This is a really interesting week, because the BYU/ASU game is obviously huge.  But after that, the best game to watch REALLY depends on the outcome of that game.  If we beat ASU (and basically lock up a CCG spot), we're mostly focused on Notre Dame, Miami, SMU and the 2 loss SEC teams (Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M) hoping that they take a loss and clear the path for us to get a playoff spot even if we eventually drop the CCG.  If we LOSE to ASU?  Well then we're very much focused on the Big 12 and the steps we need to get TO the CCG.

Pre-Saturday Games

Not much going until Saturday. 24 UNLV @ San Jose St (Friday 8 PM, FS1) is the best of the bunch.  It's the only ranked team and even has a bit of BYU impact.  Right now, detractors can point out that BYU lost to Kansas, when Kansas couldn't even handle UNLV.... and it doesn't sound as terrible because UNLV is top 25.  A UNLV loss hurts Kansas, which hurts BYU.  It's minor, but we're rooting for UNLV here. Luckily UNLV is a solid 7.5 point favorite

Other options include

• NC State @ Georgia Tech (Thursday 5:30 PM, ESPN): Do we really care about this game?  Not a lot, but it's a P4 game, shouldn't be a laugher (GT favored by 8.5) and a Georgia Tech loss wouldn't look good for Miami. Not the biggest deal, but if you're watching it, you should root for NC State
• Purdue @ Michigan St (Friday 6 PM, FOX): Well this is the only P4 game on Friday and has a closer spread (MSU by 13.5) than the remaining options, so it gets this spot by default

Saturday Morning (Up until Noon Mountain)

Story of the day here is lots of games that we'd REALLY like an upset.  But not much odds of any specific one happening.  I'm going a bit off the obvious pick and recommending #9 Ole Miss @ Florida (10AM, ABC) here.  Florida is at home and just knocked off LSU rather emphatically, so if they can upset Ole Miss here, it opens up a potential additional playoff spot should BYU lose in the CCG.  Ole Miss is favored by 11, so it's unlikely, but definitely not impossible

Other possibilities:

• #5 Indiana @ #2 Ohio St (10AM, FOX): This is going to be the top game nationally.... but given that both these teams were ahead of BYU before we lost to Kansas, the loser of this one is probably still ahead of us, especially given the high quality of the loss.  Given that, I don't think there's an obvious rooting interest here.  Ohio State is favored by 12, so maybe root for the underdog and chaos?  

• Wake Forest @ #8 Miami (10AM, ESPN): This one has a clear rooting interest.  We want Miami to lose and lose hard.  It removes a team ahead of us and helps SMU....which vicariously helps us.  This is the #3 option in this window mostly because of how unlikely it is - Miami is favored by 25.

• #13 SMU @ Virginia (10AM, ESPN): SMU is ahead of us....but we're still rooting for them to win.  If they get the ACC title and only lose one game (to us), it helps us.  They're favored by 10, but we need them to keep looking good as they are currently our only top 25 win
• Two other games where we have clear rooting interests that combined don't have a snowball's chance of happening. UMass @ #10 Georgia (10:45 AM, SECN) has Georgia favored by 42 and UTEP @ #11 Tennessee (11AM, ESPN+) has Tennessee favored by 41.5.  If the insane happens, it's huge....but it's not happening

Saturday Afternoon (Noon-3 Mountain)

The best game in this window is obviously #14 BYU @ #21 ASU (1:30 PM, ESPN) which is basically a play-in to the CCG.  I know it's still possible that BYU makes it if we lose here....but whichever team wins is definitely in the drivers seat.  ASU is favored by 3 and this is the biggest game in ASU history since they played at Arizona for a spot in the 2014 PAC CCG.  It's the biggest game in Tempe since 2007 when they were #7 and had #11 USC coming to town with two weeks left in the season.  This one is must-watch, not just for BYU fans, but for everyone.

Even better, past BYU games have had a lot of competition.... but this window is kind of weak this week:

• #16 Colorado @ Kansas (1:30 PM, FOX) will draw because it's Colorado, but it's an interesting game for us.  On the one hand, we want Colorado to win because it's better for the conference and if we're going to leave open the possibility of a backdoor slide into the playoffs despite a CCG loss, we need Colorado ranked.  On the other hand, Colorado losing clears the path for an easier path to the CCG, likely an easier opponent, AND also gives Kansas more credibility.  Colorado is only favored by 3 and I'm pretty sure I'll be rooting for Kansas 

• #4 Penn St @ Minnesota (1:30 PM, CBS): Penn St probably isn't going to lose here (they're favored by 11.5), but they're on the road so its possible.  In any case, they definitely aren't losing to Maryland next week, so this is the last chance they realistically have to put their playoff bid in doubt.

