College football 2017 Week 11 predictions

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Clemson has faced four AP-ranked teams this year. It was supposed to be five, but Florida State did not live up to its national championship-contending expectations. Regardless of the rankings, the Tigers come off a victory against NC State on the road and head home expecting to throttle the inconsistent Seminoles. Florida State is coming off its own win, and freshman Cam Akers nearly gained 200 rushing yards last week. If he runs like that, the Seminoles have a chance at knocking Clemson out of the playoff picture.

Pick: Clemson

Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET

The Stanford Cardinal did not have a good time against one Washington team last week and gets rewarded with another Evergreen State school this week. Stanford faces the Washington Huskies after losing a close one to Washington State. Cardinal running back Bryce Love was held to 69 rushing yards, and he will need to improve that number if Stanford wants to compete with a rejuvenated Huskies team that has won two in a row.

Pick: Washington

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Just when the Buckeyes get a little momentum, they fall flat on their face. Two spots away from playoff position, Ohio State lost against Iowa on the road and now has an uphill climb back to playoff contention. Michigan State recovered from a loss against Northwestern to clip Penn State after a three-hour delay. Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke threw for 400 yards in the win and needs another big game if MSU wants to knock off another ranked team.

Pick: Michigan State

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Bulldogs continue to earn their top two ranking, coming into their game against Auburn undefeated. Nick Chubb leads Georgia’s vaunting rushing attack into Auburn, who has a star running back of its own in Kerryon Johnson. These teams mirror one another in so many ways, but who is the contender and who is the pretender?

Pick: Georgia

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET

The Crimson Tide got a tough test from LSU last week, but Alabama rolled on to a victory anyway. The Tide now heads to Starkville where a resurgent Mississippi State team is waiting. Nick Saban has had trouble with mobile quarterbacks before, and the Bulldogs have one of the best in the SEC. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald leads Mississippi State with 801 yards rushing and has accounted for 25 total touchdowns. The Bulldogs will need his best game to win this matchup.

Pick: Mississippi State

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

TCU quarterback Kenny Hill has gotten a lot of deserved recognition for leading the Horned Frogs’ balanced offense, but it has been TCU’s defense that has been the team’s real star. The Horned Frogs have only give up 13.9 points per game and will need that toughness against a hot Oklahoma team that scored 62 points in Bedlam last week. In this matchup of an unstoppable force versus an immovable object, something has to give.

Pick: TCU

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

The Hurricanes went from pretender to contender with their first convincing win in a while against AP-ranked Virginia Tech last week. But in college football, the tests never end, and Miami has a bar exam waiting for it in hosting national championship contender Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are averaging 41.3 points per game, while the Hurricanes are only giving up 17.6 points. There’s a lot on the line in this “Catholics vs. Convicts” rematch.

Pick: Notre Dame

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Hawkeyes put themselves on the map with an incredible upset over Ohio State last week. Iowa was able to feed off the home crowd energy, but it will need to find something else when the team hits the road to face the undefeated Badgers. Wisconsin has had an easy time disposing of unranked opponents this season, but Iowa has shown it is up to the challenge of beating ranked foes. Wisconsin could have some trouble this week.

Pick: Wisconsin

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

It turns out a coaching change midseason is pretty terrible. Florida canned Jim McElwain after an odd death-threat claim, and Randy Shannon took over as interim head coach. The Gators were hung over from the transition, getting blown out by lowly Missouri in Columbia. Florida goes back on the road to South Carolina, who would love to continue the Gators’ misery and get its season back on track after losing to Georgia.

Pick: South Carolina

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET

The Trojans held off a late charge from upstart Arizona last week to win their homecoming game. Now, USC heads on the road for one more game away from the Los Angeles Coliseum when it visits Colorado in Boulder. The Buffaloes were unable to contain ASU’s rushing attack last week and face a hot USC ground game featuring Ronald Jones II and Stephen Carr. USC may be looking past Colorado to UCLA for the regular-season finale, and the Buffaloes could take advantage of that to get a huge win for the program.

Pick: USC

Saturday, 12:20 p.m. ET

The Hokies were unable to make the NCAA football experts look good by beating Miami, which would have knocked the Hurricanes out of playoff contention. Still, Virginia Tech can play for a better bowl berth, but Georgia Tech presents a formidable challenge. Yellow Jackets dual-threat quarterback TaQuon Marshall nearly led Georgia Tech to a win against Virginia last week and can add to the Hokies’ demise on Saturday.

Pick: Virginia Tech

Saturday, 6 p.m. ET

The upset that arguably ended Charlie Strong’s tenure at Texas comes back around with Kansas seeking its second win of the season. Much like last year, the Jayhawks won their first game only to drop every game leading up to this one against the Longhorns. Unlike last year, Texas will be hosting the game, and the crowd won’t be so friendly towardKansas. Still, with the pressure solely on the Longhorns to avenge their loss last year, they could falter again.

