Halloween brings a high-stakes slate for College Football Playoff hopefuls, with several contenders facing rivalry tests, dangerous opponents or pressure to rebound. Ohio State must navigate USC without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, while Florida, Utah, Ole Miss and Wisconsin each face games that could reshape their playoff outlooks before November.

By the Numbers
  • Ohio State is ranked No. 2; USC is unranked.
  • Florida is No. 17 and Georgia is No. 3.
  • Utah is No. 6; Cincinnati beat then-No. 8 Texas Tech, 37-24.
  • Ole Miss is No. 12 and has two SEC losses; Wisconsin is No. 25 and Iowa has won the teams’ last four meetings.
Yes, But

Several matchups carry genuine upset risk, but the stakes differ: Ohio State has a capable history of backup quarterbacks stepping up, while Florida has already beaten two top-10 teams. Cincinnati and Auburn have also shown they can take down highly ranked opponents.

What's Next

The games land just before the first College Football Playoff rankings are released, making Halloween a chance for contenders to strengthen their cases—or invite fresh doubts. Ole Miss also has No. 5 Georgia next, while Utah faces rival BYU in two weeks.

Bottom Line

For playoff hopefuls, Halloween is more than a rivalry weekend: one slip could change the story of a season just as the selection picture begins to take shape.