The regular season is in the rearview mirror, championship week is upon us and we still have a few spots open in the college football playoffs. What are the three things we should be looking out for this weekend?

Obviously when you have a Top 5 match-up, you have to start there. In the Big Ten we have a possible play-in game for the No. 1 seed in the college football playoffs, and top ranked Oregon — the only team in college football this season to survive the regular season unbeaten — takes on fourth-ranked Penn State. The Nittany Lions squeezed into this spot after Michigan upended Ohio State last weekend. This one is set to get kicked off at 8PM on CBS.

We have two win-and-in matchups in the Big 12 and the ACC. First up, the Big 12 Championship will have red-hot Arizona State taking on Iowa State at Jerry’s World in Texas with a noon kick-off on ABC.

The ACC will see Clemson, fresh off a heartbreaking loss to South Carolina, taking on ninth-ranked SMU. Many believe that a loss for either squad could knock them out of the playoffs, but SMU has a pretty good argument for remaining in the playoff field if they lose close. That matchup is primetime on ABC at 8PM Eastern.

Lastly, the SEC has maybe the most anticlimactic match-up, as Texas and UGA are both in the playoffs and neither team has a real argument for the top spot if Oregon wins.

If Penn State beats the Ducks and Texas gets revenge for their lone loss of the season, the Longhorns have a compelling case for the top seed. Of course, that is all wasted thinking if the Georgia Bulldogs repeat their 30-15 win earlier this year. Kick-off in Atlanta is set for 4PM Eastern on ABC.

No matter what happens, when the dust settles, we should get a much clearer picture of who is going where, who will be hosting a first-round match-up and who gets a bye in the first-ever 12-year college football playoff. 

Wood is host of the Taste of Country Mornings With Wood and Nicole, which can be heard every morning from 6-10AM CT on the Taste of Country app, on local affiliates where available and online at tasteofcountry.com.