NCAAF · 22 minutes ago

5 Bold Predictions for College Football Ahead of Week 11

Grant White

Host · Writer

The Big Ten Standings Get Put in a Blender
Two years ago, the Big 12 committee had to release a statement ahead of Week 13 announcing how the tiebreaker would resolve their logjam atop the standings. We're expecting a similar announcement from the Big Ten over the coming weeks.

Of course, all of that is contingent on the next three weeks going as anticipated. That starts with a convoluted Week 11.

As it stands, the UCLA Bruins are the only program without a loss. Below them, Indiana is the only one-loss program. From there, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa, Illinois, USC, and Wisconsin all have two losses.

USC is primed for an upset over Indiana in Week 11, and all but the Fighting Illini are poised for easy wins. That should leave six teams with identical 5-2 in-conference records and no easy tiebreaker format to solve the problem.

Things are going to get messy in the Big Ten. Don't be surprised if the standings are in disarray between now and championship weekend.
The Miami Hurricanes Are Relegated From a CFP Berth
For weeks, we've had concerns about Miami's long-term viability. That comes to a head in Week 11, with their pivotal clash against the Duke Blue Devils.

To the casual observer, this is nothing more than a late-season conference showdown. However, the college football purists will recognize the layers to this matchup. The Hurricanes have looked beatable in three of their last four, and Duke is eagerly awaiting its former quarterback.

Before he was a star in Miami, Darian Mensah put up some crooked numbers in Durham. While he'll be sheltered by his home crowd, the Blue Devils are eagerly awaiting the chance to exact their revenge.

We're predicting a massive Duke upset, relegating the Hurricanes from their current playoff spot.
Jeremiah Smith Records 200+ Receiving Yards
We all saw the disappointment and frustration on Jeremiah Smith's face last week. His Ohio State Buckeyes suffered their third loss of the season, putting their playoff streak in jeopardy. It remains to be seen whether Ohio State can climb the playoff mountain, but we expect Smith to lead the charge.

The Buckeyes' offense runs almost exclusively through Smith. Ohio State can't get anything going on the ground, and its Heisman frontrunner has accounted for nearly half of its passing yards.

While Northwestern is sitting at a respectable 6-3, the Wildcats aren't known for their defensive acumen. We predict that Jeremiah Smith single-handedly leads the Buckeyes to victory with more than 200 receiving yards and double-digit receptions.
UCLA is the Last Remaining Unbeaten Team
This has become a two-horse race. One hundred and thirty-eight teams started the year undefeated, but only UCLA and Utah remain. We're betting the Bruins are the lone undefeated team left standing at the end of Week 11.

UCLA has a very winnable matchup, hosting the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday night. The Bruins wield advantages in every facet of the game and should have no problem coasting to victory.

Conversely, the Utah Utes travel to Tucson for a tougher-than-anticipated battle versus the Arizona Wildcats. Coming off an emotional, if not undeserved, win over BYU, this is a classic letdown spot for the visitors.

Utah loses ground in the Big 12, and the UCLA Bruins move one step closer to following in Indiana's footsteps.
Drew Mestemaker's Heisman Stock Soars
With Jeremiah Smith, CJ Carr, and Darian Mensah taking over the Heisman Trophy race, it's easy to lose sight of what Drew Mestemaker is doing with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In addition to leading the Cowboys back from the brink of program collapse, Mestemaker has been one of the most dominant players in college football. We're betting that he starts to get the recognition he deserves after Week 11.

Mestemaker has been unstoppable this season. His 2,962 passing yards rank second among FBS quarterbacks, and he leads the nation with 29 passing touchdowns. That translates to 329.1 passing yards per game, with the sophomore going north of 300 yards in all but one game this season.

For the first time since 2024, Oklahoma State is back in the national rankings. Moreover, all eyes will be on the Cowboys as they look to get past a feisty Texas Tech squad.

This is Drew Mestemaker's chance to vault to the top of the Heisman Trophy list. Expect him to bully his way into the conversation.
The Big Ten Standings Get Put in a Blender
Two years ago, the Big 12 committee had to release a statement ahead of Week 13 announcing how the tiebreaker would resolve their logjam atop the standings. We're expecting a similar announcement from the Big Ten over the coming weeks.

Of course, all of that is contingent on the next three weeks going as anticipated. That starts with a convoluted Week 11.

As it stands, the UCLA Bruins are the only program without a loss. Below them, Indiana is the only one-loss program. From there, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa, Illinois, USC, and Wisconsin all have two losses.

USC is primed for an upset over Indiana in Week 11, and all but the Fighting Illini are poised for easy wins. That should leave six teams with identical 5-2 in-conference records and no easy tiebreaker format to solve the problem.

Things are going to get messy in the Big Ten. Don't be surprised if the standings are in disarray between now and championship weekend.
The Miami Hurricanes Are Relegated From a CFP Berth
For weeks, we've had concerns about Miami's long-term viability. That comes to a head in Week 11, with their pivotal clash against the Duke Blue Devils.

To the casual observer, this is nothing more than a late-season conference showdown. However, the college football purists will recognize the layers to this matchup. The Hurricanes have looked beatable in three of their last four, and Duke is eagerly awaiting its former quarterback.

Before he was a star in Miami, Darian Mensah put up some crooked numbers in Durham. While he'll be sheltered by his home crowd, the Blue Devils are eagerly awaiting the chance to exact their revenge.

We're predicting a massive Duke upset, relegating the Hurricanes from their current playoff spot.

5 Bold Predictions for College Football Ahead of Week 11

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