After yet another shakeup in the rankings, the College Football Playoff field is starting to take shape. Kentucky fell from closing in on a bye to the edge of the bracket, while Notre Dame cemented their spot with a win over then-No. 1 Miami.
Last week, No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 20 Ohio State likely played their way out of the playoff with losses. No. 21 LSU is teetering on the razor's edge. Without question, more will be on the way soon.
Here are seven games with major College Football Playoff implications in Week 11.
No. 18 USC at No. 9 Indiana
For all intents and purposes, this is a CFP elimination game. The Trojans surged in the rankings after upsetting Ohio State, and now sit in prime position with only two losses. At the same time, they're only a few weeks removed from an embarrassing 24-7 loss against Wisconsin.
Indiana has one of the best defenses in college football, holding their last five opponents to fewer than 20 points. But despite coming off a bye week, the Hoosiers dropped five spots in the CFP Rankings. Considering the Trojans are the last ranked opponent on the schedule, Saturday is a must-win.
No. 6 Texas at No. 21 LSU
The Longhorns face a pivotal road trip to LSU in hopes of remaining a potential first-round host. Texas is undefeated this season against ranked opponents, and could challenge for a spot ahead of Alabama with a win over LSU.
The Tigers are playing for their postseason lives after losing their third straight game against a ranked opponent. The only saving grace is that LSU has No. 6 Texas and No. 8 Tennessee in the final weeks, but even that might not be enough. The wins have to be dominant.
The Six Pack: Picks for USC vs. Indiana, Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State and Tom Fornelli's Week 11 lock
Tom Fornelli
No. 12 Texas Tech at No. 25 Oklahoma State
The Red Raiders have played with fire seemingly every week, and the Cowboys present a prime opportunity to get burned. Oklahoma State boasts the best offense in the Big 12 behind superstar quarterback Drew Mestemaker. Texas Tech is the first team out of the CFP, and needs to deliver.
Oklahoma State is probably too far outside the field at No. 25 with three losses, but there's a pathway to crashing the party with so many middling teams ahead. Beating the No. 12 team in the country could help get them closer to the Oregon tier -- at which point, head-to-head would suddenly become much more important.
No. 13 Wake Forest at SMU
If SMU had taken care of business against Syracuse earlier this year, this could be a CFP play-in game. It will still be a big-time matchup, though, as Wake Forest tries to cement its pathway to the postseason.
Demon Deacons quarterback Gio Lopez is one of the most underrated players in the sport, but he faces another ACC star in SMU's Kevin Jennings. The winner of this game takes over the inside slot in the race to play Miami in the ACC Championship Game.
No. 7 Miami vs. Duke
The Hurricanes looked vastly diminished on offense with wide receiver Malachi Toney, though Notre Dame's defense did a part. Now, Miami will have to quickly get back on track with a difficult battle against a surging Duke squad.
The Blue Devils won the ACC last season thanks to a beneficial tiebreaker, and could easily crash the party again with wins over No. 7 Miami and No. 13 Wake Forest. However, both battles take place on the road.
No. 24 Boise State vs. Oregon State
The marquee Group of Six battle took a hit when Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson was ruled out of the game with an injury.
But regardless, this game is a season-defining one for Boise State as they try to close in on the Group of Six's lone playoff auto-bid.
The Broncos' defense has backslid in recent weeks, allowing a combined 73 points against Texas State and Colorado State. The Beavers can put up points in a hurry behind superstar wide receiver Jesse Legree.
No. 10 BYU vs. Baylor
The Cougars breathed a sigh of relief after dropping one spot following a loss to No. 2 Utah.
Thanks to their win over Notre Dame, BYU remains in the field if they win out. Baylor comes to town on Saturday with a 6-3 record, which provides the biggest potential stumbling block to close the year.
The Bears have found themselves winning their last two games by a combined 43 points under interim coach Joe Klanderman, but BYU is the best team they've played all year.
