College football Week 11 predictions: Alabama-LSU, Georgia-Ole Miss on tap

Making our predictions for the biggest games on the Week 11 college football schedule.

College football Week 11 predictions, picks / USA Today Sports | IMAGN

College Football HQ makes our final predictions for the most important games on the Week 11 schedule as things kick off around the country.

And what a week it could be, with postseason implications not only for likely automatic-bid contenders, but also those teams looking to take an important step forward in the crowded field for one of the at-large playoff positions, too.

Alabama visits LSU in a battle of SEC rivals that will likely serve as an elimination game of sorts with both teams hovering near the bottom of the top 12 of the first College Football Playoff rankings.

Georgia debuted at No. 3 in the first CFP rankings but is projected as the current No. 2 seed in the playoff and facing a critical road test against No. 16 Ole Miss that could spell the end of the Bulldogs or the beginning for the Rebels in the late-season playoff push.

As the Week 11 college football schedule kicks off around the country, let’s lock in our final predictions for the biggest games.

College football Week 11 game predictions

South Carolina at Vanderbilt

SI picks: South Carolina | Vandy has played inspired football at home this season, to say the least, but one prominent weakness is offensive line play, ranking among the nation’s worst units in pressure allowed, and the Gamecocks are bringing serious tonnage from the defensive line.

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Virginia at Pittsburgh

SI picks: Pittsburgh | The Cavaliers started 4-2 but have dropped the last three in a row and head into a road date against an angry Pitt team coming off its first loss of the season and can play some aggressive defense.

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Colorado at Texas Tech

SI picks: Colorado | It’s up to Colorado to prove it can upgrade its defensive play in a road test against a Texas Tech offense that can put up some points, but the Buffs should have the decisive edge moving the ball against a Red Raider defense that’s 119th nationally in points allowed.

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Utah State at Washington State

SI picks: Washington State | Utah State is second-worst nationally in scoring defense allowing almost 42 points per game. Advantage, the Cougars offense, led by quarterback John Mateer and ranking top 15 nationally in scoring.

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Clemson at Virginia Tech

SI picks: Clemson | All the Hokies’ losses this season have been by 7 points or fewer, but now quarterback Kyron Drones is dealing with an injury while Clemson plays some of the best defensive up front in the country and is coming off a loss to Louisville that hurt its playoff chances.

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Army at North Texas

SI picks: Army | The status of star quarterback Bryson Daily is an open question, and while the Black Knights should dominate on the ground against a North Texas run defense that ranks 104th nationally, this UNT offense can throw the ball and put up serious points.

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Iowa State at Kansas

SI picks: Iowa State | Kansas has played some close games this season and the Cyclones are coming off their first loss of the season, but should have just enough offense to avoid a second.

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Nevada at Boise State

SI picks: Boise State | Expect more of Ashton Jeanty, college football’s best single rusher, going against a Nevada defense that is 93rd nationally in yards per carry surrendered.

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Florida State at Notre Dame

SI picks: Notre Dame | Back in August, this was supposed to be a game full of playoff implications. Now the only intrigue is to speculate how much the Irish will pound the 1-8 Seminoles, who rank second-worst nationally in scoring.

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Michigan at Indiana

SI picks: Indiana | Michigan simply doesn’t have enough offense to match the Hoosiers score for score, and last week’s loss to Oregon shows the Wolverines will eventually give way against an offense that can spread things out the way Indiana can.

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Mississippi State at Tennessee

SI picks: Tennessee | The Bulldogs’ defense, allowing nearly 80 percent completion against SEC quarterbacks, isn’t much of an obstacle right now, and Tennessee’s strong defensive front should control things from start to finish.

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Washington at Penn State

SI picks: Penn State | Expect this to be closer than the point spread indicates, given the Huskies’ relative strength on defense, at least on a per-play basis, combined with Penn State’s comparative issues scoring points lately, but the Nittany Lions’ front seven should get the better of Washington’s vulnerable offensive line.

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Florida at Texas

SI picks: Texas | All eyes are on injured quarterback DJ Lagway. His presence has been a stabilizing force for the Gators’ offense, but with him potentially off the field, this Texas defense should dominate as Quinn Ewers and his receivers get behind Florida’s back seven.

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Miami at Georgia Tech

SI picks: Miami | Tech’s defense is coming off some of its worst play of the season recently, and while Haynes King’s potential return to the offense is important against a Hurricanes defense that has struggled at times, it’s hard to go against Cam Ward until he makes a mistake.

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Purdue at Ohio State

SI picks: Ohio State | Purdue owns college football’s worst scoring margin differential and hasn’t scored more than 21 points in Big Ten play save one outlier game. Ohio State could take its foot off the gas after last week’s emotional win at Penn State, which might result in the Boilers covering the huge 38 point spread, but otherwise this is all Buckeyes.

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BYU at Utah

SI picks: BYU | Utah would love nothing more than to ruin BYU’s perfect season and could have enough defense to make that a realistic possibility playing at home and coming off an open week, but the Cougars should be able to outscore a Utah offense that ranks 109th in scoring.

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Maryland at Oregon

SI picks: Oregon | Big Ten teams have struggled playing in these cross-country games this season, and it’s hard to see the Terrapins matching the Ducks’ offense in any case.

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Alabama at LSU

SI picks: LSU | LSU will struggle to run the ball consistently against Alabama’s front seven and Jalen Milroe should be able to sufficiently exploit a Tigers defense that has struggled against mobile quarterbacks, but LSU has the protection and the outside weapons working the perimeter in tandem with Garrett Nussmeier to get it done at home.

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Georgia at Ole Miss

SI picks: Georgia | Carson Beck has thrown 6 interceptions over the last two games and that generosity with the football could prove costly going forward, but the Rebels’ offensive line has proven vulnerable against good pass rushers and now doesn’t have tailback Henry Parrish to balance things out.

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