CFB: Week 11 Preview
Week 10 had seven ranked-vs.-ranked matchups, the most of the season, and it really clouded the College Football Playoff picture, as No. 3 Ohio State was blown out on the road by Iowa, No. 8 Penn State was handed their second consecutive loss to No. 24 Michigan State, No. 10 Miami earned their first marquee win of the year against No. 13 Virginia Tech, and No. 9 Oklahoma out-Bedlamed No. 11 Oklahoma State.
Week 11 does not take it down a notch at all, as we have seven ranked-vs.-ranked matchups (again), and there are certainly playoff chances that will be dashed in the coming days, as there are three top-10 matchups. No. 2 Georgia faces their final test before the SEC title game, as they head to No. 10 Auburn and No. 4 Oklahoma hosts No. 8 TCU, but the week is all leading up to No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 7 Miami.
*Maximum of 100 Points.*
Top-25 Rankings:
1. Alabama (9-0, 6-0) - 100 Pts.
2. Georgia (9-0, 6-0) - 97 Pts.
3. Notre Dame (8-1, 4-0) - 91 Pts.
4. Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) - 90 Pts.
5. Clemson (8-1, 5-1) - 88 Pts.
6. Wisconsin (9-0, 6-0) - 86 Pts.
7. Miami (9-0, 6-0) - 85 Pts.
8. TCU (8-1, 5-1) - 79 Pts.
9. Washington (8-1, 5-1) - 76 Pts.
10. Auburn (7-2, 5-1) - 71 Pts.
11. Ohio State (7-2, 5-1) - 69 Pts.
12. Michigan State (7-2, 5-1) - 66 Pts.
13. Oklahoma State (7-2, 4-2) - 65 Pts.
14. Central Florida (8-0, 6-0) - 64 Pts.
15. USC (8-2, 5-1) - 57 Pts.
16. Penn State (7-2, 4-2) - 56 Pts.
17. Washington State (8-2, 5-2) - 54 Pts.
18. Virginia Tech (7-2, 3-2) - 49 Pts.
19. Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2) - 47 Pts.
20. Michigan (7-2, 4-2) - 43 Pts.
21. South Florida (9-1, 5-1) - 40 Pts.
22. Iowa State (6-3, 4-2) - 31 Pts.
23. NC State (6-3, 4-1) - 20 Pts.
24. Stanford (6-3, 5-2) - 18 Pts.
25. Arizona (6-3, 4-2) - 16 Pts.
Just Missed the Cut:
26. West Virginia (6-3, 4-2) - 14 Pts.
27. Iowa (6-3, 3-3) - 13 Pts.
28. San Diego State (8-2, 5-2) - 6 Pts.
29. LSU (6-3, 3-2) - 5 Pts.
30. Wake Forest (5-4, 2-3) - 4 Pts.
Trending Upward: No. 12 Michigan State (+12) was the big winner from Week 10, as they came away with a thrilling 27-24 victory over No. 8 Penn State. It kept the Spartans in contention for the Big Ten title, along with No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 11 Ohio State, and No. 20 Michigan. Michigan State must win at Ohio State this weekend to stay alive in the conference, but there is no reason to doubt them, as they've already proven they can play with just about anybody. After facing the Buckeyes, Michigan State ends the season with a home game against Maryland and a road trip to Rutgers. If they win out, they'll be in the Big Ten title game. Other teams that improved their stock are Miami (+3), Michigan (+3), and Central Florida (+2).
Trending Downward: A lot of teams could be in this category because of all the ranked teams going down last weekend, but the Big Ten is the main loser, as two of their top dogs, Ohio State (-8) and Penn State (-8), suffered tough losses and are likely out of CFP contention. The entire conference could be left out of the playoff for the first time ever, as Ohio State or Michigan State have reached each of the previous three years. Ohio State faces a must-win this weekend against the Spartans, before getting Illinois and Michigan to end the year. They have to finish 3-0 to get to the Big Ten championship. Penn State's finish to the season is pretty easy as they get Rutgers, Nebraska, and Maryland. Iowa State (-7) and Oklahoma State (-2) also moved down.
