The week ahead in college football

Play it forward

Five things to watch this week in college football.

1. Louisiana State at Mississippi State is a Thursday night gem featuring two of the top teams from the best division in college football — the Southeastern Conference West. The game is almost must-win for Mississippi State after Saturday’s heart-breaking loss at Auburn.

2. No. 1 Oklahoma plays at No. 5 Florida State in a game with huge national implications. Oklahoma is No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for a record 100th time while Florida State is out to avenge last year’s humiliating 47-17 loss in Norman.

3. Probation Bowl? There won’t be a shortage of jokes when Ohio State visits Miami on Saturday in a game featuring two schools awaiting sentencing from the NCAA Infractions Committee. Officials told they can’t call any “death” penalties.

4. Notre Dame was a hot preseason choice to make a Bowl Championship Series bowl this year. Instead, the Irish are 0-2 after losses to South Florida and Michigan and now must host Michigan State, which has won six of the last seven times the teams have played in South Bend.

5. Nebraska versus Washington was one of last year’s most intriguing head-scratchers. The Cornhuskers ripped Washington in Seattle, 56-21, but lost the rematch in the Holiday Bowl. Both teams will be 2-0 when Washington visits Lincoln in Nebraska’s oval office.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com