College Football: Top 5 Games to Watch in Week 11
Week 11 will be the most important week of the 2014 College Football season with six matchups between ranked teams, along with conference and national title hopes on the line.
The Big Ten East representative for the conference championship game will more than likely be decided when No. 14 Ohio State travels to face off with No. 8 Michigan State in a heavyweight matchup. The loser will probably be eliminated from the College Football Playoff race.
The Big 12 may have the biggest weekend of them all. No. 12 Baylor heads to No. 15 Oklahoma, where it will hope to come away with its first win in Norman ever. The other Big 12 contest could decide who wins the conference title and stays in the national title picture when No. 7 Kansas State travels south to Fort Worth, Texas, to battle it out with No. 6 TCU.
With teams looking to stay in contention for the national title, 10th-ranked Notre Dame will need a win at a surging ninth-ranked Arizona State squad if it has any chance of making a case of moving into a spot in the Top Four.
There, of course, must be one high-profile SEC matchup per week. In what has become the biggest SEC game of the season since Nick Saban came to Tuscaloosa, No. 5 Alabama will have the difficult task of knocking off an improving No. 16 LSU team in Death Valley.
In what will be a playoff-type environment in the college football world this Saturday, here are the top five games to watch.
No. 12 Baylor at No. 15 Oklahoma
1 of 5
No. 12 Baylor at No. 15 Oklahoma, Noon ET, Fox Sports 1
Both teams were expected to come into this contest undefeated at the beginning of the season; now they’re just trying to stay competitive in what has become a tight Big 12 race.
Baylor bounced back with a 60-14 blowout home win against Kansas last week, after it was upset on the road at West Virginia 41-27 on Oct. 18. The Bears are back in the thick of things regarding a second consecutive conference title, but they must win in Norman, which has never been done in the program’s history.
An advantage for Baylor is its explosive Air Raid offense, which is averaging 349 passing yards and 50.4 points per game.
Senior quarterback Bryce Petty is coming off a 277-yard, three-touchdown performance. He will look to give a struggling Oklahoma secondary problems with a dangerous receiving corps consisting of KD Cannon, Corey Coleman and Antwan Goodley. Shock Linwood, who is second in the Big 12 with 777 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, should provide help for Petty in the backfield.
While Baylor has a solid chance to at least tie for a conference championship if it stays at one loss, Oklahoma is already sitting with two losses and is in a difficult position to win its second Big 12 title in three years.
The Sooners suffered two losses to conference title contenders TCU and Kansas State by a combined five points because of missed opportunities. Another loss would take them completely out of contention.
Quarterback Trevor Knight threw for 230 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions against Iowa State in a 59-14 victory last weekend but will now be up against a much better Bears defense that is surrendering 21.9 points per game.
Knight will need a big game out of wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who is expected to play after he left last week’s game with a groin strain. Shepard has 957 yards and five touchdowns this season while also being a threat in the punt return game as well.
The offense will look for production from running backs Samaje Perine and Keith Ford, if he is available. Ford is listed as probable; he sat out the last five games with a broken right fibula he suffered against Tennessee on Sept. 13.
Oklahoma defensively is going to have the task of keeping Baylor off the scoreboard, and it could turn into a nightmare for a Sooners secondary that gives up 265.8 passing yards per game (108th in the country). Art Briles’ Bears have had recent success against Oklahoma by winning two of the last three meetings and should be able to go into Norman and get a critical win.
Prediction: Baylor 35, Oklahoma 31
No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 9 Arizona State
2 of 5
No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 9 Arizona State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
This nonconference matchup between 10th-ranked Notre Dame and ninth-ranked Arizona State has turned into one of the most hyped games of the weekend.
It could be the Fighting Irish’s final opportunity to prove that they should be chosen to play in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Their best win so far was a close 17-14 victory over Stanford, who was manhandled by current No. 4 Oregon 45-16 last week. While a win over Arizona State may still not put Notre Dame in the Top Four, a loss would put it out of contention for sure.
The Fighting Irish were in for a surprise last week when their matchup with longtime rival Navy turned into a 49-39 shootout. Quarterback Everett Golson, who accounted for an impressive 315 passing yards and six total touchdowns, will again be relied upon to have the same type of performance Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore running back Tarean Folston has become a valuable part of the offense as of late. He has contributed 367 yards and three touchdowns in the Fighting Irish’s last three games. They’ll be up against a Sun Devils defense that has recently been dominating opposing offenses.
With much of the focus being on quarterback Taylor Kelly's return to lead the offense the last two games, he’s passed for just 385 yards and three touchdowns.
The defense, led by safety Damarious Randall, has allowed only 12 points per game in their last three games. Arizona State was also strong against the run in those three games by surrendering an average of 137 rushing yards.
Notre Dame will get all it can handle against a rising Arizona State program that is in position to win its second straight Pac-12 South title. Wide receiver Jaelen Strong (821 yards, eight TDs) will give the Fighting Irish defense trouble for most of the game, but Arizona State will fall in the end when Golson makes big plays in the fourth quarter to help his team knock off the Sun Devils for a second straight year.
Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Arizona State 31
No. 7 Kansas State at No. 6 TCU
3 of 5
No. 7 Kansas State at No. 6 TCU, 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox
If Baylor loses to Oklahoma, this could be the Big 12 Championship Game that decides who potentially represent the conference in the College Football Playoff. In two drastically different styles of football, the Wildcats and Horned Frogs will battle it out Saturday night in Fort Worth, Texas.
