College football winners, losers in Week 11: Texas A&M is different this year (really)

This year marks the 10th time in the past 15 seasons that Texas A&M has ranked inside the top 10 of the AP poll and/or College Football Playoff rankings will be released at some point. The No. The No. This was confirmed by the No. With a 38-17 victory over No. 22 Missouri. The win all but assured A&M of its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, although merely reaching the CFP would be a disappointment at this point.Texas A&M hasn’t appeared in the SEC Championship Game since joining the league in 2012. The Aggies will be able to secure a first round bye for the CFP if they can get to the SEC Championship Game. Even if A&M slips out of the league title game and misses out on a top four in the CFP rankings, it would still be primed to host a first round game.What the Aggies have done under second-year coach Mike Elko should be a lesson for all the programs currently in the market for a new coach. Elko’s hiring was not “splashy”. He was not hired from a large brand and did not have any rings of national championships to show off at his first press conference.

But he’d proven his merit as a head coach at Duke and knew the landscape at A&M from his time as the program’s defensive coordinator. In this age, coaching is more about substance and strategy than sizzle. A&M had a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in Johnny Manziel under Kevin Sumlin. Jimbo Fisher, a former National Championship winning coach from Florida State, was his successor. Neither achieved what Elko accomplished in less that two seasons at the Aggies. This is a complete list of college football Week 11 winners and losers. The action featured some wild escapes from two of Big Ten’s top teams.

Missouri is no match. Missouri was a seven point underdog when it entered the game against No. 3 Texas A&M, but the Tigers and their third-string quarterback were no match for the Aggies. A&M cruised to a 38-17 win to reach 6-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998, when it was still a member of the Big 12. Matt Zollers was given the daunting task of starting his career against a talented defense. It did not go well. Zollers ended up being on the wrong end of this bizarre series, which helped Aggies extend their lead to 14 points just before the halftime break.
Oregon is a winner on the margins The margin of success in college football has never before been so narrow. Consider No. No. 20 Iowa. Dante Moore could have lost the Ducks a heartbreaking game that would have jeopardized their CFP dreams if he hadn’t thrown the ball into the tightest possible space. Malik Benson caught it to set Oregon up for a game winning field goal in the dying seconds. Oregon was on the brink of defeat for the second straight time on the road when facing a top-ranked conference opponent. The last time they did so, the team won in dramatic fashion. The third-ranked Penn State was defeated on September 27. If either of these outcomes were to go the other way, we might be talking about a Big Ten two-bid league. Because the Ducks possess the clutch gene they live on the right-hand side of the delineation line between success and failure.
Indiana emerges victorious from a thrilling thrillerAfter beating its last three Big Ten rivals by an average score of 40 points each, No. Indiana’s No. 2 team looked on course for another easy victory at Penn State Saturday. The Nittany Lions then came back to take the lead in the fourth quarter after a 20-7 loss. How would an Indiana team that is so used to a blowout victory respond? It turned out quite well. Indiana scored the go-ahead goal with just under two minutes remaining, despite being down 24-20. Two of the most impressive catches in the season were part of this drive, which helped Indiana (10-0, 7-1 Big Ten) secure a 27-24 victory. 

Charlie Becker first elevated a Penn State defensive back on the sideline to make a spectacular grab, which moved Indiana into Nittany Lions territory with less than a minute remaining. On third-and goal, Omar Cooper Jr. surpassed his teammate by grabbing a touchdown with his toes. This proved to be game-winning. It’s fun to blow everyone out, but for teams with championship ambitions, being tested is also useful. IU has championship ambitions, and the team can draw from Saturday’s clutch TD drive if tense moments occur in the postseason.
BYU is a loserNo. BYU lost its first game of the season on Saturday, when the Cougars could not overcome themselves in their 29-7 loss to No. Texas Tech. Among other mistakes, there was a muffed kickoff, a missed goal and an interception. TTU won easily and covered the double-digit line in the crucial Big 12 matchup because BYU was sloppy. The Cougars (8-1 and 5-1 in the Big 12) can still make it to the title game, but Texas Tech is likely their opponent. If the rematch happens, BYU will be motivated to show a more competitive version of themselves than Saturday.
Jeremiah Smith is the same every week. The stud Ohio State sophomore receiver has added seven receptions, 109 yards, and a touchdown to his long highlight reel. The 34-10 victory by Ohio State over Purdue was the No. 1 win for Ohio State. Oh, did you know that this was Smith’s first-half line? He added three more catches to his career-high total of 10 receptions in the second period. This further strengthens his Heisman candidacy, which also includes his quarterback Julian Sayin.

