This is the final week of the regular season in FBS, and almost everyone is playing for something. Whether it be to reach their conference championship game, to secure a bowl trip, to preserve a winning streak, or to keep their opponent from doing any of those things, we're here to tell you everything that's on the line this Thanksgiving weekend.
Let's get right to it.
TUESDAY
at (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU): Akron needs to beat Kent State to win the MAC East for just the second time ever, and first since 2005. A loss would require Ohio losing to Buffalo on Friday to reach the MAC Championship.
THURSDAY
at (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Other than the obvious, Mississippi State is looking for its fifth 9-win regular season in school history. Oh, and it's the first Egg Bowl since the cards have been put on the table with regards to Mississippi State's role in the Ole Miss NCAA disciplinary case. The Trumps and the Clintons would have a friendlier Thanksgiving dinner than this get together.
FRIDAY
at (11:30 a.m. ET, ESPNU): A win hands Toledo is sixth MAC West championship and first since 2004.
at (noon ET, ABC): Miami has already locked up its first ACC Coastal championship, and they're probably going to the College Football Playoff with a win over Clemson next week regardless of what happens Friday, but The U has not posted an undefeated regular season since 2002.
at (noon ET, Fox Sports 1): A win sends TCU into a rematch with Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship and keeps the Frogs' ever-so-faint CFP hopes alive.
at (noon ET, CBS Sports Network): Huskies coaches in the press box will have one eye on the game and another on the press box TVs, because a Toledo loss and a Northern Illinois win hands NIU its eighth MAC West championship and its seventh trip to Detroit this decade. Central Michigan can not win the MAC West, but the Chips can claim a share of the division championship with a win over NIU and a Toledo loss.
at (2:30 p.m. ET, CBS): In what is very likely Bret Bielema's final game at Arkansas, the Hogs are looking to avoid their first 1-7 SEC season since joining the league in 1992.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC): The War for I-4 also decides the AAC East Division championship, sends the winner into the American Championship and puts the victor into the font of the line to earn the Group of 5's Peach Bowl berth.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network): San Diego State cannot win its third consecutive Mountain West championship, but it can secure back-to-back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history with a win.
at (4 p.m. ET, ESPN3): A win would hand Troy at least a share of its sixth Sun Belt championship and first since 2010.
at (4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1): In what is very likely Mike Riley's final game at Nebraska, the Huskers need a win to avoid the program's first 8-loss season since 1957.
at (8 p.m. ET, ESPN): Virginia Tech has won the Commonwealth Cup 13 years in a row, the longest ongoing annual, in-state rivalry winning streak in major college football.
at (8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1): Texas Tech needs a win to avoid missing a bowl game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1991-92 and to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1984-85. In a series that dates back to 1928 and has been played annually since 1960, Texas has never dropped consecutive games to Texas Tech in Austin.
at (10:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1): It's a win-or-stay home game -- both teams enter at 5-6, so the winner goes to a bowl game and the loser does not.
SATURDAY
at (noon ET, ABC): Georgia needs a win to keep its CFP chances alive, and to avoid its first losing streak to Georgia Tech since dropping three straight from 1998-00.
at (noon ET, FOX): Other than the obvious, Ohio State needs to win to keep its back-door CFP chances alive heading into the Big Ten Championship opposite Wisconsin.
at (noon ET, ESPNU): Memphis has already clinched its first AAC West championship, but the Tigers need to beat East Carolina to keep their homes of grabbing the Group of 5's Peach Bowl slot alive.
at (noon ET, ESPN): Florida and Florida State meet with losing records for the first time since 1959, so that's something to celebrate in and of itself, no? The winner goes to a bowl game (well, assuming Florida State beats Louisiana-Monroe next week) and the loser stays home. Florida State owns the nation's longest-ever bowl streak at 35 years and counting.
at (noon ET, SEC Network): Kentucky has not won the Governor's Cup in back-to-back seasons since grabbing four straight from 2007-10. Kentucky can also finish the regular season with a better record than Louisville for the first time since 2009.
at (noon ET, ESPN2): In another win-or-stay home game, Indiana is looking to reach a bowl game in three straight seasons for the first time since 1986-88 while Purdue is looking for its first bowl trip since 2012. Indiana has claimed four straight Old Oaken Buckets.
at (noon ET, CBS Sports Network): A win sends Tulane to a bowl game for the first time since 2013.
at (12:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network): Duke needs a win to reach a bowl game for the fifth time in six seasons.
at (1 p.m. ET, ESPN3): North Texas has already clinched its first C-USA West championship, but a win gives the Mean Green its second 9-win regular season since re-joining FBS in 1995 and puts the program a step closer to its third 10-win season ever.
at (1 p.m. ET): UTEP is looking to avoid its first winless season since 1973, while a win would give UAB its first 8-win season since joining FBS in 1996.
at (2 p.m. ET, ESPN3): In the closest thing the Sun Belt has to a championship game, the winner is guaranteed to claim at least a share of the Sun Belt title. Georgia State has never won the conference, while App State shared its first crown last season.
