When the calendar turns to November then you know it is down to the nitty gritty in the College Football Playoff race.

The stakes are higher. The pressure is ramped. It creates unexpected results that look like major surprises. But should we be surprised? This happens every season. Mississippi fell to Florida and Miami got tripped up against Syracuse last year. Both missed the field. In 2022, No. 5 Tennessee was blown out by unranked South Carolina on the penultimate weekend of the regular season.

This weekend shapes up to have more potential surprises that wreck playoff hopes. Could it be Ohio State again? Or Mississippi? Or maybe another contender like Georgia Tech or Texas Tech?

That's why the USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here to provide some answers to the difficul

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