10 quick things to know ahead of Saturday's college football slate
There's plenty to keep an eye on as Week 11 of the 2023 college football season kicks off. Here's what you need to know as the season keeps rolling in November.
Another game for Michigan without Jim Harbaugh
No. 3 Michigan found out Friday afternoon that it would likely be playing without Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines against No. 10 Penn State on Saturday. The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season in the wake of the program's alleged in-person sign-stealing scheme, though Michigan said in a statement that it would seek a temporary restraining order to keep Harbaugh on the sideline.
If the suspension holds, it will be Michigan's fourth game without Harbaugh this season — and by far the biggest of the bunch. Harbaugh served a self-imposed three-game suspension for the first three games of the regular season regarding a different NCAA investigation.
Can Ole Miss shock Georgia?
Ole Miss can deliver one of the earth-shaking upsets of the season on Saturday night at Georgia. A win puts the Rebels firmly in College Football Playoff contention despite likely missing the SEC title game and creates a logjam of contenders with just two weeks to go in the regular season. Georgia, meanwhile, could have star tight end Brock Bowers back for this one. If he’s healthy and effective, he could swing the game. Bowers has been out because of a high ankle sprain.
Utah aims to slow down Washington's offense
We’re going to go out on a limb and say that No. 5 Washington will not have the rushing success against No. 18 Utah that it did against USC in Week 10. The Huskies rushed for a season-high 316 yards against the Trojans; Washington hadn’t rushed for more than 177 yards in any of its first eight games. Utah allows just 81 yards per game on the ground as opponents average three yards a carry. Like they did against USC, Utah is likely going to slow the game down as much as possible against the Huskies and try to beat them up.
Alabama visits Kentucky after LSU win
The Crimson Tide head to Kentucky for a Noon ET kickoff a week after knocking off LSU at home. The stakes for Alabama in this one are pretty clear — a win clinches the SEC West. While we wouldn’t be too surprised to see a sluggish start for the Tide, there’s little reason to believe this is a trap game for Nick Saban’s team given the spot in Atlanta on the line. Kentucky’s chances of an upset are pretty slim if Alabama keeps RB Ray Davis in check.
How does USC bounce back?
Will we see immediate improvement from the USC defense in the first game since defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s firing? Oregon’s offense is just as good as Washington’s. The No. 6 Ducks average 7.7 yards per play and have been exceptional at home. QB Bo Nix can get back into the Heisman mix with a huge game against the Trojans; Nix has thrown 25 TDs to just two interceptions and is completing over 78% of his passes.
Can either Tennessee or Missouri get to a New Year's Six bowl?
No. 13 Tennessee’s visit to No. 14 Missouri would be an incredibly massive game if there was a 12-team playoff this year. Instead, it’s simply a big game. If Missouri gets the win as a slight home underdog, the Tigers have a path to 10-2 with games against Florida and Arkansas remaining. Depending on how Ole Miss finishes the season, that could be enough for Missouri to make a New Year’s Six bowl game. A Tennessee win keeps the SEC East in play for the Vols if Ole Miss can pull the upset Saturday night. UT hosts Georgia in Week 12.
Kansas aims for 10 wins
Are you prepared for a world where Kansas finishes the season at 9-3 or 10-2? You should be, just in case. The No. 16 Jayhawks are 7-2 and host Texas Tech on Saturday as they look to stay in the mix for a spot in the Big 12 title game. KU is just a 3.5-point favorite over the Red Raiders and could be a home underdog next week against Kansas State. But no matter if Kansas wins its last three games or loses them all, it’s been an incredibly successful season again in Lawrence.
A newly-ranked Arizona goes to Boulder
No. 21 Arizona found itself in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings after wins over Washington State, Oregon State and UCLA. This week, the Wildcats are 10.5-point favorites at a Colorado team that gets further and further from bowl eligibility with each passing week. A win for the Wildcats guarantees the team’s first winning season since 2017. A loss for Colorado means the Buffaloes need to win at Washington State and beat Utah at home to make a bowl game.
TCU desperately needs a signature win
It’s been nothing short of a disappointing season for TCU as the Horned Frogs are fighting to get to a bowl game at 4-5 after heading to the national title game a season ago. A win at home against No. 7 Texas will go a long way to bowl eligibility. The Longhorns showed some vulnerability at home against Kansas State in Week 10, but that was with backup QB Maalik Murphy at the helm. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that Quinn Ewers would start for the first time since Oct. 21. Ewers has been sidelined with a right shoulder injury.
A sneakily significant game in College Station
Who will be playing quarterback in College Station on Saturday night? Mississippi State’s Will Rogers has been sidelined with an injury and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said QB Max Johnson was day-to-day after he was injured in the Aggies’ loss to Ole Miss. While both teams are out of SEC West contention, this is a massive game for the trajectory of both programs. A loss for A&M drops the Aggies to 5-5 with LSU still looming on the schedule, and a loss for MSU puts the Bulldogs at 4-6 ahead of their regular-season finale against Ole Miss.
