Auburn is staring down a schedule in October that literally no other program in the nation has to deal with: four top-25 opponents in four weeks. If you thought September gave us a glimpse of the College Football Playoff picture, October is about to smash that picture into a million pieces and redraw it completely. This is the kind of month that separates the contenders from the pretenders, and for some teams, it’s going to be an absolute nightmare.
Auburn’s Brutal Gauntlet and What It Means
Alex Golesh’s Auburn squad is heading into absolute chaos. Their October kicks off with a brutal road trip to No. 17 Tennessee, followed by another grinder at No. 2 Georgia. Then, they get a brief reprieve at home against No. 11 LSU, before finishing the month with another savage road game at No. 9 Ole Miss. Nobody’s calling the Tigers a CFP threat yet, especially after they split their first two SEC games. But man, if they can snag at least three wins out of those four matchups against nationally ranked teams? They’ll be living in the national spotlight, no doubt. This is precisely why Golesh left South Florida for the SEC, isn’t it? To face these kinds of challenges.
Other Powerhouses Facing the Fire
But hey, Auburn isn’t the only one getting thrown into the inferno. The Florida Gators, who just clawed their way from unranked all the way up to No. 8 after the first third of the regular season, have three ranked opponents waiting for them too. They’ve got No. 25 Missouri on the road this weekend, then later in the month they’ll face the nation’s top two teams: No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Georgia in Atlanta. The CFP selection committee is reportedly looking hard at the strength-of-conference metric, and Florida’s upcoming schedule definitely gives them a boost in that department. Reaching 10 wins this season feels like the magic number for any SEC team hoping for a CFP spot.
Then there’s the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s wild to even say this, but they’ve already got a loss before October, after that early showdown against Texas didn’t go their way. Still, they’re our favorite to win the Big Ten, but that could all change after this weekend if they trip up at unbeaten Iowa. The Hawkeyes, by the way, are sitting pretty for prime CFP billing following their win at Michigan last week, and they won’t even play another ranked team after the Buckeyes. Ohio State’s October also includes Maryland, at No. 6 Indiana, and at No. 18 USC. And don’t forget Mississippi State, who also have three ranked opponents on their plate: No. 7 Alabama, at No. 11 LSU, Oklahoma, and at No. 1 Texas.
November’s First Look
This next month isn’t just about winning games, it’s about survival. A squad that looks like a playoff lock right now could be scrapping to stay in the conversation by Halloween, given these upcoming slates. The College Football Playoff selection committee’s initial rankings drop on November 3rd. Believe me, these October battles are going to dictate absolutely everything we see on that first, critical list.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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