Unless you’re an AAC or Big 12 fan, Saturday is the last day of college football’s regular season before Conference Championship week -- which means it’s the last chance for a handful of teams to reach six wins and become bowl eligible.
For some teams on here (see: Michigan) making a bowl wouldn’t change a whole lot. But for rebuilding programs like California, getting to six wins and playing an extra game is big -- not only does it show progress, but it affords coaches a few extra weeks of practice for young rosters.
Meanwhile, if Kentucky and Tennessee win, 13 of 14 SEC teams would be bowl eligible (sorry, Vanderbilt).
So which five-win teams can become bowl eligible over Thanksgiving weekend?
AAC
Temple (vs. Cincinnati, 12 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPNews)
Note: Temple, at 5-5, also could become bowl eligible with a win at Tulane Dec. 6.
Already bowl eligible: Memphis, UCF, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston
ACC
Virginia (at Virginia Tech, 8 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN)
Virginia Tech (vs. Virginia, 8 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN)
Pitt (at Miami, 7 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2)
Already bowl eligible: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Louisville, Duke, North Carolina, Boston College, North Carolina State, Miami
Big 12
Oklahoma State (OFF this week, @ Oklahoma Dec. 6)
Already bowl eligible: Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia
Big Ten
Michigan (at Ohio State, 12 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC)
Illinois (at Northwestern, 12 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPNU)
Northwestern (vs. Illinois, 12 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPNU)
Already bowl eligible: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, Penn State, Rutgers
Conference USA
Old Dominion (at Florida Atlantic, 12 p.m. ET Saturday)
UAB (at Southern Miss, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday)
Already bowl eligible: Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Rice, UTEP, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky
Independents
Navy (at South Alabama, 3 p.m. Friday on ESPN3)
Note: Navy, at 5-5, also plays Army Dec. 13.
Already bowl eligible: BYU, Notre Dame
MAC
Akron (at Kent State, 1 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN3)
Ohio (at Miami Ohio, 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on ESPN2)
Already bowl eligible: Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Toledo, Western Michigan, Central Michigan
Mountain West
Fresno State (vs. Hawaii, 7 p.m. ET Saturday)
Already bowl eligible: Colorado State, Boise State, Air Force, Nevada, San Diego State
Pac-12
California (BYU, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday on Pac-12 Network)
Oregon State (vs. Oregon, 8 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC)
Already bowl eligible: Oregon, UCLA, Arizona State, Arizona, USC, Utah, Stanford, Washington
SEC
Kentucky (at Louisville, 12 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2)
Tennessee (at Vanderbilt, 4 p.m. ET Saturday on SEC Network)
Already bowl eligible: Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas (the entire West division!), Mizzou, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina
Sun Belt
No teams playing for bowl eligibility
Already bowl eligible: Georgia Southern (well, maybe not), UL-Lafayette, Appalachian State (same as Georgia Southern), South Alabama, Texas State, Arkansas State.