We are officially in the final stretch of the 2026 College Football season after nine weeks. With five weeks left, including conference championship games until Selection Sunday, some Top 25 teams have no margin for error as they fight for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
This week was big as the selection committee released its first College Football Playoff rankings, showing how the final stretch of the regular season is shaping up for Top 25 teams in their bid to make the Playoff. Week 10 will be season-defining in the playoff race, with a loaded slate of seven matchups between ranked opponents that will have major implications for how the 12-team field takes shape.
As we near the end of the regular season, every game is a must-win for every Top-25 team. However, for some, their seasons hang in the balance in Week 10 ahead of Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings, as another loss could end their national championship aspirations. For that reason, those Top-25 teams face far greater pressure than others to win this weekend.
Without further ado, here are the five Top-25 teams facing must-win games in Week 10.
Top-25 Teams Facing Must-Win Games In Week 10
1. No. 11 Notre Dame
Notre Dame has been a national championship favorite since the start of the season, with one of the country’s most talented rosters. However, after one loss to BYU and a No. 11 ranking in the College Football Playoff, the Fighting Irish face a must-win game against No. 1 Miami this week, possibly their final game against a ranked opponent this season.
Notre Dame entered the first College Football Playoff rankings as the No. 4 team in last week’s AP Poll, with a 7-1 record, and its only loss came to a ranked BYU team. Although that loss came against a ranked BYU team, the Fighting Irish have a weak resume, as they have yet to defeat a ranked opponent. Despite that, they were expected to be among the top teams in the CFP rankings. However, the selection committee placed Notre Dame as the last team in the 12-team playoff, so it has no margin for error, as it won’t have chances to boost its resume beyond this week.
Heading into this week’s game, the Fighting Irish are ranked 55th in strength of schedule according to ESPN Analytics. Beyond this week, their remaining schedule offers few chances to boost their resume, as they face three unranked opponents to close out the season. Also, Notre Dame is an independent team, meaning it doesn’t play in a conference and won’t play a conference championship, which could’ve been a big boost to its resume. For that reason, Notre Dame desperately needs this win, as it will be its final chance to get a win against a ranked opponent, something their resume is severely lacking right now.
Last season, the selection committee left Notre Dame out of the College Football Playoff despite a 10-2 finish. This team must win to keep its Playoff hopes alive, because it risks the same fate it suffered last season if it doesn’t beat the Hurricanes, even if it finishes 10-2. However, Notre Dame has a strong chance to get this statement win at home against Miami, who will be without Malachi Toney due to a high-ankle sprain. The Fighting Irish are a well-coached team with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, like the Hurricanes, so this game will be a thriller in South Bend, Indiana, with so much on the line for both teams.
2. No. 12 Ohio State
Heading into this season, Ohio State was the favorite to win the national championship, with the most talented and experienced roster in the country led by quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. It also has one of the best coaching staffs, with both coordinators having previous NFL experience and head coach Ryan Day having already won a national championship. Instead, the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes are on life support heading into Week 10 as they face a must-win game against No. 23 Oregon to keep their national championship aspirations alive.
Ohio State has been on a roller coaster this season, starting as the No. 1 team in the country before suffering its first loss in Week 2 to Texas. After that loss, the Buckeyes went on a five-game winning streak with ranked wins over Iowa and Indiana, and looked like one of the best teams in the country. However, Sayin suffered a season-ending injury in the win against Indiana. His absence has become a huge problem for the team, as they suffered an upset loss to USC in their first game without him, dropping them from the driver’s seat of the Playoff to the first team out of the 12-team bracket.
After the USC loss, it became clear the selection committee is factoring in Sayin’s injury as they went from No.2 in Week 8’s AP Poll to No.12 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Now the Buckeyes can’t afford another loss, as no Big Ten team has ever made the Playoff with three losses. Fortunately, their path to the Playoff is in their hands, as they must win their remaining games to convince the committee they deserve a spot in the 12-team bracket.
Even though Ohio State now faces a must-win scenario every game, its game against Oregon matters most. It will be its final game against a ranked opponent and a chance to add three ranked wins to its resume. A win would also move it up the rankings, as seven ranked teams are set to lose this week. The Buckeyes have to show the committee they are a Playoff-caliber team without Sayin in their final four games, and a win over a ranked Oregon team would be the perfect first step.
3. No. 13 Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of college football’s biggest surprises, starting the season as No. 20 in the preseason AP Poll and rising to No. 13 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. Although they’re currently the second team out of the 12-team bracket, the Volunteers have a strong chance to improve their Playoff odds with a win over No. 6 Kentucky this week, making it a must-win.
Even with two losses already, Tennessee has an impressive resume, given it plays in the toughest conference in college football: the SEC. According to ESPN Analytics, the Volunteers rank 25th in strength of schedule, with two more games against ranked opponents remaining, starting this week against Kentucky. Although Tennessee has two ranked losses to Texas and South Carolina, it has a big boost on its resume: it beat No. 5 Alabama in Week 7, and its losses came on game-winning field goals. This shows the Volunteers can compete with the best teams in the country.
However, this week will be a tough test for Tennessee as it faces Kentucky, tied for first in the SEC with a 7-1 record. The Wildcats are a strong, battle-tested team that has already beaten two ranked opponents, LSU and South Carolina. Kentucky is also unbeaten on the road, has won its three games, and is well-coached under first-year head coach Will Stein, while ranking at the bottom of the FBS in penalties committed. The Wildcats also have a +12 turnover differential, taking care of the ball well with only five turnovers. Like Tennessee, Kentucky must win to keep its spot in the Playoff, making it a must-win for both teams.