• Kentucky @ #3 Texas (1:30 PM, ABC): Texas has a ranking that frankly doesn't reflect their resume.  Despite being in the SEC, they've generally avoided the top teams (except for Georgia, who beat them).  But they're still seen as a top 3 team.  They have a tough matchup next week vs Texas A&M, but if we want that matchup to mean anything for us they have to lose this week.  One loss to a top 15 Texas A&M won't drop Texas below us (and might tually result in aTm jumping us), but a surprise loss to Kentucky this week would change the situation greatly.  Texas is favored by 20.5 so it's not probable...but Kentucky has had some big moments.

• In the Big 12, we're rooting for
  • Arizona in Arizona @ TCU (1PM, ESPN+) since we have a win over Arizona.  Tiebreaks get complicated, but combined opponent record shows up most of the time if there's multiple teams.  TCU is favored by 11.5
  • By similar logic we want UCF in UCF @ West Virginia (1:30 PM, ESPNU) where UCF is favored by 3 and are rooting for Oklahoma St in Texas Tech @ Oklahoma St (1:30 PM, ESPN+) where Texas Tech is favored by only 3.5

Overall, that's 7 games with some interest at the same time, which is a great day of football.

Saturday Prime (3-5:59 Mountain)

Another window where there's a lot of games we want certain results for...but will be tough-pressed to get them.  The nice part is that with so many desired upset games, it's statistically likely that we get at least one out of nowhere result.  That said, the top game here is #19 Army @ #6 Notre Dame (5 PM, NBC + Peacock).  An Army win would resurrect the demons of Notre Dame's NIU loss and likely drop them behind us (assuming we beat ASU) and out of playoff competition.  It would have the added benefit/drawback of putting Army in contention, but that's absolutely not an issue if we've beat ASU. If we lose to ASU?  Then we want Army to lose.  Rooting interest here depends on how our game goes, but the outcome is likley in Notre Dame's favor either way (they're favored by 14.5)

If that's not your speed, there's an abundance of other options:

• #15 Texas A&M @ Auburn (5:30 PM, ESPN): We already mentioned next week's Texas vs Texas A&M game.  If aTm wins that, they could jump us... but not if they lose to Auburn.  And Texas A&M is only favored by 2.5, so there's a chance.

• #7 Alabama @ Oklahoma (5:30 PM, ABC): If we beat ASU, but drop the Big 12 CCG, we'll need some of these two loss SEC teams to take another loss.  Alabam is clearly the better team (favored by 13.5), but Oklahoma has talent

• #22 Iowa St @ Utah (5:30 PM, FOX): If we lose at ASU, we don't want Iowa St in the tiebreaker mix.  And we want the best opponent record we can.  Which means this is a hold-your-nose and root for Utah kind of game. That's if we lose.  If we beat ASU, then this one becomes less relevant though.  Iowa St is favored by 7.5

• There are also two games that really SEEM like they matter, but don't
  • #12 Boise St @ Wyoming (5 PM, ABC): Boise St losing drops them behind us and Wyoming winning helps our resume... but a G5 is still taking a playoff spot in any case and if we win out we're ahead of Boise anyway. Plus Wyoming is never going to be a quality win regardless of this game. I guess the only way this matters is if we lose to ASU, have the cards fall right, make the CCG anyway and then win it.  If Boise has lost in that scenario we could still get a bye.  But Boise isn't losing here (favored by 23) and I'm largely treating the ASU game as lose-and-we're out
  • Baylor @ Houston (5PM, FS1): We'll play and (almost certainly) bear both these teams.  So it doesn't change our overall chances.  Might be worth watching Houston to see what is ahead for next week, but with so much going on THIS week, it just falls to the bottom

Saturday Evening (6-8:30 Mountain)

And after a day full of meaningul football and adrenaline and emotion swings....the evening is pretty bleh.  Only 5 games late and only 1 has any relevance.  That's Cincinnati @ Kansas St (6PM, ESPN2) where we're rooting for Kansas St to win and move back into the Top 25.  Plus if thinsg get crazy with tiebreakers, having them higher is a help.  K State favored by 8

If you really need a late night game:

• USC @ UCLA (8:30 PM, NBC): Both teams are .500 or worse, but it's a P4 game in the late window and it might be a decent game with USC only favored by 4.5

• Colorado St @ Fresno St (8:30 PM, CBSSN): This one is only interesting from a 'chaos in college football' perspective.  It's pretty clear at this point that the top 2 teams in the MWC are Boise St (9-1 and ranked #12 with only a loss to Oregon) and UNLV (8-2 ranked #24 with an OT loss to Syracuse and a heartbreaking one possession loss to UNLV).  And yet 7-3 Colorado St is currently undefeated in the MWC due to a reduced conference schedule (games against Wazzu and Oregon St don't count in conference standings) and the luck of missing all the top teams. Fresno St is favored by 3, but if Colorado St wins, they're almost guaranteed a spot against Boise