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There are not a lot of marquee games on the schedule, and only 15 of the 55 games are expected to be one score affairs (7 points or less), so maybe it's going to be one of those weeks where unexpected upsets break out.
Several games, such as Arizona State at Kansas State, feature teams that are looking to remain relevant in the playoff discussion.
Using the playoff committee rankings as the guide, only two of this week's games pit Top 25 teams against each other as No. 23 Missouri visits No. 21 South Carolina at 4:15 p.m. eastern time on the SEC Network, and No. 7 Tennessee goes to No. 12 Georgia at 7:30 p.m. eastern time on ABC.
Two of the four remaining undefeated teams - Army and Indiana - have a bye week, while Oregon visits Wisconsin, and BYU hosts Kansas. The Congrove Computer Rankings have the Ducks by 15.54 and the Cougars by 5.65.
Meanwhile, wagering on Indiana at Ohio State is well underway for next week's newly-labeled Game of the Year.
The Clemson-Pittsburgh game is among College Football's Best Bets this week. while SMU hosts Boston College in another key ACC clash.
Get the computer's pick of every game on the schedule for the FBS, the FCS, and the NFL.
The most important Group of Five game of the week pits Tulane and Navy in Annapolis.
While Army leads the American Athletic Conference, the Green Wave and Midshipmen are lurking just behind in second and third place, respectively. Tulane has won seven games in a row in Jon Sumrall’s debut season, losing only to Oklahoma and Kansas State back in September. Meanwhile, Navy rebounded from back-to-back losses to defeat South Florida, 28-7, in Week 11. Army, Navy, and Tulane all rank in the top 10 in FBS rushing offense, proof that a prolific passing attack is not mandatory to win at a high level.
Mizzou at South Carolina is a terrific SEC undercard for the heavyweight bout between Tennessee and Georgia later in the evening.
Missouri is coming off a rousing comeback win over Oklahoma, scoring 14 points in the final 63 seconds of a wild final quarter in Columbia. The victory keeps the Tigers mathematically alive for the playoffs, provided they can sweep the final three games. South Carolina won’t capture one of the SEC’s CFP bids, but this team is playing well enough to beat anyone in the league. The Gamecocks have won their last three games, including consecutive blowouts of No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 24 Vanderbilt.
While Arizona State and Kansas State need help, both schools remain alive in the hotly contested battle for the Big 12 crown.
The Sun Devils and the Wildcats are two of the league’s five programs that are 7-2 or better. ASU has been a very pleasant surprise in Kenny Dillingham’s second season, already blowing past last year’s 3-9 mark. Last week’s 35-31 win over UCF without linchpin RB Cam Skattebo was testament to how much this program has matured. Kansas State returns to action after sitting out last week and processing how it squandered a game to Houston on Nov. 2. The Cats need to win out and get a Colorado loss to earn a shot at a rematch with BYU.
What’s left in the tank, Georgia?
The Bulldogs were thoroughly outplayed by Ole Miss Saturday, putting their SEC title and playoff hopes on life support. Save for the Oct. 19 Texas win, Georgia hasn’t looked right all year, especially on offense. However, just like that trip to Austin, a visit from Tennessee affords the Dawgs a chance to show they still belong in the national picture. The Vols will be battling more than the Dawgs this weekend; they’ll be tackling history as well. They’ve lost seven in a row in this rivalry, and none of the losses were by less than 14 points. Plus, QB Nico Iamaleava left Saturday’s game with an upper body injury. If the Volunteers can finally beat Georgia, go ahead and pencil them into the playoff bracket.
The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best player with the Maxwell Award. CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the voting panel.
Here’s a look at some of last week’s standout performances on offense.
On Saturday, Ewers had his best game since the Week 2 trip to Michigan, if not longer. It came at a perfect time, too, as the Longhorns prepare for the final stretch run toward a possible SEC and playoff title. Ewers led Texas to a blowout of Florida, 49-17, connecting on 19-of-27 passes for 333 yards and a career-high five TD passes to four different receivers.
A quarterback change and a coaching change have put ECU one win from a bowl game, which seemed far-fetched just a few weeks ago. On Thursday night, the Pirates overwhelmed Florida Atlantic behind another terrific effort from Houser. The Michigan State transfer threw five TD passes for a second straight game, completing 17-of-22 for 343 yards. Houser also rushed for 52 yards and another score.
