Oh hey there! Three straight weeks. We call this a streak in the biz folks. So for those who are blissfully unaware, Wisconsin finally remembered that it’s Wisconsin and it’s starting to feel like November. My fingers are thawing out as we speak. And although the weather outside is cooling down, the action on the field is starting to heat up. (Insert Fire Emoji. An emoji that I probably overuse in everyday life. But it’s a FIRE EMOJI!!!). And yes, that cliche was as corny as a field in Nebraska. Cliches aside, we had a FUCKING AMAZING week of College Football a week ago. And if the MAC has been any indication, we are in for a massive weekend again. This week will be monumental in terms of shaping the playoff picture. Without further ado, let’s dive into our Week 11 College Football Preview.
-Shawn
(Oh, and if this weekend wasn’t already shaping up to be AMAZING, the new T-SWIFT Album comes out tomorrow. Go get that!)
All games on Saturday unless noted. All times ET.
(12) Michigan State (+16.5) at (13) Ohio State (Noon, FOX)
Okay. Stop what you’re doing. No seriously. STOP. Run out to your booking/betting website/any one willing to accept a bet on this game. Okay, you there? Now bet on Michigan State. I’m not kidding. Yes, I realize this game is in Columbus. Yes, I realize this team is playing for their shot at a Big Ten Championship Game opportunity. But why people are sleeping this hard on the Spartans is beyond me. Michigan State is playing with house money at this point, and their riding a MASSIVE wave coming off their upset of Penn State. All this being said however, I wouldn’t be surprised if J.T. Barrett puts on his best Heisman impression and reminds the world that the embarrassment of a week ago isn’t him. I really don’t know. This game is going to be good. AND IT’S ONE OF THE FIRST GAMES OF THE DAY!!!!
Prediction: (12) Michigan State wins 34-28
(15) Oklahoma State at (21) Iowa State (+6.5) (Noon, ABC/ESPN2/WatchESPN)
Well these two teams enter week 11 in a completely different world then they did a mere seven days ago. Oklahoma State saw glimpses of a Big 12 Championship and a potential trip to the College Football Playoff. Enter Baker Mayfield. Those dreams were all but crushed after a 62-52 loss to Boomer Sooner. Iowa State was riding quite a four game win streak, which included victories over title hopefuls TCU and Oklahoma. Enter Will Grier. After a loss to West Virginia, the Cyclones season has sputtered out and a return to reality has smacked them in the face. They still have a shot at the Big 12 Title game, but Mason Rudolph and the Cowboys will make that a monumental task.
Prediction: (15) Oklahoma State wins 42-38
UConn at (18) UCF (-40.5) (Noon, ESPNU/WatchESPN)
UCF by 90.
Prediction: (18) UCF wins (okay, maybe not by 90) 55-10
(20) Iowa at (8) Wisconsin (-12.5) (3:30pm, ESPN/WatchESPN)
This is going to be a very stressful one. With Ohio State and Penn State both losing a week ago, Wisconsin’s road to the playoffs got a little more difficult. The silver lining, the team that beat Ohio State 55-24 comes into Camp Randall Stadium for what’s shaping up to be a vital game for the Badgers’ College Football Playoff chances. Hornibrook and the Badgers offense will have their work cut out for them, as they face a Hawkeyes defense that has allowed 18.1 points per game. To make matters worse, the Badgers will be without one of their predominant play makers, wide receiver Quintez Cephus who had season ending leg surgery on Thursday. In true Wisconsin fashion, expect the Badgers to overcome the set back and continue their dominance of the Big Ten West.
Prediction: (8) Wisconsin wins 27-13
(1) Georgia at (10) Auburn (+2.5) (3:30pm, CBS)
This one is big for Georgia. The only remaining test for the Bulldogs before the inevitable showdown with the Crimson Tide appears on Saturday with a trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium on the schedule for Saturday. Georgia will need to be on their game as they face a very game Auburn side, who still has hopes of snatching the SEC West from Alabama. In order for the Tigers to get to that heist however, they will need to be perfect on their road to the season finale match up with Alabama. The deciding factor in this game will come down to Kerryon Johnson and the Auburn rushing attack against the Bulldogs rushing defense. (And somehow, this will only be the halfway point of the day)
Prediction: (1) Georgia wins 31-30
(2) Alabama (-14) at (16) Mississippi State (7:00pm, ESPN/WatchESPN)
Imagine Nick Saban right now. Two weeks into the College Football Playoff rankings, and his poll-leading Crimson Tide are still staring up at “little brother” Georgia. You have to imagine that Saban will have this team running on every cylinder they can find heading into Davis-Wade Stadium to face-off against the most roller coaster team this season, Mississippi State. The Bulldogs shocked many when they upset then, number 12, LSU 37-7. They follow that up by back to back losses to Georgia and Auburn, which then is followed up by four straight wins. Well Bulldog fans, you play Alabama this week. And good luck. You’re gonna need it.
Prediction: (2) Alabama wins 38-16
(6) TCU (+6.5) at (5) Oklahoma (8:00pm, FOX)
The focus of this game is going to be Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield’s explosion of 598 yards a week ago in Bedlam has catapulted him to the forefront of the Heisman race and with good reason. He’s head and shoulders above the competition at this point. He has sliced and diced defenses all season. He will face one of his toughest tests this week as Gary Patterson’s stellar defense make a late season trip to Norman. This game will go a long way for both of these sides regarding a CFP berth. The Heisman tour continues this weekend for Mayfield.
Prediction: (5) Oklahoma wins 34-28
GAME OF THE WEEK (3) Notre Dame at (7) Miami (+3.5) (8:00pm, ABC/WatchESPN)
The last time these two teams faced each other, while being ranked in the top-10, I was barely stringing sentences together. Flash back to 1989, when these two teams were meeting for the third consecutive year as top 10 teams. Miami realizes that a win on Saturday night doesn’t guarantee anything regarding the CFP, except that the Irish would probably be on the outside looking in at that point. But a win for the Hurricanes would certainly put them in a position in which the arguments would need to start being made. Miami’s explosive quick strike offense is going to match up against a defense that allows anything but that. This one is truly a tale of two teams. One team playing to stay in the top four. One looking to make a strong case to be there. Catholics and Convicts. One of the best.
Prediction: (7) Miami wins 28-24
I don’t know about you, but two sleeps until Saturday has me all kinds of excited. November college football is the best college football. (Okay, all college football is the best college football, but whatever.) Let’s go! We’ve prepared for this guys! I literally have goosebumps thinking about this weekend. Last weekend wasn’t supposed to be that good, and it was amazing. This weekend has all the makings of a historic weekend. Whew. Are you ready for it…
#TeamNobody