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Week 10 saw seismic movement through college football. The SEC championship race solidified with Georgia giving Tennessee their first loss and putting a stranglehold on the SEC East. In the SEC West, LSU sent a significant shot in Brian Kelly’s first season by giving Alabama their second loss and dashing the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes. Meanwhile, Notre Dame put the ACC’s chances of a playoff appearance on life support in knocking Clemson from the unbeaten ranks.
In Week 11, the Big 12 has a chance to take center stage, with No. 4 TCU traveling to No. 18 Texas. Alabama has an opportunity to bounce back, facing No. #11 Ole Miss, a team with only one loss but stiff odds to grab the SEC West from LSU. Our staff is back to get you ready for Week 11.
What Game Are You Watching?
#4 TCU at #18 Texas
Dan Hindery - TCU, who would be in the College Football Playoff if the season ended today, is a big underdog (7.5 points) on the road Saturday night against Texas. This should be a fun game with some first-round NFL skill position talents in TCU WR Quentin Johnston and Texas RB Bijan Robinson. This game has shootout potential and will have a major impact on the playoff race. The atmosphere in Austin should be electric.
Kyle Bellefeuil - I’ll be tuning into the exciting matchup between No. 4 TCU and No. 18 Texas. TCU (9-0) used a big fourth-quarter surge to get past Texas Tech last week and now find themselves vaulted into the Top-4 of the CFP rankings. Texas (6-3) enters this game with some momentum after their big road win against Kansas State in Week 10. This bout isn’t short on playmakers at the skill positions with Bijan Robinson, Kendre Miller, and hopefully, Quinten Johnson (ankle) will be full go. Currently, the Longhorns sit as seven-point home favorites in this Big 12 battle. The line seems high to me, and I’ll be eager to see if the Horned Frogs take offense to it Saturday night.
Jason Wood - TCU jumped to No. 4 in this week's College Football Playoff rankings and is one of the few unbeatens remaining. Yet, they find themselves a 7-point underdog as they head on the road to face a Texas Longhorns program that already has three losses but somehow is beloved by the next-gen stat hounds. I'll concede that Texas is too talented to have three losses already and is playing very well of late. But TCU has answered all the questions this year, and a convincing win here helps keep their playoff hopes alive.
#24 Washington at #6 Oregon
Christian Williams - While Week 11 offers better games on paper, the matchup with the most intrigue is No. 24 Washington versus No. 6 Oregon. The Ducks are rolling over everyone they play and have a legitimate shot at making the College Football Playoff. Bo Nix's development may see him with a seat in New York at the Heisman Trophy ceremony, and his play elevates the offense. On the other side, Washington is 4-2 in conference play and 7-2 on the season, and while the buzz has worn off, they've been playing good football. Oregon is favored big in this one, but Washington has an offense capable of keeping pace with Oregon and maintaining fan interest in the game. Two outcomes are worth keeping an eye on: Oregon winning big and continuing the upward trajectory and Oregon faltering and opening the door for USC to take their spot.
What Player Are You Watching?
RB Kendre Miller, TCU
Dan HinDery - I’m looking forward to seeing TCU running back Kendre Miller on the same field as Bijan Robinson. While Robinson is the top prospect at the position for next April’s NFL Draft, Miller is amongst a big group of backs who could hear their name called as early as the second round or as late as the fifth or sixth round. Miller has ideal size and has been extremely productive over his three seasons at TCU. He even outplayed Zach Evans while both were on the Horned Frogs in 2020 and 2021. I want to see Miller live again to try to get a better handle on how explosive he is. The speed has been sufficient to break off long runs at the college level, but it is harder to determine if he has enough juice to be more than a backup at the next level.
LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
Kyle Bellefeuil - Arkansas takes on No. 7 LSU during the noon slate of games, and I’m eager to watch Razorback linebacker Drew Sanders. Sanders transferred from Alabama this offseason and has enjoyed a breakout 2022 season. Through nine games, Sanders has compiled an impressive 74 tackles (31 solos), 11 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Sanders has intriguing size with the ability to bang in the box and get after it behind the line. I look forward to seeing if he can make his presence felt against a tough LSU team this weekend.
QB Bo Nix, Oregon
Jason Wood - I'm interested in watching Bo Nix take on Washington this weekend. Nix was a massively hyped prospect when he took over Auburn's huddle as a freshman. But Nix showed a frustrating lack of growth in his years at Auburn and could never play well against elite SEC defenses. So I didn't think much of his move to Oregon other than as a stopgap as first-year coach Dan Lanning. Yet, the Ducks are now 8-1 and possibly heading for a playoff berth if the Pac-12 dominoes fall the right way. Nix's stats this year are eye-popping. He's near the top of the nation with a 173.0 passer rating, averaging 9.1 yards per completion. And he's got 13 rushing touchdowns on top of a 22/5 touchdown-to-interception total. Can Nix light up the Washington Huskies and maintain the momentum into an appearance as a Heisman Finalist?
RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss
Christian Williams - Coming off their bye week, Ole Miss has an opportunity to increase Zach Evans' workload with his return to total health. Evans gets the disappointing Alabama defense through the first ten weeks of the season, but Ole Miss still needs him to create explosives if they want to win this game. Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs (on the other side of the ball) lead the 2023 running back class, but Evans has a prime opportunity to prove he belongs in discussion with them.
Tell me about the lowest-ranked team that still possesses a path to the playoff.
#11 Ole Miss
Dan Hindery - 11th-ranked Ole Miss has a very clear path to the playoff. With only one SEC loss, they are tied with LSU for the lead of the SEC West (though LSU has the head-to-head tiebreaker). LSU has a pair of tough games left on the schedule, including a major trap game this weekend at Arkansas and a trip to College Station to face Texas A&M. An LSU loss in either of those games would allow Ole Miss to control their own destiny. The biggest regular season obstacle left is a home matchup against Alabama this weekend. If Ole Miss can pull off the minor upset, they will jump right into the mix of legitimate contenders. Plus, that potential SEC Championship matchup against Georgia would be an unmatched opportunity to leapfrog other teams late in the process.
#6 Oregon
Kyle Bellefeuil - I know this is taking the low-hanging fruit here, but I’m going to go with No. 6 Oregon. I like this Oregon team, and quarterback Box Nix has flourished with his change of scenery. The Ducks will have to finish strong to get wins against No. 24 Washington, No. 13 Utah, and Oregon State. However, if they take care of business, they will be sitting well heading into the PAC 12 championship game. Especially with some of the other contenders likely being forced to duke it out with each other.
#14 UCLA
Jason Wood - No two-loss team is making the playoffs. It hasn't happened yet, and this won't be the year. So don't listen to anyone who spins LSU, Texas, or Alabama at you; it's not happening. The correct answer here is UCLA, which inexplicably sits at 12th despite an 8-1 record. USC is ranked higher than the Bruins for no reason other than it's USC. UCLA has the better loss (Oregon to USC's loss to Utah) and the better wins (Washington and Utah, USC has no top-25 wins). They play on November 19, and the loser is definitely out. They also both need Oregon to stumble because the Ducks are presently undefeated in the conference.
#15 North Carolina
Christian Williams - While the path is treacherous and challenging, the #15-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels are the lowest-ranked team with a way to the College Football Playoff. The Tar Heels have two tough games remaining against Wake Forest and North Carolina State (with Georgia Tech wedged between them), and they'll likely draw Clemson in the ACC Championship game. Winning out impressively and becoming a one-loss conference champion could vault them into playoff consideration if Notre Dame continues to impress and a multitude of teams ranked inside the top eight falter. There are a lot of terms, but Drake Maye and the offense could push the committee with a great final four weeks.
