SEPANG, Malaysia – Fabio Quartararo gave Petronas Yamaha SRT a pole on the team’s home turf during qualifying Saturday for the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Sepang Int’l Circuit.

Quartararo led a Yamaha sweep of the front row thanks to his pole-winning 1:58.303 lap. Monster Energy Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales qualified second, while Quartararo’s teammate Franco Morbidelli come home a solid third.

The drama came as riders were making their second runs during Q2, with Marc Marquez following Quartararo out on to the track in an effort to get a tow to improve his lap time.

Quartararo knew Marquez was there and tried to lose him before eventually making his run at the pole. Marquez was forced to deal with the Ducati bike of Danilo Petrucci as he tried to latch on to the back of Quartararo.

Marquez got crossed up in turn one as he tried to keep pace with Quartararo, but he managed to make the corner. The same couldn’t be said in turn two, as Marquez crashed his Repsol Honda to bring an end to his qualifying session.

The crash meant Marquez would be unable to turn another fast lap in qualifying, forcing him to start Sunday’s race from the 11th position.

Meanwhile, Quartararo powered to his fifth pole of the season for Petronas Yamaha SRT with his Yamaha brethren in tow.

Jack Miller headlined the second row for Pramac Racing, followed by LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi. Alex Rins, Petrucci, Johann Zarco and Andrea Dovizioso completed the top-10.

Lizelle Lee scored the first century of the WBBL to help the Melbourne Stars get their points tally up and running against the Perth Scorchers at the WACA after four defeats to start the competition. Lee, who also scored the first hundred last season, reached three figures in the final over off 63 balls having started the innings by playing out a maiden from Nicole Bolton. With the next-highest score being 17, Lee had 66% of the total herself. While Meg Lanning was at the crease, fresh off her matchwinning knock the previous night, the Scorchers looked favourites but legspinner Madeline Penna continued her impressive start to the tournament by having Lanning stumped with her third delivery and later added Nat Sciver. With Erin Osborne and Kristen Beams also proving superbly economical the asking rate ballooned out of hand for the middle order.

The Sydney Sixers just about held it together to secure a scrappy four-wicket win against the Melbourne Renegades in Perth as Ellyse Perry's unbeaten 45 helped get them over the line with a ball to spare. It a game littered with some poor decision-making, the Sixers needed 5 off 10 balls with six wickets in hand when Marizanne Kapp and Maddy Darke picked out fielders to bring it down to 2 from 3 before Perry and Lauren Smith found a single apiece. Dane van Niekerk enjoyed a fine all-round match with 30 off 27 balls, which put the chase on course alongside Perry, to follow 2 for 15 off her four overs. Her wickets came as part of a team hat-trick for the Sixers as Courtney Webb was run out before she bowled Tammy Beaumont with an excellent googly then trapped Georgia Wareham sweeping first ball. From 7 for 84, Jess Duffin's unbeaten 34 from 22 balls gave the Renegades a target they came close to defending.

Unbeaten half-centuries from Suzie Bates and Bridget Patterson guided the Adelaide Strikers to an eight-wicket win over the Brisbane Heat in Mackay which took them top of the table. Tahlia McGrath's 26 off 16 balls helped kickstart the chase in the powerplay and it was always under control. The Heat suffered a significant batting collapse as they lost their last seven wickets for 23 runs and failed to bat out the 20 overs. Beth Mooney hit 73 off 49 balls, putting her comfortably at the top of the leading run-scorers at this early stage, and added an opening stand of 56 in six overs with Grace Harris before things started to go wrong.

Hobart Hurricanes against Sydney Thunder in Burnie was abandoned without a ball bowl

Imad Wasim, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Amir were among a group of Pakistan's cricketers on the verge of a strike last week, until a meeting with PCB chief executive Wasim Khan averted the threat - for now.

Frustration and discontent with the PCB's restrictive participation policy on foreign leagues had been rising among the country's leading white-ball cricketers - a number of them currently preparing for the first T20I in Australia - and emboldened by the players' strike in Bangladesh, it nearly led to the most serious collective action by Pakistani players in over 40 years, at the time of the Packer series.

At the heart of it was the players' anger at the PCB's revoking of NOCs for the upcoming T10 league in Abu Dhabi, but the meeting ended up encompassing a number of issues, including the overall NOC policy and communication between players and the board.

ALSO READ: Pakistanis' absence in T10 league will cause 'serious damage'

Accounts vary of how many players met Khan on the day of the National T20 Cup final - anywhere from four to 12, while some players met or communicated with him separately. But a majority of those affected by the T10 decision were present, and Imad is believed to have played a lead role in the discussions.

