CFW Week 11 Forecast - BYU-Texas Tech; Texas A&M-Mizzou

 CFW Week 11 Forecast – BYU-Texas Tech; Texas A&M-Mizzou

First CFP rankings are out

 

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released the first of six CFP rankings on Tuesday night. Five more rankings will be released weekly between November 11 and December 7.

 

This year, the 12 teams in the playoff will be seeded as they are ranked, with the understanding that the playoff must contain the highest-ranked team from each of the Power Four conferences, along with the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

 

The top 4 teams in the initial rankings are 1^st Ohio State, 2^nd Indiana, 3^rd Texas A&M and 4^th Alabama. The top 4 teams will receive a first-round bye in the playoff. The next 6 teams are 5^th Georgia, 6^th Ole Miss, 7^th BYU, 8^th Texas Tech, 9^th Oregon and 10^th Notre Dame.

 

The 11^th and 12^th ranked teams are Texas and Oklahoma, respectively. However, 14^th-ranked Virginia replaces Texas as the 11^th seed in the playoff and unranked Memphis replaces Oklahoma. Virginia is the highest-ranked ACC team, and Memphis is the highest-ranked Group of Five team. Keep in mind, these rankings are subject to change and will change each week. The final rankings and playoff seeding will be announced on Sunday, December 7.

 

The other ranked teams in the CFP poll are 13^th Utah, 15^th Louisville, 16^th Vanderbilt, 17^th Georgia Tech, 18^th Miami, 19^th USC, 20^th Iowa, 21^st Michigan, 22^nd Missouri, 23^rd Washington, 24^th Pitt and 25^th Tennessee.

 

Three games this weekend that will have a direct impact on the CFP rankings are BYU at Texas Tech, Texas A&M at Missouri and Oregon at Iowa. That’s a good segue into this week’s Top-10 games.

 

The game of the week is BYU (8-0) at Texas Tech (8-1). This should be a battle to the end. A home game for the Red Raiders gives the advantage to Texas Tech.

 

Two more Big 12 games are among the Top-10 games. But neither should impact the CFP rankings. First we have Kansas (5-4) at Arizona (5-3). Should Arizona win out, finishing 9-3, the Wildcats could possibly have a shot at making the CFP. But the odds are not good. Still, this will be a good game between the Wildcats and the Wildcats.

 

Then we have Iowa State (5-4) at TCU (6-2). Should TCU win out, finishing 10-2, the Horned Frogs would have a darn good chance of making the CFP. Again, the odds are not favorable. Can Iowa State break out of its funk?

 

The runner-up to the game of the week is Texas A&M (8-0) at Missouri (6-2). A&M is one of the Top 4 teams in the CFP rankings. Missouri is in the Top 25. So far no one has conquered the Aggies. At home, Mizzou has a fighting chance.

 

Another interesting contest in the SEC is LSU (5-3) at Alabama (7-1). Like Texas A&M, Alabama is one of the Top 4 teams in the CFP rankings. Under an interim coach, LSU will be playing for pride. The opponent is Alabama so the Tigers will be fired up. But their fire won’t be hot enough.

 

Finally in the SEC, we have Georgia (7-1) at Mississippi State (5-4). This should be easy pickins for Georgia. But Mississippi State has been difficult for almost everyone else this season. And Miss State is at home. This could be quite a game between the Bulldogs and the Bulldogs.

 

The Big Ten has two good affairs this week. The best of the two is Oregon (7-1) at Iowa (6-2). The CFP rankings have Oregon in the playoff. Iowa is knocking on the door. Iowa can play defense. And unlike recent years, the Hawkeyes have an offense this year. The Ducks better have their quackers in gear.

 

The other interesting Big Ten encounter is Northwestern (5-3) at USC (6-2). The Trojans have a good shot at making the CFP. But Northwestern can be stubborn and dangerous.

 

There are two more games in the Top 10, involving American Conference teams. To begin with, how about Navy (7-1) at Notre Dame(6-2). A Navy win would most likely make the Middies the highest-ranked Group of Five team. But what are the odds of Navy winning? Still, it could be a good game.

 

We wrap up with a good one in the AC – Tulane (6-2) at Memphis (8-1). Memphis is currently the leading Group of Five team for the CFP. But Tulane is talented enough to knock off the Tigers. Memphis can’t afford to slip up.

 

One other game I am curious and interested to see how it plays out is Wake Forest (5-3) at Virginia (8-1). The Deacons surprised SMU a couple of weeks ago. Can they surprise the Cavaliers?

 

It’s going to be another fun weekend.

 

College Football Week 11 began Tuesday night with two Mid-American Conference games. Akron blasted Massachusetts, 44-10. UMass got all 10 of its points in the first quarter and was shut out for the remainder of the game. Akron running back Jordan Gant ran for 153 yards.

