Well, here we are in the final week of the regular season and the great Thanksgiving Day weekend rivalries. The regular season absolutely flies by. Bragging rights, playoff berths, trips to conference title games (if teams want to go) are all on the line. This is a certain fact, teams that pay too much attention to things like playoffs and seedings generally won’t have to worry about it. Because they’ll get upset and it will no longer be an issue. The road in the SEC was doomsday for Ole Miss, Alabama and the Aggies. A reminder, this poll has a team from the SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big XII in the top four spots, because the top four conference champs will get the four byes for the College Football Playoff. And that No. 12 spot gets a bye, presumably for the Group of Five champ. But wait! After a tough weekend for the Big XII’s top contenders, Boise jumps into the top four.

1. Oregon – The Ducks, after their comeback win at Wisconsin, had this past week off. Now comes one of their old rivals, as the Huskies from Washington head to Eugene. The Ducks are in the playoff and the Big Ten Championship Game. Dan Lanning has proven to be an excellent hire.

2. Texas – The Longhorns with their 31-14 win over Kentucky and SEC chaos have all but earned a CFP birth, but Atlanta still hangs in the balance. Up next, one of the biggest games ever in the history of the Longhorns and Texas A&M … their first meeting in a long time.

3. SMU – The Mustangs improved to 10-1 on the season, taking down Virginia, and now are one win away from the ACC Championship Game. Coming off an impressive road win, the Mustangs now host Cal. The only loss this season is to Brigham Young.

4. Boise State – It was tight and tough, but the Broncos pulled out a fantastic win over Wyoming – and its altitude – on the road in Laramie. Boise State came back and won 17-13 to make it 10-1 on the year. Oregon State heads to the Blue Turf Friday night. The Broncos lone loss was by three at Oregon.

5. Ohio State – The Buckeyes turned their showdown with Indiana around with a pair of huge plays in the punt game. It’s back-to-back huge home games, as Michigan heads to the Horseshoe. If Ohio State wins, the Buckeyes are heading to the Big Ten title game.

6. Georgia – The Bulldogs pulled away from UMass to make it 9-2 on the season, against the toughest schedule in the country. Now comes the bitter rival, as the Yellow Jackets head to Athens. A win should clinch a playoff berth for Georgia, but Kirby Smart and Co. can still earn an automatic bye if they can win the SEC in Atlanta on December 7.

7. Tennessee – It was all Vols, who bounced back from the loss at Georgia with a 56-0 blowout win over UTEP. Now comes much improved Vanderbilt in Nashville. There will be a lot of Orange there with a CFP berth on the line.

8. Penn State – The Nittany Lions survived a tough challenge at Minnesota, pulling out a 26-25 win. It’s 10-1 for Penn State. Next up is Maryland. If Penn State wins and Ohio State beats Michigan, State College figures to host a CFP game. The fake punt was the big play in Minneapolis.

9. Miami – The Hurricanes pulled away from Wake Forest and beat the Demon Deacons 42-14 in Winston Salem. Miami is knocking on the door, and Cam Ward, a fantastic QB gives the Canes a puncher’s chance every week. Be careful at Syracuse. The Carrier Dome can be tricky.

10. Notre Dame– In the biggest Irish-Army game since 1946, the Fighting Irish were very impressive. It was 49-14 Notre Dame, and a CFP berth was likely clinched. USC is next in South Bend. There is no danger of a conference title game for the independent, and it’s a good bet they will be hosting.

11. Clemson – The Tigers rolled past The Citadel, and now comes a tremendous challenge against arch rival South Carolina, which is surging. The Gamecocks head to Death Valley. The Tigers are still very alive in the CFP hunt, potentially with two paths. They’ll have their hands full.

12. Arizona State – In one of the wildest finishes on an incredible day of college football, the Sun Devils beat Brigham Young 28-23. Who knows in the Big XII this year? Four teams have two league losses. Arizona hosts ASU. It’s been a disappointing year in Tucson, so ASU will try to close out a terrific season with a road win.