As the College Football Playoff selection committee prepares to release its first rankings, several national championship contenders face daunting remaining games that could derail their playoff hopes. CBS Sports has identified the scariest matchup left for each of the top 15 playoff hopefuls.
No. 1 Miami (7-0) travels to North Carolina on Saturday, where the Hurricanes have lost five straight and haven't won in Chapel Hill since 2017. No. 2 Ohio State (6-1) visits USC with freshman quarterback Luke Fahey making his first start after a bye week. No. 3 Georgia (6-1) heads to No. 12 Ole Miss on Nov. 7, where Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has torched the Bulldogs in two previous meetings.
Other notable tests include No. 4 Indiana (7-1) hosting USC on Nov. 14, No. 5 Notre Dame (6-1) welcoming No. 1 Miami on Nov. 7, and No. 6 Utah (7-0) facing a potential trap at No. 22 Arizona on Nov. 14. No. 10 Alabama (6-2) and No. 11 Texas (5-2) both must navigate trips to No. 15 LSU in November, while No. 12 Ole Miss (5-2) must first avoid an upset against Auburn this weekend before the Georgia showdown.
With the playoff picture set to crystallize over the next few weeks, these Halloween-weekend matchups and November showdowns will likely determine which teams survive the horror movie and reach the College Football Playoff.