The meeting was, according to some present, constructive and rancour-free - Khan retains credibility among some players - and ended with some wins for the players. Notably, a review is now underway of the board's NOC policy, the aim of which will be to find a balance between ensuring "no financial losses for players, workload management and participation in domestic tournaments". But the situation remains fluid, especially as the PCB insists it will not change its T10 decision.

As well as the T10 bar, players have seen participation in the CPL curtailed this season. In the world of T20 leagues, the CPL is important for Pakistani players, who are barred from the IPL and often see stints in the BPL or BBL affected by international commitments as they run during Pakistan's home season. The PCB operates an informal "PSL plus one league" policy on NOCs, in place since Najam Sethi was board head.

"We are given India's example and how their board doesn't give NOCs, but Indian players earn millions in IPL, their domestic salaries alone are good enough, they don't need to play other leagues" An unnamed Pakistan player on the current mess

Nine Pakistani players were picked during the CPL draft in May but only three played five or more games. Two had heavily restricted stints and two had to pull out because of a PCB training camp ahead of the Sri Lanka series. Two players lost out entirely because the PCB didn't issue an NOC in time. Indeed, a breakdown in the relationship between players and the international cricket department, who handle player NOCs, is a key issue.

Meanwhile, as many as 15 frontline Pakistanis were picked in the T10 draft, but as things stand, only two will likely play: Shahid Afridi and, possibly, Imran Nazir. The decision to revoke those NOCs, it has emerged, came after the prime minister and board patron (and former captain) Imran Khan expressed concerns directly to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani about Pakistani players participating in a league that has some degree of Indian ownership and investment (although it also has significant Pakistani stakes in it). It is believed he thought participation wasn't going to be in line with Pakistan's foreign policy stance on India.

But ESPNcricinfo understands that as far back as the end of August, the PCB had already informed T10 organisers that Pakistani players would not be released this year because of international and domestic commitments. It was only after the league reached out to players, who in turn approached the board, that conditional NOCs were granted, which now stand revoked altogether.

In all this, the players continue to feel aggrieved. Already they are among the lowest-paid in international cricket - and the central contracts pool has shrunk considerably this year. To add to it, they've felt the pinch of a new domestic cricket restructure which has left their pay significantly reduced.

Several players have expressed their frustration to ESPNcricinfo, but on the condition of anonymity, because they are worried about reprisals from the PCB.

"Pakistan didn't have a coach or selection panel when players were looking for CPL NOCs," one said. "It was a complete mess. Some got NOCs for four games, some didn't get any, some received for the entire duration. How are we going to cover the financial loss?

"If we play an entire domestic season even then we won't be making as much as in these leagues. We are given India's example and how their board doesn't give NOCs, but Indian players earn millions in IPL, their domestic salaries alone are good enough, they don't need to play other leagues. We understand the PCB can't give us that much money but at least make it reasonable, at least give us some clarity."

Another said: "If they didn't want us to play T10, then why didn't they tell us earlier? Why did we even enter the draft? Same with the CPL. Why would franchises sign Pakistan players in the future when they know the PCB can do anything anytime?"

There is no players' association in Pakistan, a major hurdle to organised collective action. There never has been one, though they came close to having one in the aftermath of the Packer fallout in 1976, when several players - including Imran - refused to play for Pakistan until they were paid better.

In light of this one of the meeting's more intriguing developments was the suggestion to use Imran Ahmad Khan, the PSL player acquisition head and a PCB employee, as a mediator for player-board negotiations. Players are unlikely to mind though Khan is a board employee, which - in negotiations - would represent an obvious conflict of interest.

No further meetings are scheduled as of now between players and the board - the board considers the matter resolved. But the T20s with Australia finish on November 8, and the players could potentially regroup with a week to go before the T10 begins.

"I am pretty sure. I do my homework."

Rohit Sharma, in an informal break from his press conference, might just have spoken about his best attribute as captain. Stepping in for designated captain Virat Kohli, Rohit was talking about what improvements India need to make. During that he spoke about India men's No. 5 ranking in T20Is. Then he tried to double-check if that indeed is the ranking. The ICC's T20I rankings can be hard to keep a track of. Only last week India were No. 4; not long ago they were placed third. Someone in the room suggested India were No. 2 right now. Rohit dismissed the notion. "I do my homework," he said.