The Green Wave torched Temple Saturday afternoon, 52-6, to remain unbeaten in AAC play heading into this week’s showdown trip to Navy. Hughes spearheaded a huge effort from the ground game, which produced 327 yards, five TDs, and enough long drives to keep the Owl offense off the field. The 5-11, 210-pound sophomore needed just 19 touches to produce 153 yards and a pair of scores.
The Broncos got a stiffer than expected challenge from Nevada at Albertsons Stadium. Jeanty made sure the close call didn’t turn into a crushing defeat. The Maxwell Award contender carried the offense in the second half and finished with 209 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries. Jeanty also had a pair of receptions and gained 13 first downs to play keep-away from the Wolf Pack in a 28-21 victory.
Very quietly, 8-1 Wazzu is having an outstanding season under coach Jake Dickert, with an at-large playoff spot still a possibility. The ranked Cougars handled Utah State over the weekend, getting another solid all-around effort from their versatile sophomore quarterback. Mateer was responsible for five touchdowns in the 49-28 win, throwing for four scores and rushing for 55 yards and another TD.
Death Valley at night is one of the toughest spots for a visitor. Milroe was tougher in Saturday’s crucial 42-13 dismantling of LSU in Baton Rouge. On a wet evening that made it tough to complete passes, Milroe used his elite speed to take the game over. He erupted for 185 yards and four TDs on just a dozen carries to help keep the Tide in playoff contention. Milroe also completed 12-of-18 passes for 109 yards, but it was his 4.3 jets that were too much for the Tigers.
Rocket is heating up. And not coincidentally, so is South Carolina. The Gamecocks have won three games in a row, the last two over ranked opponents from Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. A week after racking up 236 yards from scrimmage versus the Aggies, Sanders rushed for 126 yards, had 52 receiving yards, and scored three times in a 28-7 road victory over the Commodores.
The 7-2 Buffaloes passed their biggest remaining test Saturday in Lubbock and now control their own Big 12 destiny. Colorado spotted Texas Tech a 13-0 lead before taking over for a key 41-27 road victory. Sanders fueled the comeback by accounting for all four of the Buffs’ offensive touchdowns, throwing for three scores and 291 yards and scrambling for another TD.
The Maxwell Football Club honors the nation’s best defensive player with the Chuck Bednarik Award. CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the voting panel.
Here’s a look at some of last week’s standout defenders.
Kudos to coordinator Tom Allen who moved Carter from linebacker to edge, where he has dominated opposing tackles all season long. Carter’s blend of strength and speed is too much for opposing tackles at this level. He was the defensive star of Penn State’s white out walloping of Washington, 35-6, in which no offensive TDs were allowed. Carter’s six stops included four for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.
The Scarlet Knights snapped Minnesota’s four-game winning streak Saturday, 26-19, while ending their own four-game losing streak at the same time. Djabome, the 6-2, 240-pound native of Quebec, added another line item to his breakout junior season in Piscataway. He led Rutgers with 13 tackles, including 11 solo stops, three tackles for minus yards, and a sack of Max Brosmer.
Week after week, Ezeiruaku is showing why he’s among the top pass rushers in college football this season. Boston College held off Syracuse Saturday, 37-31, behind 313 yards rushing and a defense that got to Orange QB Kyle McCord four times. Ezeiruaku had two of the sacks, giving him 11 on the season, to go along with four tackles, a forced fumble, and a pair of quarterback hurries.
Green built a head of steam toward the end of his first season at Marshall. This year, he has blossomed into one of the most dominant pass rushers in the game. The one-time Virginia transfer ranks among the nation’s leader in stops behind the line of scrimmage. In Saturday’s lopsided win over Southern Miss, the speedy presence off the edge added to his totals with three more sacks as a part of his five-tackle effort.
The Rebels defeated Georgia Saturday afternoon in a statement victory that has propelled the program back into serious contention for a CFP berth. The Ole Miss D continues to play light out, holding the Dawgs to 245 total yards and keeping them out of the end zone over the final 50 minutes. Ivey was one of a handful of Rebs to lead the push up front, contributing seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and two pass breakups.
In a key showdown for bowl positioning, Coastal Carolina outclassed Appalachian State, 38-24. RB Braydon Bennett scored three times, while Lubin ignited the defensive pressure on Joey Aguilar. Lubin, who’s at his third school in three years, had a career night for the Chants. He was a menace off the edge, with his nine tackles including 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble.
