The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season come out next week, and the selection committee will be glued to these six games Saturday that could shake up the CFP rankings and teams on the bubble. There’s no fun in just listing the game, though, so we ranked them based on their potential to create drama that could have the CFP committee members rethinking their entire first rankings.

6. No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats at Oregon Ducks

Northwestern needs a win this week and needs to win the rest of the way if they want to sneak into the CFP this season. While a win over Oregon doesn’t really move the needle this season because the Ducks are having a down season, it does mean a road win against a decent opponent won’t be frowned upon. This is a big game for Northwestern because there’s quite a few Big Ten teams with one conference loss. They won’t necessarily need to get into the Big Ten title game to get into the CFP, but they will need to win out.

5. No. 25 Wisconsin Badgers at Iowa Hawkeyes

Could it be so? The Wisconsin Badgers are good this year? Luke Fickell earned his best win since taking over in Madison, beating USC 24-7 last week and getting the Badgers ranked for the first time in his tenure. This is a size-up game for them. Can they prove they’re legit and beat an Iowa team still lurking in the CFP conversation despite being unranked? Wisconsin needs to win out if they want a shot at the CFP. With just one conference loss, the Big Ten championship game isn’t out of the question. They’ll need some help, but they could very well sneak into both. That starts this week. 

4. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes at USC Trojans

Ohio State will start either a true freshman or a redshirt freshman in a game USC probably has way too much pressure to handle. The Buckeyes shouldn’t lose this game, but it’s a rare West Coast trip for a traditional Big Ten team and an unsettled quarterback situation with Julian Sayin out indefinitely due to a shoulder injury on his throwing arm. USC needs to win this game, and believe it or not, with three total top 10 teams left to play in the final four games, the Trojans can still get into the CFP. It's not looking good, but Lincoln Riley isn’t completely out of the picture just yet.

3. No. 6 Utah Utes at Cincinnati Bearcats

Usually, this wouldn’t be a game with CFP implications. But Nippert Stadium is turning into a tough place to play and nobody expected it. The Bearcats stunned Texas Tech last week, and after Utah’s struggles against Houston, Cincinnati could pull a second straight upset. A loss for the Utes and it would all but ensure only one Big 12 team gets in and prove the league isn’t quite the threat it wants to be. Nobody is expecting the Bearcats to win (for the second straight week), which is exactly why Utah is on upset alert.

2. No. 22 Arizona Wildcats at No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders

By now you know Texas Tech got whooped by Cincinnati a week ago, shaking up the Big 12 hierarchy. What you might not remember is that the Bearcats lost to Arizona earlier this year. That means a win for the Wildcats this week would pretty much end Texas Tech’s season short of the CFP. It also makes Arizona the new favorite in the Big 12 to get to the CFP. This game is a must-win for both teams, for different reasons. The outcome of this game will undoubtedly affect the Big 12’s standing with the CFP selection committee.

1. No. 17 Florida Gators vs. No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs

Florida is ranked again, and the Gators still have a shot to make the CFP. Georgia is back on the gridiron after a heartbreaking loss to Auburn. This isn’t a CFP elimination game, per se, but a loss by Florida pretty much seals its fate. These are the types of games the CFP selection committee points to when deciding which teams should get in over others. Florida beating the No. 3 team in the country could go a long way toward convincing the committee to put the Gators in.