India indeed are No. 5 on the T20I rankings, thanks to Australia's 3-0 win against Sri Lanka and India's drawn series against South Africa. Just like the rankings, this is a format in which games change their course rapidly. It can be a captain's nightmare to keep reacting to the changing game situations. In this format, only MS Dhoni has won more titles as captain than Rohit. And he is only one behind. Those around him talk of how meticulous Rohit is: using every analytical input possible to make his gameplans and spot decisions.

Rohit doesn't often get to show that diligent streak of his as captain at the international level with Virat Kohli leading the side in all formats, but whenever Rohit has led the team, he has impressed, notably in the last two Asia Cups. For starters, with Kohli not around, Rohit is usually leading a weakened side. He said he believes in empowering those players through strategising, using data and studying the opposition.

ALSO READ: Depleted Bangladesh seek breathing space in Delhi

"In T20 you need a lot of strategy, planning, understanding the players, what you have in your squad and what they can offer," Rohit said. "That is the most important thing for a captain to understand. That is something I have probably executed at Mumbai Indians with the help of the support staff we have.

"The way I look at it is when you captain your side, you are not such an important person. The other 10 players are the most important players because you want to get the best out of those 10 players. Of course, your performance will matter but I don't like to consider myself at the forefront. The other 10 guys become the forefront of the team and I have to focus on them and give them that confidence and freedom where they can come out and express themselves.

"At the same time, you need that support from the players as well, which I have got very well at Mumbai Indians, and even when I have captained India for whatever little time I have. I expect the same in this tournament as well."

Studying the opposition is just as important for a T20 captain, and Sharma is not willing to take Bangladesh lightly despite the absence of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. Rohit has had too many close encounters with them to make that mistake.

"Bangladesh is a very very good team," Rohit said. "Over the years, we have seen how they have performed not just at home but also away whenever they have gone out. Especially against us, they have always put us under pressure. There is no way we look at this team differently.

"I understand there are two key players missing [in their side] but they still have quality players that can upset any team. I wouldn't say 'upset'. I would say 'beat'. That's a good word to use. They are very mature cricketers now."

ALSO READ: Pollution-related emergency in Delhi but T20I to go ahead

Rohit then spoke about how he needed to focus on his squad because he had many youngsters to lead. Unlike Tests and ODIs, India's T20I side is not settled, and needs improvement before it can become a consistent threat. The team management has admitted that shortcoming, which is why a lot of new faces are being tried. Rohit is one man they might be able to relate to. He is someone who had to fight his way through, bat out of position, and then earn the right to stay in the side. He will want the same from the youngsters.

Rohit said all these young players get to bat higher up in the order in their IPL matches, but India's shortcomings exist in the middle order. "That is the challenge of international cricket," he said. "You will not get exactly what you want. You will have to work your way, you will have to earn that position.

"Plus, at the same time, you have to make sure that whatever little opportunities you get, you make the most of it. At their IPL franchises, they are more or less guaranteed to play at least 10 games, so they know how to bat and what to do. When it comes to international cricket, there are limited opportunities. All of us have gone through that. It's not just these guys. We have all been through that.

"We know there are limited opportunities, and you have to make the most of it. It goes for these guys, and I am sure they are working towards that. They are very keen and hungry to do well in those limited opportunities, which is why you see all these guys perform so well in [the] Vijay Hazare [Trophy]. Big numbers. Big scores."

India C 280 for 5 (Axar 98*, Virat Singh 76*, Karthik 34, Nadeem 2-37) beat India B 144 (Aparajith 53, Markande 4-25, Saxena 2-25, Porel 2-33) by 136 runs

A fantastic rescue act from Axar Patel (98 not out) and Virat Singh (76 not out) paved the way for India C's comprehensive win in what was effectively a dead Deodhar Trophy rubber against India B in Ranchi.

The sixth-wicket pair rescued a floundering innings from 126 for 5 in the 32nd over by adding 154 runs, in quick time at that, to take them to 280 for 5. The last ten overs produced 122 runs, with Patel contributing 76 of those.

Patel was, however, unable to get the two runs he needed to bring up his maiden List A century. He finished with 13 fours and three sixes in his 61-ball knock. In comparison, Virat hit only three fours and as many sixes, instead focusing on rotating the strike.

Prior to the two coming together, Vijay Shankar, Mohammed Siraj and Shahbaz Nadeem had combined to rock the India C top order after Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bat. He scored just 1, and Anmolpreet Singh, Priyam Garg and Suryakumar Yadav scored 51 runs between them, as they sank to 70 for 4 in the 18th over. The revival began with Dinesh Karthik joining Virat in the middle, and the two added 56 together before Karthik was dismissed for 34 by Nitish Rana. Virat and Patel took over after that.

