College Football – Rank the Region – Week 11

AUSTIN, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 03: Bijan Robinson #5 of the Texas Longhorns talks with Jaydon Blue #23 before the game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

College Football – Rank the Region – Week 11

  • 1. #7 TCU (9-0) – TCU took Texas Tech’s best shot on Saturday but weathered the storm before pulling away with a 21-point fourth quarter. The 34-24 win moved the Horned Frogs to a perfect 9-0, and with help ahead of them, TCU will likely be in the top four of this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. Next up is a primetime showdown in Austin against the Texas Longhorns in what is clearly the game of the week in Week 11.
  • 2. #10 LSU (7-2) Brian Kelly had never beaten Alabama in his entire career as a head coach, but that changed Saturday night in an instant classic as the Tigers upset Alabama 32-31 in overtime. The decision to go for a two-point try after scoring in the first overtime is a call that will be discussed for years to come, and the loss has effectively eliminated the Tide from playoff contention. LSU controls its own destiny and will represent the SEC West if it wins out the rest of the way with games at Arkansas, home against UAB, and at Texas A&M remaining.
  • 3. #24 Texas (6-3) – Texas jumped out to yet another large first-half lead on the road against Kansas State before allowing the Wildcats to climb back to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The 34-27 win moves Texas into second place in the Big 12, with a clear path to the conference championship game if they were to win out. The first step is a monster showdown against unbeaten TCU in a game that features the Longhorns on College Gameday for the second time this season.
  • 4. #19 Tulane (8-1) – The beat goes on for Tulane as they remain perfect in conference play after a 27-13 win on the road at Tulsa. The performance was led, yet again, by the Green Wave defense that held Tulsa to just 257 yards of total offense. Tulane now plays in its first ranked on ranked game since 1949 on Saturday when they take on No. 25 UCF. The Green Wave control their own destiny for a Cotton Bowl appearance as the country’s top Group of Five team if they were to win out.
  • 5. Baylor (6-3) – Baylor ran for 281 yards against Oklahoma en route to a much-needed 38-35 win in Norman. Even when Oklahoma is down, a win on the road against the Sooners is hard to come by and not to be taken for granted. Despite the two conference losses, Baylor still has an opportunity to get to the Big 12 Championship Game as they face Kansas State, TCU, and Texas to close out the season.
  • 6. Texas Tech (4-5) – The Red Raiders came out swinging against TCU and were very much in the game well into the second half. Poor quarterback play and an inability to find chunk plays ultimately did Texas Tech in, as a 21-point TCU fourth quarter led to a 34-24 loss. The good news for Texas Tech is they have potentially the most manageable Big 12 schedule remaining, with home games against Kansas and Oklahoma and a road trip to last place Iowa State.
  • 7. UTSA (7-2) It took two overtimes to get there, but UTSA moved to 5-0 in CUSA play with a 44-38 win over UAB on the road in Birmingham. UTSA will certainly be favorites in their three remaining games, and it feels likely that the Roadrunners will repeat as CUSA champs in their last year in the league. Next up is a home game against 3-6 Louisiana Tech.
  • 8. SMU (5-4) 77 points, 642 total yards, 12 touchdowns. That’s what SMU put on display Saturday night against Houston in a game that set the record for points in an FBS game with a 77-63 final. Don’t look now, but Rhett Lashlee’s squad has now won three out of their last four games, with the loss coming at the hands of ranked Cincinnati by just two points. The Ponies now head to South Florida to face a USF club that just fired their head coach Jeff Scott.
  • 9. Texas A&M (3-6) The wheels have officially fallen off in College Station. Texas A&M is now dead last in the SEC West at 1-5 in conference play and unlikely to make a bowl as they would need to win their last three games, including a home game against LSU. The Aggies head to Auburn for the Toilet Bowl of the SEC West in a battle of 3-6 conference foes.
  • 10. Houston (5-4) – Just when it felt like Houston had turned the corner with real potential to climb back in the AAC race, the Cougars allowed 77 points and fell back into the middle of the pack in the conference. It feels like UH has been stuck in second gear all season, and now it seems a bowl game is the ceiling for this year’s team. The good news is Houston is back home against Temple in what should be a get-right spot for the Cougars.
  • 11. North Texas (6-4) – North Texas clinched bowl eligibility with their 52-14 throttling of Florida International on Saturday. The Mean Green are 5-1 in conference play, with their lone loss coming in last-second form against UTSA on the road in the Alamodome. If UNT can win, it will likely set up a rematch for the Conference USA title. North Texas has a late-season bye coming up before a trip to UAB and a home game against Rice to close out the year.
  • 12. Rice (5-4) – For as frustrating as the Owls’ homecoming loss to Charlotte was, the home win against UTEP put Rice right back in contention for its first bowl birth since 2014. The downside for Rice is that their three remaining games are at Western Kentucky, home against UTSA, and at North Texas, the top three teams in Conference USA.
  • 13. UTEP (4-6) – UTEP created two turnovers against Rice to keep themselves in the game before ultimately falling 37-30 to the Owls. Lack of offensive production plagued the Miners yet again as they totaled just over 300 yards of total offense, to Rice’s 502. UTEP will need to win their last two games against FIU and UTSA to get to back-to-back bowl games for the first time in program history.
  • 14. Texas State (3-6) – Despite allowing Louisiana-Monroe to climb back from a 21-point first-quarter deficit, the Bobcats had a last-second chip-shot field goal attempt to win the game and move to 4-5. Instead, the kick was missed, and Texas State’s bowl chances likely squashed along with it. The Bobcats have lost their last three conference games by a combined seven points and will need to remain perfect in their last three games if they hope to get to a bowl game.

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