College football Week 11 overreactions: National title game matchup all but set

College Football: 12 teams Football Playoffs are great. The playoffs are great. No. No. 3 Texas A&M are blazing a path to the College Football Playoff National Championship. These two teams are clearly head and shoulders above everyone else. No. No. 2 Indiana isn’t far behind. But the Hoosiers lost their mystique when they struggled Saturday against one of Penn State’s worst teams in the past 15 seasons. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, won their sixth consecutive game by atleast 18 points after Saturday’s demolition of Purdue. The Aggies won their second straight double-digit road victory by defeating No. 22 Missouri 38-17. 

Ohio State and Texas A&M haven’t just avoided falling victim to a chaotic 2025 season — they’ve thrived. Both are complete teams, with a quarterback who is a master of the game, a wide receiver room that’s deep and stifling defenses. The two teams will have a great time competing for all the marbles on Jan. 19th. Oregon is a paper tiger Barring an unexpected late-season meltdown, Oregon is going to make the College Football Playoff. The Ducks are likely to be favorites in all their remaining games. They should have no trouble navigating the rest their schedule, with the exception of perhaps the matchup against the old Pac-12 opponent No. 19 USC. It won’t get them to the Big Ten Championship Game, and their playoff journey in 2025 will be short just like it was last year. Oregon will be exposed if it is matched up against one the top 12 teams in the country. 

The Ducks don’t have the best résumé thus far. Their admittedly gritty road win against No. This was the first time this season that Iowa had beaten a team ranked in the top 20. Except for Week 11, their Power Four victories came against teams that had a combined record between 19-36. The No. They lost at home by 10 against the No. 2 Indiana. Although the Hawkeyes’ road victory against Iowa appears impressive on paper, it is possible to argue that they shouldn’t be ranked. Their own record leaves much to be desired in terms of quality. Oregon has not shown that it can compete on a large national stage. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has had a great year. He is responsible for Indiana’s second consecutive 100-0 start. It’s possible that he will be selected in the early rounds of the NFL Draft 2026. He has the skills to become a successful quarterback. 

Mendoza won the Heisman trophy, many said, after he led Indiana on an 80-yard game-winning drive in the thrilling 27-24 win against Penn State. Many pundits have already referred to that possession as “his Heisman moment.” It was a great series of plays. He stood tall in the pocket while taking some big hits from Penn State’s defensive front and delivered catchable balls to his wide receivers, including a decisive throw to wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Cooper deserves more of the credit by defying all known laws of physics to make one of the most absurd catches you will ever see. 

The people were quick to forget, too, that it was Mendoza’s bad interception not 10 minutes earlier, when the Nittany Lions had 6:27 to go in the 4th quarter, that gave Penn State the field position they needed to gain a lead of 24-20. Mendoza is not the best quarterback of the Big Ten. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin has been making a strong push to win that title. Mendoza is certainly worthy of the Heisman, but to declare him the winner now would be premature. Jacob Rodriguez, a Texas Tech linebacker, deserves more Heisman coverage. Red Raiders certainly are trying to create some buzz, and former Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes has added his voice. 

Rodriguez is the heartbeat of a Texas Tech defense that ranks among the nation’s best for a team likely on their way to Big 12 Championship Game and College Football Playoffs. In a big win over No. Seven BYU. He had 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a recovered fumble and an athletic interception. He did the Heisman after that interception. 
When it comes to the college football’s highest individual award, defensive players are often overlooked. Only two defenders, Travis Hunter and Charles Woodson, have won the award and they both (especially Hunter), had offensive achievements to boast about on their trip to New York. City. Rodriguez’s only star role is on defense. However, he performs at a level that garners him significant national recognition. It was his fifth consecutive game where he made at least 10 stops. He has 91 total tackles. This includes 9.5 tackles-for-loss, seven forced fumbles and three interceptions. 

This year seems to be the ideal time to reward a standout defensive player with his well-deserved flowers. Joe Fagnano is the best player you’ve never heard of Joe Fagnano has been nails for UConn this season. With their win over Duke in Week 11, the Huskies are now 7-3, giving coach Jim Mora the third victory against the ACC campaign since 2024. Fagnano is on pace to lead the Huskies to their best season since the turn-of-the century. He destroyed the Blue Devils, racking up 311 yardage — his fourth 300+ yard performance in the last five games — as well as three touchdowns. Saturday was his fifth straight game where he threw at least three scores. It was his third consecutive game without an interception. This is the second longest streak of this kind in FBS history. He still has 61 attempts left to surpass former Louisiana Tech signal-caller Colby Cameron’s record. 

Fagnano has now moved up to the top five in the nation with 2,640 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He’s definitely worth checking out over the past month. 

2025-11-09 14:11:43