India B's chase started slowly, as B Aparajith and Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to consolidate after the early loss of Ruturaj Gaikwad. But their 40-run stand for the second wicket was the highest of the innings, and was broken when Jalaj Saxena, who picked up a career-best 7 for 41 on Friday, had Jaiswal chipping to cover.

The only batsman besides the top three to get into double-digits was Nadeem, who made 12. Mayank Markande, the legspinner, ripped through the middle order to finish with career-best figures of 4 for 25 to hasten the collapse. Aparajith, who made a century in his outing two days ago, was the lone ranger, making 53 before being the ninth batsman out.

The two sides will again meet in Monday's final at the same venue.

The college football calendar is a cruel one. The offseason lasts eight months (nine, if your team isn't very good), and we try to savor every ounce of the three to four months of action that we get. Only ... most of what we end up actually remembering from a given season happens in a single month: November.

The Kick Six happened on Nov. 30. Nebraska-Oklahoma 1971, aka the Game of the Century? Nov. 25. Hail Flutie? Nov. 23. The Flea Kicker: Nov. 9. Michigan beating Ohio State in 1969 to start the Ten Year War: Nov. 22. Wide Right I: Nov. 16. Run, Lindsay, Run: Nov. 8. You get the idea.

It takes a couple of months to set the stakes for a given season, and then November settles them.

Happy Nov. 1, by the way.

To get ready for the biggest month of the college football season, let's take a look at the most important games and, probably, the biggest arguments we have in store for this glorious month ahead.

What will we be arguing about in a month?

The first College Football Playoff rankings come out on Tuesday, and because there isn't a whole heck of a lot going on in Week 10 -- four of the top five teams in this week's AP poll are on bye, and the fifth (Clemson) is playing Wofford -- we have a decent idea of how the first rankings will look. Alabama, LSU and Ohio State will probably be the top three in some order, Clemson and Penn State will be fourth and fifth, and from there we'll get a batch of one-loss teams (Oklahoma, Oregon, the Florida-Georgia winner, maybe Utah), then the remaining Power 5 unbeatens (Baylor and Minnesota).

We will argue about this because it's what we do. The initial rankings won't matter for all that long, though. All that matters is where we end up. Using the ESPN Stats & Information's playoff predictor tool (which itself uses FPI), I tried to create a hierarchy of College Football Playoff odds based on potential upcoming results.

Teams in bold win out from here through championship week. For the teams that aren't in bold, I created specific circumstances in parentheses. Obviously tons of other scenarios exist, but I was aiming to account for all the likeliest ones.

1. 13-0 Alabama: 99.9%
2. 13-0 Ohio State: 99.8%
3. 13-0 LSU: 99.6%
4. 13-0 Penn State: 99.6%
5. 13-0 Clemson: 99.3%
6. 12-1 Alabama (SEC champ with a loss to Auburn): 97.0%
7. 12-1 LSU (SEC champ with loss to Texas A&M): 96.4%
8. 12-1 Penn State (Big Ten champ with regular-season loss to Minnesota): 94.9%
9. 12-1 Ohio State (Big Ten champ with loss to Michigan): 91.7%
10. 12-1 Georgia: 88.6%
11. 12-1 Alabama (loss in SEC championship game): 83.7%
12. 12-1 LSU (loss in SEC championship game): 82.1%
13. 12-1 Penn State (loss in Big Ten championship game): 81.2%
14. 12-1 Ohio State (loss in Big Ten championship game): 79.1%
15. 12-1 Florida: 78.6%
16. 13-0 Minnesota: 78.4%
17. 11-2 Auburn (wins SEC): 73.7%
18. 11-1 LSU (loses to Alabama, doesn't reach SEC title game): 73.0%
19. 11-1 Alabama (loses to LSU, doesn't reach SEC title game): 65.3%
20. 11-1 Penn State (loses to Ohio State, doesn't reach Big Ten title game): 59.2%
21. 13-0 Baylor: 54.7%
22. 11-1 Ohio State (loses to Penn State, doesn't reach Big Ten title game): 51.8%
23. 12-1 Oregon: 42.7%
24. 12-1 Oklahoma: 29.5%
25. 11-2 Florida (loses to Florida State but wins SEC): 29.2%
26. 12-1 Clemson (ACC champ with a loss to South Carolina): 27.3%
27. 11-2 Georgia (loses to Auburn but wins SEC): 23.3%
28. 12-1 Minnesota (Big Ten champ with regular-season loss to Penn State): 21.5%
29. 12-1 Utah: 18.2%
30. 12-1 Clemson (loses in ACC title game): 13.8%
31. 11-2 Wisconsin: 9.6%
32. 12-1 Baylor (Big 12 champ with regular season loss to Oklahoma): 5.4%
33. 11-2 Iowa: 5.4%

These were the teams and scenarios I could find that produced at least a 5% chance of making the CFP. We can quibble with some of these numbers if you want. If Baylor wins out, for instance, then the only way I think the Bears don't get a playoff spot is if there are four other unbeaten teams. I think their odds are better than 55%. (Baylor's odds above do not take into account its win over West Virginia.)

