So, what does Week 11 of the college football season have in store for us sports fans? Just pivotal division matchups in the SEC and the Big 12, some tricky road encounters for leading College Football Playoff contenders, and one titanic showdown in sunny California.
Let’s take an in-depth look at all five games, and break down the key matchups in each of those contests. Meanwhile, check out our previews of two more top games that just missed the cut of our top five list below: Michigan vs. Indiana and Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]The Top Five College Football Games to Watch in Week 11
No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs
Where: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
When: Saturday, November 14, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Alabama Crimson Tide (-8) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (+8) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
[sc:NCAA240banner ]There’s no bigger game on this weekend’s schedule than the one between Alabama and Mississippi State. The Crimson Tide will head to this SEC matchup with momentum on their side following their dominant 30-16 win over then No. 2 LSU on Saturday. Alabama’s defense smothered Leonard Fournette, limiting the LSU running back to a measly 31 rushing yards.
Derrick Henry, on the other hand, bolstered his Heisman credentials, rushing for 210 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries. He’s currently pegged at +180 to win the coveted trophy this year. Henry is tied for the FBS lead in rushing touchdowns with 17 to his name this season. He will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing a Mississippi State defensive line that’s allowing 167.7 rushing yards per game this season, 68th in the FBS.
That being said, the Bulldogs will still fancy their chances at a win this coming Saturday as they have the incredible Dak Prescott on their side for this weekend’s ballgame. He threw four touchdown passes in Mississippi State’s 31-13 victory over Missouri on Saturday. It was a historic night for Prescott, who became the 10th player in SEC history with 10,000 yards of total offense, and the sixth player in history to account for 100 touchdowns.
The Crimson Tide are 7-0 in their last seven games against the Bulldogs.
Writer’s Prediction: Alabama crushes Mississippi State, 35-17, to cover the 8-point spread.
No. 21 Memphis Tigers vs. No. 24 Houston Cougars
Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston
When: Saturday, November 14, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Memphis Tigers (+6.5) vs. Houston Cougars (-6.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN2
Memphis’ playoff hopes were dealt a major blow on Saturday when it suffered a humiliating 45-20 loss to Navy at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Chris Swain ran for 108 yards and three touchdowns to send the Tigers crashing to their first defeat in their last 16 games. It was a costly slip-up for the Tigers, who dropped down to 21st in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
They will look to get their season back on track when they face the still-unbeaten Houston Cougars this coming Saturday. This will be the first-ever meeting of ranked American Athletic Conference schools in the NCAA. The one to watch for Houston is quarterback Greg Ward Jr. His 92.1 rushing yards per game average trails only Navy’s Keenan Reynolds for tops among FBS signal-callers. Ward, who already has 16 rushing touchdowns this season, will be eager to face a Memphis side that was dismantled for 374 yards and five touchdowns on the ground by the Midshipmen last Saturday.
Writer’s Prediction: The Cougars (-6.5) preserve their unbeaten record with a 28-21 win.
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No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 6 Baylor Bears
Where: McLane Stadium, Waco
When: Saturday, November 14, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Oklahoma Sooners (+2.5) at Baylor Bears (-2.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Big 12 supremacy will be at stake this coming Saturday as powerhouse teams Baylor and Oklahoma lock horns at McLane Stadium. The second-ranked Bears currently hold a slim half-game lead against the Sooners in the conference standings. With the Big 12 still not getting any respect from the CFP committee, a lot will be riding for these two proud football programs when they collide this coming weekend.
It’s bound to be a high-scoring affair, with Baylor and Oklahoma possessing some top-caliber offenses this season. The Sooners have been on fire the last four games, defeating Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas and Iowa State by a combined score of 232-50. They have scored at least 50 points in four straight games for the first time since 2008.
Baylor, on the other hand, leads the nation in scoring offense, total offense and passing efficiency this campaign. The Bears have their share of doubters, though, with freshman Jarrett Stidham suddenly thrust into the role of starting quarterback. He proved his worth, however, in their last game, throwing for 419 yards and three touchdowns in his first start against Kansas State.
He will play an integral role for the Bears, who have dominated the Sooners in their recent meetings. Baylor hammered Oklahoma, 48-14, in Norman last season and 41-12 two years ago.
Writer’s Prediction: Oklahoma (+2.5) stuns Baylor, 38-34.
Oregon Ducks vs. No. 7 Stanford Cardinal
Where: Stanford Stadium, Stanford
When: Saturday, November 14, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Oregon Ducks (+10) at Stanford Cardinal (-10) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
A mouth-watering encounter is on the Pac-12 card this coming Saturday as the Stanford Cardinal host the Oregon Ducks at Stanford Stadium. The Cardinal are flying high at the moment, winning their last eight games to climb up to seventh in the CFP rankings. Such is their form at the present time that they are 10-point favorites against Oregon for this weekend’s showdown.
This is only the second time in the Jim Harbaugh-David Shaw era that Stanford has been favored over Oregon (the other time was 2011). The Cardinal can clinch the Pac-12 North division and earn better positioning for a College Football Playoff berth with a victory on Saturday. That being said, the Cardinal will have their work cut out for them against an Oregon side that’s playing some excellent football of late.
Oregon’s 44-28 victory over California on Saturday was the Ducks’ third win in a row. The Ducks held highly-touted Cal quarterback Jared Goff to just 18-of-41 passing in that game. The Oregon secondary will need to replicate that performance against Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan, who holds the conference’s highest adjusted QBR this season.
Oregon and Stanford are 3-3 against each other since 2009.
Writer’s Prediction: Stanford defeats Oregon, 35-24, to cover the 10-point spread.
No. 1 Clemson Tigers vs. Syracuse Orange
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse
When: Saturday, November 14, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Clemson Tigers (-27.5) at Syracuse Orange (+27.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Clemson solidified its hold of the top spot in the CFP rankings with a 23-13 victory over the Florida State Seminoles. It was a crucial victory for the Tigers, who rose to No. 1 for the first time since they captured their lone national championship in 1981. DeShaun Watson was a beast for Clemson, accounting for 404 yards of offense, including a career-high 107 rushing yards.
The Tigers will now look to avoid missteps the rest of the way, beginning with their match against Syracuse this coming weekend. On paper, Syracuse does not look like much of challenge for a high-powered Clemson side. The Orange have given up at least 41 points in four of their past five defeats. They surrendered 34 consecutive points in a 41-17 loss to Louisville last Saturday for their sixth-consecutive defeat. In addition to that, the Tigers have defeated the Orange in each of the past two seasons, holding Clemson to a combined 20 points in those two games.
Writer’s Prediction: Clemson destroys Syracuse, 48-20, to cover the 27.5-point spread.
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