Family disputes are best kept behind closed doors. When families argue in public, everyone tends to turn away as the uncomfortable and deeply personal secrets come out. That is, unless you’re talking about the reality TV of the 2024 college football season… where everyone has a substantial investment in how everyone else’s family feuds play out.

It’s Rivalry Week in college football, traditionally a time when programs – like family members – reunite with their oldest foes. And like a Thanksgiving dinner where you’re quizzed on why you’re not as successful as your cousin, Rivalry Week has had intensely local implications.

Outside of Georgia, most years it is not particularly important who wins Georgia-Georgia Tech; outside of Tennessee, the Tennessee-Vanderbilt score is a crawl across the bottom of the screen and nothing more.

Most years.

One of the many happy unintended consequences of the expanded College Football Playoff is the new importance of rivalries beyond their state lines. Previously, a loss in a rivalry game could eliminate one school from championship contention. Now, a loss in a rivalry game can set off a cascade that opens up playoff spots, championship game berths and even first-round byes.

Just think how much could change in the CFP picture based on who wins the family fist fight this weekend:

The Palmetto Bowl (Clemson vs. South Carolina): A win here keeps Clemson in the hunt for an ACC championship and a spot in the playoffs. A win for South Carolina would legitimize the Gamecocks’ season, offer hope for the future … and provoke some regret that the LSU game eluded them. Plus, it would remove a hurdle for Alabama or Ole Miss to sneak back into the CFP.

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt: An irrelevance at best prior to this year, the Tennessee-Vanderbilt matchup now carries significant weight. Vanderbilt has shown it is capable of shutting down the best SEC teams, and Tennessee cannot afford another loss to remain comfortably in the CFP.

Notre Dame vs. USC: Finally, the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy is once again as important as the participants think. Here, Notre Dame’s place in the CFP field is at stake. The strength of the Irish’s schedule is already suspect, and the early-season loss to Northern Illinois looms, waiting to devastate Notre Dame’s season. A loss to 6-5 USC would doom Notre Dame’s playoff chances. No pressure, Irish.

Indiana vs. Purdue: Once again one of the most important games of the weekend, without a doubt. Ohio State took the shine off Indiana’s flawless season last week; Purdue could throw him into the ditch completely. A state with two losses in Georgia, Tennessee or Ohio could make the playoffs; a two-loss Indiana probably wouldn’t. And like Clemson, Notre Dame and Tennessee above, an Indiana loss would raise hopes for several other programs.

Texas vs. Texas A&M: Resuming for the first time since 2011, the stakes couldn’t be higher: CFP or bankruptcy. Whichever team loses this one is almost certainly out of the playoff hunt; whoever wins will earn a first-round bye in the SEC Championship. Now that is how to reignite a rivalry.

Clean Old Fashioned Hate (Georgia vs. Georgia Tech): Georgia has already clinched a spot in the SEC Championship, meaning the path to the CFP is clear. But a loss to the Yellow Jackets would necessitate Georgia’s task in the SEC Championship: win or else.

Duel in the Desert (Arizona State vs. Arizona): The stakes for Arizona State are clear: win, the Sun Devils will play in the Big 12 championship and play for a CFP berth. (There is one remote scenario in which an Arizona State win doesn’t lead to a championship berth, but that’s a narrow path.) One loss, and suddenly BYU, Iowa State and Colorado have new hopes for the playoffs.

The Iron Bowl (Auburn vs. Alabama): Whatever faint hope Alabama has of resting the CFP field on this game. Alabama needs to win, and preferably win big, to keep its flickering chances alive. It’s a good thing nothing strange ever happened in an iron bowl.

The Game (Ohio State vs. Michigan): This is really more a matter of job security for Ryan Day than playoff positioning, as Ohio State could afford to lose this one and still get into the CFP field. But Day is 1-3 all-time against Michigan, including three straight losses, and if his Buckeye battleship can’t shut down a stumbling Michigan this year, the murmurs will grow louder.

The Eggshell + State of Florida vs. Florida: Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida State and Florida all played out of contention this year, whether it was last weekend (Ole Miss) or before September (Florida State). But these two rivalries should soon have significant implications for two separate conferences, if these teams can get their act together. The kind of chaos that comes from these games – remember the dog pee penalty that changed college football? – earns national playoff implications.

Worth Noting: Rivalry games have more significance because there are no prescribed slots reserved for conferences outside of the opening round byes. The SEC could only have two slots this year…and we wouldn’t have such drama if the league got four slots. It’s all the more reason why the preseason predictions and conference chest-thumping are fine, but the on-field results are of the utmost importance… and the drama they create must be preserved.

All this together means that this year’s Rivalry Week means more in total than ever before. So yeah, we’re all paying attention to your family feuds right now. Trade accordingly… and don’t lose.