Still, this gives us a solid understanding of both the title hierarchy and the arguments to come.

Imagine scenarios involving some combination of an 11-1 Bama-LSU loser, an 11-1 Penn State/Ohio State loser, a 12-1 Oregon and a 12-1 Oklahoma (or, apparently, 13-0 Baylor) battling for one spot. It's quite possible at least one of those four candidates will lose another game beyond what's listed, but this would be one doozy of a debate featuring all the greatest hits -- the value of conference titles, which teams didn't play anybody, etc. And while most races come down to basically choosing one of two teams, it's not hard to envision this one being a lot more complicated.

Are you mad about this already? Good. I've done my job.

Where each conference race stands

Flipping from FPI to my SP+ ratings, let's take a look at the conference title races. There's still a lot to be decided between now and Nov. 30.

Using SP+ projections and average projected conference wins, I'm listing everyone projected within a game of each division's lead.

ACC

Atlantic: Clemson (7.9 projected conference wins)
Coastal: Virginia (5.0), UNC (4.4), Pitt (4.4), Miami (4.0), VT (4.0)
Key remaining games: Virginia at UNC (Nov. 2), Wake Forest at Virginia Tech (Nov. 9), North Carolina at Pitt (Nov. 14), Wake Forest at Clemson (Nov. 16), Pitt at Virginia Tech (Nov. 23), Virginia Tech at Virginia (Nov. 29)

I listed Clemson-Wake in the key games because Wake is the only team within even 3.5 projected wins of the Tigers in the Atlantic, but we know who's winning that division. The fact that four Coastal teams are within easy striking range of that title, however, is delicious.

Big 12

Baylor (7.5), Oklahoma (7.1), Iowa State (5.4), Texas (4.9)
Key remaining games: Iowa State at Oklahoma (Nov. 9), Oklahoma at Baylor (Nov. 16), Texas at Iowa State (Nov. 16), Texas at Baylor (Nov. 23)

Thanks to Iowa State's gut-wrenching bad fortune, this race has grown pretty clear. If anyone can muddy up the waters, though, it's either ISU or Texas, but Baylor probably needs to lose a couple of times at this point.

Big Ten

East: Ohio State (8.5), Penn State (7.6)
West: Minnesota (7.4)
Key remaining games: Penn State at Ohio State (Nov. 23), Wisconsin at Minnesota (Nov. 30)

In the playoff discussion above, I referenced a scenario in which Ohio State loses to Michigan -- stop snickering, Michigan will beat the Buckeyes again ... at some point ... maybe -- but that one probably matters only to the national title race. It's hard to imagine anyone but the winners of the two games above winning this conference. And Minnesota will need to have lost another game before Wisconsin visits for that one to even matter.

Pac-12

North: Oregon (8.1)
South: Utah (7.3), USC (6.6)
Key remaining games: Oregon at USC (Nov. 2), Utah at Washington (Nov. 2)

The North race is just about over, but the South is a little blurrier -- USC has the tiebreaker over Utah but is far more likely to lose another game down the stretch. If the Trojans survive Oregon on Saturday, a pothole trip to Arizona State looms.

SEC

East: Florida (5.9), Georgia (5.9)
West: Alabama (7.3), LSU (7.1)
Key remaining games: Florida vs. Georgia (Nov. 2), LSU at Alabama (Nov. 9)

The East race will be all but decided this weekend in Jacksonville, Florida, and the West race (plus the race to be the team we use in the "They're 11-1 and clearly elite but didn't win their conference title!" scenarios) will probably settle itself in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, next Saturday.

AAC

East: Cincinnati (6.6), UCF (6.4)
West: SMU (6.1), Navy (6.1), Memphis (6.1)
Key remaining games: SMU at Memphis (Nov. 2), SMU at Navy (Nov. 23), Cincinnati at Memphis (Nov. 29)

Cincinnati's obviously in excellent shape in the East thanks to the home win over UCF, while Memphis already holds the tiebreaker over Navy and could seize control with a win over SMU. But if the Mustangs win, that SMU-Navy game in a few weeks is enormous.

