College Football 2019: Your complete Week 11 binge-watching guide
By Zach Bigalke
Maryland at No. 1 Ohio State (12 p.m. ET – FOX)
After two games in September, Maryland looked like a legitimate dark-horse that could threaten Ohio State and the other contenders in the Big Ten East. Then the clock struck midnight, and the Terrapins’ Cinderella dreams evaporated. Facing off against the top-ranked team in the country on the road, Maryland finds themselves a 42-point underdog against the Buckeyes. It could be a long day for the visitors as Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins have their way against the Terps defense.
PREDICTION: Ohio State covers a massive spread in a blowout victory over the Terrapins at home and stays locked in the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings.
No. 4 Penn State at No. 17 Minnesota (12 p.m. ET – ABC)
Entering the season, nobody expected Minnesota and Penn State to meet on the second Saturday of November with both teams sporting perfect 8-0 records. But here we are, and the showdown in Minneapolis provides one of the most exciting contests of the week. Penn State has fielded the better offense and the better defense, but the Golden Gophers have looked far better after opening Big Ten play than they did at the beginning of the season.
PREDICTION: This one goes down to the wire, with Minnesota covering a seven-point spread but Penn State emerging victorious on the road to keep pace with Ohio State in the division race.
No. 12 Baylor at TCU (12 p.m. ET – FS1)
Five years ago, Baylor and TCU were at the top of the Big 12. Their head-to-head matchup, won by Baylor, proved inconsequential as both teams were shut out of the inaugural College Football Playoff in favor of eventual champion Ohio State. Since downing the Horned Frogs 61-58 in 2014, the Bears have lost four straight. As just a 1.5-point favorite on the road, Baylor could be at risk of dropping from the ranks of the unbeaten.
PREDICTION: TCU holds a potent Baylor offense in check as this game boils down to a test of defenses, and the Horned Frogs prevail in the close thriller in Fort Worth.