Pick: Texas

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

How quickly things have changed for Penn State. Two weeks ago, the Nittany Lions were on their way to competing for a national championship. Now, they have lost two straight games and need a lot of help to get back in the playoff picture. The Nittany Lions host a Rutgers team that has won three of its last four games. Running back Gus Edwards could be Penn State’s kryptonite and contribute to the Nittany Lions’ current slide.

Pick: Penn State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Losing Bedlam in such a highly contested game still has to sting Oklahoma State, and it doesn’t get any easier for the Cowboys. They travel to Ames, where Iowa State is recovering from its own loss against West Virginia. Iowa State’s offense as struggled as of late, but its defense is still holding teams to respectable scores. If Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy is unable to help this team recover from its loss, Oklahoma State could have a tough time against the Cyclones.

Pick: Iowa State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

Like many teams before it, LSU was unable to beat Alabama last week. Fortunately, the Tigers get to return home to host Arkansas, who is coming off two straight one-point wins. The Razorbacks have ridden the hot play of Cole Kelly, but can they survive against the stout LSU defense?

Pick: LSU

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

NC State had a tough string of games against playoff contenders Notre Dame and Clemson in consecutive weeks. Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley nearly led the team to a comeback victory against Clemson last week, and NC State will need his arm to get the school out of this tailspin. It will be tough against this Golden Eagles team that has won three straight games, including a 35-3 destruction of Florida State. The Wolfpack will need to solve Boston College’s rushing attack if it wants to get back in the win column.

Pick: NC State

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

It took a matchup against Kansas, but Baylor was able to get its first win of the year after a season of futility. Freshman quarterback Charlie Brewer threw for three touchdowns, and the Bears will need every bit of that offense when they face the Red Raiders. Texas Tech quarterback Nic Shimonek has thrown for over 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns. The team has had trouble securing a win lately, but the offense always gives this school a chance for a W.

Pick: Baylor

Saturday, 12 p.m. ET

The country’s best offense takes the field once again with a chance to continue the Knights' undefeated season. Quarterback McKenzie Milton leads UCF with 20 touchdowns and over 2,400 yards, while Adrian Killins Jr. is coming off a 145-yard, two-touchdown performance against SMU. The Knights host Connecticut, who has dropped its last two games. The Huskies need quarterback Bryant Shirreffs to sling the ball well if they want to win.

Pick: UCF

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Kansas State got a little third-string magic last week when redshirt freshman Skylar Thompson took over for backup Alex Delton after a helmet-to-helmet hit. Thompson threw the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Texas Tech, and the Wildcats might need some more of that talent against West Virginia, who beat AP-ranked Iowa State last week behind 316 yards passing from Will Grier. The Mountaineers will need a win if they want to contend for a Big 12 title.

Pick: West Virginia

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

In a seemingly impossible series of events, Tennessee was able to win a game at Neyland Stadium. Sure, it came against an FCS opponent, but a win is a win. It's back to reality for the Volunteers, who will face a Missouri team that just won big against Florida last week. With the Tigers still high on their victory, they could pull off another statement win against a struggling Tennessee team.

Pick: Missouri

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET

Ever since Boise State started its conference schedule, it has looked like a different team, winning all five of its conference games so far. Quarterback Brett Rypien has been on fire the last two weeks with five touchdowns, and the Broncos will need that production if they want to get out of Fort Collins alive. Colorado State has been struggling as of late but still has an outside shot at earning a Mountain West Mountain Division title with a win against Boise State. Rams quarterback Nick Stevens and running back Dalyn Dawkins will need to have big games to knock off the Broncos.

Pick: Colorado State

Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET

The Cougars got a huge boost in their chances to win the Pac-12 North Division by beating a hot Stanford team last week. Washington State quarterback Luke Falk threw for three touchdowns and faces a Utah team that shut down Josh Rosen and UCLA last week. The Utes will need that same effort on defense if it wants to spoil the Cougars' chances at a division title.

Pick: Washington State

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Wolverines are still in the doghouse with voters in the CFP selection committee and the AP Poll, but they are well on their way to recovery with a win against Minnesota last week. Michigan may not make the playoffs in January, but it is still in position to win the Big Ten East Division and beyond. Next on the schedule is a Maryland team that is struggling to keep its head above water near the bottom the division. Good teams beat the teams they should beat, and this is another test on the road for Michigan.

Pick: Michigan

Saturday, 10:15 p.m. ET

Khalil Tate led Arizona back from a 22-point deficit against USC and almost stole the game in the fourth quarter before the Trojans ran away late. Tate and Wildcats return home to recover and host Pac-12 North Division basement dweller Oregon State. After getting bottled up early, Tate will be looking to roll through the Beavers from the start to build his Heisman résumé.

Pick: Arizona