College football Week 11 preview: Five best games to watch this weekend

The first official College Football Playoff rankings were released this week, and while there weren’t many surprises, it makes the rest of the season a bit more intense with teams understanding exactly what they need to do in order to clinch a spot in the highly-coveted 12-team field.

Week 11 features a few high-stakes matchups — specifically in the SEC — as No. 3 Georgia heads to No. 16 Ole Miss, and No. 11 Alabama plays No. 15 LSU in Death Valley. Both have CFP implications and will be must-see TV.

Elsewhere, No. 9 BYU and No. 20 Colorado have their own important Big 12 showdowns, while No. 2 Ohio State and No. 8 Indiana just need to keep winning in order to set up a massive conference battle in a few weeks.

That said, here are the top five games to watch this weekend:

Purdue at No. 2 Ohio State (noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

It has been a challenging past three games for Ohio State. The Buckeyes lost to new Big Ten foe Oregon by one point at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 12, then they eked out narrow wins over Nebraska and Penn State the past two weekends. Those kinds of results can take an emotional toll on a team, but head coach Ryan Day is telling his players they can’t take their foot off the gas now. Even with unranked Purdue coming to Columbus on Saturday, they can’t let up. 

That doesn’t just go for this weekend but for the rest of the season. Ohio State has to stay sharp these next few weeks against inferior opponents such as Purdue (1-7) and Northwestern (4-5). OSU has to be on its A-game for the final two games against No. 8 Indiana and bitter rival Michigan. Every game is a must-win, especially with one loss already on its résumé.

No. 3 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss (3:30 p.m. ET) 

This is a huge opportunity for head coach Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. A Rebels win over the Bulldogs would shake up the SEC’s playoff picture, and it would also be a monumental win for Kiffin’s program, which has yet to beat a ranked team this year. The Rebels nearly pulled off a win over then-No. 13 LSU in Death Valley a few weeks ago but lost 29-26 in overtime. They have momentum now though after dominating Arkansas, 63-13, on the road a week ago.

If Ole Miss pulls the upset, it would likely be thanks to its smothering defense. The unit leads the country in sacks (41.0) and is ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense (13.2) and yards per play (4.41). Georgia QB Carson Beck, who leads the SEC in interceptions (11), hasn’t had the most consistent season. If Ole Miss can get pressure on him, things could get interesting.

No. 20 Colorado at Texas Tech (4 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) 

We’ve known all season that the Big 12 is unpredictable and up for grabs. This game has the potential to make that statement even more true. Texas Tech is coming off an impressive 23-22 road win over previously unbeaten Iowa State last week. QB Behren Morton drove the Red Raiders 71 yards in the final two minutes and RB Tahj Brooks punched in a 5-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left to win, clinching the team’s fifth victory by eight points or less this season.

Now, the Red Raiders host Colorado, which was ranked 20th in the first CFP rankings. Thanks to Iowa State’s loss, the Buffaloes are now tied with the Cyclones for second place in the Big 12. Win out, and head coach Deion Sanders’ team could be playing for the conference championship and a spot in the CFP. 

That’s certainly possible, especially with QB Shedeur Sanders running the offense. He has a chance to put up some big numbers in Lubbock when he faces the Big 12’s worst pass defense (Texas Tech is giving up 307.2 yards per game). Sanders leads the league in passing efficiency (73.3%) and touchdowns (21), and has only thrown six interceptions this season.

No. 11 Alabama at No. 15 LSU (7:30 p.m. ET) 

This one is effectively a CFP elimination game because both Alabama and LSU have two losses. The annual meeting between these programs is always must-see TV, and this year is no exception. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, as they always do, which head coaches Kalen DeBoer and Brian Kelly hope will benefit their teams after a rough October.

LSU’s last outing ended in a 38-23 loss to Texas A&M at Kyle Field. The Tigers held a 17-7 lead at halftime before failing to finish the game strong. Alabama has lost two of its past four games, a shocking upset to Vanderbilt and then another to Tennessee, both of which were on the road. How will the Tigers and the Crimson Tide respond in front of a raucous crowd at Death Valley on Saturday night? We’ll soon find out.

No. 9 BYU at Utah (10:15 p.m. ET)

BYU hopes to stay undefeated as it travels to face archrival Utah in a game that hasn’t been played since 2010. The Cougars are sitting pretty in the CFP picture, firmly atop the Big 12 standings. Unless something wild happens, which is always possible, head coach Kalani Sitake’s team should find itself as a conference champion in the 12-team field.

Utah started the season with potential, but without talented QB Cam Rising available (a lower leg injury suffered in October ruled him out for the season), the offense has sputtered. Utah is currently riding a four-game losing streak. In the Utes’ last outing, a 17-14 loss to Houston on Oct. 26, head coach Kyle Whittingham said he was looking for a “spark” and decided to play two quarterbacks in freshman Isaac Wilson and sophomore Brandon Rose. Neither made a statement, though, and whoever starts Saturday will have their hands full vs. a solid BYU defense, which is tied for the third most interceptions (14) in the country this season.

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

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