Week 11 brings conference matchups that will help decide which teams will have a chance for their conference championship and which won’t.
Starting in the Big Ten, the game of the week. Michigan heads to State College to face Penn State. Michigan will get to prove the doubters wrong, who say that they haven’t played a good team, and Penn State will get to help themselves after losing to Ohio State in week 8.
The key to the game is Michigan’s rushing offense against Penn State’s rushing defense. Penn State has the 2nd best run defense in FBS and looks to limit the Wolverines. Penn State also looks to convert on explosive plays against Michigan, something they couldn’t do against Ohio State.
Moving to the SEC, Georgia faces off against Ole Miss. Ole Miss is coming off of a big win over Texas A&M. Ole Miss is 2nd in the SEC West Behind Alabama, while Georgia is 1st in the SEC East. This game is very important for both teams. Ole Miss is arguably the best offense that Georgia will face to date, providing a good test for the Georgia team, which fought off Missouri this past week.
The key to the game is that Ole Miss has to limit deep shots for Georgia. They also have to trust Jaxson Dart. With the likes of Lane Kiffin, an excellent offensive mind, if it comes down to one player who can change the outcome of this game, it’s Jaxson Dart. He’s shown that he isn’t afraid of the spotlight, and he’s also willing to run through defenders for first downs. Whatever it takes to win, Dart will do his best. Quinshon Judkins and Jordan Watkins are the two best skill players for Ole Miss, and they will be relied upon to impact the game.
To the Pac-12, Utah heads to Seattle to face off against Washington. The Utes come off an impressive 55-3 victory over Arizona St. Washington comes off a win over USC 52-42. This is a game similar to the Washington/Oregon game that is very impactful in the Pac-12 championship race. Washington looks to stay undefeated, and Utah looks to fight, like they always do, and make this a game.
Keys to the game: Utah has to limit the time of possession. Washington is bad against the run at 120th in FBS, and Utah runs it well at 44th in FBS. Bryson Barnes, Utah QB, must show Washington that he can throw the ball well. They will pack the box with 6-7 defenders to stop the run, where Barnes needs to attack. If Utah runs the ball well, don’t be surprised if this is a low-scoring game, with Utah making it close come the end.
Also, in the Pac-12, USC will head to Eugene to face off against Oregon. USC comes off a loss against Washington, and with a recently vacated defensive coordinator spot, it will be a tough go. Caleb Williams has done what he can, but their defense ranks 100th in all major defensive categories. Keys for the game: USC needs to figure out a way to limit Bucky Irving. He is one of the most dynamic RBs in all of college football. Just last game, USC gave up over 300 yards on the ground to a team that doesn’t run it all that well. Oregon is much more of a trenches-based offense, so USC will have its hands full. Bo Nix looks to continue his solid year for Oregon, potentially playing his way into the Heisman race.
Other notable games are Florida St/Miami, Missouri/Tennessee, and Oklahoma St/UCF. UNC/Duke is also a good game because of the rivalry as basketball programs. Both teams have shown they are solid football schools as well. This rivalry will become an important one in the ACC race in the coming years.
Picks for these games will come Thursday or Friday, so be on the lookout for those.
