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Multiple highly ranked college football teams narrowly escaped defeats in Week 11, and the bottom half of the AP Top 25 is poised for a significant reshuffling following a series of upsets and close calls.
Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns secured a thrilling victory over LSU at Tiger Stadium, but the game was just one of many that tested the mettle of top programs.
Travel complications emerged as an unexpected adversary when the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop on Friday, canceling over 6,000 flights nationwide, including those carrying several top college football teams. The ground stop caused delays in kickoff times and even sparked a public dispute between Mississippi and Oklahoma over the specifics of why their SEC matchup was postponed to Sunday afternoon.
However, adversity was not confined to pregame travel. On the field, teams from Utah to Texas to Indiana to Alabama all survived close scares in their respective contests. Combined with a fair amount of chaos in the lower half of the Top 25, the AP poll is set for a shakeup. The new rankings are scheduled for release at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, also delayed by the travel disruption.
After Georgia's road loss to Auburn three weeks ago, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart expressed confidence that his team would get back on track. Smart's optimism has been validated, as Georgia has since won three consecutive games against conference opponents by a combined margin of 117-36. The Bulldogs' latest SEC triumph came in a 48-21 home rout of Missouri, where the tone was set on the Tigers' very first offensive play. Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons was intercepted by Raylen Wilson, who returned the ball to the Tigers' 7-yard line. Georgia quickly capitalized with a Nate Frazier touchdown and added scoring drives on its next four possessions. The Bulldogs' offense continued to generate explosive plays through the air and on the ground, while the defense limited the SEC's eighth-ranked rushing attack to just 3.2 yards per carry. A win next week against South Carolina would essentially guarantee Georgia a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame faced a potential letdown against Boston College but quickly dispelled any doubts with a nine-play, 66-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession, featuring heavy involvement from Nolan James Jr. and a 26-yard scoring strike from CJ Carr. The Fighting Irish running game was both physical and explosive, averaging nearly seven yards per carry. Carr has been playing quarterback as well as anyone in the nation, throwing for seven touchdowns and just one interception in his last three games. Defensively, Notre Dame stonewalled Boston College's running game, recorded four sacks, and consistently disrupted the Eagles' backfield. Marcus Freeman's squad is riding high heading into a home matchup with SMU.
Utah encountered numerous obstacles in its game against Arizona, including a travel delay to Tucson caused by Friday's FAA ground stop. The Utes fell into an early 14-3 hole, but quarterback Devon Dampier, as he has often done this season, took over. Dampier led two touchdown drives capped by his own rushing scores to give Utah a 17-14 lead. The teams traded blows thereafter, and while Dampier and the Utes were far from perfect offensively—turning the ball over three times—the signal-caller delivered a Heisman-worthy moment late in the fourth quarter: a 70-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to wideout Creed Whittemore. The Utes' defense, despite allowing over 400 yards of total offense and 39 points at that stage, stood tall to force a turnover on downs, allowing Dampier and the offense to seal the game. Running back Daniel Bray rushed for 197 yards with Wayshawn Parker compromised by injury. Utah remains undefeated and has answered every challenge the Big 12 has presented.
UCLA remained undefeated thanks in part to Ty Dieffenbach, who overcame an injury to lead the Bruins past Illinois. In rainy conditions at the Rose Bowl, Dieffenbach opened the scoring with a 54-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Mizell. The Bruins and Fighting Illini traded unsuccessful drives, and with UCLA leading 10-0, Dieffenbach suffered an elbow injury after landing awkwardly on a sack just before halftime. The injury forced backup Madden Iamaleava into action, and his two second-half drives resulted in a punt and a turnover on downs as Illinois scored to cut the deficit to 12-7. Then, in a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood script, Dieffenbach jogged out of the locker room to roaring applause and led a touchdown drive, completing all five of his pass attempts to give the Bruins breathing room. UCLA's defense continued to dominate, producing three turnovers, two sacks, five tackles for loss, and a safety. Credit also goes to the Bruins' embattled fan base for showing up in droves despite the poor weather.
