Now is the time. 

Now is when it matters. After two months, the college football season has seen its fair share of upsets and “are you kidding me?” moments—which seem to come pretty much weekly at this point—but November is when the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders and championship aspirations start to crystalize from hopeful reverie to actual reality. 

Now is the time. And it starts this week. Here are the top five games of the week and our B/R Experts’ picks for each. 

B/R

We start in the ACC with a battle of traditional basketball rivals, as Duke travels eight miles down the road to North Carolina. The Blue Devils fell victim to Miami’s miracle eight-lateral touchdown (that shouldn’t have counted) and will come in with a giant chip on their shoulder.

Meanwhile, since an opening-week loss to South Carolina, all North Carolina has done is rattle off seven straight wins. The Tar Heels are sitting in prime position to win the Coastal Division of the ACC, but a Duke win could put them squarely back in the driver’s seat. Who needs hoops, anyway?

Sticking in the ACC, Florida State travels to Clemson in what was seen just three weeks ago as probably the de facto ACC title game. But with FSU’s shocking loss to Georgia Tech two weeks ago on the Jackets’ own miracle play, this game has lost a little luster. This is the last real test for the unbeaten Tigers. If they can get past the Seminoles, a spot in the College Football Playoff is not only possible, it’s very likely. 

Notre Dame, which kept its playoff hopes alive last week with a comeback win at Temple, faces another stiff opponent, as it travels to Pitt. The Panthers had only one loss before falling to North Carolina last week, so they will be eager to get back on the win train. If Notre Dame wins, it will continue to slowly build its playoff resume, as a late-season showdown with Stanford looms large. 

The Big 12 gives us a dynamite matchup of unbeaten teams, as TCU travels to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State. There is a lot at stake in this game, as the loser will be more or less eliminated as a playoff contender. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin could also either boost his Heisman candidacy or see it take a massive hit. And as TCU and Baylor get all of the headlines, the Cowboys just keep winning. A victory over the highly ranked Horned Frogs will go a long way toward changing the national narrative of this team. 

Finally, it’s the one we’ve all been waiting for as the undefeated LSU Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to face rival Alabama. This game is always circled on the calendar for both teams each year, and this year is no different, as the winner will still be in great shape for an SEC West title and possible playoff birth.

The defenses always take center stage in this game, and they will this year. But the biggest story is which running back will be able to carry his team to victory. Will Leonard Fournette continue his Heisman march during his unreal season? Or will Bama’s Derrick Henry steal the spotlight and stamp his own name into the race for college football’s best player?

After going 5-0 in Week 9, both Barrett Sallee and Michael Felder closed the gap on Adam Kramer. Do you agree with their picks this week? Hit us up in the comment section below.