Skip to content

Viewer's guide to Week 11: Can't-miss matchups, potential upsets, and more

Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Welcome to the best week of the college football regular season.

How lucky are we? There are only seven undefeated teams left at the FBS level. Four square off against each other Saturday. Don't make any plans between noon and 8 p.m. because Penn State-Minnesota and LSU-Alabama deserve your attention.

And those are far from the only interesting games on the schedule.

theScore is here to guide your viewing experience. Here's our look at the can't-miss matchups, under-the-radar games, and potential upsets for Week 11 (all times ET).

The early slate

Must-watch: No. 4 Penn State at No. 17 Minnesota (noon, ABC)

Minnesota's Tanner Morgan ranks seventh nationally in quarterback rating. Hannah Foslien / Getty Images

Of the seven remaining undefeated teams, Minnesota was ranked the lowest in the initial College Football Playoff Top 25. The Golden Gophers lack impressive wins but have a chance to nab one against the also-undefeated Penn State.

The matchups between quarterbacks and pass defenses should be fun to watch. Minnesota's Tanner Morgan is one of only seven signal-callers averaging 10-plus yards per attempt. The Nittany Lions feature one of the most dynamic receivers in the country in KJ Hamler (37 receptions, 620 yards). Both defenses rank inside the top 20 in yards per pass attempt allowed. Antoine Winfield Jr. has five of Minnesota's 11 interceptions this year.

Has potential: No. 12 Baylor at TCU (noon, FS1)

Baylor is undefeated, but TCU has won four consecutive games against the Bears. Brian Bahr / Getty Images

Here's a game with sneaky-good potential. Baylor is aiming to improve to 9-0 before hosting Oklahoma next week. But the Bears can't look past a TCU team coming off a victory over Texas.

Baylor avoided an upset last Thursday by notching a narrow 17-14 win over West Virginia in Waco. The Bears hold an advantage at quarterback, as Charlie Brewer has thrown only three interceptions in 222 pass attempts.

Upset alert: Western Kentucky at Arkansas (noon, SEC Network)

Arkansas' last win came on Sept. 14. Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Arkansas is only a 1.5-point favorite at home against Western Kentucky, which tells you all you need to know about its season.

The Razorbacks have lost six consecutive games, including a 54-24 defeat at home to Mississippi State last week. At 2-7, Arkansas might need to win Saturday to avoid a 10-loss season.

Western Kentucky has been one of the country's most improved teams this season, entering the weekend 5-4 after going 3-9 a year ago. But the Hilltoppers are coming off consecutive losses.

Keep an eye on: Florida State at Boston College (noon, ACC Network)

AJ Dillon has two games of 200-plus yards in the last three weeks. Brett Carlsen / Getty Images

Odell Haggins has taken over as Florida State's interim head coach following Willie Taggart's dismissal. With an FCS team still on the schedule, the Seminoles could all but lock up a bowl berth by defeating Boston College.

Easier said than done, though. The Eagles looked unstoppable a week ago in a 58-27 win over Syracuse, rushing for 496 yards. Six-foot, 250-pound junior AJ Dillon has 1,286 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. Boston College would clinch bowl eligibility with a victory.

Midafternoon

Must-watch: No. 2 LSU at No. 3 Alabama (3:30 p.m., CBS)

Tua Tagovailoa sat out Alabama's game against Arkansas two weeks ago. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

The game of the year - and, potentially, a national championship preview.

In 2011, Alabama and LSU met twice, with the Crimson Tide losing in the regular season and winning 21-0 in the national title game. No matter which team wins on Saturday, the loser could still find its way into the College Football Playoff, especially if the game remains close.

It's the biggest game of quarterback Joe Burrow's career, as he enters play as one of two FBS quarterbacks with 30 touchdown passes. Burrow has a chance to create a Heisman moment on the road at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Of course, all eyes will be on Tua Tagovailoa, who is slated to return from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him against Arkansas. Alabama has won eight consecutive contests against LSU, a streak that began with the national championship game.

Has potential: No. 16 Kansas State at Texas (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

Kansas State has rebounded from an 0-2 start in Big 12 play with three consecutive wins. Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Prior to the season, Texas was picked to finish second in the Big 12 and garnered nine of 77 first-place votes in the media poll. Kansas State was expected to finish second to last.

Now, in the second week of November, the Longhorns are unranked and reeling, having lost three games. Kansas State, meanwhile, would be the surprise of the conference if not for Baylor.

The Wildcats enter Austin on a three-game roll, including a 48-41 win over Oklahoma two weeks ago. They haven't won on Texas' turf since 2011, and they're a touchdown underdog for this one, but Chris Klieman's team is playing as well as any in the Big 12. It'll try to take advantage of a Texas pass defense that has allowed 12 touchdowns over its last four games.

Upset alert: No. 18 Iowa at No. 13 Wisconsin (4 p.m., FOX)

Ohio State bottled up Jonathan Taylor, limiting him to 52 yards on 20 carries. Jamie Sabau / Getty Images

Twenty-eight days will have passed between Wisconsin's last win and Saturday's kickoff in Madison.

