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While everyone waits for the heavyweight bout next week between Ohio State and Michigan, that other B1G east division power will try to spoil the party when Penn State hosts the Wolverines.
The fact is, there are big games all across the college football landscape this week, so this article only scratches the surface.
This is the undercard to Ohio State-Michigan to determine if the Big Ten East is a two or three-team race.
For the first time this year, the Wolverines will play a ranked opponent. And with all due respect to this season’s nine opponents, this is the first time they’ll face a similarly talented roster. Michigan hasn’t even been tested, with the closest call being a 31-7 win over Rutgers. A trip to Happy Valley will shed more light on this team’s potential to win the conference and earn a playoff berth for a third straight year. Meanwhile, Penn State needs this game in the worst possible way. The Nittany Lions have already lost to Ohio State in a lackluster showing, and the current staff is 4-16 versus the Big Ten’s Big Two. The maligned offense has shown glimmers of hope recently, including a 51-point outburst last week at Maryland. Still, QB Drew Allar has a lot to prove, especially as Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy continues building his Maxwell Award resume.
Washington and Oregon appear to be on a collision course for a rematch in Las Vegas to decide the Pac-12 champ and a possible spot in the playoffs. However, Kyle Whittingham’s Utah squad should never be overlooked.
While it has not come easy of late, U-Dub now has the muscle memory for winning close games, the mark of a championship team. Its last five victories are by only an average of 7.4 points, including close calls with struggling Arizona State and Stanford. And while the defense is regressing, the Michael Penix-led offense is balanced and up to fourth nationally in scoring. Utah loves these spots. It’s a chance to drag a finesse opponent out of its comfort zone and into a brawl. The Utes, fresh off a bounce back, 52-point thumping of ASU, will play with nothing to lose in Seattle. They boast one of the league’s top defenses, and Bryson Barnes is showing signs of settling into his role as the starting quarterback.
Can anyone stop what appears to be another perfect regular season for Georgia?
South Carolina and Auburn pushed the Dawgs. Kentucky and Missouri arrived in Athens with upsets on their minds. But everyone has fallen short against the two-time defending national champs. It’s beginning to look as if the window to pick off the Bulldogs might be closing. Plus, they’ve played the last two games without their best player, TE Brock Bowers, yet the offense is getting better around QB Carson Beck. Now, it’s Ole Miss’ turn in the school’s first trip to Sanford Stadium in 11 years. The Rebels’ only loss was to Alabama on Sept. 23, so they’ll have to deliver the upset to remain in the SEC West race. Jaxson Dart, Lane Kiffin’s latest in a long line of playmaking quarterbacks, is quietly having a terrific season. He’s accounted for 23 touchdowns and only four picks, and he ranks among the nation’s leaders in passer rating and rushing production by a QB.
At an absolute minimum, this will be one of the most entertaining and high scoring games of Week 11. Oh, and upwardly mobile Oregon has been trucking opponents like a locomotive since losing to Washington on Oct. 14.
If the Ducks aren’t the best one-loss team in America, they’re in the discussion and squarely in the hunt for a Pac-12 title and playoff run. QB Bo Nix has been lights out, capped by a six-touchdown effort at the expense of Cal last weekend. Enter the hobbled USC defense, which has yielded at least 34 points in each of the last six games, three of which were losses. Defending Maxwell Award winner Caleb Williams continues to play his heart out in what is likely the final few games of his college career. It’s been 12 years since the Trojans have won in Eugene, which is still one of the loudest and toughest venues for visiting teams.
The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best offensive player with the Maxwell Award. Here’s a look at last week’s standout offensive players.
The Huskies have another playmaker who can pick up yards in chunks; just what the remaining opponents on Washington’s schedule need. Johnson had more than 20 carries for the first time in his career, three years in Starkville and this season in Seattle, and made the most of his increased workload. In a 52-42 outgunning of USC in the Coliseum, he turned 26 touches into 256 rushing yards and four touchdowns. In a game featuring two Maxwell Award contending quarterbacks, Johnson stole the show in Los Angeles.
Leggette put on a show for NFL scouts Saturday while helping the Gamecocks survive an upset bid from Jacksonville State. The 6-3, 227-pound riser showcased the full array of his skillset with 217 yards and three touchdowns on nine receptions. Leggette’s unique combination of size, speed and ball skills will make him a tantalizing and buzzy prospect throughout the pre-draft process.
Troy beat instate rival South Alabama Thursday night in the “Battle for the Belt” and Kimani Vidal became the school’s all-time leading rusher. It was a good night to be a Trojan. But Lewis, a talented Kentucky transfer, stole the show in the 28-10 win. He flashed spectacular ball skills at the expense of the USA defensive backs, making four catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns, each one a highlight reel connection with QB Gunnar Watson.
If JMU is feeling the pressure of being one of the last remaining undefeated FBS teams, it is not showing on game day. The Dukes throttled a very good Georgia State squad—in Atlanta—42-14 on the heels of a terrific second half. McCloud, whose career includes stops at South Florida and Arizona, has saved his best for the Sun Belt Conference. He accounted for six touchdowns and 411 total yards versus the Panthers, completing 28 of 36 and rushing for a game-high 104 yards.
