What to watch in college football this week: Alabama vs. LSU rivalry leads Week 11 matchups

The leaves are browning, the daylight is thinning, and the primary 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings are unveiled. It’s very a lot November.

Welcome to essentially the most dramatic stretch of the faculty soccer season. Now could be the time for renewed rivalries, must-win video games throughout the board and gut-checks for our title contenders.

Right here is your information to watching all of the motion on Saturday – and Friday night in the event you’re a devoted soccer freak. We’re additionally score every recreation when it comes to how necessary it’s to the CFP race (nationwide intrigue) and the way enjoyable these video games ought to be to look at (enjoyable issue).

Friday evening warmup

Rice at Memphis

Time: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

For these desirous to get an early repair, this matchup teases minor bedlam. Rice fired head coach Mike Bloomgren, then promptly scored a serious upset over Navy. The Owls are led by Pete Alamar within the interim and take the sphere with completely nothing to lose on Friday. Memphis quarterback Seth Henigen and operating again Mario Anderson Jr. have been placing up online game numbers this season.

Historical past: Rice 42, Memphis 35 (2008) – the Tigers have been up 35-20 with 8:33 left to play. The Owls tied it up, then received on a 69-yard pick-six with 11 seconds remaining.

Nationwide intrigue: Non-existentFun issue: Excessive

Iowa at UCLA

Time: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

UCLA has been largely joyless this 12 months, however the Bruins have received consecutive video games for the primary time with new head coach DeShaun Foster. Iowa’s brutish model of soccer doesn’t precisely vibe with West Los Angeles, however the Hawkeyes are rightful favorites for Friday. They’re tenth within the nation in speeding yards and have reached 40 factors in three of their final 4 video games.

Historical past: These groups final met within the 1986 Rose Bowl, a 45-28 win for the Bruins that featured three-time Tremendous Bowl winner Ken Norton Jr.

Nationwide intrigue: LowFun issue: Medium — Iowa isn’t as terrible to look at as current years.

Important TV materials

No. 3 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss

Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

The 2020s have been a traditionally fruitful decade for Georgia and coach Kirby Sensible – two nationwide titles and a 57-5 file. The Bulldogs are once more within the thick of championship rivalry and are cruising after September’s heartbreaking loss to Alabama. Jalon Walker appears just like the protection’s subsequent NFL first-rounder. Georgia’s favored by a subject objective over Ole Miss, which earned a press release win final week by hanging 63 factors on Arkansas. The Nick Saban teaching tree is at work right here: Rebels coach Lane Kiffin overlapped with Sensible for 3 years as Alabama coordinators.

Historical past: Georgia leads the all-time sequence 33-12-1 and has received 11 of the final 12 conferences.

Nationwide intrigue: HighFun issue: Excessive

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Mykel Williams (13) celebrates after a sort out with linebacker Chaz Chambliss (32) towards the Clemson Tigers (Photograph by Brett Davis / Imagn Pictures)

No. 11 Alabama at No. 15 LSU

Time: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

Right here we go, the “First Saturday in November.” Effectively, the second this 12 months. This matchup gleams with game-of-the-week potential. Each groups are enjoying for his or her postseason lives with two losses. Each are nicely rested coming off bye weeks, with offenses that may rack up factors via the air. These two beginning quarterbacks are among the many finest within the nation — Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier are professional prospects. This rivalry has produced three “Video games of the Century” since 2011. Saturday’s installment has the potential to be one other good one.

Historical past: Nick Saban and Bear Bryant every notched double-digit wins over the Tigers as Alabama coaches. The winningest LSU coach on this rivalry is Les Miles, who went 5-7 towards Alabama.

Nationwide intrigue: HighFun issue: Excessive

Teaching wins within the Alabama-LSU sequence

No. 9 BYU at Utah

Time: Saturday, 10:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

The oddsmakers see an in depth, low-scoring affair for this 12 months’s “Holy Conflict” faceoff. The overall at present sits at a modest 40.5 at BetMGM, with the ninth-ranked Cougars solely favored by 4. BYU hasn’t received in Salt Lake Metropolis since 2006, however the Cougars are firmly entrenched within the playoff dialog because the lone undefeated workforce within the Large 12. Jake Retzlaff leads an offense that has put up 34 or extra factors in all however one recreation this 12 months. Utah doesn’t have a dependable quarterback with Cam Rising injured, however the Utes completely have a protection. Utah’s protection is eleventh within the nation in factors allowed (16.5 per recreation).

Historical past: The state of Utah has produced one Heisman Trophy winner: BYU’s Ty Detmer in 1990. He has essentially the most landing passes towards the Utes in NCAA historical past.

Nationwide intrigue: MediumFun Issue: Low — except you want low-scoring slugfests.

