Play it forward: The week ahead in college football

Five things to watch this week in college football:

1) The College Football Playoff selection committee won’t have to wait long to evaluate title-contender Baylor with a new quarterback. Freshman Jarrett Stidham, forced into the lineup because of a neck injury to Seth Russell, makes his starting debut at Kansas State on Thursday.

2) Pac-12 North favorite Stanford, which narrowly overcame a Saturday night test at Washington State, plays its final road game Saturday at Colorado. The Cardinal then closes the season with critical home games against Oregon, California and Notre Dame.

3) Texas Christian at Oklahoma State sets up as a Big 12 playoff elimination game when the two undefeated teams meet in Stillwater, Okla. The Horned Frogs rank No. 2 nationally in scoring, at 48.9 points per game, while the Cowboys are seventh at 44 points per game.

4) A loss to reeling Georgia Tech left Florida State on the fringes of playoff contention, but the Seminoles can score huge makeup points with an upset win at Clemson. Florida State has been an ACC thorn to Clemson, beating the Tigers last year without suspended quarterback Jameis Winston.

5) Louisiana State at Alabama caps a huge first Saturday in November as two perennial SEC West giants battle to keep their title hopes alive. In 2011, Alabama avenged a 9-6 overtime loss to LSU by winning the rematch in the BCS title game.