Milroe has become the face of this in-season turnaround in Tuscaloosa. Wild considering he was briefly benched after the Sept. 9 visit from Texas, the last time Alabama lost a game. Milroe’s leadership and legs have the Tide climbing the rankings and in control of the SEC West after Saturday night’s thrilling 42-28 win over rival LSU. Milroe outdueled Jayden Daniels by accounting for 374 total yards and four touchdowns, all on the ground. He was also 15-of-23 for 219 yards through the air, leading Bama one giant step closer to a date with Georgia in Atlanta on Dec. 2 for an SEC title.
Nix is riding a wicked tear right now that could lead he and his Ducks to an epic rematch with Washington for the Pac-12 Championship. Since losing to the Huskies on Oct. 14, Oregon has reeled off three wins by a combined score of 126-49. And Nix, a model of consistency, is sprinkling in some spectacular performances. This past weekend, he helped shred the Cal defense, 63-19, by accounting for 388 total yards and six touchdowns. Nix was 29-of-38 through the air, while earning top marks for a Week 10 quarterback from Pro Football Focus.
Starter. Backup. Williams is going to make plays no matter who’s delivering him the ball. The Fighting Illini fought back to defeat Minnesota, 27-26, after starting QB Luke Altmyer was knocked out in the fourth quarter. John Paddock came off the bench to hit Williams on a 46-yard game-winner with 50 seconds left. It was the exclamation point of a career day for Williams, who finished with a personal-best 13 receptions for 131 yards and two scores.
First-year Blazer head coach Trent Dilfer knows a thing or two about quarterbacks. He's got a special talent in Zeno, the Baylor transfer looking for more exposure in Birmingham. Zeno was dealing at a season-best level in Saturday’s 45-42 win over Florida Atlantic that kept bowl hopes alive. The San Antonio native rewrote the UAB FBS record book by completing 29-of-35 for 484 yards, five touchdowns and an interception.
The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best defensive player with the Chuck Bednarik Award. Here’s a look at last week’s standout defenders.
It's gonna be a long while before Oklahoma will have a chance to beat instate rival Oklahoma State again. With the Sooners headed to the SEC in 2024, Saturday was the final Bedlam for the foreseeable future. The Cowboys won a thriller, 27-24, to pull into a first-place tie atop the Big 12 with Texas. Benson spearheaded the athletic and attacking OSU linebacker corps with seven tackles, three stops behind the line, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Forget the 3-6 record and the general climate around Bloomington these days. The Hoosiers are still playing hard for beleaguered head coach Tom Allen. Behind the play of the defense, Indiana defeated Wisconsin, 20-14, to snap a four-game losing skid. As he’s done throughout his career, Casey was the leader of the D. His nine tackles included four stops for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble as the Badgers managed just 101 yards on the ground.
Chatfield only got on the field for 33 snaps in Saturday’s 26-19 defeat of Colorado, but he made the most of them. The former Florida Gator was menacing in Boulder, repeatedly getting into the backfield and forcing Shedeur Sanders to hurry throws. Chatfield had three sacks, a forced fumble, two pass breakups and eight total pressures, just one short of the Week 10 high in college football. He now has seven sacks on the season, most by a Beaver since 2019.
Boston College keeps finding ways to win games, the sign of a program turning the corner under Jeff Hafley. The Eagles used an opportunistic pass defense to stave off Syracuse on the road Friday night, 17-10, and earn bowl eligibility with their fifth straight win. BC picked off four passes and yielded just 37 passing yards and seven completions. Jones, Pro Football Focus’ highest graded Week 10 corner, had two interceptions and tipped the game’s final interception to end the Orange’s final comeback bid.
It's been a rough year for the Black Knights, which entered the weekend on a five-game losing streak. But they’re still in contention for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, which means there’s a ton left on the line. Army dealt No. 17 Air Force its first loss of the season, 23-3, in Denver Saturday behind a ferocious defensive performance. The Black Knights forced six turnovers, with their captain once again leading the charge. Lowin flew around like he was shot out of a cannon, making 12 stops, including nine solos, two tackles for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
Morris got his first-ever start Thursday night versus Wake Forest. Based on the way he stepped up, it won’t be his last. Playing without QB Riley Leonard once again, and struggling to extend drives, Duke leaned even heavier on its D to reach bowl-eligibility. Morris, in particular, was outstanding. He notched a career-high 11 stops, including no missed tackles, and excelled in coverage to help hold the Deacons without a touchdown pass.
One of the nation’s premier inside linebackers performed like it in Saturday’s 31-23 upset of No. 12 Notre Dame. Trotter was outstanding in all phases of the win, making a game-high 11 tackles, including seven solos, 2.5 stops for loss, two sacks and a pick-six to widen the lead before halftime. He was Pro Football Focus’ top-graded Week 10 linebacker, a fitting homage to his dad, former Eagles Pro Bowler Jeremiah Trotter, who was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame two days earlier.
NC State silenced Miami in Raleigh Saturday to become bowl-eligible and propel Dave Doeren to the winningest coach in school history. Wilson, as he has done all season, was the defensive catalyst in a game featuring few offensive fireworks. He showed up all over the field in the 20-6 win, making a game-high 16 tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups and two QB hurries. Wilson’s range, in coverage and in run defense, helped hold the Canes without a touchdown for the first time this season.
Rich Cirminiello is the VP of College Awards at Maxwell Football Club.