 

In the second game, Ohio slipped by Miami (Ohio), 24-20. In a game that seesawed back-and-forth throughout the contest, the lead changed hands five times. Trailing Miami 20-17 with less than 3 minutes remaining, Ohio scored its winning touchdown with 2:15 on the clock.

 

College Football Week 11 resumed Wednesday night with two more MAC games. Trailing Kent State 13-10 late in the fourth quarter, Ball State scored a touchdown with 1:53 remaining to beat Kent State, 17-10.

 

Toledo crushed Northern Illinois, 42-3. Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason was 25-31-0, passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Gleason also ran for another touchdown.

 

The Top-5 teams in this week’s FCS Coaches Poll are 1^st North Dakota State (9-0), 2^nd Montana (9-0), 3^rd Montana State (7-2), 4^th Lehigh (9-0), and 5^th Tennessee Tech (9-0). Lehigh is a non-athletic scholarship FCS team. Other non-athletic scholarship FCS teams ranked are 13^th Harvard (7-0) and 23^rd Presbyterian (8-1).

 

By the way, West Florida (9-0) is 3^rd in the Division II Coaches Poll.

 

ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Lubbock, Texas, at the BYU-Texas Tech game….FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will be in Iowa City, Iowa, at the Oregon-Iowa game….SEC Network’s SEC Nation will be in Starkville, Mississippi, at the Georgia-Mississippi State game….The ACC Network’s ACC Huddle will not be at a game this week. Enjoy the shows!

 

Actress Diane Ladd died on November 3. Her acting career spanned 70 years. She appeared in more than 200 films and television shows. Some of her films included “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974), Chinatown” (1974), “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989), Wild at Heart” (1990), “Rambling Rose” (1991) and “Primary Colors (1998), among others. She was the mother of actress Laura Dern. A native of Laurel, Mississippi, Rose Diane Ladner was 89.

 

College and AFL/NFL football player and sports broadcaster Bob Trumpy died on November 2. A tight end, Trumpy played college football for Illinois and Utah. He played 10 seasons (1968-1977) for the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFL and NFL. After his playing career, Trumpy spent many years as a broadcast color analyst, calling four Super Bowls. He also called four Pro Bowls, six Hall-of-Fame games in football and three Ryder Cups and worked three Olympics. Trumpy joined NBC 1978 and over the years he worked with Bob Costas, Don Criqui, Bill Walsh, Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire and Phil Simms. A native of Tremont, Illinois, Robert Theodore Trumpy was 80.

 

Have a good weekend! See you Monday morning with the Week 11 Results.

 

Touchdown Tom

November 6, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

Week Eleven’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. #8 BYU (8-0) at #9 Texas Tech (8-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – A key game in the Big 12, the home field advantage could be the difference in this contest. BYU may be the most balanced team in the country. On offense, the Cougars are averaging 217 yards a game passing, and 217 yards game rushing. You can’t get mor even than that. The offense is run by quarterback Bear Bachmeier. He not only contributes to the passing (1,693 yards), but also to the rushing. BYU’s leading rusher – L.J. Martin – is injured and may or may not play. Texas Tech has an explosive offense (44 points a game) and an explosive defense (13 points a game). In recent weeks, the Red Raiders have been relying on backup quarterbacks. But everyone has come through. That’s how talented Tech is. The Raiders have the Cougars seeing Red – Texas Tech 31, BYU 24.

  

RUNNER-UP: 2. #3 Texas A&M (8-0) at #19 Missouri (6-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The Aggies will put their 8-0 record on the line in Columbia. The pressure to remain undefeated has to be heavy. Quarterback Marcel Reed helps to relieve the pressure. He has passed for 1,972 yards. Reed is definitely a threat to any defense. Mizzou counters with quarterback Beau Pribula. He has passed for 1,685 yards. Like BYU, Mizzou is pretty even passing (237 yards a game) and rushing (236 yards a game). A balanced attack is an advantage. But not enough to get by the Aggies – Texas A&M 30, Missouri 27.

 

REST OF THE BEST: 3. #6 Oregon (7-1) at #26 Iowa (6-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – These two teams are similar. Both average 31-32 points a game. Both hold their opponents to 13-14 points a game. Iowa has lost two games. However, the losses were by a total of 8 points. Oregon is averaging 247 yards a game passing and 237 yards a game running. The Ducks waddle through Iowa City – Oregon 23, Iowa 20.

