The 12th week of college football training includes a number of games that could fit high on the pleasure gauge, although with one exception, the effect of the schedule on the photo of the University Football qualifiers will be almost certainly negligible.

Beyond some surprisingly crucial shock in the Bronx, the rest of the slate is made up of contenders who are currently looking to keep at least their place if chaos were to occur on Thanksgiving weekend.

Here are the top five games on Saturday, a list that does not surprisingly include the date of Alabama's first game with The Citadel. But they still deserve to be recognized.

Notre Dame No. 3 vs Syracuse No. 12

Saturday, 2.30 pm ET, NBC

The Irish who are fighting need a win on each side to submit a 12-0 summary to the college football playoff committee, a scenario that would almost certainly be accepted. But before finishing their regular season in Southern California, they face Orange, which has a season that is among the best, if not the best, in the program's recent history. The crowd at Yankee Stadium will likely look to Notre Dame, but Syracuse should also welcome some fans.

Notre Dame did a short job in the besieged Florida state during the last defeat despite the absence of quarterback Ian Book. He should be back at the game, but Brandon Wimbush has the necessary experience to lead the show if necessary. The Orange pass defense gives up yards, 261 goals per game, but Andre Andre Cisco is involved in five of the team's 14 interceptions. Quarterback Eric Dungey of Syracuse is a dangerous double threat, although he is known to have big shots when he passes the ball and takes off. Fortunately, rookie Tommy DeVito was a capable substitute when needed, but Dungey would still be wise to avoid the Fighting Irish LB Te'von Coney.

Duke at No. 2 Clemson

Saturday 19h ET, ESPN

The Tigers have won the ACC Atlantic and will play for the title of champion. Before that, they have an appointment with their rival South Carolina, but for the most part, they seem to have crossed the biggest hurdles to qualify for the playoffs. The Blue Devils, however, can be disjointed, and formidable coach David Cutcliffe has managed to keep a competitive composition in the field, although many injuries can not be overestimated.

Duke QB Daniel Jones is as tough as they come, averaging 284.4 total offensive yards per game, although he lost time earlier in the season due to a collarbone injury. He must try to avoid contact as much as possible, but guys like DT Christian Wilkins and LB Kendall Joseph Clemson's defense make the task extremely difficult. The Tigers did not move the ball with ease against Boston College, so quarterback Trevor Lawrence will want to set the pace quickly against the Blue Devils' crew defense. LB Joe Giles-Harris is an excellent anchor for the unit, but S Dylan Singleton became the last casualty when he injured his ankle in last week's win over North Carolina.

Arizona in the 9th state of Washington

Saturday, 22:30 ET, ESPN

On the eve of the Apple Cup showdown with Washington that will determine the Pac-12 North champion, the Cougars must avoid looking to the future. The rested Wildcats join the Pullman after a series of two consecutive wins and are far from being eligible for bowl shots, despite a dismal start to the campaign.

Cougars' Gardner Minshew quarterback remains the country's most productive passer, averaging 385.2 yards per game. He thinks he has another big night against the Wildcats, whose air defense is not as strong. Arizona QB Khalil Tate will try to keep up. He was slowed all season by a bad ankle that made him lose much of his game. But his throws have improved considerably, as evidenced by his five best career goals in his last game against Colorado there is two weeks.

# 20 Cincinnati at # 11 Central Florida

Saturday, 8 pm ET, ABC

It has become a cliché of coaching, but like all these aphorisms, it is rooted in the truth. UCF can only control what it can control. That is, all the Knights can do to qualify for the playoffs is to continue to win. The aspirations of the UCF do not concern the Bearcats, who themselves have ideas for the title of the American Athletic Conference. But whether you're loyal to either school, it promises to be the most fun game of the weekend, which is why it's in prime time.

Quarterback McKenzie Milton helped the Knights retain their victories after the perfect 2017 campaign. This season he has totaled 29 touchdowns, including 21 by air, while the team has an average of 44.2 points per game. His arsenal of fast weapons includes Adrian Killins and WR Gabe Davis. Cincinnati, however, scores 35 points per game while dropping just under 15. RB Michael Warren is a constant threat, and quarterback Desmond Ridder is not afraid to take himself off.

No. 18 State of Iowa at No. 14 Texas

Saturday, 8 pm ET, Longhorn network

It's a playoff match between two teams still in the Big 12 title race, but its impact on the playoffs could be described as indirect. Nevertheless, there will be interested observers in Oklahoma and West Virginia, as the Longhorns and Cyclones will determine which of these current Big 12 leaders should win the face-to-face meeting next weekend to ensure a place at the conference championship match – assuming the Mountaineers run their own business this week at Oklahoma State (3:30 pm ET, ABC). In short, because of the tiebreakers, a victory for the state of Iowa in Austin would require WVU to defeat the Sooners, while a win in Texas means that the winners of the game will have to win. Oklahoma must take it to Morgantown. Do you have all this? Well, now at the game itself.

Texan quarterback Sam Ehlinger needed everything in his bag to get Texas Tech to the Longhorns, evoking memories of his late-game exploits in the Red River shootout victory over the Sooners earlier. But the state of Iowa has something missing from most other teams of the 12 big teams: a competent defense. The spine of the unit is the secondary branch, with CB Brian Peavy and S Greg Eisworth. The Cyclones are the only team in the conference to force their opponents to less than 21 points per game, which has allowed freshman QB Brock Purdy to grow since coming into service. LB Gary Johnson and Longhorns' top seven must keep Purdy, as well as RB David Montgomery of the Cyclones, bottled. Montgomery will miss the first half due to an ejection against Baylor.