College Football Week 11 Direct Picks
Week 11 candidates for Before The Snap include Texas Tech-BYU, Texas A&M-Missouri, Oregon-Iowa State, Cal-Louisville, and LSU-Alabama.
The college football season will reach its climax next month when the College Football Playoff field is announced. Between now and the final weekend, five Saturday matches will be played to set the stage for the classification of the 12 selected teams.
The bigger the game, the more pressure there is on teams and coaches. That pressure can have surprising results. Week 11 will be full of opportunities for big wins or big disappointments for the contestants. The SEC, Big 12 and Big 10 have key matchups that will shape these races
Who will take the big step on Saturday? Which teams face potential problems that could dash their postseason hopes?
USA TODAY Sports’ college football staff answers some of these questions. Matt Hayes, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Meyerberg, Eric Smith, Eddie Timanas and Blake Topmeyer make bold predictions for Week 11 of the college football season.
Georgia upsets Mississippi State to qualify for bowl
Georgia State has had multiple fourth quarter comebacks during the SEC schedule, putting the Bulldogs in close calls to contend for the league title. Mississippi State is used to close games, but has fallen short at home in previous matchups against top-ranked opponents. Things took a turn Saturday when Miss State won her sixth game and became an unlikely bowl participant. — Matt Hayes
Texas Tech University Rawls by Brigham Young
The Big 12 race comes down to a matchup between the Cougars and Red Raiders, with both teams hoping to make the playoffs. However, the two teams’ case will become difficult after Texas Tech releases a statement. BYU has been playing a little dangerous in recent weeks and will be hard-pressed to beat Texas Tech’s offense in what will likely be a tumultuous environment. The Red Raiders will not allow a close game, and all eyes will be on how far BYU will fall in the College Football Playoff rankings. — jordan mendoza
Virginia’s luck has run out
Virginia’s luck ran out with the loss to Wake Forest, and the Cavaliers would plummet in the National LBM Coaches Poll and playoff rankings. The loss would be devastating from an overall perspective, and the ACC Championship would be the only path to a playoff berth. UVA has won two ACC titles since joining the league in 1954, the most recent coming in 1995. Paul Mayerberg
Iowa beats Oregon to advance to playoffs
I’ve seen the Oregon story before. The physicality of the teams on both lines of scrimmage brought the game to the Ducks, who ended up winning it. That was the recipe for Indiana’s road win in Eugene. That’s the recipe Iowa State can employ when it visits Oregon State on Saturday. Granted, the Hawkeyes don’t have a great offense, but they showed against the Hoosiers that they are a formidable opponent in Iowa City. They lost the game in the final two minutes. This time, they won a close game, hurting the Ducks and clinching a spot in the College Football Playoff. — Eric Smith
Indiana pours into Penn State
Penn State’s disastrous season is about to get even worse. As you know, this is nothing personal, it’s just business. Indiana University will come to State College on Saturday with a point to prove. The Hoosiers saw what Ohio State could do against the Nittany Lions last week, and now they’re eager to show they can do even better. Expect at least 50 more burgers. — Eddie Timanas
Alabama spells disaster for LSU
After LSU was attacked by Alabama, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry held a press conference and gave a live tiger to a “mannequin” dressed in purple and gold. He threatens to deport Baton Rouge native Scott Woodward and vows to continue the bloodletting until the situation improves or he will shut down the university. Just kidding. I swear, I’m kidding. But seriously, this game pits you against rivals racing in opposite directions. Karen DeBoer is undefeated at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This situation will likely continue, with games not as close as we expected in August. — blake topmeyer
