Get ready for the gnashing of teeth and plentiful angry snarls down college football's final stretch this season.
Entering Halloween weekend ahead of the playoff selection committee's first rankings, there are a few national championship contenders hoping to avoid nightmare scenarios.
For others, the most terrifying matchups left won't come for a couple of weeks.
The scariest games remaining for playoff hopefuls are here.
No. 1 Miami (7-0)
Scariest game: at North Carolina, Saturday
Be careful with this one, Hurricanes. The moment the Tar Heels catch you peeking around the corner at Notre Dame in two weeks, this one could get terrifying inside Kenan Stadium.
Miami has lost five straight to UNC and hasn't won in Chapel Hill since 2017. Alarming, yes, but the Tar Heels didn't face either of Mario Cristobal's best teams the last two seasons.
Miami is a double-digit favorite this weekend for a reason, but North Carolina did play Notre Dame tough at home a few weeks ago and has a defensive front that could put Darian Mensah on the ground if protection fails.
No. 2 Ohio State (6-1)
Scariest game: at USC, Saturday
How is freshman quarterback Luke Fahey in his first start this weekend for the Buckeyes? Will Tavien St. Clair also see snaps?
Ohio State used its bye week to prep for life without Julian Sayin, but would've liked to see a tune-up game rather than an opponent loaded with talent. USC's response to last week's loss at Wisconsin could be the deciding factor here. The Trojans have two losses, and they're unranked, but a win over the Buckeyes suddenly catapults them back into the CFP mix.
No. 3 Georgia (6-1)
Scariest game: at No. 12 Ole Miss, Nov. 7
Trinidad Chambliss probably keeps Georgia defense coordinator Glenn Schumann up at night. The Rebels scored 74 total points in two meetings last season, including a 39-34 victory in the CFP quarterfinals in New Orleans.
Chambliss gashed the Bulldogs in both outings and now has an opportunity to flex in front of his home fans. Last time Georgia went to Oxford, the Rebels came away with a 28-10 victory in 2024 and the Bulldogs won the SEC Championship a few weeks later.
No. 4 Indiana (7-1)
Scariest game: vs. USC, Nov. 14
USC is the one remaining opponent capable of turning Indiana's afternoon into a track meet, which should be concerning given the Hoosiers' sputtering passing game. Road woes notwithstanding, USC already proved it can handle a hostile environment this season at Penn State, so Bloomington won't automatically rattle this bunch.
A couple of explosive touchdowns from the Trojans could force the Hoosiers to chase points, and that's not how this version of Indiana is built.
No. 5 Notre Dame (6-1)
Scariest game: vs. No. 1 Miami, Nov. 7
There's no need to overthink this one. No team left on the Fighting Irish's schedule matches up as well as the Hurricanes. Two Heisman candidates are coming to South Bend intent on ending any hope C.J. Carr has of being a finalist for the award.
A loss to Miami would create doubt within the program too, with another here-we-go-again inkling coming down the stretch after missing out on last year's CFP with a 10-2 record.
No. 6 Utah (7-0)
Scariest game: at No. 22 Arizona, Nov. 14
The next three games will define the Utes' season. They travel to Cincinnati on Saturday, host BYU in Week 10 with a 10 a.m. local kick and then battle Arizona in Tucson. Navigate that stretch, and Utah should be eyeing a top-four CFP seed.
Road games can be haunting, and there's a chance the Wildcats will be entering that one on a seven-game winning streak if they take out Texas Tech and TCU over their next two games. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita has taken down ranked teams before and could do it again.
No. 7 UCLA (7-0)
Scariest game: vs. Illinois, Nov. 13
Of course, this one falls on Friday the 13th. There are tougher games left for the Bruins (at Michigan, USC), but this one has the most jump scares. Falling to an unranked Big Ten team on the road would cripple conference title hopes and might be enough to push UCLA out of the CFP unless it wins out thereafter.
Bob Chesney spent much of his time this week answering questions about UCLA's lack of fan support and whether the Bruins should worry about him being poached by another program after the season.
That's not what you want to see in late October if you're a booster basking in the glow of an unbeaten record on the verge of the program's first CFP appearance in a few weeks.
