Calling College Football Week 7 Playoff Elimination Weekend

Week 7 of college football could effectively eliminate Playoff contention for several teams. In the broadest sense of defining Playoff contenders, 20 teams are playing games in Week 7 games. In five SEC games, six Playoff contenders are at risk of effectively having their Playoff hopes crumble.

In every case, effectively means hitting two losses at the midpoint of the regular season. Some teams could recover, win out and make the 12-team Playoff field, but the odds are more would lose again in the regular season's second-half, reaching absolute elimination.

SEC Football Teams with potential elimination games in Week 7

Note: Rankings for the teams come from the AP Poll Top 25

• No. 1 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners - The game has three names; the Red River Rivalry, the Red River Showdown, and The Red River Shootout. Every season going back many decades the Cotton Bowl in Dallas has been the site. Oklahoma won last season. Texas is favored this season and a Sooners' loss would push Oklahoma to 4-2 and on the cusp of Playoff elimination. The Longhorns, with a current ESPN calculated 90.9% probability of making the Playoffs, can absorb their first loss.

• Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs - The Georgia Bulldogs cannot afford a second loss, but there is no chance they will be the Bulldogs that lose on Saturday.

• No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels at No. 13 LSU Bengal Tigers - The Rebels are 5-1. Should they lose, their Georgia game would become a must-win. At 4-1, LSU has less wiggle room. With three SEC road games left, plus Alabama and Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, at 4-2, LSU after Saturday would be a long shot to finish 10-2.

• No. 8 Tennessee Vols host the Florida Gators - After losing to Arkansas, to drop to 4-1, the Vols' Playoff chances would nosedive after a Florida upset. A 4-2 record, with games left against Alabama and Georgia, would be effectively a Playoff denying, disaster.

• South Carolina Gamecocks at No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide - Most Alabama football fans would cling to Playoff hopes if the Crimson Tide is upset for the second, consecutive week. Reality is dropping to 4-2 would be a mind-boggling collapse of Playoff chances. A re-focused Alabama will not lose on Saturday.

Other CFP Playoff contenders at risk in Week 7 are No. 16 Utah (4-1) against Arizona State, and No. 18, Kansas State (4-1), taking on Colorado.