Charles Post:
North Carolina @ Pittsburgh
No. 9 Washington @ No. 24 Stanford
No. 2 Georgia @ No. 10 Auburn
No. 1 Alabama @ No. 19 Mississippi State
No. 13 Oklahoma State @ No. 22 Iowa State
No. 8 TCU @ No. 4 Oklahoma
No. 3 Notre Dame @ No. 7 Miami
No. 12 Michigan State @ No. 11 Ohio State
Iowa @ No. 6 Wisconsin
Virginia @ Louisville
Week 10 Record: 6-4.
Overall Record: 75-25.
Chase Zayac:
North Carolina @ Pittsburgh
No. 9 Washington @ No. 24 Stanford
No. 2 Georgia @ No. 10 Auburn
No. 1 Alabama @ No. 19 Mississippi State
No. 13 Oklahoma State @ No. 22 Iowa State
No. 8 TCU @ No. 4 Oklahoma
No. 3 Notre Dame @ No. 7 Miami
No. 12 Michigan State @ No. 11 Ohio State
Iowa @ No. 6 Wisconsin
Virginia @ Louisville
Week 10 Record: 6-4.
Overall Record: 72-28.
Chinedum Wejinya:
North Carolina @ Pittsburgh
No. 9 Washington @ No. 24 Stanford
No. 2 Georgia @ No. 10 Auburn
No. 1 Alabama @ No. 19 Mississippi State
No. 13 Oklahoma State @ No. 22 Iowa State
No. 8 TCU @ No. 4 Oklahoma
No. 3 Notre Dame @ No. 7 Miami
No. 12 Michigan State @ No. 11 Ohio State
Iowa @ No. 6 Wisconsin
Virginia @ Louisville
Week 10 Record: 4-6.
Overall Record: 70-30.
Elimination Game of the Week: No. 3 Notre Dame (8-1, 4-0) beat No. 15 USC (8-2, 5-1) in our first elimination, and then No. 13 Oklahoma State (7-2, 4-2) took down West Virginia (6-3, 4-2), before losing to No. 4 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) in our second and third elimination games. And now we've found our way back to Notre Dame, as they travel to face No. 7 Miami (9-0, 6-0). This is a battle between two of the hottest teams in the country, coming off of wins against Wake Forest and Virginia Tech, respectively. The Fighting Irish have a top candidate for the Heisman, in running back Josh Adams, and Miami's defense has been one of the best in the nation during their win streak. This game will take place on Saturday in Miami, at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC, and the winner will be one step closer the CFP. All three of our experts have Notre Dame winning.
1. According to 247 Sports, Florida State (3-5, 3-4) is considering rescheduling a formerly cancelled game due to Hurricane Irma against UL-Monroe, in order to possibly reach a bowl game, which would keep their streak alive. Thoughts? And who has the advantage in No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 7 Miami?
Post: There are some people that are complaining about Florida State’s push for a bowl because it feels out of place, given that that the Seminoles are usually winning 9-10 games and don’t have to worry about a sixth win in late November. I don’t see a problem without it, though, because it’s not like they’re trying to schedule a game randomly. They were supposed to play UL-Monroe, which is (I’m assuming) going to be a victory, and if all goes right, Florida State would keep their bowl streak intact. They took the first step towards their goal by defeating Syracuse last week. As for the Notre Dame versus Miami matchup, I think it’s obvious who has the advantage: The Hurricanes. Not only is The U playing on their home turf, but the Fighting Irish’s starting running back, Josh Adams, went down with a head injury last week against Wake Forest. Notre Dame can still win this game, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.
Zayac: Florida State rescheduling their game for the possibility of a bowl is ridiculous. Jimbo Fisher just needs to acknowledge that this was a failed season and move on from it. Miami has the advantage against Notre Dame because they're at home, but the Irish should pull off the road win behind their surprisingly good and deep team.
Wejinya: It makes sense why Florida State would want to do that if they want to make a bowl game I don’t think they would have done this if they were in a better position to win. The more wins the merrier, though. Norte Dame has the advantage, I believe, because they are a complete team and ready for a test from Miami.
