College football Week 11 picks, predictions, odds: Alabama, Texas among teams on upset alert

Watch out for these favorites as the college football schedule turns to Week 11

Week 11 is here and with it comes another crucial opportunity for the top teams to prove they belong in College Football Playoff contention, while those on the outside looking in hope for some chaos to take advantage of in the next rankings.

Going into the final stretch of the regular season, the games are taking on major implications for division and conference races to sort themselves out.

But not all favorites are created equally, not with all the competition at the top of the polls as traditional dynasties like Alabama and Clemson appear to have played themselves out of the running.

Here's your look at the teams on upset alert going into this weekend, with game lines courtesy of SI Sportsbook.

College football Week 11 upset alert

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We're not saying these teams will lose, just that they can lose

No. 7 LSU (-3) at Arkansas. There's a lot to like about LSU with its wins over Ole Miss and Alabama, but some concerns, too. It's about average in most categories judged against its SEC competition and is in prime position to fall right into "trap" territory and could be headed into a letdown. Jayden Daniels has the legs to throw the Hogs' front seven out of position, but the Razorbacks can run the ball better than most behind one of the league's premier offensive lines.

No. 9 Alabama (-12) at No. 11 Ole Miss. Alabama isn't exactly in collapse mode here, losing its two games both on the last play and by a combined four points. But the warning signs have been there all season: the sketchy secondary, the iffy receivers, and the wobbly pass protection. And the struggles on the road: Ole Miss plays well on home ground and boasts a rushing attack that ranks third overall in college football in total production. If it sets the pace early, this one can get interesting.

No. 6 Oregon (-13.5) vs. No. 25 Washington. What's not to like about the Ducks since the opening loss to Georgia? Especially at home, thanks to what is by far the best season of Bo Nix's career, leading an offense that has over 40 points in eight straight wins. But don't overlook the Huskies, who boast the nation's premier passer: Michael Penix is over 3,200 yards and has 23 touchdowns and poses a legitimate threat to Oregon's back seven with accuracy and pace.

No. 18 Texas (-7) vs. No. 4 TCU. The books have favored the Longhorns since the open when taking the Horned Frogs' slow starts into account, not to mention the status of lead receiver Quentin Johnston, who is dealing with an ankle injury. Still, TCU has enough firepower in the air and on the ground, both playing behind Max Duggan, the nation's fourth most efficient passer, with a Big 12 title game appearance in sight.

No. 10 Clemson (-7) vs. Louisville. As each week passed, you got the feeling Clemson's relative improvements on offense were tenuous at best, and then outings against Syracuse and at Notre Dame seemed to bring the point home. This team just isn't performing up to par with DJ Uiagalelei at the helm. He's not getting a ton of help from his receivers, either, whereas Louisville's defense has certainly had its moments, like its 8-takeaway rout over Wake.

Wake Forest (-3.5) vs. No. 15 North Carolina. Give the credit to Drake Maye for putting the Tar Heels at 8-1 and in position to play for the ACC title, because this defense certainly isn't responsible. It ranks 113th nationally in total production and goes against Sam Hartman, the Deacons quarterback who has kept this series close in recent years. Hartman should work against a Heels secondary that allowed Virginia to score four TDs last week despite not having its top three receivers, but he also had nine turnovers in the last two games. This could be another shootout, which bodes slightly better for Maye and Carolina.

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