No. 8 BYU (6-1)
Scariest game: at No. 6 Utah, Nov. 7
UCF stole BYU's candy last weekend. Should that happen again, the Cougars are out of the conference championship conversation and will be sitting on their hands on Selection Sunday, hoping the victory over Notre Dame earlier this month is enough to push them into the CFP.
BYU may have a chance to knock off another unbeaten in the Holy War in two weeks, but winning in Salt Lake City will be a challenge.
No. 9 Kentucky (7-1)
Scariest game: at No. 22 Missouri, Nov. 21
If the Wildcats split their next two games against Tennessee and Florida, they will likely be playing for a spot in the SEC Championship Game against Missouri.
It's the one-game-at-a-time mentality from here for Kentucky, which ranks No. 1 right now in strength of record and should be near the top five of next week's first CFP rankings as a result. It's vital that the Wildcats reach 10 wins to secure the program's first CFP appearance. If not, welcome to the potential nine-win SEC logjam.
No. 10 Alabama (6-2)
Scariest game: at No. 15 LSU, Nov. 7
The margin for error is over for the Crimson Tide coming out of a pair of losses over their last three games. The bounce-back against Texas A&M was much-needed, but next up is stuff of nightmares at Tiger Stadium.
If there's a positive omen for the Tide, LSU did not get its much-wanted night kickoff. A mid-afternoon tussle could benefit Alabama, whose lone win thus far against a (currently) ranked opponent came in Week 2 against Kentucky. If Alabama takes out LSU, the Iron Bowl enters the spotlight a few weeks later.
No. 11 Texas (5-2)
Scariest game: at No. 15 LSU, Nov. 14
Another SEC titan forced to go to Baton Rouge in November, the Longhorns come in with a nation-leading three ranked wins. Another -- barring a late-season slide -- should all but wrap up an at-large CFP appearance.
This is Texas' first visit since 1953, and it comes immediately after another SEC road test at Missouri. Texas A&M brings rivalry venom in the finale, but LSU presents the scarier combination of unfamiliar surroundings and relentless pressure up front on Arch Manning.
No. 12 Ole Miss (5-2)
Scariest game: vs. Auburn, Saturday
Conventional wisdom would say the home showdown with Georgia next month is the scariest game left, but there will be a five-alarm fire in Oxford if the Rebels suffer an upset loss to this team in Halloween orange this weekend.
Auburn stunned Georgia a few weeks ago and has the firepower to deliver again if they can rebound from the letdown against LSU. Alex Golesh is ahead of schedule in Year 1 on the Plains, and this Ole Miss defense has given up chunk plays at various times this fall. If you're Ole Miss, you can't afford to overlook this one with Georgia looming.
No. 13 Texas Tech (6-1)
Scariest game: vs. No. 22 Arizona, Saturday
The Red Raiders will officially be forgotten in the national conversation if they suffer another loss this weekend against the Wildcats. This one's at home with tortillas stuffed in trick-or-treat bags, but it doesn't alleviate the pressure for Texas Tech for a team with its backs against the wall.
Texas Tech entertains an opponent equally hungry and gunning for respect. The team with better quarterback play likely takes this one, and right now, it's hard to side with Will Hammond in that regard.
No. 14 Wake Forest (6-1)
Scariest game: at No. 19 SMU, Nov. 14
Wake Forest's trek to SMU has all the ingredients of a season-altering ambush, starting with red-hot Kevin Jennings and a Mustangs team with its own ACC title and CFP aspirations.
These two teams know the stakes -- the winner likely gets a date with Miami in Charlotte. The Demon Deacons haven't played a competitive game in a month, and their next two contests against Virginia and Merrimack at home shouldn't offer much resistance. You can bet this one will.
No. 15 LSU (6-2)
Scariest game: vs. Alabama, Nov. 7
Alabama coming to town should have LSU's attention for one reason: Keelon Russell can wreck the game plan quickly. LSU gets Texas at home next month, too, but Russell poses a bigger challenge to the Tigers' defense than Arch Manning does at this point. In a rivalry spot this emotional, his athletic ability is a dangerous equalizer. Tiger Stadium gets quiet if the Crimson Tide score early and amp up the pressure.