2. With the winner of this game probably reaching the Big Ten title game, who has the upper hand when No. 12 Michigan State (7-2, 5-1) travels to No. 11 Ohio State (7-2, 5-1)? And can Iowa's (6-3, 3-3) offense continue being hot as they face one of the best defense in the country, at No. 6 Wisconsin (9-0, 6-0)?
Post: I don’t see either Oklahoma team losing this weekend, especially after how their offenses looked last week against one another, in a 62-52 shootout. Oklahoma should defeat TCU, but it’ll be a close game because the Sooners have been playing tight ones all year, plus the Horned Frog’s defense is legitimate. Oklahoma State should hand Iowa State their second straight loss, but as we’ve seen this season, Ames isn’t a place to take lightly. Give me Oklahoma and Baker Mayfield showing out once again.
Zayac: Michigan State is going to go on the road and beat Ohio State. The Spartans have been up to some tough challenges this year and Ohio State is very emotionally and physically depleted at this point. Especially, after being absolutely destroyed at Iowa. However, now the Hawkeyes will stall out against Wisconsin, sending the Badgers in the to the top four of the CFP rankings.
Wejinya: I believe that Ohio State will beat Michigan State and move on to the top of the Big Ten East. I think Wisconsin will be able to slow down Iowa's offense which beat the breaks off of Ohio State and made their defense look silly.
3. As all four of the top four teams in the Big 12 play one another this weekend, when No. 13 Oklahoma State (7-2, 4-2) goes to No. 22 Iowa State (6-3, 4-2) and No. 8 TCU (8-1, 5-1) takes on No. 4 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) - Which player and team will stand out amongst the rest of the conference?
Post: The Big Ten went from potentially having a pair of teams in the College Football Playoff to having a real possibility of having none reach the coveted four-team bracket, following Ohio State’s blowout loss at Iowa and Michigan State’s upset over Penn State. Now, the Buckeyes and the Spartans meet up with a berth in the Big Ten title game on the line and I’m not sure what to expect with this up-and-down Buckeyes squad. I’ll hesitantly take the Bucks behind a solid J.T. Barrett performance, but after what happened against the Hawkeyes, this conference is more unpredictable than any. On the other side of the Big Ten, Iowa will play tough against Wisconsin, but the Badgers will remain unbeaten, namely due to Jonathan Taylor.
Zayac: Out of the top four teams in the Big 12, Oklahoma and Baker Mayfield stand out the most. Both have been proven winners down the stretch which will ultimately lead to the Sooners' conference championship victory and a second playoff berth.
Wejinya: Out of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and TCU - The player that stands out the most is Baker Mayfield. He has been on a tear this whole season, and that was highlighted against the Cowboys last week. And the stand out team is Oklahoma, as well, as they control their own destiny.
*Maximum of 20 Points.*
Heisman Standings:
1. Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma QB) - 18 Pts.
2. Bryce Love (Stanford RB) - 9 Pts.
3. Saquon Barkley (Penn State RB) - 8 Pts.
4. Josh Adams (Notre Dame RB) - 6 Pts.
5. Jalen Hurts (Alabama QB) - 5 Pts.
Movement: Baker Mayfield (+3) made a huge jump to the top spot, and is now the odds on favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy, following a 24-36 performance for a remarkable 598 yards and five passing touchdowns. Bryce Love (-1) dropped down for the first time in nearly two months after going for just 69 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown in a loss. Saquon Barkley (+0) stayed at the three spot, but he's currently on a downslide as he only mustered 63 yards on 14 carries and no scores. Josh Adams (+2) went down with a possible concussion against Wake Forest, but he's been stellar all year and is in our rankings for the first time. Jalen Hurts (+2) is back in our standings, even though his statistics weren't incredible, he's been so solid all year. He had 183 yards on 11-14 passing and a score last week in yet another victory.
College Football Playoff Picks - Week 1:
College Football Playoff Picks - Week 10:
Photo Credit: ACC Sports & Sporting News.
