Week 10 Big-Game Hunting: From Bama to Bedlam, it’s all about playoff

November is here, which I bring up not only as a public-service announcement — you’re welcome — but also as a warning that, henceforth, this column must obsess about the College Football Playoff as fervently as Kirk Herbstreit, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack obsess over their makeup. Back up the Maybelline truck, the good times have arrived.

Two teams synonymous with the playoff are back in the selection committee’s initial top four and are matched up in Week 10 against opponents that are, on paper, pretty dangerous. Might No. 4 Clemson at No. 20 N.C. State (2:30 p.m., Ch. 7) or No. 19 LSU at No. 2 Alabama (7 p.m., Ch. 2) result in a Saturday surprise that pushes the reset button on things in a big way?

The heart says yes, but the mind says no.

‘‘We’re right where we wanted to be coming into this season,’’ Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. ‘‘It’s November, and we’re moving into the next phase of our journey. If we want something, we’re going to have to go and get it.’’

Whatever the Tigers (7-1 overall, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) have wanted the last couple of years, they’ve pretty much taken. The Wolfpack (6-2, 4-0), led by former Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren, are talented and dependable and — remember this? — missed a short field-goal attempt that would’ve won the game a year ago at Clemson. Yet this situation smacks of a defending national champion kicking things into top gear. Tigers cover the 7½.

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Meanwhile, Alabama (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) is second to Georgia in the playoff rankings only. Voters in the media and coaches’ polls remain all Tide, all the time. The Tide — favored against the Tigers (6-2, 3-1) by a whopping 21 — lead the SEC in scoring offense and defense, total offense and defense and rushing offense and defense. Other than that, they’ve been terrible.

‘‘This part of the season really defines who you are,’’ coach Nick Saban said.

That’s Saban-ese for Tide in a ‘‘No. 2, my Tuscaloosa caboosa’’-style romp.

I’m even more excited — actually, a lot more — for a trio of games involving five teams that, at least by my thinking, control their own destinies in the CFP race.

The winner of No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 11 Oklahoma State (3 p.m., FS1) will come out with an 8-1 record and a clearer path to the Big 12 title game. More and more, it’s appearing that any Big 12 team that finishes 12-1 (TCU is the other team that can do it) will be part of the playoff.

The Sooners are 2½-point underdogs, but are they intimidated? If you know anything about quarterback Baker Mayfield, you wouldn’t ask him that question.

‘‘We love going on the road and into someone’s house,’’ he said. ‘‘Having that hostile environment is even better.’’

Alert: I’ve been wrong on one Cowboys game after another this season. But here goes: Sooners make it 13 victories in the last 15 Bedlam games.

No. 13 Virginia Tech at No. 10 Miami (7 p.m., Ch. 7) is a throwback to the not-so-distant past when Hokies-Hurricanes routinely was one of the games of the year in college football. Since the ACC split into divisions in 2005, though, Virginia Tech has six Coastal crowns and four overall league titles to zero of each for the U. The Hokies (7-1, 3-1) are favored by 2½, even though the Canes (7-0, 5-0) are better off in the standings. I’ll take the visitors in a tense defensive struggle.

No. 6 Ohio State at Iowa (2:30 p.m., ESPN) involves playoff implications only for the Buckeyes (7-1, 5-0), of course, though the Hawkeyes (5-3, 2-3) certainly are hard to beat at Kinnick Stadium. Ohio State wins, but Iowa covers the 18.

Three more good ones that probably won’t affect the playoff race much, but who are we to sneeze at a Top 25 matchup?

No. 7 Penn State -8½ at No. 24 Michigan State (11 a.m., Fox-32): The Nittany Lions need a ton of help to get to the playoff, but they’re a playoff-caliber team. Can’t say the same about the Spartans, who fail to keep it close.

No. 21 Stanford +2 at No. 25 Washington State (2:30 p.m., Fox-32): Give me the Cougars, who won by 26 last season at Stanford Stadium, in a thrilling finish.

No. 22 Arizona +7½ at No. 17 USC (9:45 p.m., ESPN): You get one more chance with me to get it right, Trojans, before I bail on you for good.

My favorite favorite: No. 8 TCU -6½ vs. Texas (6:15 p.m., ESPN). The combined score of these teams’ meetings in the last three seasons? Try 129-26 in favor of the Horned Frogs.

My favorite underdog: Texas A&M +15 vs. No. 14 Auburn (11 a.m., ESPN). The Aggies are 3-2 against the Tigers under Kevin Sumlin, and one of the losses was a down-to-the-wire classic. Confidence should be high.

Last week: 4-3 straight up, 4-3 against the spread.

Season to date: 49-19 straight up, 35-33 against the spread.

Follow me on Twitter @SLGreenberg.

Email: sgreenberg@suntimes.com