It’s increasingly likely that a three-loss SEC team will make the playoff after the selection committee put three two-loss SEC teams in the first 12-team playoff bracket. Both teams have a great chance to boost their resumes with a win, even if they end the season with three losses. However, this game matters more to Tennessee, as it is coming off a loss to South Carolina in its last game. Kentucky, meanwhile, has already beaten the Gamecocks, giving it the head-to-head advantage. If Tennessee loses, it will need plenty of help to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive.
4. No. 14 LSU
Since Week 7, LSU has been in must-win mode, with its College Football Playoff hopes hanging by a thread after a Week 6 loss to Kentucky. It has done exactly that, defeating Mississippi State and an Auburn team that upset Georgia the week before to keep its Playoff hopes alive, as the Tigers rank No. 14 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Now coming off a bye week, LSU has a huge chance to put itself in the playoff picture as it faces three consecutive Top 25 teams, starting this week against No. 5 Alabama in another must-win game.
After falling to No. 22 in the AP Poll after the Kentucky loss, the Tigers have done a great job putting themselves back in playoff contention, moving to sixth place in the SEC standings and getting a game behind first-place Kentucky and Georgia. They’ve also won their last two games dominantly, beating Mississippi State and Auburn by 21+ points, which has boosted their resume. This sets them up perfectly for a season-defining three-game stretch against Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee.
Despite ESPN Analytics ranking its strength of schedule 23rd, LSU still has no ranked win on its resume. It lost its only game against a ranked opponent, Ole Miss, in Week 3, and its wins against Texas A&M and Mississippi State are no longer resume boosters because the Tigers beat them and are no longer ranked. Without a ranked win on its resume, LSU must win to get its first chance at a ranked win against an Alabama team ranked No. 5 in the country with home-field advantage.
The Tigers have had no margin for error since Week 7, but now the pressure is on ahead of a three-game stretch against ranked opponents. LSU’s path to the Playoff isn’t easy, as another loss would realistically knock them out of the SEC Championship game and potentially the College Football Playoff. However, the Tigers have the advantage of playing two of those three games at home, where they haven’t lost this season. They also showed against Auburn that they can go into hostile environments and come away with big wins. LSU has a great opportunity to make a run at the Playoff, but it all starts with a win against the Crimson Tide this week.
5. No. 9 BYU
Remember when BYU shocked college football in Week 7 by upsetting Notre Dame at home in its biggest win in program history? This win put the Cougars at No. 2 in the AP Poll, their highest ranking in history, and in the conversation to win the national championship. Fast forward to Week 10, and BYU‘s playoff hopes are on the line as it faces No. 3 Utah in a key Big 12 showdown with major implications for not just the conference but also the College Football Playoff.
The Cougars got off to a fast start, becoming one of the six unbeaten teams remaining after seven weeks. They earned their biggest win in program history against Notre Dame, reached their highest ranking, and tied for first place in the Big 12 with Utah. However, since that win against the Fighting Irish, BYU has struggled to build on that momentum, suffering an upset loss to an unranked UCF team in Week 8 and then barely beating unranked Arizona State at home. In this stretch, the Cougars have dropped from No. 2 to No. 9 and are now tied for second place with No. 15 Texas Tech in the Big 12 standings.
Now, BYU has its biggest game of the season as it hits the road to take on a Utah team that is one of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the FBS. Although the Utes are ranked 83rd in strength of schedule with only one ranked win against Houston, they have one of the most complete teams in the country, with both their offense and defense ranking in the top 12 nationally. The Cougars must be ready for this upcoming challenge in what will be their last chance to boost their resume, as this game will be their final meeting with a ranked opponent.
While this is a must-win for both teams, BYU needs this win more than Utah, as a loss could spell the end of its Big 12 and Playoff hopes. It is one game behind the first-place Utes, and a win would tie Utah and give the Cougars the tiebreakers over the Utes and Red Raiders, clinching a spot in the Big 12 championship game if all three finish with the same record. A loss would put it two games behind Utah, with a chance to be leapfrogged from second place if Texas Tech takes care of business this week. The stakes couldn’t be any higher for the Cougars heading into Week 10.
The Last Word
Week 10 of the college football season is shaping up to be the biggest of the year, and it could shake up the entire College Football Playoff picture. Two matchups between teams in the top-12 bracket stand out: No. 9 BYU will face No. 3 Utah, and No. 2 Georgia will face No. 10 Ole Miss. Overall, this week has so many season-defining matchups that the outcomes will have major implications for conference championship races, Playoff positioning, and the College Football Playoff rankings.
Not only are the five Top 25 teams mentioned above in must-win situations, but even Top 25 teams facing unranked opponents are in the same spot. For example, No. 8 UCLA faces a must-win against unranked Minnesota in a potential trap game, as the Gophers recently beat ranked Iowa and came close to upsetting Indiana last week. If it loses this game, the Bruins will lose their margin of error to make the Playoff and will probably find themselves out of the playoff bracket on Tuesday.
With seven ranked matchups, every team in the Top 25 has a strong chance to improve its odds of making the College Football Playoff and boost its resume. This could be the week that defines the Playoff picture, as several of the nation’s top teams face their toughest tests yet while others look to avoid costly upsets.
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