Now that the AP Poll announced the Top 25, each ranked team has key games and tricky games that could impact their season. Some more than others, but it goes a long way to a playoff opportunity or crashing out of the rankings and the season. Everyone has an opinion on what could be the best game to watch or a trap game that could ultimately hurt their favorite team. You be the judge, but these are the keys and traps that each ranked team will likely be met with this upcoming season.

1) GEORGIA

KEY

AT #5 ALABAMA

This is a gauntlet matchup and a potential passing of the SEC torch to Kirby Smart. It not only decides who has early leverage in the SEC, but it also gives them a better shot at the college football playoff seeding.

TRAP

AT #4 TEXAS

As much as Alabama/Georgia is the biggest hype in college football, no one’s talking more about the Texas/Georgia matchup. Georgia travels to Austin for just the second time ever. You know how insane those Longhorn fans will be once the Bulldogs arrive in their land? Also, Georgia won once against Texas…in five tries with the score being 10-9. Oh boy!

2) OHIO STATE

KEY

AT #3 OREGON

The two favorites to not only play in the Big Ten championship game, but to also win to qualify for the playoffs. Ohio State hasn’t forgotten about their loss at home to the Ducks three seasons ago. They will look for revenge at Autzen Stadium.

TRAP

AT #8 PENN STATE AND #9 MICHIGAN

Ohio State has no breaks against either one. Happy Valley is always one of the most difficult places to play, especially at night if they schedule it as a primetime game. Even if Michigan’s going through complete changes on their staff and most of their offense, that won’t stop them from making life miserable for Ohio State. From the first week of November to the last week of November, Ohio State will have the toughest time to either go undefeated, make the Big Ten title game, or make the College Football Playoff.

3) OREGON

KEY

#2 OHIO STATE

Ohio State definitely walks into a difficult environment, but the Buckeyes haven’t forgotten about Oregon upsetting them at “The Horseshoe” three seasons ago. It should be one of the most electrifying games of the season.

TRAP

AT WISCONSIN

Let’s assume Oregon defeats Ohio State and runs the table in the Big Ten and college football’s Top 4 seeding. Two weeks before the Big Ten championship, they migrate to Camp Randall in the cold to play Wisconsin. Not a fun time. What’s worse, Oregon’s 0-2 at Madison, Wisconsin. Expect a trap game for sure.

4) TEXAS

KEY

VS. #16 OKLAHOMA (RED RIVER RIVALRY)

Texas has high expectations in their first year as an SEC team, but things don’t change when playing their rival, Oklahoma. This matchup will be exciting for both teams, but a win will make bragging rights mean so much more in their first annual season as SEC teams.

TRAP

AT #20 TEXAS A&M

Texas could either be a one-loss or two-loss team (depending on who they played), and still run the table in the SEC championship/college football playoff spot. However, their other rival, the Aggies, made it clear a couple of seasons ago: If Texas joins the SEC, they’re playing at College Station first. They got what they wanted and can make the Longhorns’ lives miserable for 60 game minutes.

5) ALABAMA

KEY

#1 GEORGIA

There’s still plenty of key matchups in the post-Saban era, but nothing more key than against Georgia. The matchups in the past were massive in scope and really difficult to compare (even to my favorite Red River Rivalry). This one’s still bigger than the Oregon/Ohio State matchup. However, Alabama’s branding and mantle as The SEC is on the line against Smart’s Dawgs.

TRAP

AT #13 LSU

There’s also plenty of trap games. At Wisconsin, at Tennessee, at Oklahoma, and maybe at home against Auburn. Too many traps set after Nick Saban’s departure leaves the empire vulnerable. But nothing’s too big of a trap than Death Valley. With Saban gone, the Tigers shouldn’t feel as intimidated as they used to for some seasons…Some. Most teams go there to die, and without Saban, the Tide could go the way of old yeller.

6) OLE MISS

KEY

AT #13 LSU

My first thought was Oklahoma, but no. And Alabama’s not on their schedule. Georgia’s more tricky than actual key unless Ole Miss’s team plays up to an elite level of offense to carve their defense…like Baker Mayfield OU-like or Bama-like. Otherwise, there’s LSU. Last season’s matchup was offensively insane and may be similar depending on LSU’s quarterback. It could end in dramatic fashion, but Ole Miss definitely needs this one.

TRAP

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Why this game? They host those ‘Dogs. Well, this rivalry is some of the wildest and zaniest I’ve ever seen. There’s been fights, bizarre finishes, and even one Ole Miss player doing his dog with a leg up celebration in the endzone. Upsets can occur in this matchup more often than some people think, but what they know? They watch Thanksgiving NFL games that day and aren’t aware of it lol🤷‍♂️ Imagine if Ole Miss was in a strong position for the SEC championship game and has a spot in the college football playoff, needing just a win against Mississippi State, but the ‘Dogs give them a hard time? Those cowbells will be ringing in the Grove for a good long while.