The Bruins are going hard to the 2024 finish line, with bowl eligibility looking increasingly possible. UCLA has won three straight games to move to 4-5 after beating Iowa, 20-17, Friday night. Led by Medrano and LB Carson Schwesinger, the Bruins held Big Ten leading rusher Kaleb Johnson to just 49 yards on 18 carries. Medrano’s team-high nine tackles included two stops for loss, a half-sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Mills is a freakishly athletic interior lineman who’s going to put up monster numbers in the pre-draft testing process. In Saturday’s blowout of Florida State, he put out some terrific film for scouts to review as well. The 6-5, 295-pound senior whipped the Seminole front wall for five tackles and the first three-sack game of his outstanding career in South Bend.
The Maxwell Football Club supports former Alabama and Seattle Seahawks star RB Shaun Alexander in annually naming the top college freshman.
Saturday in Blacksburg, Brown supplied the best evidence yet why he was such a coveted recruit and the MFC’s reigning National High School Defensive Player of the Year. Clemson overcame a sluggish first half to get past Virginia Tech, 24-14, and remain in the ACC title chase. In the win, Brown delivered his best game as a Tiger, making a team-high eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack of Hokie Kyron Drones.
No FBS vs. FCS games took place this past weekend. There are two this week with Alabama hosting Mercer and Kentucky entertaining Murray State.
FBS schools are 110-6 in such games this season. They are a cumulative 1,910-158 (.924) since we began tracking this in 2003.
In 2024, there were 121 scheduled matchups between FBS and FCS schools with 119 schools playing one such game, while Hawaii and UMass each play two.
This year, 15 schools do not play a FCS opponent and 5 are in the B1G (Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, USC and UCLA). Texas is the only school in the SEC that will not play a FCS program. The same is true for Virginia Tech in the ACC. In fact, Texas and Virginia Tech, along with Michigan and Houston, are repeats from last year's list of schools that played all FBS programs.
2024 FCS wins vs. FBS:
August 24: Montana State 35, New Mexico 31
September 7: St. Francis (PA) 23, Kent State 17
September 7: Idaho 17, Wyoming 13
September 7: Southern Utah 27, UTEP 24 (OT)
September 21: Monmouth 45, FIU 42
September 28: UT-Martin 24, Kennesaw 13
In 2023, FBS schools were 114-4. These were the FCS wins last year:
September 9: Idaho 33, Nevada 6
September 9: Southern Illinois 14, Northern Illinois 12
September 9: Fordham 40, Buffalo 37
September 16: Sacramento State 30, Stanford 23
ARMY - Won 13 straight overall.
Last: Won 14-3 at North Texas on Saturday, November 9.
Next: After a bye week, Army faces Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx on Saturday, November 23.
OREGON - Won 16 straight regular season games
Last: Won 38-19 at home over Maryland on Saturday, November 9.
Next: Visits Wisconsin on Saturday, November 16.
GEORGIA - Won 28 straight home games.
Last: lost 28-10 at Ole Miss on Saturday, November 9.
Next: Hosts Tennessee on Saturday, November 16.
TULANE - Won 18 straight conference games.
Last: Won 52-6 at home over Temple on Saturday, November 9.
Next: Visits Navy on Saturday, November 16.
TEXAS - Won 9 straight true road games (at opposition venue) - tied with SMU.
Last: Won 49-17 at home over Florida on Saturday, November 9.
Next: Visits Arkansas on Saturday, November 16.
SMU - Won 9 straight true road games (at opposition venue) - tied with Texas.
Last - Won 48-25 at home over Pitt on Saturday, November 2.
Next: Hosts Boston College on Saturday, November 16.
KENT STATE - Lost 18 straight over-all. Lost 13 straight conference games. Lost 8 straight home games.
Last: Lost 41-0 at home to Ohio on Wednesday, November 6.
Next: Visits Miami (O) on Wednesday, November 13.
STANFORD - Lost 13 straight home games to FBS foes.
Last: Lost 59-28 at home to NC State on Saturday on Saturday, November 2.
Next: Hosts Louisville on Wednesday, November 16.
TEMPLE - Lost 19 straight true road games.
Last: Lost 52-6 at Tulane on Saturday, November 9.
Next: Hosts FAU on Saturday, November 16.
Rich Cirminiello is the VP of College Awards at Maxwell Football Club. He can be followed on Twitter at @Rich Cirminiello