 

4. #35 LSU (5-3) at #4 Alabama (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – So, how will LSU play under an interim coach? It should be interesting. The Tigers may be more fired up. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is in need of a good game. He has passed for 1,806 yards. There is not much room for improvement from Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. He has passed for 2,184 yards. Since the Florida State game at the beginning of the season, Simpson has been near perfect. Alabama definitely has the better offense. The defenses are about the same giving up 18-19 points a game. Simpson keeps up his Heisman Trophy hopes – Alabama 30, LSU 23.

 

5. #5 Georgia (7-1) at Mississippi State (5-4) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – All season, Mississippi State has been making it tough on its SEC opponents. But the Bulldogs always come up short – generally by a few points, maybe at the end of the game or in overtime. Finally, last week, Miss State broke the spell. The Bulldogs won their first SEC game of the season. Can Miss State make it two SEC wins in a row? Or will the Bulldogs keep it close, but lose? Or will they get blown out by Georgia? Miss State quarterback Blake Shapen has passed for 2,148 yards. He’s a threat to the Georgia Dawgs. Since losing to Alabama, Georgia has won four-straight games. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has passed for 1,770 yards. Both teams are averaging 33 points a game. Georgia is a little better on defense. The Bark Boys could have a letdown after the emotional win over Florida. Is there an upset on the horizon? Close, but no banana for the boys from Starkville – Georgia 28, Mississippi State 20.

 

6. Navy (7-1) at #10 Notre Dame (6-2) – (AC vs. Ind) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – The Irish are on a mission. The mission is to make the CFP. Win out and Notre Dame should be in good shape. Lose and it’s curtains. Navy shouldn’t be a threat to the Irish. Not unless quarterback Blake Horvath can pull out a few miracles. He’s capable of doing that. Notre Dame has a good offense. But the Irish don’t have the best defense in the world. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has run for 894 yards. Love could be a problem for Navy’s defense. Both Notre Dame and Navy are averaging 36 points a game. Notre Dame’s two losses are by a total of 4 points. The Sailors run into rough seas in South Bend – Notre Dame 31, Navy 19.

 

7. Northwestern (5-3) at #20 USC (6-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 9 pm ET, Friday, FOX – Northwestern pulled one surprise this season – beating Penn State. The Wildcats would love to surprise USC. Northwestern can play defense. It’s one of the best. But the Wildcats lack an offense. Speaking of offense, the Trojans are averaging 40 points a game. And the USC defense seems to be getting better. Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava has passed for 2,315 yards. He’ll be a challenge for the Northwestern defense. The Wildcats aren’t ready for Hollywood – USC 28, Northwestern 20.

 

8. Tulane (6-2) at #22 Memphis (8-1) – (AC vs. AC) – 9 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Tulane is all about Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff has passed for 1,622 yards and run for 513 yards. He’ll need to be sharp for Tulane to beat Memphis. Tulane probably doesn’t have the offense or the defense to beat Memphis. The Green Wave are no better on offense than they are on defense – averaging 26 points a game and giving up 26 points a game. Memphis, meanwhile, is averaging 38 points a game. That’s because of quarterback Brendan Lewis. Lewis has passed for 1,869 yards and run for 562 yards. Memphis also holds opponents to 19 points a game. The Green Wave are looking Blue in Memphis – Memphis 31, Tulane 23.

 

9. Kansas (5-4) at Arizona (5-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – These are two pretty evenly matched teams going at it in Tucson. The home field should be helpful to the Desert Wildcats. Kansas centers around quarterback Jalon Daniels. If Daniels is on, Kansas is on. He has passed for 1,991 yards. Arizona relies on Noah Fifita. Fifita has passed for 2,042 yards. Both teams won big last week. Arizona wins bigger this week – Arizona 30, Kansas 23.

 

10. Iowa State (5-4) at TCU (6-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – If there is a disappointing team this season, it is Iowa State. The Cyclones’ season has been strange. Iowa State started out 5-0. Now they are on a 4-game losing streak. Quarterback Rocco Becht has passed for 2,119 yards. TCU has been surprisingly good. The Frogs could become surprisingly better. They have a better offense than Iowa State. The Frogs are averaging 35 points a game. That’s because of quarterback Josh Hoover. Hoover has passed for 2,371 yards. On defense the two teams are giving up 23-24 points a game. Make it a 5-game losing streak – TCU 28, Iowa State 27.

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Colorado (3-6) at West Virginia (3-6) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, TNT – Believe it or not, West Virginia is actually favored in a game. It’s the first Big 12 game the Mountaineers have been favored in this season. Oddsmakers have WVU a 7-point favorite. Colorado will be out to do something about that. Both teams have been dismal on offense – even worse on defense. Both are averaging 22-23 points a game and giving up 30 points a game. But West Virginia may have found their quarterback last week in freshman Scotty Fox. Fox was instrumental in WVU’s win over Houston. Meanwhile, Colorado is still searching for a quarterback. It will be freshman vs. freshman as Colorado goes with freshman quarterback Julian Lewis. The Buffaloes can’t handle the country roads – West Virginia 27, Colorado 26.