7) NOTRE DAME

KEY

#10 FLORIDA STATE

Plenty of key matchups are involved on the Irish schedule, but the Florida State game seems fitting. If both teams get this far, this could literally be for leverage in the College Football Playoff standings. If Riley Leonard lasts this long, this matchup could mean so much more. He faces the Seminoles for the second straight season, but as a former Duke quarterback at South Bend now. Duke kept the game close before the Seminoles ran away with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. It’s up to Leonard and this defense to make some noise in South Bend.

TRAP

AT #23 USC

Notre Dame could be in a great spot to make the College Football Playoff. However, nothing comes easy with USC. It’s currently 1-1 between Lincoln Riley’s USC and Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame. The problem for the Irish is that they’re playing in the Coliseum in the last week of the regular season. Riley Leonard must last long enough to help the team in their gauntlet fight against USC’s high-flying offense. Otherwise, it’ll be a nightmare for the next two weeks for the Irish and during the 12-team playoff announcement.

8) PENN STATE

KEY

#2 OHIO STATE

For Penn State to be relevant for the College Football Playoff conversation, they must go through Ohio State. That’s their number one goal. They have played spoiler before, but that was seven seasons ago and every upset was in spurts throughout history. With the 12-team playoff’ here’s existence, this should mightily motivate the Nittany Lions.

TRAP

AT WISCONSIN AND AT MINNESOTA

Penn State doesn’t face Michigan. That’s all fine and dandy, but the schedule makers feel they still don’t respect Penn State just yet. So, they traded Michigan for road games at Wisconsin and Minnesota. They literally traded a Wolverine for a Gopher and a Badger. Not a good thing knowing Penn State finally has a chance to make the playoffs after finishing in the Top 10 with two losses several times.

9) MICHIGAN

KEY

AT #2 OHIO STATE

I wanted to put Texas there, but it doesn’t compare to “The Game”. While Ohio State should be favored to end their 3-game losing streak to their heated rivals, Michigan has the defense and running back Donovan Edwards to tell the Buckeyes otherwise about their outcome, home or away. No matter where Michigan ends up in the rankings or standings, they’re at war with Ohio State to the very end.

TRAP

AT WASHINGTON

It’s hard to pinpoint tricky games on their schedule, and there’s a few. But I felt it’s fair to put Washington there since they have a score to settle. Michigan travels to Washington, and with so many replacements on both sides of the ball, this is technically even ground for the Huskies in one of the rowdiest stadiums in the country. Seahawks fans could join because they know about Jim Harbaugh’s history.

10) FLORIDA STATE

KEY

#14 CLEMSON AND AT #19 MIAMI

I couldn’t choose between those rivals, so they both join here. Florida State’s DJ Uiagalelei faces his former teammate who took his spot in Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Three weeks later, they travel to Miami towhere DJ also faces his former Pac-12 transfer backfields in Cam Ward (rival) and Damien Martinez (former teammate). Florida State’s battling those two for the ACC title bid and a playoff spot.

TRAP

AT #7 NOTRE DAME

If the Seminoles survive their schedule up to that point (despite their Week 0 loss), South Bend could be their most difficult challenge of the season. They face former Duke quarterback in Riley Leonard, who’s looking for revenge with his Fighting Irish that are also competing for a playoff spot.

11) MISSOURI

KEY

#16 OKLAHOMA

The Tigers are itching for a fight against their former Big 12 turned SEC rival. It should be a great matchup for both teams vying for a SEC title bid and the College Football Playoff. Missouri would love to put the Sooners in their place in their first year in the SEC. Good luck with that, Tigers. Boomer Sooner!!!

TRAP

AUBURN

Road games at Texas A&M and Alabama seem more plausible to put on here, but Auburn makes the most sense. It’s not that Missouri can’t beat their fellow Tigers of Auburn. It’s just that they lost the last three games to them. The only time they defeated Auburn was back in 1973 in neutral site. Unless they shift the game to a neutral site, Auburn is the better Tiger for right now.

12) UTAH

KEY

AT #17 OKLAHOMA STATE AND #21 ARIZONA

It’s very difficult to choose between the two, so both deserve to be there. Oklahoma State has high expectations, and Arizona has the experience to compete for a Big 12 title in their annual year. This makes for a great matchup for Utah, that returns Cam Rising to their lineup. Utah has two chances to hold the top spot in the Big 12 standings.