Conference USA

East: FAU (5.8), Western Kentucky (5.6), Marshall (5.5)
West: Louisiana Tech (6.4), UAB (5.6)
Key remaining games: FAU at WKU (Nov. 2), Louisiana Tech at Marshall (Nov. 15), Louisiana Tech at UAB (Nov. 23)

Marshall has become the East favorite, beating FAU by five in Week 8 and WKU via last-second field goal in Week 9. But SP+ forecasts three toss-ups for the Herd down the stretch (Louisiana Tech, at Charlotte, FIU). Either FAU or WKU could take advantage of a misstep.

MAC

East: Ohio (6.0), Miami (Ohio) (5.3)
West: Ball State (5.3), WMU (4.7), CMU (4.4)
Key remaining games: Ball State at WMU (Nov. 5), Miami at Ohio (Nov. 6), WMU at Ohio (Nov. 12), CMU at Ball State (Nov. 16), Miami at Ball State (Nov. 29)

This year's November MACtion slate features some doozies. Next week's BSU vs. WMU and Miami vs. Ohio games should clear up the title race quite a bit, and if they don't, then WMU vs. Ohio the next week could settle matters.

Mountain West

Mountain: Boise State (6.9), Air Force (6.4)
West: San Diego State (5.9)
Key remaining games: SDSU at Hawaii (Nov. 23)

Boise State's win over Air Force, combined with Air Force's pseudo-elimination-game win over Utah State, has all but handed the Mountain race to Boise State, while SDSU basically stepped back and allowed Fresno State and Hawaii to essentially eliminate themselves in the West. SDSU-Hawaii could still flip things, but it's doubtful.

Sun Belt

East: Appalachian State (6.6)
West: UL-Lafayette (6.2)
Key remaining games: App State at Georgia State (Nov. 16)

App State will have to slip up at least one more time for the East race to go to anyone else, and UL already holds a tiebreaker win over its nearest rival, Arkansas State. An App State loss at Georgia State might make things weird, but the Mountaineers will likely still roll.

The most high-leverage games remaining

With the information above, we can create a list of the most important games of each remaining week, from both national and conference title perspectives. (The games in bold have major CFP implications.)

Week 10

Florida vs. Georgia
Oregon at USC
Utah at Washington
Virginia at UNC
SMU at Memphis
FAU at WKU

Week 11

LSU at Alabama
Penn State at Minnesota
Ball State at WMU (Tuesday)
Miami (Ohio) at Ohio (Wednesday)
Iowa State at Oklahoma
Wake Forest at Virginia Tech

Week 12

Oklahoma at Baylor
Georgia at Auburn
WMU at Ohio (Tuesday)
North Carolina at Pitt (Thursday)
Louisiana Tech at Marshall (Friday)
Texas at Iowa State
Wake Forest at Clemson
Appalachian State at Georgia State
CMU at Ball State

Week 13

Penn State at Ohio State
Texas at Baylor
Pitt at Virginia Tech
SMU at Navy
San Diego State at Hawaii
Louisiana Tech at UAB

Week 14

Alabama at Auburn
Ohio State at Michigan
Wisconsin at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Memphis (Friday)
Virginia Tech at Virginia (Friday)
Miami (Ohio) at Ball State (Friday)

It's going to be a pretty fun month, don't you think?

Week 10 playlist

Here are 10 games -- at least one from each weekend time slot -- that you should pay attention to if you want to get the absolute most out of the weekend, from both an information and entertainment perspective.

All times Eastern.

Friday
Navy at UConn (8 p.m., ESPN2)
I'm not going to lie: The pickings are slim for a couple of these time slots. But that just means you have a chance to expand your horizons a bit! Have you seen Navy yet this year? The Midshipmen have fully bounced back from a nasty 2017-18 stretch that saw them lose 16 of 21 games, and their new attacking defense is super fun.

Early Saturday
SMALL SCHOOL GRAB BAG. It might take creativity to draw too much enjoyment out of this early slate, but thanks to the miracles of the internet, we're going to find something. At least one of the following games will be a spectacular watch. So fire up UCF-Houston or Wake Forest-NC State on TV, and flip open the laptop.

* Holy Cross at Lehigh (12:30 p.m., Stadium): This one could decide the Patriot League.

* Northern Iowa at Illinois State (1 p.m., ESPN+): No. 10 vs. No. 7 in the FCS polls. This one will have FCS playoff seeding implications. (It'll also be a super-high-quality game.)

* Dartmouth at Harvard (1 p.m., ESPN+). This game pits the No. 6 and No. 12 teams in FCS, per my experimental small-school SP+ ratings. Major conference title implications here.