 

Florida (3-5) at Kentucky (3-5) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Playing under an interim coach, Florida played inspired football last week against Georgia. Had quarterback D.J. Lagway played better, the Gators might have won that game. Lagway is due to have a good game. He has passed for 1,679 yards. Both offenses are only averaging 22 points a game. Last week, Kentucky had no offense in beating Auburn 10-3. Florida has the better defense of the two teams. Kentucky is giving up 27 points a game on defense. Over the years, the Gators have pulled out a lot of close games in Lexington. Make it another one – Florida 24, Kentucky 21.

 

Nebraska (6-3) at UCLA (3-5) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 9 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Five of Nebraska’s nine games have been settled by 7 points or less – three of them by 3 points. A sixth game was settled by 11 points. That seems to tell you that whoever wins, it will be close. That seems to be the way Nebraska likes their games. At least one thing will be different for the Huskers this week. They will have a new quarterback. Dylan Raiola is out for the season. Freshman T.J. Lateef will take over the quarterback duties for the Huskers. Nebraska will still have running back Emmett Johnson to help out Lateef. Johnson has rushed for 1,002 yards. It’s hard to predict UCLA. Under interim coach Tim Skipper and new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel the Bruins have been a different team – better on offense. On defense, not a lot has changed for UCLA. This could be another close game for the Huskers. But not to their liking – UCLA 30, Nebraska 28.

 

Duke (5-3) at Connecticut (6-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – The Dookies got a big win last week over Clemson. It’s not often that Duke beats Clemson. As a result, the Dookies could have a letdown this week. It wouldn’t surprise me. Duke quarterback Darian Mensah has been amazing this season. He has passed for 2,572 yards. But UConn counters with quarterback Joe Fagnano. He has passed for 2,529 yards. Both teams are averaging about 36 points a game on offense. Both are giving up around 26 points a game on defense. UConn also has a talented running back in Cam Edwards. He has run for 815 yards. The combination of Fagnano and Edwards will make it tougher on the Duke defense. But the Devils are just a little too hot for the Huskies – Duke 31, Connecticut 30.

 

#1 Ohio State (8-0) at Purdue (2-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – No one has been able to stop the Buckeyes. Ohio State is beating its opponents 37-7 per game. Quarterback Julian Sayin has passed for 2,188 yards. The Buckeyes have a crew of running backs. If one isn’t clicking, another one is. Purdue actually found some life against Michigan last week. The Wolverines only beat the Boilers by 5 points – 21-16. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne seems to be getting better. He has passed for 1,822 yards. The Horseshoe overwhelms Purdue – Ohio State 31, Purdue 20.

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

UTSA (4-4) at #31 South Florida (6-2) – (AC vs. AC) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN….

#33 Houston (7-2) at UCF (4-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Friday, FS1….

Stetson (3-6) at Marist (3-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

 

FIU (3-5) at Middle Tennessee (1-7) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Tulsa (2-6) at Florida Atlantic (3-5) – (AC vs. AC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Bethune-Cookman (5-4) at Grambling State (6-3) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….

 

Florida A&M (3-5) at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-7) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….

Syracuse (3-6) at #18 Miami (6-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN….

Florida State (4-4) at Clemson (3-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Is Iowa a real CFP contender, or just a cornfield mirage?” CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli.

 

“I heard through the grapevine that LSU was having conversations with Nick Saban. That would be awesome if we could bring Nick back,” former LSU and NBA basketball player Shaquille O’Neal.

 

“Everybody wants to fire their coach. There’s all these jobs out there right now. Who you gonna hire? One week you’re a hero, the next week you’re a zero,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, on the coaching carousel.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

The next CFW – Week 11 Results – will be posted Monday morning, November 10.

 

CFW Week 10 Results - Auburn fires Hugh Freeze

 CFW Week 10 Results – Auburn fires Hugh Freeze

Three Top-10 teams go down to defeat;

altogether, five Top-25 teams lost  

 

And one of those three Top-10 teams experienced its first loss.

 

Saturday was a disappointing day for five Top-25 teams. It was even worse for one of those five teams because they lost for the first time.

 

No. 8 Georgia Tech suffered its first loss of the season. The Yellow Jackets fell to unranked NC State, 48-36. The game was an offensive shootout. The teams combined for 1,142 total yards. Georgia Tech only led once in the game. That was a 17-14 lead for three minutes in the second quarter. The game was tied 7-7 for about five minutes in the first quarter. Otherwise, NC State led throughout. The Wolfpack’s biggest leads were 38-23 late in the third quarter, and 48-30 late in the fourth quarter.

