The game week college football fans have been waiting for is finally here. The SEC and ACC each have a game that will go a long way to determine not only the respective league races, but also the college football playoff.

Here is how the two conferences stack up side-by-side using the Saturday Down South power rankings:

PLAYOFF CONTENTION

These teams are the front runners to make the college football playoffs. But if the two Tigers win, Alabama and Florida State will be out of the picture. By the way, Clemson and LSU are really No. 1 and 1a, but in this format Clemson gets the edge over the Bayou Bengals because of a better win (Notre Dame) and not because of an extra win because LSU would have the same record had Mother Nature not washed out the season opener against McNeese State.

1. Clemson (8-0)
2. LSU (7-0)
3. Alabama (7-1)
4. Florida (7-1)

CONTENDERS

Ole Miss and Florida State are interchangeable here. Each controls its own destiny, but have a loss. The Rebels get the nod because they lost to an undefeated Memphis, while the Noles fell to a sub-par Georgia Tech. And don’t sleep on North Carolina.

5. Ole Miss (7-2)
6. Florida State (7-1)
7. North Carolina (7-1)

CHALLENGERS

Duke tops this list after getting absolutely mugged by the officials against Miami. Sorry Blue Devils. Texas A&M is here because it still has a shot against LSU.

8. Duke (6-2)
9. Texas A&M (6-2)
10. Pittsburgh (6-2)

NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY

Mississippi State is a dangerous team. The Bulldogs still have to play Alabama and Ole Miss. Both games are in Starkville.

11. Mississippi State (6-2)
12. Georgia (5-3)
13. Tennessee (4-4)
14. Arkansas (4-4)
15. Miami (5-3)

ON THE UPSWING

N.C. State is looking better as is Auburn.

16. North Carolina State (5-3)
17. Auburn (4-4)
18. Louisville (4-4)
19. Kentucky (4-4)
20. Virginia Tech (4-5)

THE REST

It’s not a great honor, but South Carolina is playing with energy now, so the Gamecocks are the best of the rest.

21. South Carolina (3-5)
22. Missouri (4-4)
23. Syracuse (3-5)
24. Vanderbilt (3-5)
25. Virginia (3-5)
26. Georgia Tech (3-6)
27. Wake Forest (3-6)
28. Boston College (3-6)