* Notre Dame College at Frostburg State (1 p.m., MountainEast.tv)
Notre Dame is a major D2 contender with maybe the best offense in D2, and Frostburg is a borderline playoff team.

*NC A&T at SC State (1:30 p.m., ESPN3). A&T lost to Florida A&M a couple of weeks ago, and SC State ranks higher than FAMU in SP+. Celebration Bowl implications!

Did I just list five games and count them as one for this list? Indeed I did! And if you're surprised, you don't know me very well.

Saturday afternoon
The early television slate may be sketchy, but the afternoon slot is loaded.

No. 6 Florida vs. No. 8 Georgia (3:30 p.m., CBS)
You probably don't need me to tell you why this one's big. The loser's all but out of the national title race, the winner's the likely East champ, this is a great rivalry, etc. All apply.
SP+ projection: Georgia 29, Florida 23

No. 9 Utah at Washington (4 p.m., Fox)
Utah's waiting for USC to cede control of the Pac-12 South, but the Utes still have to win this toss-up. Washington's as dangerous (and randomly no-show-prone) as ever, and the best version of Utah needs to make the trip north.
SP+ projection: Utes 29, Huskies 28

No. 22 Kansas State at Kansas (3:30 p.m., FS1)
The Jayhawks scoring a combined 84 points against Texas and Texas Tech under a new offensive coordinator makes this rivalry game more interesting than it's been in years, especially if KSU experiences any sort of post-OU letdown.
SP+ projection: Kansas State 35, Kansas 25

FAU at Western Kentucky (4 p.m., ESPN+)
Hey, your laptop's already open -- might as well tune into this one. Conference USA has no real standout teams, but that means the title race could have some plot twists left. Plus, every dang game is seemingly decided in the final minute.
SP+ projection: FAU 26, WKU 24

Saturday evening

No. 15 SMU at No. 24 Memphis (7:30 p.m., ABC)
I love that this game is getting the prime-time/GameDay treatment. The AAC West has been absolutely dynamite this year, and from running backs Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis) and Xavier Jones (SMU) on down, there's major athleticism wherever you look.
SP+ projection: Memphis 36, SMU 24 (I'll be shocked if it's that low-scoring)

Virginia at North Carolina (7:30 p.m., ACCN)
The Coastal race could remain a mess well into November, but the winner of this one will be the favorite. Plus, you should watch this one because it's a UNC game and bylaws dictate that every UNC game go down to the final minute.
SP+ projection: UVA 25, UNC 24

No. 7 Oregon at USC (8 p.m., Fox)
Oregon's already won at Washington this year, and the run game's recent explosion has offset a little bit of defensive regression. But this young USC team has been outstanding at home and has its own division title hopes to uphold.
SP+ projection: Oregon 31, USC 27

Late Saturday
No. 21 Boise State at San Jose State (10:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Here's a prime opportunity to both see how Boise State responds to disappointment (the Broncos lost to BYU in their last outing) and catch a glimpse of an explosive -- and not at all consistent -- SJSU team threatening to reach its first bowl under Brent Brennan.
SP+ projection: Boise State 39, SJSU 21

Three wins, the FedExCup, and Player of the Year honors may not be enough for Rory McIlroy in 2019.

Off his third consecutive round of 67, McIlroy at 15 under par leads the WGC-HSBC Champions by one through 54 holes in Shanghai.

On Sunday, he’ll try to hold off Louis Oosthuizen, Xander Schauffele, Matthew Fitzpatrick and the rest of the chase pack as he looks to win for the fourth time in a little more than seven months.

His Saturday scorecard didn’t sport as many birdies as did Thursday’s and Friday’s, but it was for the first time this week bogey-free.

“I feel like I sort of weathered a mini-storm at the start [of the round],” McIlroy said. “My lie at the fist was horrendous and to make 4 from there … I birdied the second, which you should. And then I was in a divot at the third, was able to get that up and down out of the bunker.

“And then, after that, the round started to get going.”

McIlroy built what we called a “gradual round,” picking up shots at Nos. 6, 9, 14 and 18 to edge in front of Oosthuizen and take the outright 54-hole lead.

The Ulsterman has actually won six times on the PGA Tour since he last claimed a European Tour title at the 2016 Irish Open. A victory would add to his win total on both circuits and give him his third World Golf Championship, following the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone and 2015 Match Play. It would also move him closer to Brooks Koepka in his quest to take back the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.

McIlroy says the plan for Sunday will simply be to keep the ball in fairway and out of the penal rough at Sheshan International. He mentioned after his round on Saturday that even though some of his quality birdie putts didn’t drop, he nonetheless took advantage of Shenshan’s gettable holes.

