In a season full of upsets, Week 11 was a return to normal as the top 10 did not lose a game.
Georgia secured a spot in the SEC title game with a comfortable win against Mississippi State, while LSU won the SEC West with a win over Arkansas.
In the Big Ten, Ohio State and Michigan kept perfect seasons alive against inferior conference opponents as it appears the two age-old rivals are set to meet.
The Pac-12's playoff hopes took a hit as Washington beat Oregon late in the game.
The playoffs are only two weeks away, so it's a good time to check out this week's power rankings.
Kirby Smart said he wouldn't think about playing LSU in the SEC Championship game until after the Georgia game. Smart said his team will be focused on the Kentucky and Georgia Tech games. The game was close in the first half, but Mississippi State couldn't keep up with the pace of the game. Georgia's defense limited State to just 47 rushing yards, and quarterback Stetson Bennett threw for 891 yards with four touchdown and one rushing. Mississippi State was 0-for-4 on fourth down.
Next up is at Kentucky on Saturday. The program is hosted by CBS.
In Georgia's 45-19 win over Mississippi State, Bennett ran for four scores and threw for three more.
Injuries and a schedule with very few real challenges have been the story for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Miyan Williams was carted off the field with a leg injury after rushing for over 150 yards. Freshman Dallan Hayden had his first career 100 yard rushing performance, which was the best news for Ohio State. The last Big Ten team to score at least 45 points in a row at home was Michigan in 1903.
Next up is at Maryland on Saturday. The ABC/ESPN app is available on the App Store.
The team went 10-0 on the season. Since 1975, Michigan has started the season with a perfect record three times. The running back has been carrying the load for Michigan and he came through against Nebraska with over 150 yards rushing and a touchdown. Over the past 15 seasons, three Big Ten players have at least one rushing touchdown in their team's first 10 games. The Michigan defense held Nebraska to 146 total yards and no touchdown in the victory.
The next game is against Illinois on Saturday.
The Frogs went into Texas as 7.5-point favorites and were able to stop the Longhorns' star- studded offense. The Longhorns had 199 total yards, an average of 3.3 yards per play, and went 1-of-13 on third down. This was a statement that the committee was worried about the Frogs' defense. The Frogs have a chance to play in the Big 12 title game after finishing in the bottom half of the league a year ago.
Next stop is at Baylor.
Tennessee came roaring back from its only loss of the season with a 66-24 thumping of Missouri on Saturday, just one day after Hooker said farewell to the stadium. Hooker, who was sacked six times last week in a 27-13 loss to Georgia, ran for a touchdown on Senior Day. The Vols racked up a school-record 724 yards of total offense against a Missouri defense that was ranked 13th in the nation. They had not allowed more than 26 points in their previous seven games. Tennessee scored 38 unanswered points in the third quarter to complete its first perfect season at home in seven years.
Next is at South Carolina on Saturday. The app is available on the Disney/ESPN website.
A week after putting up 32 points in an overtime win against Alabama, LSU relied on its defense Saturday to beat Arkansas 13-10 and win the SEC Western Division. The Razorbacks were playing without their starting quarterback, and the Tigers were able to take full advantage by holding them to 249 total yards. Harold Perkins Jr. set a school record with four sacks and two forced turnovers. Coming into the game, Daniels had been red hot, but he didn't play as well as he would have liked. Daniels was sacked seven times.
The next game is against UAB on Saturday. The app is available on the internet and on the app store.
USC had nothing to gain in its game against Colorado. It's expected to win large. It is concerning. The Trojans got some of both. They trailed at the end of the first quarter, but went on to win. There isn't a lot to read into beyond that. It wouldn't have been easy to watch that game and think better of the USC.
Next up is at UCLA.
It wasn't a pretty win at Ole Miss and it was a lot closer than anyone on the Alabama sideline wanted it to be. No one ended the night by storming the field in celebration after the Tide held on to the lead late in the game. The defense bounced back after a rough first half to shut down the Ole Miss running game and give up only one second half touchdown.
The next game is against Austin Peay.
The tigers bounced back from their loss to Notre Dame with a 31-16 win over Louisville thanks to a dominant performance on the ground by Phil Mafah, Will Shipley and DJ Uiagalelei. The Cards were unable to score points off of any of the turnovers as the Tigers defense played better than a week ago. The 39-game home winning streak is the second-longest in the history of the college game.
The next game is against Miami. The app is available on the Disney/ESPN website.
The Louisville defender is jumped over by Will Shipley.
Drake Maye threw for a career-high 448 yards and three touchdown to lead the Tar Heels to a 36-34 victory over Wake Forest and a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. It's the fourth- highest single-game total in school history. He scored a touchdown and ran for 71 yards. The Tar Heels have the highest away win total in school history this season. During this 9-1 start, the Tar Heels need a fourth-quarter comeback to win.
The next game is against Georgia Tech. The app is available on the internet and on the app store.
The dreams of the Duck's are no longer alive. Dan Lanning's decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 with a minute and a half to go could haunt him. TheDucks went for it from their own 33, only to be stuffed. Washington kicked the game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter.
The next game is against Utah on Saturday at 10:30pm. The app is available on the Disney/ESPN website.
A slow start for the Utes gave way to a big win. Utah scored 42 unanswered points after the Cardinal had a 7-1 lead. It was powered by a 180-yard rushing night from Tavion Thomas who added two touchdown. The Utes continued their march toward defending their Pac-12 title despite the fact that Cam Rising threw another pick up.