TRAP

AT COLORADO

The Utes could be in prime position for the Big 12 title game, but Coach Prime and his sons have other plans for them. Utah’s last three games are no cakewalks, but playing their rival in Boulder makes for a challenging finish to the schedule. If they overlook Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, Utah could be in for a rude awakening in their first annual Big 12 season.

13) LSU

KEY

#6 OLE MISS AND #5 ALABAMA

Hosting both Ole Miss and Alabama are great for LSU’s chances for the SEC title run and playoff bid. This should make for a potentially epic matchup between three teams battling for everything they can.

TRAP

AT #20 TEXAS A&M

And then there’s Texas A&M and their illustrious 12th Man fans. This could be a major downfall for the Tigers. Ever since their loss in the infamous seven overtime game against the Aggies in 2018, they haven’t won in College Station since. If you see the Tigers in a great spot prior to the matchup, don’t hesitate to drop by the sports book depending on where the Aggies end up.

14) CLEMSON

KEY

AT #10 FLORIDA STATE

The Tigers matchup with Florida State will be chaos. Cade Klubnik travels to Tallahassee to face his former teammate, DJ Uiagalelei, who Cade took his starting spot from before the end of the season. This is a prove it moment for Klubnik and he must play his A-game to show Clemson that they made the right decision.

TRAP

#24 NC STATE

Since 2016, NC State’s been the bane of Clemson’s existence. Once they finally lost to the Wolfpack, Clemson hasn’t had an easy break from them since. They lost twice in the last three seasons, and things won’t be much easier once they see former Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall grace the Wolfpack uniform. McCall’s a competitor with a fresh start just a few hours from his old school and is looking to make some noise against Dabo Swinney’s squad.

15) TENNESSEE

KEY

#5 ALABAMA

With Nick Saban gone, this is Tennessee’s opportunity to spoil the Tide in a big way. They have the horses on offense with their seemingly stellar quarterback to keep up with them. If new QB Nico Iamaleava is for real, the Tide could be in for a long, long game.

TRAP

#1 GEORGIA

Tennessee could beat everyone, but their run will always end between the hedges where so many other Tennessee players and coaches have ended up. Coach Josh Heupel has the Volunteers rolling, but they have yet to score 20 points against the Dawgs after three tries under Heupel. If their offense can’t trim their way past those hedges, then Tennessee’s finishing no higher than second place in the SEC.

16) OKLAHOMA

KEY

VS. #4 TEXAS

I know Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Alabama are also keys, but nothing’s more exciting than the Sooners playing Texas in the Red River Rivalry in their first annual year in the SEC. Imagine if both Texas and Oklahoma survive September undefeated or with at least one loss? Sounds like a Top 10 or Top 15 matchup in my opinion.

TRAP

AT #11 MISSOURI AND/OR AT #13 LSU

What if Oklahoma got this far and were in the College Football Playoff conversation? Then, they must handle the pressure that comes with it. Playing at Columbia or Death Valley won’t be a good time for Oklahoma. Trying to cage both Tigers will be a tall task in order to close out November as playoff contenders.

17) OKLAHOMA STATE

KEY

#12 UTAH AND AT #18 KANSAS STATE

Like Utah, Oklahoma State has two chances to take control of the Big 12. Beating both Utah and K-State is no easy feat but expect a great matchup for both of those games for sure.

TRAP

AT TCU AND AT COLORADO

You read it correctly. TCU and Colorado won’t be easy. They are pesky offensive teams that’ll find ways to score past the Pokes no matter how many attempts it takes. They’re made for big plays and OK State’s pass defense is one of the worst in the country against downfield passes. An upset by either one is very possible.

18) KANSAS STATE

KEY

#17 OKLAHOMA STATE AND #22 KANSAS

There’s no telling which matchup is more key, so both make the cut. Kansas State and Oklahoma State could decide a potential winner/leader of the conference while the Sunflower Showdown could be the biggest rivalry game in their state’s history. No one ever thought that the state of Kansas would be mentioned for the playoffs, but this season seems like the right time to chatter.

TRAP

AT TULANE AND AT IOWA STATE

They both deserve to be there because Kansas State lost to both of them in separate years. Tulane and Iowa State both made life difficult for Chris Klieman’s Wildcats and could turn their season into a nightmare. The Green Wave could cause turbulence to where the Cyclones could crash and burn their season. Yeah, those elemental forces are no joke. The ‘Cats better prep their emergency gear for both.

19) MIAMI

KEY

#10 FLORIDA STATE

This seems fitting for the Sunshine State Showdown. Both teams are vying for an ACC title spot and playoff bid. This should be a great matchup as Miami has plenty to play for while Florida State’s trying to survive their ACC schedule. Both teams won’t go quietly for sure.

