CFP Intrigue Rankings: Which First-Round Games Have the Best Storylines?

With the first round of the College Football Playoff this weekend, there are four win-or-go-home college football games. Each contest is a battle between two teams with their seasons on the line, hoping to advance to the quarterfinals and one step closer to a national title. Those stakes bring excitement to each matchup, which will be played on college campuses. 

The first round opens Friday with No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma on Friday night, followed Saturday by No. 10 Miami (Fla.) at No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon. Meanwhile, No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Texas Tech each have first-round byes and will play their first CFP games this year in the quarterfinals. 

[College Football Playoff Predictions: First-Round Winners to The National Champion ]

But which games make for the most intriguing storylines and best stakes?

Here are our rankings for the four first-round College Football Playoff games: 

Ole Miss beat Tulane 45-10 on Sept. 20th in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels host No. 11 Tulane on Saturday afternoon, and the contest serves as the debut for new Rebels head coach Pete Golding. Coaching is where the drama lies in this matchup, as former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin agreed to a seven-year contract with LSU on Nov. 30 after leading Ole Miss to an 11-1 record. He, controversially, won't continue coaching the team he led to its best regular-season record in program history. Instead, Golding will get the call. The Rebels former defensive coordinator earned a permanent promotion before coaching his first game, yet he told his players he "views