The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season have placed five programs in precarious positions heading into Week 10, with little margin for error as the playoff picture begins to take shape.
Notre Dame enters the week at No. 11, effectively the last at-large spot when accounting for the Group of Five automatic qualifier. The Irish (7-1) host Miami on Saturday in cold conditions, with the Hurricanes missing Heisman contender Malachi Toney. A loss would likely eliminate Notre Dame from playoff contention, leaving the committee to weigh a resume highlighted by a loss to the top team faced and marquee wins over Wisconsin or North Carolina.
BYU sits at No. 9 after a stunning loss to UCF followed its signature victory over Notre Dame. The Cougars now face No. 3 Utah in the Holy War rivalry game. A defeat would jeopardize both playoff hopes and a potential Big 12 championship berth, especially with Texas Tech also in the conference mix.
Texas, ranked No. 7 despite two losses, travels to No. 18 Missouri as a slight 2.5-point favorite. The Longhorns have played only one true road game, a loss at Tennessee. A defeat at Missouri would not be fatal but would set up a daunting road trip to LSU the following week, making a 9-3 finish far less certain.
Ole Miss, at No. 10, faces a must-win scenario against No. 2 Georgia. The Rebels are the third two-loss SEC team in the rankings behind Alabama (No. 5) and Texas, and the committee signaled that a third loss would be unacceptable. Complicating matters, Ole Miss's resume could weaken regardless of outcome this weekend, with Texas-Missouri and Alabama-LSU results affecting the value of previous wins.
At Michigan, the anxiety centers on job security for coach Kyle Whittingham. The Wolverines are 5-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play, unranked and facing Michigan State this weekend. A loss to the struggling Spartans (2-6, 0-5 in conference) would jeopardize bowl eligibility with games remaining at Oregon, versus UCLA, and at Ohio State.
