Week 11 of the college football season is absolutely littered with landmines for every College Football Playoff hopeful and national championship contender out there, even if the ranked vs. ranked matchups don’t have the same flash as last week. Seriously, parity is running wild this year, and no top team is safe. That’s especially true when you consider an AP top-2 team has lost in *five consecutive weeks*!
The Reigning Favorites Have a Target on Their Backs
Let’s be real, Georgia is the last SEC team standing with fewer than two losses in league play, and they are in the driver’s seat to hit the SEC Championship Game. After absolutely dismantling Ole Miss 42-7 in Week 10, they are the clear national title favorites, clocking in at +240 on FanDuel. BUT, Missouri is rolling into Athens this week, even after a tough 34-20 loss to Texas where they got some brutal breaks. Don’t sleep on the Tigers; they looked like a legit match for the Longhorns and have had some incredible spurts this season. Can Georgia avoid becoming the sixth straight top-2 team to stumble? The pressure is immense.
And what about LSU? Don’t count the three-loss Tigers out of the College Football Playoff race just yet! There’s a tiny glimmer of hope if they can pull off back-to-back wins over Texas and then hit the road to beat Tennessee, all before wrapping up the season against lowly Arkansas. LSU still rates super well in predictive metrics, and these next two weeks offer massive resume-enhancement opportunities that could seriously change their outlook.
Big Ten Showdown and Unbeaten Chaos
Over in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) are playing with fire every single week, but they’ve only been burned once so far. Now, Indiana is hosting a 7-2 USC team on CBS in a huge Big Ten showdown that’s brimming with intrigue for both squads. USC just crushed Ohio State in Week 9, and a win here would send their CFP odds absolutely surging, while Indiana’s case for inclusion would become undeniably shakier. Five of Indiana’s six Big Ten games have been decided by one possession, so expect another nail-biter. Betting against Cignetti at home, especially after a bye week, just seems unwise.
And don’t even get me started on Utah. They are one of only two unbeaten teams left in the FBS ranks, but this Week 11 spot against Arizona is absolutely ripe for chaos. The Utes are coming off an emotional rivalry win, and now they have to travel to take on a capable Arizona team. This is precisely the kind of game where an unbeaten run gets cut short, and it could totally blow up the entire playoff picture.
Week 11 is set to deliver some wild moments. Can the top teams hold their ground, or will the chaos continue to reign? We’re going to find out Saturday if more playoff dreams get derailed or if some contenders can make their stand.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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