Seventh-ranked Kansas State has yet to lose a game in Big 12 play, but it will have its biggest challenge since a nonconference meeting with Auburn on Sept. 18, when it lost 20-14. A balanced Wildcats offense will look to wear down a TCU defense that is currently giving up 22.6 points per game.
Senior quarterback Jake Waters' play on Saturday night will be the difference-maker in Kansas State competing in this game or not. He has 1,878 passing yards, 404 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns and will need to make plays with his legs as well as get the ball into the hands of his playmakers Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton. Lockett and Sexton have combined for 1,291 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
TCU heads into Saturday’s showdown following a 31-30 win at then-No. 20 West Virginia on a game-winning field goal. Junior quarterback Trevone Boykin didn’t have the game many had anticipated last week, but he is among the best in the country right now, accounting for 2,472 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also continues to lead a dangerous offensive attack that is averaging 48 points per game.
Boykin must get solid play out of his receiving corps with running back B.J. Catalon out with an upper-body injury. The Horned Frogs will be up against a stingy Kansas State defense. Defensive end Ryan Mueller leads a defense that is giving up 18.6 points per game and only 100.9 rushing yards per game.
Bill Snyder’s squad must control the tempo and avoid turning the ball over to a TCU defense that has forced 26 turnovers this season. Kansas State has won both matchups against the Horned Frogs since they joined the conference, but will it be able to keep up with an offense that knows how to score points?
In what will be one of the most important games of the day, the Wildcats go in and get a hard-fought victory to take control of the Big 12.
Prediction: Kansas State 38, TCU 34
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 5 Alabama at No. 16 LSU
4 of 5
No. 5 Alabama at No. 16 LSU, 8 p.m. ET, CBS
It continues to be one of the biggest games of the year in not only the SEC but in college football. Fifth-ranked Alabama is within striking distance of the No. 4 spot of the College Football Playoff rankings, while 16th-ranked LSU is hoping to defeat the hated Crimson Tide for the first time in three years and stay in the SEC West race.
Nick Saban has his team hitting on all cylinders with three straight wins after losing to No. 11 Ole Miss 23-17 on Oct. 4. Quarterback Blake Sims has played well by passing for 2,034 yards and 15 touchdowns so far this season. Sims, though, must deal with a hostile Death Valley atmosphere, as well as face a physical LSU defense that is giving up only 15.9 points per game (fourth in the country).
Sims must rely on star wide receiver Amari Cooper, who has 17 receptions for 364 yards and four touchdowns in Alabama’s last two games. The Crimson Tide are expected to have T.J. Yeldon in the backfield in what should be a pound-it-out-on-the-ground type of game. Yeldon, who has been battling a foot injury, helped knock off LSU the last time Alabama visited Baton Rouge on a game-winning 28-yard reception from then-starting quarterback A.J. McCarron.
With Alabama looking to contend for its fourth national championship in six years, LSU is seeking to spoil any chance the Crimson Tide have of making the College Football Playoff. The Tigers have bounced back since being blown out by Auburn on Oct. 4. A 10-7 victory over then-No. 3 Ole Miss two weeks ago tested Les Miles’ team.
The LSU ground attack has played a big part in the offense as of late by averaging 254 yards in the last three games with true freshman Leonard Fournette and senior Terrence Magee. Fournette currently has 657 yards and seven touchdowns this season. However, the backs will face a Crimson Tide defense that is shutting opponents down to just 78.1 rushing yards per game.
In what should be a battle in the trenches, the outcome will be decided by which team can control the line of scrimmage and run the ball. Alabama comes away with a huge win at Tiger Stadium.
Prediction: Alabama 27, LSU 21
No. 14 Ohio State at No. 8 Michigan State
5 of 5
No. 14 Ohio State at No. 8 Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
A Saturday night Big Ten showdown in East Lansing will likely decide the conference's fate of competing for a national championship.
Ohio State heads in with revenge on its mind and a Big Ten East title in sight. The Buckeyes appeared to be on the way to their first BCS National Championship since 2007 last season until they were knocked off by the Spartans 34-24 in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Besides a scare at Penn State on Oct. 25, where Ohio State won in double overtime 31-24, OSU has been rolling over Big Ten opponents this season by an average of 28.8 points per game. The Buckeyes will be up against a stout Michigan State defense with a solid front seven.
It will be a J.T. Barrett-led offense, which is averaging 259.3 rushing yards per game, up against a Spartans defense that is holding opponents to 95.4 rushing yards per game. While Ezekiel Elliott has been solid in the backfield this season, Barrett will need to make plays with his arm and get the ball into the hands of wide receivers Michael Thomas and Devin Smith.
Like Ohio State, Michigan State’s offense will be up against a tough Buckeyes defensive line led by defensive end Joey Bosa. Junior quarterback Connor Cook continues to prove that he is an All-Big Ten player with 1,868 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Jeremy Langford (841 yards, 10 touchdowns) will look to help Cook in the backfield, while wide receiver Tony Lippett (889 yards, nine TDs) will look to challenge the Buckeyes secondary.
This is do-or-die time for Mark Dantonio’s squad if his team has any chance of finding its way into the College Football Playoff. Michigan State has a quality road loss to Oregon in early September, but it hasn’t had the strongest schedule, which means a loss to Ohio State would result in elimination.
Expect a physical defensive struggle between these two Big Ten title contenders, but the Spartans find a way to win late and take down the Buckeyes for the third time in four years.
Prediction: Michigan State 28, Ohio State 21
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