at (2 p.m. ET): Florida Atlantic has already clinched its first C-USA East Division championship, but a win would keep the Owls' hopes of achieving the program's second 11-win season alive.
at (3 p.m. ET, ESPN3): Another win-or-stay home game. Middle Tennessee has reached a bowl in two straight seasons, while Old Dominion made its first bowl trip last season.
at (3 p.m. ET, ESPN3): A win keeps Arkansas State in the hunt to win or share its fifth Sun Belt championship in the last six seasons, while Louisiana-Monroe needs to beat Arkansas State and win at Florida State next week to reach its second bowl game ever.
at (3 p.m. ET): UNLV needs a victory to reach its first bowl game since 2013 and its fourth bowl game ever.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): Other than the obvious -- the fate of all of Western civilization -- the winner of this game has reached all but one national championship game since 2009. This year's winner takes the SEC West and heads into essentially a CFP quarterfinal game against Georgia next week in Atlanta, while the loser does none of those things. Oh, and it's not outside the realm of possibility that this is Gus Malzahn's final game at Auburn.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC): Wisconsin has already clinched the Big Ten West and a spot opposite Ohio Sate in the Big Ten Championship next week in Indianapolis, but the Badgers need a win to have any shot of reaching the CFP. At 126 games, this is the most-played rivalry in FBS, and Wisconsin's ongoing 13-game winning streak is the series's longest. Minnesota also needs a win to keep its 5-year bowl streak alive.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, BTN): Penn State needs a win to secure back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 2008-09.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU): NC State needs a win to secure its first 8-win regular season since 2010. NC State is also looking for its first back-to-back wins over North Carolina since taking five straight from 2007-11.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network): So, here's an odd one. Both teams have already clinched a spot in the Mountain West Championship -- against each other. The victor of the prequel will win the honor to host next week's sequel, and the loser will lose any realistic shot at grabbing the Group of 5's Peach Bowl slot no matter what happens next week.
at (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2): If Baylor manages to stun TCU on Friday, there exists a possibility for Iowa State reach the Big 12 Championship -- assuming Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia also lose. The odds are slim, yes, but let's remember what Han Solo had to say about odds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYX-NSZMqt0
More immediately, a win gives Iowa State its first 8-win regular season since 2000. This series also has the best rivalry name in college football -- FARMAGGEDON! -- and Kansas State is looking to keep its 9-game winning streak alive.
at (3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN): Oklahoma has already clinched a shot at its third straight and 11th overall Big 12 championship next week, but the Sooners need to beat West Virginia to keep their spot in the Playoff.
at (4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1): A win hands Northwestern its sixth 9-win regular season in school history.
at (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network): Vanderbilt is looking to hand Tennessee its first 8-loss season and first 0-8 SEC record in program history.
at (4 p.m. ET, ESPNews): Temple needs a win to match a program record of three consecutive bowl seasons.
at (4 p.m. ET, ESPN3): Both of these teams are playing their penultimate Sun Belt games -- against each other. New Mexico State must beat Idaho and South Alabama next week to end the longest bowl drought in college football at 56 years. The Aggies have now played in a bowl game since the 1960 Sun Bowl.
at (4:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network): Arizona State has not lost to Arizona in Tempe since 2011 and has not dropped back-to-back Territorial Cups since 2008-09.
at (5 p.m. ET, ESPN3): A win sends Louisiana-Lafayette to its second straight bow game and its sixth in the last seven years.
at (5 p.m. ET, ESPN3): Wyoming needs a win to secure its second 8-win regular season since 1999.
at (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2): Oregon State has not won in Eugene since 2007 and has not won consecutive Civil Wars since 2006-07.
at (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Along with needing a win to keep its hopes of a national championship repeat alive, Clemson is looking to win back-to-back trips to Columbia for the first time since 2005 and '07, and to take four straight over South Carolina for the first time since 2002-05.
at (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network): In what may very well be Kevin Sumlin's final game at Texas A&M, he's looking to deliver A&M its first win over LSU since joining the SEC in 2012. This marks the 56th game between these two programs, and an LSU win would break the Tigers' own series record streak of seven straight victories.
at (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU): Louisiana Tech needs a win to reach its fourth straight bowl game, which would tie a program record for consecutive postseason appearances. A UTSA win would send the Roadrunners to their second bowl game and tie a program record with seven wins as an FBS program.
at (8 p.m. ET, ABC): Neither team will make the Playoff, but the winner has a great chance at reaching a New Year's Six bowl. A Stanford win would match a program record of three straight wins over Notre Dame and give the Cardinal five straight wins over the Irish in Palo Alto.
at (8 p.m. ET, FOX): A Washington State win sends the Cougars to the Pac-12 Championship opposite USC. A Washington win hands Stanford the Pac-12 North title. Washington State has not win in Seattle since 2007.
at (10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1): The fifth and final win-or-stay home game of the weekend. Utah is looking for its fourth straight bowl trip, while Colorado is looking for its first back-to-back bowl seasons since 2004-05.