TRAP

AT GEORGIA TECH

It’s hard to pinpoint which road game’s the trickiest for Miami. So, I chose the very team Miami choked against. The Yellow Jackets can’t wait to host the Hurricanes in Atlanta with plenty of choke signs and whatever else they can dish out to make life miserable for Mario Cristobal and players involved from last year. Miami must be psychologically focused to avenge their loss that shouldn’t have been.

20) TEXAS A&M

KEY

#13 LSU AND #4 TEXAS

The Aggies home schedule sets them up for the biggest leverage of all SEC schedules. Notre Dame, Missouri, LSU, and Texas travel to College Station. LSU and Texas are the biggest get the Aggies were looking for, especially with Texas joining the SEC. They’ll make sure to have their 12th man behind them from start to finish. I wonder if Mike Elko plotted this before leaving Duke???

TRAP

AT AUBURN

Having the best setup schedule makes life easier for Texas A&M to run the tables in the SEC and the Top 25, but one road game could turn the tide on them that’s not Alabama “technically”. Auburn could be that team and Jordan Hare Stadium has its own way of making miracles happen to end someone else’s hopes and dreams. Texas A&M must do it’s best to not overlook those Tigers.

21) ARIZONA

KEY

AT #12 UTAH

Arizona has plenty of key matchups in the Big 12, but the focus is on their former Pac-12 cohort, Utah. Utah should be in better position than last year when they got smacked around a bit without Cam Rising. With his return, this should make for a back-and-forth scoring affair from start to finish.

TRAP

AT UCF

Arizona never faced UCF, but they played a game in the state of Florida before and returned home with a loss. They have a chance against UCF, but it’s difficult to think they can walk into Orlando believing they can just win the game. Coach Gus Malzahn will likely have his Knights ready for this one.

22) KANSAS

KEY

AT #18 KANSAS STATE

It’s the only way Kansas has a legitimate shot at a Big 12 title appearance, but they must do it in Manhattan, Kansas. It should be a huge matchup that all Big 12 fans and college football fans alike should tune into. The winner has the best chance of playing in the conference championship.

TRAP

AT WEST VIRGINIA AND AT BAYLOR

It’s all fun and games for revamped Kansas until they run into Morgantown and Baylor. Then, reality sets in and they remember why they were stuck in the middle of the Big 12 consistently. The Jayhawks won their first game ever in Morgantown two seasons ago, but it doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to go back-to-back. The last time Kansas defeated Baylor was in 2007 during the Mark Mangino era. After his departure, Kansas lost 13 straight to Baylor. Lance Liepold’s Kansas is edging closer to ending it, but it’s still a tall task even if Baylor’s not as good this season.

23) USC

KEY

#8 PENN STATE

This is USC’s game to win. The Nittany Lions struggled historically against the Trojans on the west coast. The only time Penn State defeated USC away from home was at Tempe, Arizona in 1984. Even with Joe Paterno, they struggled against USC in California. This could be USC’s biggest upset opportunity for a playoff push.

TRAP

AT UCLA

And yet, they still face UCLA to get there. The Bruins have a new coach and plenty of questions, but the rivalry is there, and anything can happen. Nothing comes easy for the Trojans in November.

24) NC STATE

KEY

AT #14 CLEMSON

The Wolfpack doesn’t seem intimidated by the Tigers these days. Whether they’re at home or away, they’re competing the entire game. Coastal Carolina transfer QB Grayson McCall and Duke transfer Jordan Waters should give NC State a big opportunity to steal Clemson’s thunder.

TRAP

AT UNC

However, they still face North Carolina at the end of the season. The Wolfpack may be in a good spot whether it’s at the top of the ACC or they hold one of the playoff spots, their road to either the ACC title game or a playoff spot must go through Chapel Hill. One little slip up against the Heels could cost them everything.

25) IOWA

KEY

IOWA STATE

It may have nothing to do with conference play and it may have a lot to do with bragging rights for a whole season. This game could weigh heavily on a team’s confidence and playoff seeding if both get that far. Iowa State wants a leg up in the playoff race. Iowa wants to leverage that situation with how good their defense and special teams are while figuring out their offensive identity.

TRAP

NEBRASKA

Iowa owns Nebraska in nine of the last 11 meetings, but the last six meetings were decided by seven points or less. Nebraska knows how bad Iowa’s offense is and they obtained a potential phenom quarterback in Dylan Raiola to hopefully elevate their offense. This bodes badly for Iowa if they can’t find their offensive identity by season’s end.