 

In a losing effort, Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King passed for 408 yards and two touchdowns. King also ran for 103 yards and two more touchdowns. In winning, NC State quarterback C.J. Bailey passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Bailey also ran for 36 yards and one more touchdown. NC State running back Jayden Scott ran for 196 yards and one touchdown.

 

No. 9 Vanderbilt lost to No. 20 Texas, 34-31. After three quarters, Texas led, 34-10. Vanderbilt scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull within three. With 0:33 remaining in the game, Vanderbilt almost recovered its onside kick.

 

No. 10 Miami fell to unranked SMU, 26-20 (OT). SMU put the game into overtime, kicking a 38-yard field goal with 0:25 remaining on the clock. On the first possession in the overtime period, Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw an interception. Wonder if Beck will blame his receiver for the interception? When Miami lost to Louisville earlier in the season, Beck threw four interceptions. He publicly blamed at least one of the interceptions on his receiver. Nothing like throwing your teammate under the bus. In all, Beck threw two interceptions in the SMU game.

 

No. 14 Tennessee lost to No. 18 Oklahoma, 33-27. The difference was the third quarter when Oklahoma outscored Tennessee, 9-0.

 

No. 17 Cincinnati was crushed by No. 24 Utah, 45-14. The loss was the first for Cincinnati in Big 12 play.

 

No. 22 Houston was thumped by unranked West Virginia, 45-35. West Virginia never trailed in the game.

 

Georgia Tech wasn’t the only team to suffer its first loss. Previously undefeated Navy lost for the first time. Navy fell to North Texas, 31-17. North Texas jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and that remained the difference. The two teams played on equal terms for the remainder of the game.

 

There were several first timers during the weekend. Five teams won their first conference games of the season. North Carolina beat Syracuse, 27-10, to get its first win in ACC play.

 

Mississippi State and Kentucky won their first games in SEC play. In the Futility Bowl (Mississippi State-Arkansas), Mississippi State scored 17 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes of the game to beat Arkansas, 38-35. The Bulldogs final touchdown came with 0:48 remaining in the game. Arkansas remains winless in SEC play. Arkansas fans couldn’t wait to get rid of head coach Sam Pittman. A few weeks ago, Pittman was fired. Now, Arkansas fans can’t wait to get rid of interim coach Bobby Petrino.

 

Kentucky won its first SEC game, beating Auburn, 10-3. It was a game where the offenses stalled and the defenses starred. Will Hugh Freeze survive at Auburn? No.

 

Florida State is no longer winless in ACC play. The Seminoles beat Wake Forest, 42-7. FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos passed for 271 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for another touchdown.

 

And finally, West Virginia got its first win in Big 12 play. The Mountaineers surprised Houston, 45-35. WVU’s defense held Houston to 82 yards rushing.

  

In another first, Indiana has back-to-back 9-0 starts for the first time in program history. Saturday, the Hoosiers defeated Maryland, 55-10.

 

Tulane can forget being the Group of Five representative in the CFP. Thursday night, UTSA clobbered Tulane, 48-26. The Green Wave suffered from four turnovers. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown passed for 370 yards and four touchdowns. The teams combined for 957 total yards. UTSA had a 13-minute edge in time of possession.

 

Also Thursday night, in a game marred by mistakes, Coastal Carolina downed Marshall, 44-27. There were seven turnovers in the game – five by Marshall. Coastal Carolina quarterback Samari Collier passed for 196 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 75 yards and two more touchdowns.

 

For North Carolina it was hallelujah. Friday night, the Tar Heels got their first ACC win of the season and their first win over a Power Four team. North Carolina beat Syracuse, 27-10. Syracuse only had 12 first downs, 147 total yards and only 39 yards passing.

 

In the first of two other games Friday night, Memphis looked sharp, beating Rice, 38-14. Memphis quarterback Brendan Lewis passed for 225 yards. Lewis also ran for 87 yards and one touchdown. In the remaining game, Louisiana Tech walloped Sam Houston, 55-14. The teams combined for 1,148 total yards. Louisiana Tech had 646 of those yards.

 

Ohio State and Michigan both won Saturday. Ohio State downed Penn State, 38-14. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns. Michigan had a close call with Purdue. The Wolverines edged the Boilermakers, 21-16. Michigan running back Jordan Marshall ran for 185 yards and three touchdowns.

 

Also in the Big Ten, Illinois beat Rutgers, 35-13, and Minnesota edged Michigan State, 23-20 (OT).

 

In the Big 12, Colorado took it on the chin again. Last week, the Buffaloes lost to Utah, 53-7. Saturday, Colorado lost to Arizona, 52-17. Elsewhere in the Big 12, Texas Tech downed Kansas State, 43-20.

