What To Watch For In Week 11 Of The 2022 College Football Season
Although this weekend doesn’t feature the same marquee matchups as last Saturday, there are still four games between ranked teams, all of which have College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six or conference title implications.
There are also several ranked teams hitting the road, including a top-10 team coming off an emotional victory last weekend. With that said, here’s what to watch in Week 11 of the 2022 college football season:
More News From Sports Illustrated: Week 11 College Football Schedule | Where Top-10 Dust Settles After Playoff-Altering Day | Projecting All 41 Bowl Matchups, College Football Playoff
No. 7 LSU at Arkansas - 12 p.m. on ESPN
LSU now finds itself in the driver’s seat in the SEC West following an emotional win over Alabama last weekend, but the Tigers now have to avoid a letdown against an unranked Arkansas team desperate to rebound from a shocking loss to Liberty.
The Razorbacks were ranked in the top 10 only a few weeks ago, but losses in four of their last six games have them on the verge of being .500. A win on Saturday would not only salvage the season, but also throw a wrench into LSU’s postseason plans.
No. 9 Alabama at No. 11 Ole Miss - 3:30 p.m. on CBS
Alabama finds itself in unfamiliar territory with two losses, both of which came on the road on the final play of the game. Forget the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide have to beat Ole Miss and hope the Tigers trip up twice to even make it to the SEC title game.
The Rebels also have an outside shot at the division title, provided they beat Alabama on Saturday and LSU loses to either Arkansas or at Texas A&M in two weeks. Still, head coach Lane Kiffin would love nothing more than to hand his former boss, Nick Saban, a third loss.
No. 22 UCF at No. 17 Tulane - 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2
This game has both AAC title and New Year’s Six bowl game implications, as the winner will be the highest-ranked Group of Five team. UCF has been in this position before, as the Knights played in the Peach Bowl in 2018 and Fiesta Bowl in 2019.
Tulane, meanwhile, is off to its best start since 1998, when quarterback Shaun King led them to a 12-0 record and victory in the Liberty Bowl. The Green Wave notably won at Kansas State earlier this season, but a victory on Saturday would mean even more.
No. 25 Washington at No. 6 Oregon - 7 p.m. on FOX
Oregon has looked like a completely different team since its Week 1 loss to defending national champion Georgia, winning eight straight games behind quarterback Bo Nix, who has has thrown for 2,495 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air and 457 yards and 13 scores on the ground.
The Ducks still have a shot at the playoff but will be tested on Saturday by Washington quarterback Michael Penix, who leads the nation with 3,232 passing yards. The Huskies have lost two games on the road this season by just one score, and this game could follow a similar script.
No. 4 TCU at No. 18 Texas - 7:30 p.m. on ABC
Despite being undefeated, TCU travels to Austin as a one-touchdown underdog to Texas. A win on Saturday would clinch the Horned Frogs’ second appearance in the Big XII Championship Game, but more importantly keeps them on track for the playoff.
TCU has been at its best in close games, with six of its nine victories by 10 points or less. The same can’t be said for the Longhorns, who suffered all three of their losses by score. They’ll need to break that trend on Saturday to (potentially) set up a rematch in the conference title game.
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