After a chaotic Weekend in College Football, Week 11 kept looking like we may see chaos, but in the end, the great teams pulled off incredible last-second victories. The race for the College Football Playoff has never been more intense after the College Football Playoff Committee unveiled its Top 25 rankings last week, giving every team an idea of where they stand.
This weekend was filled with teams standing their ground as several Top 10 teams found themselves in positions they haven't been in late, and they found a way to overcome it. The lone big game of the weekend came as BYU suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of Texas Tech, reshaping the Top 10.
Falling out of the College Football Playoff are Iowa, Washington, and Missouri as each team was just inside the Top 25 and suffered losses this weekend.
Predicting the College Football Playoff 25 Poll: The best teams survive a hectic weekend
The SMU Mustangs added a blowout win over Boston College to their resume, but they'll end up moving into the Top 25 thanks to all of the teams around them that suffered losses. SMU already has the big win on its resume after beating Miami last weekend, and it'll have a chance to further shape the ACC in its game against Louisville next weekend.
The James Madison Dukes have quietly benefited the most from the way the American has played out the last few weekends. James Madison moved to 8-1 on the season this weekend with a 35-23 win as Alonza Barrett threw for 3 touchdowns. Given that James Madison's only loss came in a close game against Louisville, it's going to be hard for the committee to overlook them.
The Houston Cougars bounced back from their loss to West Virginia, picking up a win over UCF to move to 8-2 on the season. The Cougars should break back into the Top 25 after being in the mix for a spot this week when the initial CFP Top 25 was unveiled. With games remaining against the struggling TCU and Baylor teams, Houston should be able to finish the year 10-2, which would put them in the mix for the Playoff.
After getting knocked out of Playoff contention last weekend, the Tennessee Volunteers spent the weekend on the bye. Josh Heupel's team desperately needed the bye week to help get healthier before this final stretch of the season. While Tennessee already has 3 losses, this team could still put together a great run to finish 9-3.
The Pittsburgh Panthers have come out of nowhere to become a contender in the ACC after making the switch to Mason Heintschel at quarterback. The Panthers will have a massive say on the race for the Playoff with games against Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, and Miami as they can knock each of the 3 out of Playoff contention.
The Michigan Wolverines rebounded nicely from their loss to USC, ripping off 3 straight wins before their bye week this weekend. Sherrone Moore's team needs to run the table and luckily, they'll face Northwestern and Maryland the next two weekends. The season will end against Ohio State setting up a potential win and in for the Wolverines.
On Friday Night, Lincoln Riley's team used their offensive firepower to pull away from Northwestern to stay alive in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. Ja'Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon were dominant, combining for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns, while King Miller continued his breakout, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown. The Trojans are starting to get healthy and click on offense at the perfect time, as they'll need to run the table in order to make the College Football Playoff.
After losing 2 of their last 3 games, Miami got to face the easiest opponent in the ACC right now, as Syracuse has been decimated by the injury to quarterback Steve Angeli. The defense was dominant, keeping Syracuse out of the endzone until there were 21 seconds left while forcing 3 turnovers. Carson Beck took care of the football, allowing the offense to rack up 38 points, which was more than enough to secure the win.
The Louisville Cardinals got shocked in overtime, as California's gutsy decision to go for it on 4th and Goal in overtime paid off. The biggest thing working for the Cardinals is the fact that they have a win over Miami, which shouldn't let them fall too far, especially as Louisville lost without Isaac Brown.
The Virginia Cavaliers were stopped on 4th and Goal on Saturday Night, leading to their first loss in ACC play. It's hard to see the Cavaliers falling too far, given how some of the teams ranked behind them faired, along with the fact that Virginia played most of this game without Chandler Morris, and still almost pulled off the win.
Georgia Tech was among the teams to get stunned, losing in a concerning fashion against NC State as the defense couldn't get a stop against a team missing its two best weapons. Brent Key's team needs to use this week to get back in a rhythm as they'll end the season against Boston College and Pitt before a Non-Conference showdown with Georgia. This team has a great chance to make the College Football Playoff, and their path in the ACC could shake out perfectly.
It took overtime for the Vanderbilt Commodores to hold off an Auburn team in their first game after Hugh Freeze was fired. Diego Pavia actually put together the level of game he needs to compete for the Heisman as he passed for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns, adding 112 yards and a score with his legs. Leaving this game with a win was key as Vandy now needs to beat Kentucky and Tennessee if they're going to be in contention on Selection Sunday.
Last weekend, the Utah Utes played themselves right back into the Big 12 race by dominating Cincinnati. With two losses, Utah may need a ton of help to get back into the race for the Big 12, but the committee ranking them 13th shows that they're in the race for an At-Large bid. The final 3 games come against Baylor, Kansas State, and Kansas, giving this team a solid shot at ending the season 10-2.
