10 College Football Teams In The Top 25 Most Likely To Lose In Week 11

Week 11 of the college football season technically kicked off right after the College Football Playoff selection committee unveiled its initial list of rankings, and plenty of teams currently in the Top 25 will be doing everything in their power to get (or stay) as close to the top as possible in hopes of being one of the 12 teams that will make the cut.

Week 11 of the college football season features two games between teams in the Top 25*—including one that will all but dash the College Football Playoff dreams of the losers—and a number of others where top-ranked squads face a very real challenge from a theoretically inferior opponent.

Let’s take a closer look a why all of the schools in danger could end up walking away with an L when everything is said and done.

*Top 25 refers to the most recent AP Poll as opposed to the College Football Playoff rankings 

#2 Georgia

Georgia is 7-1 and has rattled off four wins in a row since falling to Alabama, and while the Bulldogs are in prime position to earn a bye in the College Football Playoff, they also have their work cut out for them in the next couple of weeks thanks to games against Ole Miss and Tennessee.

The 7-2 Rebels are listed as 2.5-point underdogs at home, and they’re coming off of a 63-31 rout of Arkansas where Jaxson Dart threw six touchdowns.

Ole Miss will need Dart to keep performing at that level, and if he can exploit Georgia’s secondary the same way Alabama did, the Bulldogs could be in for a very long day. Their QB is also a cause for concern thanks to the 11 interceptions Carson Beck has thrown this season, and he desperately needs to clean things up to fend off the upset.

#9 BYU

BYU heads into the Holy War with an undefeated record against a Utah team that’s gone 4-4 and sorely misses the arm of Cam Rising, but the Cougars are only favored by 3.5 points ahead of the contest.

Why? Well, BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has looked very solid this season, but he’ll be facing off against an incredibly formidable defense that will play the biggest role in Utah’s quest to get its tenth win in the last 11 installments of the rivalry.

The Utes are dealing with some uncertainty at quarterback, as it’s currently unclear if Isaac Wilson will get the start over a struggling Brandon Rose.

If Utah can get its running game going and prevent Retzlaff and the offense from getting into a groove, they could definitely hand BYU its first loss of the year.

#11 Alabama

There isn’t a single game on the schedule this week with higher stakes than the showdown between Alabama and LSU, and the Crimson Tide are only 2.5-point favorites in a tilt between two 6-2 teams that know they’ll likely be out of College Football Playoff contention with a loss.

The reason both of these teams have a couple of losses has been their inability to bring their A-game every single time they step onto the field. Alabama’s defense has an impressive ability to force turnovers, but there have been a number of games where it appeared to take more than a few plays off.

An LSU victory comes down to two major factors: Garrett Nussmeier’s ability to get the ball moving in the air (and avoid interceptions) and the defense’s ability to stop Alabama from establishing its game on the ground.

If they can check those two boxes, the Tigers could steal a clutch victory ahead of the three very winnable games left on the regular season schedule.

#14 LSU

On the flip side of the coin, LSU is going to be in trouble if the Alabama defense continues to be the turnover factory it’s been for the bulk of its most recent games (with the very notable exception of the loss to Vanderbilt).

The Tigers offense revolves around Nussmeier due to its lackluster rushing prowess, and if the Crimson Tide are able to pressure him consistently, they’ll be opening up the door for game-changing opportunities that could swing the momentum in their favor in a huge way.

#16 Ole Miss

Let’s circle back to Ole Miss, shall we?

Georgia’s ability to get this win is ultimately going to hinge on the defense’s ability to prevent Jaxson Dart from doing Jaxson Dart Things.

Beck is also going to need to clean up his act, but if the Bulldogs can play largely mistake-free football, they can certainly come out on top.

#17 Iowa State

At first glance, you wouldn’t think a 7-1 Iowa State team would have much trouble with a Kansas squad that’s sitting at 2-6 after what was supposed to be a promising season turned into a lost one, but the Cyclones are only 3-point favorites.

Iowa State is coming off an upset loss to Texas Tech where they were favored by more than two touchdowns, and the Jayhawks should have a larger crowd than normal on their side when you consider the game is taking place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

All but one of the losses Kansas has suffered this season have been by one score or less, and all signs point to their ability to play Iowa State tight. There’s no way to know if they’ll finally be able to get over the hump this time, but it feels like it has to happen eventually.

#18 Army

Army has looked dominant in every single game it’s played while getting off to an 8-0 start, but they’re facing their toughest test yet on paper against a North Texas team that’s only a 5-point underdog.

This is the first time the Black Knights haven’t been a double-digit favorite since facing off against Rice in the middle of September, and there’s a reason: the Mean Green have the third-best offense in the entire country based on yards gained behind Miami and Ole Miss.

Army, on the other hand, has the fifth-best defense in the country, but they may be without star QB Bryson Daily after he missed their game against Air Force with an injury.

This is the ultimate Offense vs. Defense battle this week, and if Daily isn’t healthy enough to shore things up for Army under center, North Texas could spoil their perfect season.

#19 Clemson

Clemson has six wins sandwiched between their losses to Georgia and Louisville, and they’ll be doing what they can to bounce back from last week’s setback at the hands of the Cardinals against a Virginia Tech team that’s a 6-point underdog.

The 5-4 Hokies have kept things pretty close in all of their losses and haven’t really had any trouble with their opponents in all of their wins. They’re coming off an overtime loss to Syracuse, but they were without QB Kyron Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten in the defeat.

It’s still unclear if those guys will be healthy enough to suit up this week, but if they are able to play, Virginia Tech will can give Clemson a run for its money.

#21 Colorado

Colorado has managed to avoid befalling the second-half collapse that derailed its season during Deion Sanders’ inaugural campaign, and the 6-2 Buffs have already secured their spot in a bowl and are still in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 conference championship game.

Texas Tech is coming in hot following its aforementioned win over Iowa, and they’d obviously love nothing more than to take down a ranked team for the second week in a row—which oddsmakers seem to think they have a solid chance of doing when you consider the Red Raiders are only 3-point underdogs.

At the end of the day, this has all the makings of an offensive shootout. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are obviously the biggest names involved in the game, but if QB Behren Morton and RB Tahj Brooks can get a two-pronged game established early on, Texas Tech will be set up for success.

#24 Vanderbilt

We’re closing things out with two SEC teams who’ve each managed to pull off a stunning upset this season: Vanderbilt (over Alabama) and South Carolina (over Texas A&M).

The 6-3 Commodores rebounded from their loss to Texas with a win over Auburn last week, while South Carolina is still riding high over an upset over the Aggies that contributes to their position as 4.5-point favorites.

Vandy QB Diego Pavia is certainly a force to be reckoned with, but the South Carolina defense also has what it takes to contain him on defense.

The Commodores defense, on the other hand, has struggled to stop teams on the ground, and if their opponents can exploit that weakness, they can probably bring Vanderbilt’s time in the Top 25 to an end after a single week.