will be focused on this weekend. No. 14 North Carolina State starts what is set up to be the most significant two-week stretch of football in who knows how long with a road game against No. 9 Notre Dame. The Wolfpack gets No. 7 Clemson at home next week. For the second week in a row, the Irish host what amounts to a playoff eliminator after they bounced Southern California last week.
On Tuesday, Halloween night, the committee will provide its first impression of the season.
The picks:
THURSDAY NIGHTER
No. 20 Stanford (minus 21) at Oregon State
The Beavers’ run defense ranks 100th in the nation, allowing 4.83 yard per carry. And that’s before facing Stanford’s Bryce Love … STANFORD 38-14.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Tulane (plus 10 +) at No. 24 Memphis
Since 2014, the Tigers are 12-0 in games not played on Saturday … MEMPHIS 35-21.
SATURDAY
MAIN EVENTS
No. 2 Penn State (plus 6 +) at No. 6 Ohio State
Nittany Lions star Saquon Barkley has run for 293 yards on 38 carries in two games against the Buckeyes … OHIO STATE 28-24.
No. 14 North Carolina State (plus 7) at No. 9 Notre Dame
NFL scouts will enjoy the matchup between Wolfpack DE Bradley Chubb and Irish OT Mike McGlinchey … NORTH CAROLINA STATE 28-24.
STAYING UNBEATEN
No. 3 Georgia (minus 14) vs. Florida at Jacksonville, Florida
Gators have a three-game winning streak at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party … GEORGIA 35-14.
No. 4 TCU (minus 6 +) at No. 25 Iowa State
The last time the Cyclones played a home game as a ranked team was Nov. 2, 2002, against Missouri. They won … TCU 28-20.
No. 5 Wisconsin (minus 25 +) at Illinois
Badgers freshman star Jonathan Taylor meets the Big Ten’s worst rushing defense … WISCONSIN 45-10.
No. 8 Miami (minus 20) at North Carolina
Tar Heels have collapsed so maybe this is the week the Hurricanes get a laugher … MIAMI 41-17, BEST BET.
Houston (plus 10 +) at No. 17 South Florida
While the Bulls try to stay unbeaten, the Cougars try to avoid sliding out of the AAC West division race … USF 34-26.
BIG GAMES IN THE BIG 12
Texas Tech (plus 20) at No. 10 Oklahoma
Red Raiders have averaged 33 points per game against the Sooners over the last five games and lost them all … OKLAHOMA 48-31.
No. 11 Oklahoma State (minus 7 +) at No. 22 West Virginia
Mountaineers WR David Sills V leads the nation in touchdown receptions, with at least two in six of his seven games … WEST VIRGINIA 35-28, UPSET SPECIAL
PLAYOFF CONTENDERS
Georgia Tech (plus 14 +) at No. 7 Clemson
Tigers expect to have QB Kelly Bryant back after a concussion in the loss two weeks ago at Syracuse … CLEMSON 35-17.
UCLA (plus 17) at No. 12 Washington
Huskies try to get their offense on track against the 128th-ranked run defense in the country. UCLA is giving up a ghastly 6.10 yards per carry … WASHINGTON 42-21.
Duke (plus 15 +) at No. 13 Virginia Tech
Blue Devils and Hokies have split the last four meetings by a total of nine points … VIRGINIA TECH 28-14.
No. 15 Washington State (minus 3) at Arizona
Fun matchup between two very different variations of spread offense. Cougars have thrown the most passes in the Pac-12 with 407; Wildcats have thrown the fewest with 158 … ARIZONA 38-35.
No. 16 Michigan State (minus 2) at Northwestern
Spartans have won four straight by an average score of 19-14 … MICHIGAN STATE 19-14.
SURPRISING PAC-12 SHOWDOWN
No. 21 Southern California (minus 3) at Arizona State
Who would have guessed Trojans-Sun Devils would be a huge Pac-12 South game? … USC 31-23.
TWITTER REQUESTS
Florida State (minus 3) at Boston College – (at)nolesq
Seminoles have won seven straight meetings with the Eagles … FLORIDA STATE 24-16.
Mississippi State (minus 1 +) at Texas A&M – (at)DCAbloob
Big game for the Aggies and coach Kevin Sumlin as they try to avoid another second-half swoon … TEXAS A&M 24-21.
Rutgers (plus 23 +) at Michigan – (at)Moose1857
Battle for fourth place in the Big Ten East … MICHIGAN 35-3.
Utah (minus 3) at Oregon – (at)Duckfan7712
Both teams come in on three-game losing streaks … OREGON 21-17.
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Record last week: 17-5 straight up; 13-9 against the spread.
Record this season: 138-42 straight up; 82-84-5 against the spread.
Upset specials: 3-5 (straight up).
Best bets: 6-1 (against the spread).
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP
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More college football coverage: http://collegefootball.ap.org and www.Twitter.com/AP-Top25
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