What to Watch: Week 11 College Football Watching Guide

The SEC is also the headliner in Week 11.

The only two games featuring ranked teams both occur in the SEC and also serve as elimination games for both the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff. No. 3 Georgia visits No. 16 Ole Miss in the afternoon before No. 11 Alabama takes on No. 14 LSU.

Of the four, only Georgia can be complacent about its chances of making the playoffs or the conference title game with a loss.

With the SEC set to dominate the day, don’t look beyond the Big 12 either. No. 9 BYU sits alone in first place and is poised to renew its rivalry with Utah, while No. 20 Colorado plays at Texas Tech in a game that will significantly dent the loser’s conference title hopes.

Here’s what to keep an eye on in Week 11. All times are Eastern Time and all odds are from BetMGM.

Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Georgia -2.5 | Overall: 54.5

This game can’t simply be boiled down to which quarterback plays best, right?

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart entered the Heisman conversation after throwing for 515 yards and six touchdowns in the Rebels’ Week 10 win over Arkansas. The six TDs were twice as many as Dart had thrown in Ole Miss’ first four SEC games combined.

Georgia QB Carson Beck, meanwhile, is out of the Heisman conversation after throwing 11 interceptions in the last five games. Beck has also shouldered more responsibility in Georgia’s offense this year; The Bulldogs have thrown it nearly 70 times more than they ran it, after running it more than they threw it in 2023.

However, Beck has shown up when Georgia needs him, and a hectic defensive front could be a problem for the Rebels. Just look at how Georgia dominated Texas in the trenches in Austin and how Kirby Smart said after the game that his team had been doubted. Given that Georgia is a slight favorite in this game, it’s harder for Smart to say his team is counted out.

A season ago, Ole Miss’ defensive line was damaged in Athens. In the 52-17 win, the Bulldogs ran 35 times for 300 yards and five touchdowns. This season, Ole Miss is much better up front thanks to its efforts in the transfer portal. If the Rebels pull off the home upset, their defensive improvements will be a big reason why.

Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Line: Clemson -6.5 | Overall: 53.5

Clemson laid an egg at home against Louisville last week and now likely needs to win to have a chance at the ACC title game.

The Tigers can’t afford another loss with Miami and SMU ahead of them in the standings and both teams looking for easy schedules. An offense that was firing on all cylinders after Week 1 mustered just seven points in the first three quarters against the Cardinals and finished with just 21 points despite 101 games played.

The offense’s problem was in the air as Cade Klubnik threw 56 passes for 228 yards at 4.1 yards per attempt. The Tigers rushed 45 times for 222 yards. Can the offense get back on track against a Virginia Tech defense that is only allowing opposing QBs 56% of their passes?

Virginia Tech didn’t have QB Kyron Drones or RB Bhayshul Tuten against Syracuse, but coach Brent Pry said Wednesday night that both players have a “good chance” to play against the Tigers. Tuten is averaging 6.7 yards per carry and is just 49 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark in eight games, while Drones has 16 total touchdowns.

Time: 4 p.m. | TV: Fox | Line: Colorado -3.5 | Overall: 62.5

Given the way Texas Tech’s season has gone, this will be a close game. Five of the Red Raiders’ six conference games have been decided by a single score, and that includes Tech’s 23-22 win over No. 17 Iowa State a week ago. The Red Raiders scored their first touchdown on a five-yard run by Tahj Brooks with 20 seconds left after Iowa State took its first lead of the second half less than two minutes earlier.

Brooks already comes into the game with 1,047 yards and 10 rushing TDs. He drives a Tech offense that averages nearly six yards per play. But the defense was crushed by opposing quarterbacks. This could be good news for Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders has completed over 73% of his passes for 2,591 yards and thrown 21 touchdowns this season. The Texas Tech defense allows opponents to complete 62% of their passes for 308 yards per game. A big game for Travis Hunter (60 catches for 757 yards and eight touchdowns) will only solidify his status as a Heisman favorite.

Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Alabama -3 | Overall: 58.5

The loser is certain to be out of the College Football Playoff race if they lose the season for the third time, barring a wild ending.

Both teams were out in Week 10; Alabama defeated Missouri 34-0 at home, while LSU lost 38-23 on the road at Texas A&M. The Aggies were dominant on offense in the second half after QB Marcel Reed came into the game in place of Conner Weigman.

Will LSU’s defense fare better against the running threat of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe? Reed rushed nine times for 62 yards and three scores after entering the game. The week before A&M rushed for 242 yards against the Tigers, LSU had held Arkansas to 38 yards on 19 carries.

Alabama needs to show a lot more composure than in the last away game. The Crimson Tide were penalized 69 times in eight games and had 15 penalties for 115 yards in their loss to Tennessee on Oct. 19. The nighttime crowd at Tiger Stadium will be just as loud as Neyland Stadium.

Time: 10:15 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN | Line: BYU -4 | Overall: 40.5

The two heated rivals will meet late Saturday night for the first time since 2021 and for the first time as members of the Big 12. And if you need a reminder of the intensity of the rivalry, Utah RB Jaylon Glover provided it earlier in the week. (The video below contains profanity.)

Utah also desperately needs a win. The Utes have lost their last four Big 12 games after a win over Oklahoma State and are 4-4 overall. Utah is averaging just 22.8 points per game with Cam Rising out again with a leg injury and Isaac Wilson struggling in his place. The freshman brother of former BYU QB Zach Wilson is completing just 55% of his passes and has thrown as many interceptions (eight) as touchdown passes.

The Cougars force more than two turnovers per game, and you have to go back to BYU’s Week 3 game against Wyoming to find an opponent that committed just one turnover. That ability to win the ball back has been huge for the Cougars as the defense has been banged up each of the last two weeks.

Other games to watch

No. 4 Miami at Georgia Tech (Noon, ESPN): Can Georgia Tech keep this close? That may depend on the health of quarterback Haynes King. Coach Brent Key said earlier this week he hoped King would be able to play. The junior has been sidelined since his injury Oct. 12 against North Carolina, and Georgia Tech has scored just 19 points combined in the two missed losses.

Michigan at No. 8 Indiana (3:30 p.m., CBS): The Hoosiers are looking to get to 10-0 before an off week and a trip to Ohio State in Week 13. The Hoosiers have never had more than nine wins in a single season and have accomplished that feat only three times, including this season. Michigan, on the other hand, must win two of three games against Indiana, Northwestern and Ohio State to ensure a successful season.

No. 17 Iowa State at Kansas (3:30 p.m., FS1): The Cyclones are just a three-point favorite as Kansas has been among the bottom teams in the Big 12 so far this season. The Jayhawks need to win their final four games of the season to reach a bowl game, but may not have much home field advantage. This game takes place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and you can expect a lot of Iowa State fans in attendance.

Oklahoma at No. 24 Missouri (7:45 p.m., SEC Network): The Sooners are now 2.5 point favorites on the road as Missouri will likely be without QB Brady Cook. He started against Alabama with an ankle injury and then suffered an injury to his throwing hand. The Tigers, somewhat surprisingly, found themselves in the top set of the CFP standings and need to win to enter the game at 10-2 and have a very, very slim chance of reaching the postseason.

Nevada at No. 12 Boise State (8 p.m., Fox): The Broncos have a 24-point advantage, so we don’t expect it to be very close here. It’s on the list here simply because it’s a good opportunity to watch Ashton Jeanty if you haven’t been able to see him much this season. Teams have combined forces to stop college football’s top player, and he just keeps producing.