CFB Week 11: Indiana, Texas A&M playoff-ready after big wins

Indiana has steamrolled through its season, and Saturday was the first time all season it’s trailed in the fourth quarter. Instead of wilting when facing adversity, the Hoosiers proved they have playmakers who can withstand those pressurized environments.

Loser: Georgia Bulldogs first quarters

No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1 in SEC) easily defeated Mississippi State (5-5, 1-5 in SEC), 41-21, but all is not well in Athens. For the sixth time in seven conference games, the Bulldogs were outscored in the first quarter, falling into a 7-3 deficit on Saturday. Overall, they’ve now been outscored 59-34 in the first 15 minutes of conference games. As much as Georgia deserves credit for its resiliency, the slow starts are a troubling pattern. The Bulldogs have played three quarters of their regular-season schedule and still haven’t played a complete game.

Winner: Texas A&M Aggies

A year ago, No. 3 Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0 in SEC) followed a win over LSU with three consecutive SEC losses, sinking its playoff hopes. Not this year.

In a critical road test at No. 22 Missouri (6-3, 2-3 in SEC), the Aggies were unbothered, easily leaving Columbia with a 38-17 win. Texas A&M ends its SEC schedule against South Carolina and No. 11 Texas (7-2, 4-1 in SEC), teams that contributed to the Aggies’ November 2024 demise. But after cruising through Missouri, Texas A&M doesn’t appear likely to repeat its past mistakes.

Loser: Predicting the ACC

It’s no use attempting to figure out the ACC. The conference was swept further into chaos as top contenders No. 14 Virginia (8-2, 5-1 in ACC) and No. 15 Louisville (7-2, 4-2 in ACC) dropped close home games. The Cavaliers lost to Wake Forest (6-3, 3-3 in ACC), 16-9, while the Cardinals fell victim to Cal (6-4, 3-3 in ACC) and sensational freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, 29-26 in overtime. 

With only three weeks left in the regular season, four teams are tied atop the ACC with a 5-1 conference record, while Duke is right behind at 4-1. It’s anyone’s guess who will make the ACC title game, except ours. Because we’re done predicting what will happen next.

Winner: Texas Tech Red Raiders

No. 8 Texas Tech (9-1, 6-1 in Big 12) won its top-10 Big 12 showdown with No. 7 BYU (8-1, 5-1 in Big 12), 29-7. The 22-point margin of victory was its lowest in a win, highlighting just how dominant the Red Raiders have been in what’s turning into one of the greatest seasons in program history. Texas Tech has its most wins since 2009, and with two more, it will match the program record, set three times previously (1953, 1973, 2008). As impressive as the Red Raiders have been, they’ve also improved their chances of receiving a CFP at-large bid if their only remaining loss is in the Big 12 title game.

Loser: Washington Huskies’ Big Ten initiation

Perhaps the only thing harder than holding an opponent to 48 passing yards is losing when holding an opponent to 48 passing yards, but that’s exactly what No. 23 Washington (6-3, 3-3 in Big Ten) did in its 13-10 defeat at Wisconsin (3-6, 1-5 in Big Ten), which lost starting quarterback Danny O’Neil to a leg injury in the first quarter.

The Badgers finished 6-of-18 passing and were led by freshman punter Sean West, who was 1-of-1 for 24 yards. Freshman quarterback Carter Smith was 3-of-12 for eight yards, while senior Hunter Smith finished 2-of-3 for 16 yards. Despite setting offense back a century, Wisconsin still managed to win its first conference game since Oct. 19, 2024 while giving Washington a crash course in Big Ten football.

Winner: Oregon Ducks’ Big Ten initiation

Like Washington, while No. 9 Oregon (8-1, 5-1 in Big Ten) joined the Big Ten last season, it officially became a member on Saturday. The Ducks were thrown into a classic Big Ten battle in its road trip to No. 20 Iowa (6-3, 4-2 in Big Ten), but rather than join the Huskies, they eked out an ugly 18-16 win. 

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore finished 13-of-21 for 112 yards and an interception but made a perfect throw on the winning drive to get the team in field-goal range.