The BYU Cougars finally met their match on Saturday as the Texas Tech Red Raiders completely shut them down. The offense couldn't get anything going until halfway through the 4th quarter as the rushing attack picked up just 2.5 yards per carry while Texas Tech seemingly had every passing play covered. BYU is still alive in the race for the Playoff and the Big 12, but it'll require beating TCU, Cincinnati, and UCF to earn a potential rematch with Texas Tech.
The Oklahoma Sooners went on the road and knocked off Tennessee to stay alive in the Playoff race before spending this weekend on the bye. Brent Venables' team is still alive in the hunt for the College Football Playoff, but it won't be easy with games remaining against Alabama, Missouri, and LSU all still looming.
The Texas Longhorns got one of their most important wins of the season last weekend, beating Vanderbilt before heading to the bye week. The College Football Playoff committee showed Texas that they're right in the mix for the Playoff, but they'll need to win out to make the Playoff. This final stretch for Texas will define the Playoff race as they'll play Georgia next weekend and Texas A&M to end the season.
Notre Dame had a tricky test on Saturday Night, facing a 7-1 Navy team that was without its quarterback, Blake Horvath. Early on, the Navy's rushing attack gave the Fighting Irish fits, but as the game went along, Marcus Freeman's team overpowered their opponent. After starting the season with two losses, this team has ripped off 7 wins in a row as they keep climbing further into Playoff contention.
The Oregon Ducks came into Saturday needing a signature win that they could add to their resume after being ranked 9th in the College Football Playoff rankings. The issue for the Ducks was that the offense lost Dakorien Moore and Kenyon Sadiq to injuries before the game, and when Gary Bryant Jr left the game with an injury, the offense was without most of its weapons. Even after Iowa took the lead late, Dante Moore and a makeshift offense made every play driving down the field to set up the game-winning field goal, keeping the Ducks alive in the Playoff race.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders sent a statement on Saturday, picking up a 29-7 win in a matchup of the Big 12's two best teams. The defense shut BYU's offense down, holding the Cougars to just 2.5 yards per carry while keeping Bear Bachmeier from ever finding a rhythm. The only thing standing in the way of the Big 12 Championship for Texas Tech is matchups against two of the worst teams in the Big 12.
After a grueling stretch in the SEC, Ole Miss got a well-deserved game against the Citadel to take a step back and work through some things in an easier game. The Rebels looked the part of one of the Nation's best teams, dominating The Citadel 49-0. Ole Miss only needed to avoid a shocking upset in this game, as they now turn their attention to Florida and Mississippi State, as they could split the final 2 games and still make the Playoff.
Coming into the weekend, everyone thought that Georgia was walking into a trap game against a Mississippi State team that tested Texas two weeks ago. Instead, Kirby Smart's team won dominantly, winning 41-21. Gunner Stockton put together a solid performance, passing for 3 touchdowns while the Bulldogs picked up 303 yards on the ground in an old-school showing. This team has quietly picked up 5 wins in a row, and they now head into a final stretch with two ranked games with a chance to define their season.
Alabama had a tough task on Saturday Night as they faced a talented LSU team after a ton of changes to the coaching staff. Early on, LSU's offense looked in command, and the defense was dominant before everything flipped. The Crimson Tide took control with a pivotal stop and score before halftime, setting up a touchdown to stretch the lead. The defense picked up for the offense in the second half to the point where LSU benched Garrett Nussmeier with no success.
The Indiana Hoosiers struggled with Penn State to the point that the Hoosiers were in a 4-point hole with just under 2 minutes remaining. Fernando Mendoza led the Hoosiers on a game-winning drive, finding Omar Cooper Jr on one of the best catches of the season, giving Mendoza a Heisman moment. The way Indiana struggled may affect how the committee views them, but this team is still one of the top teams in America.
Mike Elko's team came off the bye week and went on the road, handling a Top 25 Missouri team with ease. The Aggies' rushing attack wore down Missouri, picking up 6.2 yards per carry for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns while Marcel Reed threw for 2 scores. When the first set of Playoff rankings was unveiled, Texas A&M could've been the top-ranked team, and after they looked better than Indiana this weekend, the two should trade places.
This weekend was business as usual for the Ohio State Buckeyes as they cruised to a 34-10 win over Purdue. The offense scored 3 times on the ground while Sayin found Jeremiah Smith for a touchdown in a game where the offense wasn't as explosive as we're used to seeing. This defense continues to dominate as they held Purdue out of the endzone until late in the 4th quarter. At this point, no one will be able to surpass Ohio State unless the Buckeyes lose, as they're truly dominating every team they face.