If he can play a similar round Sunday and perhaps post his fourth consecutive 67, then it’s going to take something special to pass him.

“If I can just keep it in the fairway – and even that means hitting iron off 10 today, like I did, or laying up on 16 — if I can just get the ball in the fairway, I feel like I can make enough birdies out here to keep my nose in front.

“If I go out tomorrow and replicate what I’ve done the first three days and put another 67 up on the board, I think I’ll be pretty hard to beat.”

SHANGHAI — On a day when eight players had a chance to take the lead at the HSBC Champions, Rory McIlroy found the best way to move forward was to not go backward.

He didn't get the most out of his round Saturday at Sheshan International.

But he had the lead.

''I'm not going to complain,'' McIlroy said after 5-under 67 with no bogeys on his card. ''I'm in the lead going into tomorrow. Just need to rest up and try to get out there and play another good, solid round of golf.''

McIlroy hit a towering lob wedge that spun down the ridge to 3 feet for birdie on the par-5 closing hole to take a one-shot lead over Louis Oosthuizen on a day of big runs and unseemly collapses.

He had neither.

McIlroy only had to stress twice for par, and not after the third hole. He wound up at 15-under 201 as he goes for his first World Golf Championship since 2015, his fourth victory of the year and a chance to move a little closer to the No. 1 ranking.

Oosthuizen began the third round with five straight birdies and finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 65.

''Five in a row and then just played decent,'' Oosthuizen said. ''Need to have another good one tomorrow.'

Li Haotong of China had a robust crowd going early with five birdies through six holes to take the lead, only to shoot 42 on the back nine for a 74 that knocked him out of contention.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele felt a little better in his fight to recover from the flu, and it showed early when he opened with three straight birdies and missed an 8-foot putt that would have been four in a row. He overcame a few mistakes around the turn and finished with three straight birdies for a 68 to finish two off the lead and get into the final group.

This is the only World Golf Championships event where no one has won back-to-back, and Schauffele is in the best shape to try to keep the WGCs in American hands for the eighth straight time.

''I wasn't expecting to play this well at the beginning of the week, so I'm probably the happiest guy in the tournament,'' he said.

Schauffele was tied at 13-under with Matt Fitzpatrick (70), who kept his bogey-free streak going with a 70-foot par putt on the fifth hole, only to miss a 4-foot par putt on the seventh hole, his first bogey since the first hole of the tournament.

He dropped two more shots on the back and didn't make enough birdies - or as many birdies as everyone around him on another prime afternoon in Shanghai - to keep pace.

Eight players were within five shots of the lead, including Sungjae Im (70) and Match Play champion Kevin Kisner (67), both hopeful of being wild-card selections next week for the Presidents Cup.

But they are chasing McIlroy, no small task when he's swinging like this.

''Played with Rory the last two rounds last week. He's absolutely striping it,'' Oosthuizen said. ''I need to play really good golf tomorrow.''

Oosthuizen did his part early with five straight birdies, and he wasn't alone in making a move up the leaderboard. When the final group reached the par-5 eighth hole, the leaderboard behind the green had Li at 13 under, three others at 12 under, and two more at 11 under. McIlroy was 2 under at that point and felt as though he wasn't getting enough out of his round.

McIlroy missed a 5-foot birdie putt, but he answered with a bold 7-iron over the water to 4 feet for birdie on the ninth. More importantly, he didn't give anything back.

''I guess at that point I felt like I needed to get more out of my round to get into the lead, but the back nine played tough,'' he said. ''I did what I needed to do. I birdied the two par 5s and didn't drop any shots.''

He left that to everyone around him.

Li's problems started behind the eighth green with a shot so delicate out of the Bermuda rough that he stubbed it only a few inches. He did well to escape with bogey. But on the 13th, Li went from a greenside bunker over the green and into a hazard, leading to triple bogey. He bogeyed his last two holes.

Adam Scott was two shots out of the lead until a double bogey on the par-5 eight, and bogeys on the ninth and 11th holes. He never recovered and hit into the water on the 18th, getting up-and-down to save par for a 75.

Paul Waring of England had eight birdies until going into the water on the 18th for a bogey and a 66, leaving him three shots back.

And then there was Phil Mickelson, who made only two pars over his final 13 holes - along with four birdies and seven bogeys - for a 75 that left him 14 shots behind. In a tie for 38th, Mickelson is likely to soon end his streak of nearly 26 years in the top 50, a record for the Official World Golf Ranking.