Second-screen worthy

Florida at No. 5 Texas

Time: Saturday, midday ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

Two iconic applications face off for the primary time since World Conflict II. Texas appears adjusted to the SEC to date at 3-1 in convention motion and 7-1 total. The Longhorns have the second-ranked scoring protection within the nation and are favored by virtually three touchdowns. Florida is anticipated to be with out first-year quarterback DJ Lagway after a hamstring harm he suffered final week towards Georgia. With Graham Mertz already harm, third-string QB Aidan Warner is anticipated to start out.

Historical past: When Texas beat Florida 26-0 in 1940, the worth of admission was 25 cents, in response to the Tampa Bay Tribune.

Nationwide intrigue: Medium — except Florida makes this as shut as final week’s recreation towards Georgia.Enjoyable Issue: Low — except you want watching third-string quarterbacks.

Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers (Photograph by Alex Slitz / Getty Pictures)

No. 4 Miami at Georgia Tech

Time: Saturday, midday ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

This recreation hit BetMGM with the very best complete of the early slate at 63.5 factors. Miami is the highest-scoring workforce in school soccer, and Cam Ward is without doubt one of the favorites for this 12 months’s Heisman Trophy. The Hurricanes have performed with their meals at instances this 12 months and have three comeback wins from 10 or extra factors down this season.

Historical past: Final 12 months on this recreation, Miami might’ve taken a knee to kill the clock however as a substitute ran a play, fumbled, and Georgia Tech scored within the remaining seconds for one of many weirder endings of all the 2023 school soccer season.

Nationwide intrigue: MediumFun issue: Excessive — as a result of Ward and Miami’s offense are electrical.

Michigan at No. 8 Indiana

Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

The Hoosiers are 9-0 for the primary time ever. Defending nationwide champion Michigan is a two-touchdown underdog in Bloomington. Yup, these are unusual instances. The Hoosiers didn’t path in any respect for the primary eight video games of the season. That streak ended final week at Michigan State, however the Hoosiers turned a 10-0 deficit right into a 47-10 win. A tricky schedule hasn’t examined IU, however the Hoosiers have racked up every kind of favor factors.

Historical past: Michigan has defeated Indiana in 27 of their final 28 matchups.

Nationwide intrigue: Excessive — as a result of Michigan is without doubt one of the finest groups Indiana has confronted thus far.Enjoyable issue: Medium — IU is a blast to look at, however Michigan is the other of enjoyable this 12 months.

No. 17 Iowa State at Kansas

Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

The 7-1 Cyclones are competing for the Large 12 title and are street favorites by only a subject objective over the 2-6 Jayhawks. Stick with us right here. 4 of Kansas’ losses have been by 4 factors or fewer. And Iowa State’s final two video games have been determined by thrilling remaining drives — a last-minute 38-35 win over Central Florida and a 23-22 loss to Texas Tech.

Historical past: Just one Cyclone has been chosen within the first spherical of the NFL Draft since 1973 — that may be Will McDonald IV, the second-year New York Jet with eight sacks in 9 video games this 12 months.

Nationwide intrigue: MediumFun issue: Medium

Washington at No. 6 Penn State

Time: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
Streaming: Peacock

The Nittany Lions look to bounce again from their first lack of 2024, a gutting 20-13 defeat to Ohio State final weekend. Penn State jumped up 10-0 at house, solely to muster three factors within the remaining three quarters. Abdul Carter is a drive on the sting for the Nittany Lions, with six sacks in Large Ten play. Washington is retooling after making the nationwide title recreation final season. The Huskies have some notable bloodlines on Jedd Fisch’s teaching employees. New defensive coordinator Stephen Belichick is the son of Invoice Belichick, the winningest coach in professional soccer historical past, and first-year offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll is the son of former USC and Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

Historical past: That is the fourth assembly between these two applications, with all 4 video games performed in several states. The Nittany Lions beat the Huskies in Washington in 1921, in Hawaii in 1983 and in Arizona final 12 months. They’ll look to go 4-for-4 in Pennsylvania.

Nationwide intrigue: MediumFun issue: Low — Penn State is nice however not essentially the most enjoyable to look at, with a robust protection and restricted passing offense.

Provided that issues get bizarre

Maryland at No. 1 Oregon

Time: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
TV: Large Ten Community
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

Purdue at No. 3 Ohio State

Time: Saturday, midday ET
TV: FOX
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

Mississippi State at No. 7 Tennessee

Time: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (attempt without spending a dime)

All three of those video games have an effect on the CFP image, however provided that there’s a shock upset. You may’t even guess Purdue’s moneyline on BetMGM with the Buckeyes favored by 37.5 factors. Tennessee and Oregon are additionally favored by greater than three touchdowns.

Week 11 school soccer nationwide TV schedule

Video games on Saturday except in any other case indicated.

(Prime photograph: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Pictures)