College football Week 11 what to watch: It's the last stand for LSU's playoff hopes in Lane Kiffin's first season
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Week 11 of the college football season delivers a high-stakes showdown for playoff contenders, with five top-25 matchups and several unranked teams poised to disrupt the pecking order. Duke, currently 7-2 and unranked despite back-to-back wins by a combined score of 88-5, faces a critical test against No.
7 Miami. The Blue Devils’ offense, led by running back Nate Sheppard (1,189 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 191 carries), has shown explosive potential, including an 18-carry, 217-yard, three-touchdown performance in their last game.
Miami, however, must address a shaky start to their season, particularly after a loss to Notre Dame where quarterback Cooper Barkate and receiver Elija Lofton struggled to emerge under pressure from the Irish defense. The Hurricanes’ ground game also remains a question mark, with Javian Mallory and Mark Fletcher combining for just 71 rushing yards in that same game.
A Miami victory would keep them in contention for the ACC title game, while Duke’s third ACC loss would further complicate their playoff aspirations—especially with Wake Forest and SMU also in the mix for conference standings.
Meanwhile, No. 18 USC travels to No.
9 Indiana in a game that could mark a historic first for Lincoln Riley’s Trojans. USC has never defeated a ranked opponent on the road outside Los Angeles during Riley’s tenure, with their only such win coming in 2022 against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
The Trojans’ recent road record in the Central and Eastern time zones is mixed: two narrow wins over Rutgers and Penn State, followed by a lopsided 24-7 loss at Wisconsin. Indiana, meanwhile, boasts one of the nation’s best defenses, capable of pressuring quarterbacks more effectively than Ohio State’s unit has this season.
USC’s last ranked road win came against Ohio State, a game fueled by big plays that may not be replicable against Indiana’s stifling defense. With both teams fresh off bye weeks, the Hoosiers could also see a shift in quarterback play, as Grant Wilson may start in place of the injured Josh Hoover, who led them to an overtime victory in their last game.