 

In a service academy game, Army kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to beat Air Force, 20-17. Air Force had three turnovers in the game.

 

In the ACC, Louisville rallied in the second half to beat Virginia Tech, 28-16. Pitt downed Stanford, 35-20. In an SEC game, Ole Miss crushed South Carolina 30-14. South Carolina fans want to dump head coach Shane Beamer.

 

After you went to bed Saturday night, Utah beat Cincinnati, 45-14, and San Jose State downed Hawaii, 45-38. San Jose State and Hawaii combined for 1,126 total yards.

 

Now, go figure. Saturday, SMU beat Miami. Saturday, Florida State beat Wake Forest, 42-7. Last week, Wake Forest beat SMU, 13-12. Yes, it’s a crazy football season.

 

With Georgia Tech and Navy losing, only four undefeated teams remain – Indiana (9-0), Ohio State (8-0), Texas A&M  (8-0) and BYU (8-0).

 

Many believe Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is currently the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy. Sayin is closely followed as a Heisman favorite by Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Also in the running are Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.

 

There are more than a few updates to the coaching carousel. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has agreed to and signed a two-year extension to his contract with the Huskers. The signing extends his contract through the 2032 season. Rhule has been a potential candidate for the opening at Penn State, his alma mater. It appears Penn State will be looking elsewhere for a new coach now.

 

Also, Kent State removed the interim tag and named Mike Carney the full-time head coach of the Golden Flashes. Carney’s contract is through the 2029 season at $550,000 a year. Carney became Kent State’s interim coach last April when Kenni Burns was fired. So, now there are only 11 schools looking for a new coach.

 

Four days after LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly, LSU fired athletic director Scott Woodward. Woodward was the AD who hired Kelly.

 

It’s been a tough season on SEC coaches. Yesterday, Auburn fired its head coach Hugh Freeze. In two-plus years at auburn, Freeze was 15-19 – 6-16 in SEC play. This season he was 4-5 (1-5). I never understood Auburn hiring Freeze in the first place. Freeze is the fourth SEC coach to be fired this season. Sam Pittman, Billy Napier and Brian Kelly are the others. And South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby are on shaky ground. The Freeze termination ups the openings back to 12.

 

And speaking of South Carolina, offensive coordinator Mike Shula is being blamed for their problems. Shula was fired yesterday.

 

The first CFP rankings will be revealed Tuesday evening, November 4, on ESPN. Meanwhile, the Top-5 teams in this week’s AP Poll: 1. Ohio State (8-0), 2. Indiana (9-0), 3. Texas A&M (8-0), 4. Alabama (7-1), and 5. Georgia (7-1). Memphis is the highest-ranked Group of Five team at 22^nd.

 

The dates and locations of the next four CFP National Championship games: January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida; January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada; January 24, 2028, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, and January 22, 2029, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

 

College basketball begins tonight! The Top-5 teams in the AP Preseason Basketball Poll are 1. Purdue, 2. Houston, 3. Florida, 4. Connecticut, and 5. St. John’s. If your team is having a tough football season, maybe things will get better during basketball season. Then again, maybe not.

 

See you Thursday with Week 11’s forecast.

 

Touchdown Tom

November 3, 2025

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: The Commodores had a slow start and a quick ending – Texas 34, Vanderbilt 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Vanderbilt 24). The best part of this game was the fourth quarter. That’s when Vanderbilt made it interesting. Texas led 17-0 in the first quarter, 24-3 in the second quarter and 34-10 when the fourth quarter began. Vandy made a game of it in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points. Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia passed for 365 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown. Vandy receiver Eli Stowers had 7 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Texas quarterback Arch Manning passed for 328 yards and three touchdowns. Stat-wise, the teams were about as even as you can get. Vandy did have one turnover and Texas had none. Attendance in Austin: 102,338

 

RUNNER-UP: The Sooners topped Rocky – Oklahoma 33, Tennessee 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 34, Oklahoma 31). Tennessee took an initial 7-0 lead. The game was tied 7-7 in the first quarter and 10-10 in the second quarter. OU held a 16-10 halftime lead. Tennessee went up 17-16 early in the third quarter. The Sooners retook the lead at 23-17 late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, OU extended their lead to 26-17. Tennessee closed the gap to 26-24 late in the fourth quarter. Combined, the teams scored 17 points in the final 2 minutes of the game – 10 for Tennessee and 7 for Oklahoma. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar passed for 393 yards and three touchdowns. Aguilar also threw two interceptions. There were five turnovers in the game – 3 by Tennessee and 2 by Oklahoma. Attendance in Knoxville: 101,915

 

REST OF THE BEST: The Cats were bare – Utah 45, Cincinnati 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 30, Cincinnati 28). This game was all Utah from the get-go. The Utes led 24-7 at halftime. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby had his worst game of the season. He was just 11-for-33 passing. Utah had a commanding 21-minute edge in time of possession. Cincinnati had three turnovers, Utah had two. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 51,672

 

Another close one for the Huskers – USC 21, Nebraska 17 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 30, Nebraska 28). Win or lose, most of Nebraska’s games this season have been close. Nebraska led 14-6 at halftime. USC tied the score at 14-14 late in the third quarter. Nebraska went up 17-14 early in the fourth quarter. There were still 10 minutes left in the game when USC scored the final touchdown. Basically, Nebraska won the first half and USC won the second half. This was more of a rushing game than a passing game. Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola left the game in the third quarter with a right ankle injury. Raiola has a broken fibula and will be out the rest of the season. Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson ran for 165 yards and one touchdown. USC running back King Miller ran for 129 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,529

 

No stopping the Hoosiers – Indiana 55, Maryland 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 31, Maryland 20). Indiana piled it on in the second half, outscoring Maryland 35-7. Indiana won the first down race, 28-11, the total yards race, 588 to 293 and the rushing race, 367 to 37. The Hoosiers had a 21-minute edge in time of possession. Maryland suffered from 5 turnovers. Indiana is now outscoring opponents, 46-11. Attendance in College Park: N/A

 

Cavaliers dominate – Virginia 31, California 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia 30, California 24). The first quarter was the winner for the Cavaliers. Virginia outscored Cal 10-0 in the first quarter. The two teams then scored 7 points in each of the remaining three quarters. Cal only had 8 yards rushing. Virginia led in first downs – 23-14 and in total yards – 456 to 263. Cal had two turnovers, Virginia had none. Two of the Top-5 public colleges in the country met in football. Attendance in Berkeley: 30,893

 

Stranger than science – SMU 26, Miami 20 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 28, SMU 24). SMU kicked a 25-yard field goal with 0:25 remaining to put the game into overtime. In the overtime, SMU scored and Miami didn’t. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings passed for 365 yards and one touchdown. Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw two interceptions. SMU was the better passing team. Miami was the better running team. SMU only had 23 yards rushing. Miami had a 15-minute edge in time of possession. Attendance in Dallas: 35,074

 

No longer undefeated – North Texas 31, Navy 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 35, North Texas 34). Navy got off to a slow start and couldn’t catch up. North Texas led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Mean Green led 24-10 at halftime. Early in the third quarter, Navy closed the gap to 7 points – 24-17. Near the end of the third quarter, North Texas extended its lead to 31-17. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter. North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins ran for 197 yards and 4 touchdowns. The teams were reasonably even in the stats. Navy suffered from three turnovers. Attendance in Denton: 26,516

 

The Cyclones are in a funk – Arizona State 24, Iowa State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa State 27, Arizona State 23). The score was 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. Iowa State went up 10-3 early in the second quarter. Two minutes later, ASU tied things up at 10-10. Still in the second quarter, ASU went up 17-10 and never trailed again. But Iowa State kept it close. With quarterback Sam Leavitt out for the rest of the season, the Sun Devils went with backup quarterback Jeff Sims. Sims passed for 177 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for 228 yards and two more touchdowns. ASU had three turnovers and still won the game. Iowa State has lost four-straight games. Attendance in Ames: 60,899

 

Lagway was lagging again – Georgia 24, Florida 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 27, Florida 21). This was a good ballgame until the final five minutes. The lead changed hands four times. Georgia took the initial lead at 7-0. The Gators tied it up 7-7 and went ahead 10-7 – all in the first quarter. In the second quarter Georgia tied it up at 10-10. That’s where it stood at halftime. The Dawgs went up 17-10 in the third quarter. Still in the third, Florida tied the score at 17-17. Early in the fourth quarter, the Gators went up 20-17. They should have gone for the touchdown. With less than five minutes to go, Georgia scored and went up 24-20. Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway had a disappointing game. He’s had a disappointing season. He’s very unreliable. Georgia beat Florida for the fifth-straight time. The Dawgs have won eight of the last nine games. Attendance in Jacksonville: 76,131

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Miracles do happen – West Virginia 45, Houston 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 30, West Virginia 20). I don’t know who or what lit a fire under the Mountaineers, but somebody or something did. WVU jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and never trailed for the rest of the game. The score was tied 21-21at halftime. But WVU scored 10 unanswered points during the first half of the third quarter to extend their lead to 31-21. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Mounties had a 45-28 lead. Houston was the better passing team. WVU was the better running team. Houston was hampered by four turnovers. Prior to the kickoff, WVU’s offense was only averaging 20 points a game. West Virginia ended its 5-game losing streak. Attendance in Houston: 25,049

