What else could this weekend of college football be called but Separation Saturday? As Week 11 hits, top teams in heavy-duty conferences get together to both bolster their own opportunities to position themselves better for the College Football Playoff and to ruin their rivals’ chances. Think of it as Separation Anxiety Saturday.

The rare exception from angst will be Mississippi State, which continues to hold the top spot in the new rankings. The Bulldogs (8-0) play at home against Tennessee-Martin (5-5), a fair competitor at the lower FCS level, which should ensure MSU another week above the fray. Of course the Bulldogs still have Alabama and Mississippi ahead.

Life is more treacherous for so many others this week. Their tough battles make for our viewing pleasure.

GAMES WE’LL BE WATCHING

Texas A&M (6-3) at No. 3 Auburn (7-1): A&M is again without suspended QB Kenny Hill and the Aggies have begun to unravel after a hot start. Auburn has won 14 in a row at home.

No. 5 Alabama (7-1) at No. 16 LSU (7-2): Both come off byes. After consecutive losses, LSU has won three in a row. Fans of the running game (remember the running game?) will enjoy the matchup of ‘Bama’s T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry against the Tigers’ Leonard Fournette.

No. 10 Notre Dame (7-1) at No. 9 Arizona State (7-1): Notre Dame’s defense leaks a bit; ASU’s is solid. The Irish have to score a lot of points to win and they are capable of doing just that.

No. 12 Baylor (7-1) at No. 15 Oklahoma (6-2): Baylor has never won in Norman, Oklahoma. The Bears lead the nation with an average of 590.3 yards a game.

No. 14 Ohio State (7-1) at No. 8 Michigan State (7-1): OSU is fourth in the nation in scoring (45.6 points a game); Michigan State is fifth (45.5). The Spartans haven’t lost to a Big Ten opponent in two years. The winner will be the only Big Ten team without a loss, the likely winner of the Big Ten East and the lone conference team with a shot at the playoffs.

Today’s Question

Which games will you be watching, and why?

Answers in the comment box, please.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .