College football winners, losers in Week 11: Michigan drowns out the noise, Oklahoma State falls flat

Two of the Big Ten’s premier systems performed a slobberknocker as the Week 11 school football slate introduced the true nationwide contenders to the leading edge. No. 3 Michigan handed its first take a look at with flying colours, whilst No. 9 Ole Miss flailed below expectancies. No. 7 Texas leaned on its playmakers to continue to exist a past due problem, and Washington picked up a much-needed high quality win. 

Now, the race for the height 4 is coming down the cord as 9 Power Five groups stay with one loss or fewer heading into the ultimate weeks of November. All nonetheless have a practical trail to the College Football Playoff if issues pass proper. 

A few convention championship races have been set on Saturday. No. 2 Georgia will face No. 8 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 2 (4 p.m. ET on CBS). New Mexico State will play Liberty for the Conference USA name. Meanwhile, final races are nonetheless huge open and full of chaos. 

Let’s take a look at the greatest winners and losers in Week 11, together with a handful of performances that deliver the nationwide championship race into clearer image. 

Winner: Michigan

Few in school football can perceive the chaos that Michigan has skilled over the previous 24 hours. The query of Jim Harbaugh’s standing hung over the program till, slightly actually, moments earlier than the recreation began. The trainer’s suspension used to be passed down on Friday whilst the workforce used to be on its flight to stand No. 10 Penn State. 

Yet amid all the drama, Michigan got here out and stood tall. The Wolverines took a 14-3 lead in the 2nd quarter in opposition to Penn State and would by no means give up. Michigan rushed for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns in the back of a breakout efficiency from senior Blake Corum, and vital simply 8 passes from quarterback J.J. McCarthy to drag off a win. 

After the recreation, Wolverines gamers and coaches have been emotional. The efficiency used to be targeted and ambitious. Michigan stays a drive to be reckoned with in the Big Ten, and a marquee matchup with No. 1 Ohio State stays rotated to finish the 12 months. 

Loser: Oklahoma State

One week in the past, Oklahoma State beat rival Oklahoma to ship the Bedlam sequence off with a last victory and take keep watch over of the Big 12 name race. The Cowboys adopted it up with a unusual 45-3 loss to UCF as the Knights earned their handiest win over a legacy Big 12 opponent. 

Star working again Ollie Gordon II neglected a lot of the recreation after struggling early accidents, and the Cowboys crumbled. Quarterback Alan Bowman threw 3 interceptions and the protection allowed just about 600 yards, simply shy of each 300 yards via the air and on the flooring. 

Trying to make any sense of this Cowboys workforce is a idiot’s errand. In Week 3, Oklahoma State misplaced 33-7 to South Alabama. Two weeks later, it beat Kansas State. The Cowboys want some issues to fall proper to achieve the Big 12 Championship Game, however video games in opposition to Houston and BYU are manageable. Regardless, Oklahoma State is making their very own lives way more tricky.

Winner: Missouri

The Tigers were one among the maximum delightful surprises in school football throughout a breakout 8-2 marketing campaign. Missouri beaten No. 13 Tennessee 36-7 as former Truman State working again Cody Schrader exploded for 200 yards on the flooring and 100 via the air, the first SEC participant in historical past to achieve either one of the ones marks in a recreation. 

The win used to be handiest the newest spectacular efficiency from Missouri throughout a breakout season. The Tigers gave Georgia its hardest recreation of the 12 months on the street, whilst wins over Kansas State and Kentucky proceed to age smartly. Remaining video games in opposition to Florida and Arkansas give Mizzou a possibility to earn its first 10-win season since 2014. 

Missouri used to be picked 6th in its personal department and used to be one among 4 groups not to earn a unmarried preseason vote for SEC champion. After the Tennessee win, the Tigers have confirmed themselves as the third-best workforce in the SEC. If Missouri can keep away from slip-ups, the Tigers simply would possibly earn a New Year’s Six berth. 

Winner: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

The reviews of Alabama’s dying are a great deal exaggerated. Once a legal responsibility, Jalen Milroe has emerged as the ultimate offensive participant on the roster. Milroe adopted up his four-touchdown efficiency in opposition to LSU with six on the street in opposition to Kentucky — 3 on the flooring, 3 via the air. 

The six touchdowns in opposition to a cast UK protection helped key a dynamic 49-21 victory as Alabama moved to 9-1. The Tide managed their very own future in the SEC West race, and the victory clinched the department name. But extra importantly, Milroe’s performances in his closing two video games display untapped upside heading right into a essential a part of the season. 

Early in the 12 months, Alabama would were a big underdog in the SEC Championship Game. After Milroe’s enhancements, Dec. 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium could have primary nationwide championship implications. 

Loser: Penn State’s huge receivers

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has gained the lion’s proportion of the blame after losses to Ohio State and Michigan, and for excellent explanation why. The sophomore threw for 261 yards on an embarrassing 4.1 yards in keeping with strive in the two losses. But in opposition to Michigan something changed into exceptionally transparent: his huge receivers are doing him no favors. 

Tight finish Tyler Warren used to be the handiest participant on the workforce with greater than 13 yards receiving as the receivers posted simply 7 yards in keeping with reception. The problems reached a head in opposition to Michigan, however Penn State’s pass-catchers were a subject matter all 12 months. Keandre Lambert-Smith is the handiest huge receiver on the workforce that got here into Saturday with greater than 200 yards receiving. 

Allar is a skilled quarterback, however he desperately wishes lend a hand. The Nittany Lions do not have any outdoor playmakers. Heading right into a pivotal 2024, James Franklin’s handiest precedence must be upgrading Allar’s receiving corps. 

Winner: Northwestern

Northwestern meantime trainer David Braun used to be passed one among the greatest messes in school football after former trainer Pat Fitzgerald used to be fired. The Wildcats already had their paintings minimize out coming off a 1-11 season earlier than Fitzgerald’s dismissal, and have been thought to be the worst workforce in the Big Ten West. After a 24-10 win over Wisconsin, Northwestern has pulled off the turnaround of the season whilst transferring to 5-5. 

Wisconsin struck first, however Northwestern answered with 24 unanswered issues in the first two quarters to surprise the Badgers. Quarterback Ben Bryant — satirically, Wisconsin trainer Luke Fickell’s former QB at Cincinnati — threw for 2 touchdowns in his go back from damage. 

The Wildcats have winnable video games in opposition to Purdue and Illinois final to near the 12 months. If Northwestern can nab one, the program can succeed in its first bowl recreation in a complete season since 2018. Reaching bowl eligibility in this tumultuous 12 months can be one among the ultimate training jobs of the season. 

Loser: Ole Miss

There’s no disgrace in shedding to Georgia. Every opponent has completed it since the conclusion of the 2021 season. There’s some disgrace, on the other hand, in being a top-10 workforce and getting wiped off the box the means the Rebels proceed to in opposition to high quality combatants. 

Ole Miss misplaced 52-17 and allowed greater than 600 yards to the Bulldogs. After scoring first, Georgia went on a 45-7 run over the subsequent 40 mins of recreation time, one among the maximum dominant runs of the season. The Rebels kicked a tragic box objective from the pink zone with handiest 9 mins final to make it glance somewhat higher. 

Lane Kiffin’s groups at Ole Miss have put in combination great information, however were wholly embarrassed through elite groups. In reality, Kiffin handiest has one win in his school training profession over a Power Five workforce that went directly to win no less than 9 video games in a season, although an disenchanted over LSU this 12 months might supply a 2nd. At some level, Kiffin has to have the ability to be extra aggressive or he runs the possibility of falling in the back of in an SEC that may handiest get harder when Texas and Oklahoma sign up for. 

Winner: Texas WR Adonai Mitchell

Mitchell gambled through moving from nationwide champion Georgia to Texas, however the pairing has been a wedding made in heaven. The numbers in a 29-26 win over TCU may not leap off the web page — 3 catches for 61 yards and a landing — however Mitchell made large performs in the victory. Facing third-and-12 with the recreation on the line, Mitchell adjusted to a high-floating Quinn Ewers move and controlled to make a tricky catch via a couple of defenders. He additionally added a key landing to spark a Texas run. 

Mitchell does no longer get the quantity of WR1 Xavier Worthy, however his have an effect on has been large throughout Texas’ run to 9-1. The junior leads the workforce with 9 landing receptions, together with a couple in the win over Alabama. If Texas wins its first Big 12 name since 2009, Mitchell has a robust case as the X-factor. 

Loser: Duke

The Blue Devils did not simply have one miracle comeback in opposition to No. 24 North Carolina, they’d two. After happening through 12 issues in the fourth quarter, working again Jordan Waters went on a 15-0 run through himself to take a three-point lead. After a arguable overturned interception ended in a UNC landing, Duke fought again once more as Jordan Moore stuck a 30-yard go-ahead move with 41 seconds left. Again, North Carolina nailed a box objective as time expired to drive extra time. 

Ultimately, the recreation ended with a 47-45 loss to the hated Tar Heels on a failed 2-point conversion as Duke used to be all however eradicated from the ACC Championship Game race. More irritating, the loss leaves North Carolina as the height festival to Louisville as a possible birthday celebration crasher in the name recreation. 

Winner: New Mexico State

Don’t glance now, however Jerry Kill is quietly hanging in combination one among the largest runs in New Mexico State historical past. After happening 14-0 in the first quarter, the Aggies stormed again to overcome Western Kentucky 38-29 and clinch a commute to the Conference USA Championship Game in their first 12 months as a member. The Aggies have no longer gained a convention name since they have been participants of the Missouri Valley in 1978. The program has additionally no longer reached consecutive bowl video games since 1960. Kill has a document of 15-9 in two seasons at New Mexico State, which ranks as the ultimate successful share through any New Mexico State trainer in the previous 50 years.