Just a few weeks ago, the Badgers looked like legitimate playoff contenders but are coming off consecutive losses to Illinois and Ohio State. Alarmingly, Wisconsin averaged just 3.1 yards per carry in the two defeats.

Can Jonathan Taylor and Co. get back on track against Iowa? The Hawkeyes are 0-2 against ranked opponents and 6-0 versus everyone else. The winner will have a chance to claim the Big Ten West if Minnesota falters down the stretch.

Keep an eye on: USC at Arizona State (3:30 p.m., ABC)

Herm Edwards' team has lost two in a row. Christian Petersen / Getty Images

USC and Arizona State are two teams that have, at various points, spent time in the top 25. But both are looking to rebound from tough losses.

Last time out, Oregon torched the Trojans, 56-24. Arizona State lost 42-32 to a surging UCLA. Both teams have fallen out of the Pac-12 title race.

Still, it's worth watching to get a glimpse of two quarterbacks who could win the Pac-12 in 2020: USC freshmen Kedon Slovis and Arizona State's Jayden Daniels.

Evening

Must-watch: Iowa State at No. 9 Oklahoma (8 p.m., FOX)

Oklahoma is 75-6-2 all-time against Iowa State. Peter G. Aiken / Getty Images

Two years ago, in a game that got things rolling for Matt Campbell, Iowa State went to Norman and won for the first time in 27 years.

But the outlook for the Cyclones' prime-time kickoff isn't very favorable. This time, hey face an Oklahoma team that has had two weeks to stew over a loss to Kansas State. The Sooners know they have no margin for error the rest of the season, so they should be locked in.

The Cyclones are also coming off a loss against Oklahoma State. Quarterback Brock Purdy will look to bounce back from his first career three-interception game.

Has potential: Missouri at No. 6 Georgia (7 p.m., ESPN)

Jake Fromm will try to improve to 3-0 against Missouri on Saturday. Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Coming into 2019, Missouri was a trendy third choice in the SEC East behind Georgia and Florida but the wheels have fallen off in the last two weeks. The Tigers are coming off consecutive losses at Vanderbilt and Kentucky. They allowed 297 rushing yards in a 29-7 loss to the Wildcats two weeks ago.

Georgia finds itself still very much in the playoff race after a 24-17 victory over rival Florida last week. The Bulldogs would reach the SEC title game by winning out and, if they defeated the SEC West champion, would be a near-lock to be among the Final Four.

Upset alert: Appalachian State at South Carolina (7 p.m., ESPN2)

Appalachian State's run game, led by Darrynton Evans, averages 5.6 yards per carry. Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Had Appalachian State been able to avoid the upset last week, Saturday's trip to South Carolina would have New Year's Six bowl implications. But the Mountaineers' loss to Georgia Southern led to their exclusion from the College Football Playoff's Top 25.

Instead, Eliah Drinkwitz's team will simply be looking to defeat a second Power-5 opponent this season. Appalachian State went to Chapel Hill in September and came out with a 34-31 win over North Carolina.

At 4-5, South Carolina almost certainly needs a win Saturday to keep its bowl hopes alive. The Gamecocks close the season with a road trip to Texas A&M and a home game against No. 5 Clemson; they'll be underdogs in both.

Keep an eye on: No. 15 Notre Dame at Duke (7:30 p.m., ACC Network)

Freshman Kyle Hamilton leads Notre Dame with three interceptions. Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

It's been a struggle for Notre Dame lately. The Fighting Irish narrowly defeated Virginia Tech last week, 21-20, after losing by 31 to Michigan the week before. Now, Brian Kelly's squad travels to Duke to face the inconsistent Blue Devils.

Over a five-game stretch from Sept. 7 to Oct. 12, Duke averaged 40.4 points per contest. It defeated Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, making itself a player in the wide-open ACC Coastal. But in their last two games, the Blue Devils were outscored 68-31 in defeats to Virginia and North Carolina.

After dark

Has potential: Wyoming at No. 22 Boise State (10:15 p.m., ESPN)

Boise State is 12-1 all-time against Wyoming. Loren Orr / Getty Images

Boise State has to like where it's at.

Though the Broncos lost to BYU two weeks ago, the initial CFP rankings indicate they aren't out of the New Year's Six picture yet. Boise State is one spot behind Memphis and two behind Cincinnati in the race to be the Group of 5's top team.

The good news for the Broncos? Cincinnati and Memphis still have to play each other. And they could face off twice, with a potential rematch in the conference championship game. If the teams at the top of the AAC beat each other up, Boise State could be there to capitalize.

The Broncos could get a game from Wyoming, which improved to 6-2 with a win over Nevada two weeks ago. The Cowboys are a complete wild card in this game, though, after quarterback Sean Chambers sustained a season-ending knee injury. His backup, Tyler Vander Waal, started most of last season but has only attempted 16 passes in 2019.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox