USC v Notre Dame
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Week 10 of the 2025 season is a pivotal point on the college football calendar. Not only does it mark the time at which almost every school in the nation will have played eight games -- or two-thirds of their schedule -- it also heralds the arrival of the first College Football Playoff rankings reveal. 

That's right. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, the selection committee will unveil its first selection of the top 25 teams in the nation. While a lot will change between now and the final weekend in November, that first ranking does give us plenty of insight into the committee's thought process. 

It's important to know how they value teams. It's also important -- now, more than ever -- for teams to leave a good impression. 

So all three ranked games on this weekend's slate will be under the microscope. Here's a look at the Week 10 contests that matter in the College Football Playoff race and the implications for both teams involved. 

No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 20 Texas 

Vanderbilt does not have much left to prove, but the Commodores do have a tough path left if they want to finish their Cinderella story in the College Football Playoff. This is their first of two road games against top-20 opponents over the last month. They also have to in-state rival No. 14 Tennessee to end the year. Vanderbilt will have to split the Texas and Tennessee games, at the very least, to be in contention for an at-large spot. It will also, obviously, have to take care of business against Kentucky and Auburn. That shouldn't be too difficult, as those programs boast a combined 1-9 record in SEC play. 

All eyes are on the status of Texas quarterback Arch Manning. He exited the Longhorns' Week 9 game against Kentucky with an apparent head injury. Backup Matthew Caldwell, who joined Texas in the spring as a late insurance option, played well in overtime to help his team escape what would have been a disastrous upset loss. There have been some fans clamoring for Caldwell amid Texas' continued offensive struggles, so they may get what they wished for Saturday. Texas can throw a wrench in the playoff race with a win. The Longhorns have fallen well short of preseason expectations, but they're hanging around. 

No. 18 Oklahoma at No. 14 Tennessee 

There's no margin for error left for either team in this one. The Sooners are 1-2 in their last three games, including a loss to what was an unranked Texas team. They also let a golden opportunity slip by in Week 9 when they fell, at home, to No. 7 Ole Miss. Now, given the expected glut of 10-2 Power Four teams at the end of the year, they cannot afford another slipup. Those will be tough to avoid since Saturday represents the second of four-straight ranked opponents for Oklahoma. 

At least Oklahoma has a win against a Power Four team with a winning record, something that Tennessee cannot lay claim to at this point. The Vols have lost each of their two games against top-25 foes. They've also allowed every conference opponent to score at least 30 points, including a hapless Kentucky team that couldn't even break that barrier against Toledo. Tennessee's end-of-season is at least a little more manageable than Oklahoma's. The Vols get both the Sooners and No. 9 Vanderbilt at home and their last road test comes against a Florida team that recently fired coach Billy Napier. As with Oklahoma, though, Tennessee cannot afford to dip below two losses. 

No. 23 USC at Nebraska 

USC has been in and out of the AP Top 25 seemingly all year long. The Trojans are 1-2 over their last three games, with both losses coming against ranked opponents, but they had plenty of time to prepare for a must-win game at Nebraska since they're coming off of a bye. USC hasn't gotten over the hump with coach Lincoln Riley yet, and Nebraska isn't the type of opponent that will get the Trojans there. But it could give them some momentum heading into a crucial late-season stretch, which includes a game at No. 6 Oregon. 

Speaking of "not getting over the hump," Nebraska. The Huskers recovered from their really bad, no good loss to Minnesota by beating Northwestern 28-21 last week. At least Matt Rhule's group is doing pretty well in one-score games this year. That's progress. Nebraska still has yet to beat a ranked team under Rhule, though. In fact, Rhule himself has not triumphed against a top-25 opponent since 2016 when he was at Temple. He's 0-18 since. Nebraska very likely won't get another chance at it after this weekend. 

No. 17 Cincinnati at No. 24 Utah 

Cincinnati has flown under the radar thus far in spite of its resurgence under coach Scott Satterfield. The Bearcats have avoided the chaos typical of the Big 12 and are one of two undefeated teams remaining in conference play. Saturday represents their biggest test yet. Winning at Utah is never easy and Cincinnati would sure like to stay above that two-loss line before No. 10 BYU comes to town in a few weeks.  

Utah has done a good job of punching down this year, but the Utes have struggled when it comes to playing teams at or above their level. Their two losses came against a pair of top-15 programs in Texas Tech and BYU. While that's not the end of the world, it's also severely limited Utah's upside as a competitor in its own conference and on the national landscape. Week 10 represents their last chance to notch a truly marquee victory.

Dark Horse Game of the Week 

No. 10 Miami at SMU 

There's not necessarily a traditional "dark horse" to monitor in this game. It deserves recognition because of the fact that it is a classic trap game for Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes, who have made a tradition of losing games they really shouldn't. Traveling to SMU is tough, even if this is the same Mustang squad that just lost to Wake Forest. SMU is 11-1 in conference play since joining the ACC and it has not lost at home since Sept. 6, 2024. 

SMU isn't technically out of the College Football Playoff race, either. A win in this spot would put them within shouting distance of Georgia Tech and Virginia, the two teams that occupy the top of the conference standings.