Next up is at Oregon on Saturday. The app is available on the Disney/ESPN website.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 408 yards and a pair of touchdown as the Huskies picked up their most impressive win of the season. It's a win that will hurt the Pac-12's playoff hopes, not that the Huskies will care in the least. The defense forced a field goal in the red zone late in the game and then came up with a stop on 4th-and-1 to set up the winning field goal.
Next up is Colorado.
The Nittany Lions defense played well in the win over Maryland. Tagovailoa had 74 yards passing and no turnovers. The Terps were held to 60 yards on the ground. The offense was able to put up points and give Penn State the win. Nick Singleton had 122 yards and two touchdown runs.
Next stop is at Rutgers.
Lane Kiffin is a big fan of that one. His team had it all figured out at the beginning. The defense was stout, the running game was firing on all cylinders, and the ball was being pushed down the field through the air by Jaxson Dart. Alabama was able to go on a 23-7 run during the final 30 minutes, 8 seconds of the game after a 10 point lead evaporated. Ole Miss had a chance to win the game, but couldn't.
The next one is at Arkansas on Saturday. The SEC Network is available on the SEC Network app.
Plumlee returned to the lineup and led the Knights to a 38-31 upset of the Green Wave. The Knights overwhelmed the Green Wave on the ground with a season-high 336 yards on the ground. The Knights were able to take control of the game in the first half because of their defense.
The next game is against Navy on Saturday. The app is available on the internet and on the app store.
The last few weeks have seen Chris Klieman's team alternating between top-five caliber and mediocre. Will Howard threw for 196 yards and three scores off the bench, and K-State dominated third and fourth down to cruise to a 31-3 win over the Bears. The Bears had been on a nice run, but they lost the key plays and fell to 3-7. With two weeks to go in the conference season, they're a game up on Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M.
Next is at West Virginia on Saturday. There is an hour and a half on the ESPYS.
The Bruins ran out of steam on the final drive of the game against Arizona. The offense that had vaulted them to wins over Utah and Washington this season couldn't dig itself out of the hole created by the defense. The Cats went up 14-0 in the first quarter and then scored 13 in the final quarter. The Bruins are long shots to get into the conference title game.
Next up is USC.
The Irish appeared to avoid a post-Clemson hangover against Navy as they surged to a 35-13 halftime lead behind a near-flawless performance by quarterback Drew Pyne. Navy dominated Notre Dame in the second half and held the Irish to just 2 net yards and 66 rushing yards. Pyne had 35 passing yards in the second half, but Notre Dame held on to win its fourth consecutive game.
The next game is against Boston College. The program is hosted by NBC.
Drew Pyne runs for an 11 yard touchdown.
After sneaking into the top 25 this past week, the FSU did more than prove that they deserved it against Syracuse on Saturday. For the third game in a row, Florida State's offense got off to a roaring start, scoring 24 points in the first half while its defense dominated the Orange, holding them to a measly three total points. Syracuse coughed up 160 total yards on offense and only 65 over the air, while the Noles put up 410 yards of their own. It was a dominating affair from start to finish for Mike Norvell's team, which seems to have found its stride after three losses in a row.
The next game is against Louisiana.
UCF ran its way to a 38-31 victory over the Green Wave on Saturday. The Green Wave's defense gave up a season-high 336 rushing yards, with the Knights senior quarterback accounting for 179 and two scores. Green Wave junior running back Tyjae Spears went over the century mark for the fourth week in a row and quarterback Michael Pratt had four touchdown passes.
The next game is against SMU. The app is available on the Disney/ESPN website.
There were some big plays early and late. After learning that their star quarterback would be out for a few weeks with an injury, Coastal Carolina played two different quarterbacks and survived a 26-23 battle with Southern Miss by bolting to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. The Chants won the Sun Belt East title with a pair of fourth-down stops in the final minutes.
Next up is at Virginia on Saturday. There is an hour and a half on the ESPYS.
Despite being outgained by East Carolina by a wide margin, Cincinnati's title hopes are still alive. Ryan Coe kicked a 21-yard field goal with 9:42 left in the game to give the Bearcats the win. Cincinnati kicked into gear after Jadon Thompson's 100 yard return for a touchdown. Bryant connected with Tucker and Scott for long first-half scores.
On Saturday, 4 p.m., we'll be at Temple. The app is available for both the ESPN app and the ESPNU app.
Coming off a three-point loss to a Washington team that beat Oregon this week, the OSU's took out their frustration on a sinking Cal team, beating them 38-10 thanks to a strong performance from quarterback Ben Gulbranson. Since replacing starting quarterback Chance Nolan this season, Gulbranson has thrown two touchdown passes and run for another. Oregon State has lost by a field goal in all but one of their games this season. The ability to bounce back from a loss is a glimpse into the kind of program Jonathan Smith has created.
Next up: at Arizona State. The app is available on the internet and on the app store.
Troy was able to move to 8-2 on Saturday with a 10-9 win over Army. Down 9-0 at halftime, the Trojans inched back into the game and took the lead on Tez Johnson's touchdown pass with eight minutes left, but missed the field goal that would have tied the game. The winning margin was provided byMaretzki missing a PAT. This wasn't the best game of the year, but they can't all be pretty.
The next game is against the University of Louisiana Monroe. There is an hour and a half on the Disney+ channel.
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