USA TODAY Sports college football staff picks for Week 11

The waiting is over.

The anticipated showdown between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 LSU is here which means some serious questions finally get answered. Does Joe Burrow or Tua Tagovailoa emerge as the Heisman front-runner? Can the transformed LSU offense solve the Crimson Tide after scoring a combined 10 points in the last three meetings? What happens in the first major test for Alabama after just one victory this season against a Power Five opponent with a winning record?

Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, we will find out and the College Football Playoff race will have a new look.

There are other games happening outside Tuscaloosa, however. And one is a matchup of unbeatens. No. 5 Penn State visits No. 13 Minnesota in a key Big Ten clash that seemed unlikely in the preseason. The Nittany Lions need to keep momentum going for their showdown at Ohio State in two weeks. The Gophers will take a major step toward the West division title with a win and keep their playoff hopes alive.

INJURY UPDATE:Alabama's Saban says there's 'good chance' Tagovailoa plays

PLAYOFF DEBATE:Clemson shouldn't be too worried about No. 5 spot, yet 

WINNERS AND LOSERS:Analyzing the first College Football Playoff rankings

Watching closely what is happening in Minneapolis are both No. 16 Wisconsin and No. 18 Iowa. Both teams have two losses in the Big Ten, but have yet to play Minnesota. So the team that emerges victorious in Madison will still have control of its fate if the Golden Gophers fall.