Former Duke players Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate made sure their new team, Miami, didn't miss what they once had. Mensah, poised under pressure from the Blue Devils defense, continued his Heisman campaign by throwing for 382 yards and a touchdown to a receiving corps without Malachi Toney, led by Barkate's 134 yards on eight receptions. In the absence of Toney and Mark Fletcher Jr., freshman halfback Javian Mallory stepped up with three touchdowns, two from 30-plus yards out. It wasn't a banner day for the Miami defense, especially against Duke star Nate Sheppard, but the Hurricanes got stops in the third and fourth quarters, each preceding touchdown drives. Life without Toney hasn't been easy, but Miami remains in the driver's seat in the ACC with games against Virginia Tech and Boston College on the horizon.
Indiana, under head coach Curt Cignetti, once again found a way to win, this time against USC. With starter Josh Hoover seemingly still hurting, Cignetti turned to backup Grant Wilson, who made big-time plays and averaged 11.3 yards per attempt despite some errant throws. Wilson's 42-yard dagger touchdown pass to Charlie Becker was a perfect strike. The backbone of the team, the defense, sealed the deal in the fourth quarter with two of its three takeaways. Isaiah Jones's interception of Jayden Maiava in the red zone not only prevented a potential game-tying touchdown but was an incredible instinctual play in which Jones read the quarterback's eyes and streaked across the field. Cignetti's team delivered once again, and the Hoosiers may have no choice but to move back up in the rankings after dropping five spots following their bye week.
Week 11 provided a redemption opportunity for Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who after leading a touchdown drive on the Longhorns' first possession, threw three interceptions and struggled against a fierce LSU pass rush for much of the night. But Manning began to get the ball out quicker and made crucial plays, including three third-down conversions and a game-winning touchdown pass on a beautifully designed play from Sarkisian. None of it would have been possible without the Texas defense, which again proved its championship caliber. Defensive back Jelani McDonald intercepted LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt three times in the red zone, stalling three Tigers drives. In the fourth quarter, the Longhorns forced punts on all four LSU possessions to keep the deficit at five points and ultimately give Manning a chance to win. It wasn't pretty, but it was gritty in the toughest road environment in the sport.
Tennessee had numerous reasons to fall victim to an SEC hangover after its decisive win over Kentucky last week. The FAA ground stop, two injured starters, and a tough road environment at Kyle Field all could have been excuses. But the Volunteers, despite an inefficient passing attack, churned out 196 hard-earned rushing yards while holding Texas A&M to just 179 yards of offense and creating two takeaways. The real MVP for Tennessee, besides their travel support staff, was kicker Cooper Ranvier, who connected on all five of his field goal attempts when the offense stalled in Aggies territory.
Alabama, the College Football Playoff committee's golden child propped up by its nation-leading strength of schedule, narrowly avoided an ironic loss to Vanderbilt, arguably its easiest game of the year outside of next week's matchup with Chattanooga. With a hobbled Keelon Russell at quarterback and perhaps dealing with a hangover from Friday's delayed travel, the Crimson Tide offense was held scoreless in the first quarter for the third time this season. Vanderbilt took a 3-0 lead with a field goal with 4:13 remaining in the first half, but Alabama took total control from that point. Russell threw three touchdown passes, and the defense swarmed the Commodores in a dominant performance. Unsung heroes included running back Daniel Hill and defensive back Dijon Lee Jr. Alabama not only continued its march to the CFP but also exorcised demons from its last trip to Nashville, a 40-35 defeat.
SMU, a slight home favorite over Wake Forest, was expected by many to end the Demon Deacons' winning streak. Instead, Wake Forest overwhelmed the Mustangs with physicality, rushing for 286 yards and holding SMU to just 4.4 yards per play. Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez is a candidate for most underappreciated signal-caller in the country, while coach Jake Dickert delivered a candidate for quote of the year: 'We're not finished with them yet,' Dickert said during a halftime interview while leading 42-0. 'We came for 60 minutes, and they've got nowhere to hide.'
Key Analysis
The AP Top 25 is set for a significant reshuffling after Week 11, with several top teams surviving close calls and others in the lower half suffering upsets. Indiana and Texas both escaped with wins but may see their rankings adjusted, while Georgia, Notre Dame, Utah, UCLA, Miami, Tennessee, Alabama, and Wake Forest all strengthened their resumes. The delayed poll release adds an element of uncertainty, but the performances on the field have clearly separated the contenders from the pretenders as the season enters its final stretch.
Originally reported by headtopics.