College football Week 10 is loaded. Ranking 10 games that could blow up CFP race

Week 10 of the college football season is shaping up to be an all-timer, with two top-10 matchups and four more ranked games.

ESPN's "College GameDay" is headed to South Bend, Indiana, for No. 1 Miami vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, but the pregame show had plenty of other options. No. 4 Utah hosts in-state rival No. 8 BYU in the "Holy War" and No. 15 LSU faces No. 9 Alabama.

REQUIRED READING: Would Notre Dame be No. 6 without those golden helmets? Please

No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Tennessee, No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 11 Texas vs. No. 19 Missouri round out the list of top-25 matchups. The ranked games aren't the only matchups of note in Week 10, either. Minnesota is aiming to upset undefeated No. 7 UCLA while No. 10 Ohio State is hoping to keep its season alive against Oregon.

Week 10 looks like it'll deliver. Which are the best games of the weekend? Here's a look at our top games of Week 10:

Ranking top college football games of Week 10

10. No. 20 Iowa at Northwestern

Northwestern is enjoying one of its best seasons in years. Its hoping to not drop back-to-back games for the first time all season when it faces Iowa.

It's a battle of two Big Ten teams that are trying to stay in Big Ten championship game contention and two teams that are aiming to be in the upper tier of the conference.

9. No. 5 UCLA at Minnesota

Minnesota nearly upset Indiana in Week 9. Maybe it can get it done against UCLA in Week 10?

The Golden Gophers will be a real test for the Bruins, who haven't faced the toughest schedule in college football this season by any means. Backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach will face his toughest test as a starting quarterback, too, against a stout Minnesota defense.

8. No. 11 Texas at No. 19 Missouri

Trap game incoming? A road game against Missouri won't be easy for Texas, which has played better in its last two wins against Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

The Longhorns and Tigers are both aiming to keep their CFP hopes alive with a win. The former Big 12 foes face off at noon ET on Nov. 7.

7. Texas State at Oregon State

Do you like offense and minimal defense? What about games that last into early Sunday morning? The Pac-12 has the game for you, then.

Oregon State and Texas State rank No. 4 and 7, respectively, in total offense this season, with both units averaging over 500 total yards per game. Texas State seemingly finds itself in a back-and-forth game every week, and is coming off a 46-45 loss to Boise State in which they scored 36 unanswered points to take the lead before losing it late.

Oregon State will also be looking to bounce back after its 38-22 loss to Fresno State.

6. No. 8 Kentucky at No. 16 Tennessee

Kentucky achieved its highest-ever ranking at No. 8 in Week 10. One of the biggest surprises of the college football season under first-year coach Will Stein, it's time to see if the Wildcats can handle the pressure with a CFP bid on the line going forward.

Kentucky's remaining schedule won't be easy, either, with the Vols, Florida, Missouri and Louisville left on its slate. A win would show the Wildcats are for real.

Tennessee, meanwhile, likely has to have a win to stay in CFP race. A top-10 ranked win would be huge for the Vols' resume.

5. No. 10 Ohio State vs. Oregon

As bad as things have gone for Oregon this season, it's technically still in the Big Ten conference championship game race. Ohio State, meanwhile, needs to figure out its offense fast if it wants to reach the CFP.

The Buckeyes weren't great offensively in their 30-18 upset loss to unranked USC in Week 9, leaving them without much room for error going forward. Their quarterback situation is still murky, too, as true freshman Luke Fahey struggled mightily at times in his first career start.

There could be some huge momentum shifts going forward for the winner and loser of this game.

4. No. 2 Georgia at No. 12 Ole Miss

A rematch of last season's CFP quarterfinal matchup, Georgia is looking for revenge against Ole Miss in Week 10.

Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss made the Bulldogs look silly at times in the CFP last season. Can he keep that magic going in 2026?

A Georgia loss would make for some interesting shifts in the SEC championship game race, if it happens.

3. No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 15 LSU

Alabama and LSU look like the two best two-loss teams in college football. A win puts one of these teams in a solid spot among CFP contenders in the SEC, while a loss puts one in a tough situation going forward.

It seems like a 3-loss SEC team will make the CFP this season, but with three regular season games left after this matchup, it leaves virtually no wiggle room. Keelon Russell and Sam Leavitt is also an underrated quarterback matchup.

2. No. 1 Miami vs. No. 5 Notre Dame

Miami faces its first test of the season against Notre Dame following back-to-back sketchy weeks against unranked opponents. The Hurricanes needed two overtimes to beat Florida State in Week 8 before taking down North Carolina 38-35 in Week 9.

The game also has massive implications for Notre Dame, given the Fighting Irish's schedule. A 10-2 Notre Dame team without a signature loss would likely be on the CFP bubble, just like it was last season.

Miami-Notre Dame is also littered with Heisman Trophy candidates like Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney and CJ Carr. In a wide-open race, can one of those three players have a Heisman moment and vault to the top of the race?

1. No. 3 Utah vs. No. 7 BYU

"GameDay" isn't going back to Salt Lake City in Week 10, but a top-10 matchup between rivals like Utah and BYU is what college football is all about. These fans do not like each other, and the winner is the clear frontrunner to win the Big 12 this season.

It's going to be a scene for the "Holy War" on Nov. 7. Unfortunately, the game is at 10 a.m. local time (noon ET).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football Week 10 is loaded. Ranking 10 games that could blow up CFP race