Tailgate Debate: Playoff implications aplenty in Week 11

Things are heating up as we get into November, with six games between ranked teams on tap today. Plenty of questions will be answered from coast to coast today, but let's provide some of our own first:

Yomtov: Good morning Dan and happy Saturday. Let's start in Baton Rouge, where No. 15 LSU hosts No. 5 Alabama.

These are two of the best defenses in the country, with Alabama and LSU ranked second and fourth in FBS respectively. Five of the last eight regular season meetings between these two teams have been decided by seven points or less.

Blake Sims has come on strong, throwing seven touchdowns in the last three games with no interceptions. That being said, the Tigers are giving up just 158.4 yards per game through the air, fourth in the nation. You picked Alabama here, but what kind of game should we be expecting?

Uthman: I really like Alabama's offensive skill players and expect the Crimson Tide to put up points every time they take the field. But that doesn't always happen, and I don't think there's an excuse for that. Despite LSU's pass defense, I submit that Alabama has the best player on the field in Amari Cooper. He is fifth in the FBS with 71 receptions and second in receiving yards at 1,132.

The reason I picked the Crimson Tide is I just don't see LSU, even with the clear strides it has made this season, being able to keep up with Alabama's offense for four quarters. Maybe I'm overrating Alabama, but even if this is close, I'm bullish on the Crimson Tide's chances to win regardless of how close it is.

Let's talk about another game that I fully expect to be close, even with the team's contrasting styles: No. 9 Kansas State at No. 7 TCU. There is clear mutual respect between these coaches and their teams. Aside from their comparative quality, their performances against common opponents is similar: Both biew out Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, and both earned narrow wins against Oklahoma. What do you see as the difference that will tip the scales today?

Yomtov: This game is a total toss-up, but I think the difference is going to be momentum TCU has built over the last month or so. Kansas State is the fifth ranked team the Horned Frogs are facing in six weeks, without a week off. You can argue that consistently playing out these four-quarter battles can completely exhaust a team, but I don't think that's the case here.

Trevone Boykin had a poor game against West Virginia, and the Heisman candidate apologized to his team after the dramatic win. Some of that could be chalked up to the elements on a windy, rainy day, but ultimately, he was 4-for-6 with 33 rushing yards in the fourth quarter and rallied TCU from that nine-point hole.

The turnover battle is going to what we need to keep an eye on. TCU leads the nation with a +15 margin, but the Wildcats are fifth in FBS with just seven turnovers. Three of those came in the loss to Auburn.

Averaging 1.75 sacks per game (87th in the nation), Kansas State hasn't been able to apply the kind of pressure it will need to get on Boykin in order to knock him out of his rhythm and force mistakes. For that reason, I'm predicting he'll bounce back and help the Horned Frogs knock off the only team unbeaten in Big 12 play.

In Tempe, Arizona State and Notre Dame face off in what looks like a Playoff elimination game. The Irish wrap up the season with tough games against Louisville and at USC, but this one could be their last chance to really springboard into the chase for a top-four spot. Notre Dame came away with a win last week against Navy, but lost linebacker Joe Schmidt – their most important defensive player – for the season with a broken ankle. That's particularly troublesome up against running back Arizona State running D.J. Foster, who's averaging 144.3 all-purpose yards. What do the Irish need to defensively in order to overcome Schmidt's absence and take down the Sun Devils?

Uthman: Frankly, I expect Notre Dame watched a lot of film of Arizona State's win against Utah. The Utes used their strength and speed along the line of scrimmage to hold the Sun Devils to their lowest scoring total in a win since Todd Graham became their coach.

Arizona State is at its best when it gets as much out of its running game as it does the pass. Even last week when the Utes took the Sun Devils to overtime, Arizona State had more yards rushing than passing. With that in mind, D.J. Foster should indeed be a huge concern for Notre Dame, especially with Schmidt out. But I could also see this one also be a bit of a show starring the two teams' receiving corps. Everett Golson throwing to Corey Robinson, Will Fuller and Co. has a big-play potential that could rekindle bad memories of the UCLA game for Arizona State fans. However, the Sun Devils' corps of Jaelen Strong, Trey Griffey and Co. could match them.

Arizona State has a bit of a flavor-of-the-week feel around it after its great rise in the College Football Playoff Top 25, so if the Sun Devils spent any time this week reading their press clippings and thinking about what could ultimately be, I would have concerns about their chances today. Notre Dame under Brian Kelly has a way of pulling out close games, and they did it to Arizona State last season with a pick six that sealed a 37-34 win.

Jesse, as much as Notre Dame-Arizona State is a Playoff elimination game, so is Ohio State at Michigan State. How do you see this game going? Is it possible even the winner has a tough road to a Playoff berth? And what do you think Ohio State needs to do to shake its trend of coming up short against its best opponents?

Yomtov: I've been going back and forth on this one all week, but I finally decided to go with the Buckeyes. Ohio State has scored 50 or points in five of its last six games, but those all were against defenses ranked 81st or worse in the FBS.

Still, Michigan State hasn't been subjected to a dynamic quarterback like J.T. Barrett since the loss at Oregon and like Urban Meyer said this week, the Spartans "won't change their defense because they're too good." Barrett hasn't thrown an interception in five of the Buckeyes' last six games, and his powerful running style will pose a major challenge for Michigan State.

To answer your second question, no matter who wins, it looks like they'll have a clear road to a Playoff berth. You look at the seven teams above Michigan State and only two of them — Florida State and Oregon — don't have to play another one of the top seven. Despite being all the way down at No. 14, Ohio State is in a similar situation. Only three of the 13 teams above the Buckeyes don't face each other, with Nebraska a potential opponent in the Big Ten Championship. I can't imagine either of these teams slipping up in the final three games of the regular season.

I don't necessarily agree with your statement that Ohio State has a "trend of coming up short against its best opponents." The Buckeyes have lost all of three times under Meyer, and it's hard to count last season's Orange Bowl, which was just a throwaway game for an understandably demoralized team.

Tonight is the chance to exorcise the demons of Indianapolis. The key for Ohio State is striking early, because Michigan State is the last team in the nation you want to play against from behind.

Finally, I'll pose my weekly question that you consistently answer with aplomb: What are some sneaky-good contests we should be watching today?

Uthman: Aside from the six head-to-head matchups of ranked teams, this remains a day rich with intriguing games. Here are some others I'm going to watch:

Michigan is at Northwestern (3:30 ET, ESPN2) in a game with a chance to help Brady Hoke's job security. I don't believe the door has closed on his return to Ann Arbor. West Virginia is at Texas (3:30 ET, FS1) in a game that could be a pivot point for both teams — West Virginia if it loses and Texas if it wins. And I'll find a way to keep up with Georgia Southern's quest to stay in super-fringe bowl contention at Texas State at 5 p.m. ET.

PHOTOS: All the action from Week 11