 

Dabo’s mad – Duke 46, Clemson 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 27, Duke 24). So are the Clemson fans. I think the fans may be madder. Duke led 21-7 at the end of the first quarter. The game was tied – 28-28 – at halftime. In the third quarter, Clemson went up 35-28. But Duke tied it at 35-35 with a kickoff return for a touchdown. At the end of the third quarter, Clemson went up 38-35. Early in the fourth, Duke evened it up at 38-38. With less than 11 minutes to go, Clemson went back up 45-38. Duke scored a touchdown with 0:40 on the clock and went for two. The Dookies converted and won the game. Duke quarterback Darian Mensah passed for 361 yards and four touchdowns. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik passed for 385 yards and two touchdowns. Duke receiver Cooper Barkate had six receptions for 127 yards. Clemson receiver Antonio Williams had 10 catches for 142 yards. The teams combined for 999 total yards. There were 17 penalties in the game – 9 on Duke and 8 on Clemson. Attendance in Clemson: 75,809

 

The Boilers are getting better – Michigan 21, Purdue 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 28, Purdue 20). Michigan couldn’t shake Purdue. The Wolverines won the first half 14-7. The Boilermakers won the second half 9-7. The difference was Michigan running back Jordan Marshall. Marshall ran for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Michigan had 253 rushing yards to 138 for Purdue. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 110,517

 

Week 11 Results:   7 winners, 6 fumbles (53.8 percent)

For the Season:     95 winners, 43 fumbles (68.8 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

Missouri State 28, FIU 21 – Attendance in Springfield: 8,754

Baylor 30, UCF 3 – Attendance in Waco: 40,212

 

Bethune-Cookman 42, Mississippi Valley State 34 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 4,534

West Florida 51, Delta State 38 – Attendance in Cleveland: 2,987

 

Jackson State 41, Florida A&M 16 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 13,104

Florida State 42, Wake Forest 7 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 63,677

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

San Jose State’s Walter Eget – 20-40-0 for 458 yards (2TDs); Georgia Tech’s Haynes King – 25-35-1-408 (2TDs); Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar – 29-45-2-393 (3TDs); Clemson’s Cade Klubnik – 27-36-0-385 (2TDs); UNLV’s Anthony Colandrea – 33-46-0-382 (3TDs), and UTSA’s Owen McCown – 31-33-0-370 (4TDs).

 

Also, Hawaii’s Micah Alejado – 31-46-0 for 367 yards (3TDs); SMU’s Kevin Jennings – 29-44-0-365 (1TD); Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia – 27-38-0-365 (3TDs); Duke’s Darian Mensah – 27-41-0-361 (4TDs); Delaware’s Nick Minicucci – 29-49-1-344 (2TDs); New Mexico’s Jack Layne – 17-22-1-342 (3TDs), and NC State’s C.J. Bailey – 24-32-0-340 (2TDs).

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Arizona State’s Jeff Sims – 228 yards (2TDs); Liberty’s Evan Dickens – 217 yards (4TDs); North Texas’ Caleb Hawkins – 197 yards (4TDs); NC State’s Jayden Scott – 196 yards (1TD), an Sam Houston’s Elijah Green – 191 yards (2TDs).

 

Also, Michigan’s Jordan Marshall – 185 yards (3TDs); Ole Miss’s Kewan Lacy – 167 yards (1TD); Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson – 165 yards (1TD), and San Diego State’s Lucky Sutton – 158 yards (1TD).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“I may get fired. But I can’t say I’d blame them,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney after the loss to Duke.

 

“They lined up and kicked our ass in a lot of ways,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key, after the loss to NC State.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but in early November, as the college football season began its final stretch, the number one song in the country…

 

…85 years ago, this week in 1940, was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

 

…80 years ago, this week in 1945, was “Till The End Of Time” by Perry Como

 

…75 years ago, this week in 1950, was “Goodnight Irene” by Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra, and “All My Love (Bolero)” by Patti Page

 

…70 years ago, this week in 1955, was “Autumn Leaves” by Roger Williams

 

…65 years ago, this week in 1960, was “Save The Last Dance For Me” by The Drifters

 

…60 years ago, this week in 1965, was “Yesterday” by The Beatles, and “Get Off Of My Cloud” by The Rolling Stones

 

…55 years ago, this week in 1970, was “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson Five

 

…50 years ago, this week in 1975, was “Island Girl” by Elton John

 

…45 years ago, this week in 1980, was “Woman In Love” by Barbra Streisand

 

…40 years ago, this week in 1985, was “Part-Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder, and “Miami Vice Theme” by Jan Hammer

 

…35 years ago, this week in 1990, was “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice

 

The next CFW – Week 11 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, November 6.