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Five CFB games to watch: LSU-Alabama rematch, Bedlam highlight Week 10
Jayden Daniels Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

Five CFB games to watch: LSU-Alabama rematch, Bedlam highlight Week 10

Week 10 showcases a massive SEC West showdown and the final Bedlam game with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State as conference rivals. 

Here's what to watch for in this weekend's college football action.

The five-star game: No. 14 LSU (6-2) at No. 8 Alabama (7-1) | 7:45 p.m. ET

A spot in the SEC Championship could potentially be on the line when the Tigers and Crimson Tide meet in Tuscaloosa. LSU won last year's meeting, 32-31, in a thriller when quarterback Jayden Daniels connected with freshman tight end Mason Taylor for the winning two-point conversion in overtime.

Will Daniels, who's firmly in the Heisman race, become the first quarterback since Rex Grossman (2000-01) to win consecutive games against Nick Saban? Is Saban really going to lose to a coach who dances like this twice in a row?

Alabama is the most vulnerable it's been in years. Jalen Milroe can carve up LSU's porous defense, and he'll have to with the highest-scoring offense in the country on the other sideline. Last year taught us to expect anything when these two programs meet. Saturday night is going to produce fireworks.

The Heisman game: No. 5 Washington (8-0) at No. 20 USC (7-2) | 7:30 p.m. ET

What happens when an unstoppable force meets a moveable object? Michael Penix Jr. could have the game of his life against the listless Trojans defense. The Huskies quarterback rebounded last week after having the worst game of his season against Arizona State. He threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-33 road win against Stanford. USC ranks 106th against pass defense (248.8 yards per game) and has given up at least 40 points in four of their past five games. The only game during that span when they didn't give up at least 40 points was against Utah when the defense allowed 34 points in a two-point loss. The Utes average 21.2 points per game, 109th in the country, while the Huskies are ninth in the country (40.4 points per game).

Upset special: No. 9 Oklahoma (7-1) at No. 22 Oklahoma State (6-2) | 3:30 p.m ET

Bedlam will be extra spicy this year when the Sooners and Cowboys meet as conference rivals for the last time, or at least until the SEC completely devours the Big 12 in 20 years. Oklahoma is coming off consecutive tough games against UCF and Kansas and won't find any relief against its in-state rival. Per ESPN Bet, the Sooners are a six-point favorite, but this matchup could favor the Cowboys. Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon is one of the best offensive players in the country, but few people are talking about it. He has 553 rushing yards and six touchdowns over the past two games and 1,087 rushing yards this season. Gordon averages 7.7 yards per carry and could feast against an Oklahoma defense that ranks 54th against the run (132 rushing yards per game) and gave up 225 yards to the Jayhawks in Week 9.

Under-the-radar game: No. 15 Notre Dame (7-2) at Clemson (4-4) | 12 p.m. ET

Dabo Swinney's season could go from bad to worse when the Irish come to town. The Tigers are on the brink of their first five-loss season since 2010. If Clemson starts 4-5, it would be the program's worst record through nine games since Swinney took over on an interim basis in 2008. This week, the beleaguered head coach ripped "Tyler from Spartanburg" during Swinney's radio show after the fan appropriately questioned why an employee at a public university doing a poor job should make $11.5 million a year. "I'm not going to let this smart-ass kid get on the phone and tell me how to do my job," Swinney fired back. It turns out that without elite quarterback prospects such as Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence or defensive coordinator Brent Venables (reportedly) stealing signs, Swinney isn't that great of a coach. The Tigers are headed downhill fast with Swinney and may not have hit rock bottom yet.

Wild-card game: Nebraska (5-3) at Michigan State (2-6) | 12 p.m. ET

Don't look now, but Matt Rhule has the Cornhuskers a win away from bowl eligibility in his first year on the job. Nebraska last appeared in a bowl game in 2016 and has six consecutive losing seasons. Its sights might be set higher than the Music City Bowl, however. In the Big Ten West, Nebraska could potentially still represent the division in the conference championship game. The Cornhuskers likely need to win out, but if they do, that will include wins on the road against Wisconsin and at home against Iowa, two teams vying to win the west along with Minnesota.

More must-reads:

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