Auburn’s flameout continuesPlaying at no. 16 Vanderbilt in its first game since the firing of coach Hugh Freeze, Auburn produced 563 yards, which was more than it ever managed against an FBS opponent during Freeze’s tenure. Auburn’s end result was familiar for the Tigers: they found a way of losing. Tigers lost 45-38 after having led by 14 points in the first half. Auburn has found some offensive life behind Ashton Daniels. To avoid missing a bowl game for the third year in a row, the Tigers need to beat Mercer as well as win the Iron Bowl.
Deion continues his downward spiralColorado’s hopes for bowl eligibility were crushed Saturday by a 29-22 defeat at West Virginia. Mountaineers only had 17 sacks on the season when they played the Buffaloes, but they ended up with seven. Deion Sanders, Buffaloes third-year head coach, made a questionable decision early in fourth quarter. It may have been due to Colorado’s shoddy offense line play. Sanders, facing a fourth and 4 from the WVU 17, opted for a field-goal to bring his team within 22-19. A touchdown would’ve given Colorado the lead and put the Buffaloes into a much better position for the final stretch. Colorado’s bold coach made a rash decision with nothing to lose in the final weeks of a losing season.
Winner: Georgia avoids the dramaGeorgia has a history of destroying SEC opponents, and avoiding drama in the fourth quarter during its back to back national championship runs between 2021 and 2022. The SEC is becoming more equal since then. That’s reflected in all the close games played by the Bulldogs this season.

It was like the old days for No. Georgia, No. 5 in the rankings, beat Mississippi State on the road 41-21. UGA is coming off of a tough rivalry victory over Florida, and now faces a high-stakes showdown at home against No. This was a classic trap. UGA got into a 7-0 early hole. Georgia then slammed Mississippi State with a 38 0 run, which was accompanied by a steady rhythm of explosive plays.
James Madison is quietly building its case as a winnerWatch out! The Dukes (8-1 Sun Belt, 6-0) have won seven straight games following their 35-23 win at Marshall on Saturday to get themselves into the CFP race. JMU was the second best Group of Six team (+240 on FanDuel), behind only South Florida, when the game ended. James Madison suffered its only loss in a tough road matchup against No. 14 Louisville. Its victories, barring one, are all by double-digits. Bob Chesney’s second-year squad could make it to the CFP bracket.

Temple is a rare loser: The football was only possessed by Temple twice in the second-half of their 14-13 defeat at Army. The Black Knights forced the three-and out with 10 minutes remaining and then ran the clock down with an 18 play drive. This extended series had zero pass attempts, and no points. But it achieved what the Black Knights were looking for. Army held the ball for more than 22 minutes during the second half. This was service-academy football at its best. The Black Knights made just one pass but converted 11 of 19 plays on third- or four-down to keep the clock ticking and the chains moving.
Wisconsin celebrates its rare win Some are going to slam Wisconsin fans who rushed the field immediately following the Badgers’ 13-10 win against No. 23 Washington. Is it true that this once-proud team has fallen so low that a small win over a barely-ranked team gets the field-storming treatment. Answer: Yes. Wisconsin (3-6 Big Ten, 1-5) will almost certainly miss consecutive bowl games for the first since 1991 and 1992. The Badgers had a lower average of yards per game (261.9) than any Power Four teams by more than 30 yard. The Huskies only had 205 yards of offense and 12 first-downs, but they still managed to win. If this is what you are selling, you will celebrate any wins you can get.
UConn is the winner: UConn has made a statementUConn’s victory over UAB allowed the Huskies to qualify for the bowls for the second season in a row. Saturday’s 37-34-0 win over Duke was a far more powerful statement. Blue Devils, who are in the thick ACC title race with Darian Mensah as their quarterback, entered the game with the hottest quarterback on the country. Joe Fagnano threw three touchdowns and was picked off twice by the Huskies. The veteran quarterback has 25 touchdowns this season without an interception, and the Huskies are in the running to equal or surpass last year’s nine wins. Jim Mora Jr., a fourth-year coach, is quietly doing an outstanding job.

2025-11-09 02:39:58