College Football Playoff: Week 11 Top-25 Games Today
Week 11 of college football arrives on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with the College Football Playoff race firmly in focus after shake-ups in the second College Football Playoff rankings, and with a full Saturday slate of Top-25 games that will shape how the next set of rankings looks. The college football playoff picture is led by a top five of No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Utah, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Notre Dame, a group that reflects the results of the season so far and the judgments of the playoff committee in its second ranking of the year. The games on Saturday, along with the results from Friday night, will test that top five, will test the teams ranked just behind it, and will provide the latest evidence for how the race for the playoff is developing as the season moves into its final weeks.
The second College Football Playoff rankings brought shake-ups, which means the order of the teams at the top is not settled and is not simply a repeat of the previous week. A shake-up in the rankings is a sign that results have forced a reassessment, that teams have moved up or down based on what they have done on the field, and that the committee is responding to the latest evidence rather than holding to an earlier view. For the teams in the top five, that means their position is a reflection of their work so far, but it is also a position that has to be defended in the games that follow, starting with the Saturday slate in Week 11. For the teams outside the top five, it means there is still movement to be had, and that a strong performance against a ranked opponent can change where a team sits in the next ranking.
Saturday’s schedule is spread across the day, from noon kickoffs on the East Coast to a late-night kickoff on the West Coast, and it includes ranked teams in almost every time slot. The day begins with games at noon, continues through the afternoon with a series of 3:30 p.m. kickoffs that include three ranked matchups at the same time, moves into the evening with games at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and ends with a 10:30 p.m. kickoff that was delayed after Friday’s FAA ground stoppage. That spread means the college football playoff race will be updated throughout the day, with results coming in waves and with the picture changing as each game finishes. It also means fans following the AP Top 25 Poll and the College Football Playoff rankings will have a full day of games to watch, with each result carrying implications for the teams involved and for the teams around them in the rankings.
College Football Playoff Top Five: Georgia, Utah, Alabama, UCLA, Notre Dame
The CFP top five is the starting point for understanding Week 11, because it shows which teams the committee currently rates highest and which teams are best placed to reach the playoff if the season ended today. No. 1 Georgia leads the ranking, followed by No. 2 Utah, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Notre Dame, a top five that includes teams from different conferences and with different records, but that shares the common feature of having produced the results the committee values most. Georgia’s position at No. 1 is the headline of the ranking, because it places the Bulldogs ahead of every other team in the country, and because it means Georgia will be the team every other contender is measured against as the season continues.
Utah at No. 2 is the team closest to Georgia in the ranking, and its position means the Utes are in a strong place heading into a late-night game on Saturday that could either strengthen their hold on that spot or complicate it. Alabama at No. 3 is a team with a 7-2 record, which shows that a team can be ranked highly in the College Football Playoff even with two losses, if the committee believes its wins and its overall strength justify that placement. UCLA at No. 4 is a team that is 9-0 after its Friday win, which means the Bruins are unbeaten and are now in the top four, a position that reflects both their record and the way they have won their games. Notre Dame at No. 5, with an 8-1 record, is the team just outside the top four, which means the Fighting Irish are close to the playoff positions but still need results to move up, starting with their game on Saturday.
The top five is not the same as the AP rankings, and the article notes that AP and CFP rankings differ slightly for some teams, which is an important point for anyone following both sets of rankings. The AP Top 25 Poll is voted on by media members, while the College Football Playoff rankings are produced by a committee, and the two groups can reach different conclusions about the same teams based on the same results. That difference is visible in the way teams are listed for Saturday’s games, where the AP rankings as listed by USA Today are used for the schedule, even though the CFP rankings provide the top-five order that frames the playoff race. The fact that the two rankings differ slightly is a reminder that there is no single, agreed order of the best teams in college football, and that the playoff race is shaped by more than one set of judgments.
Friday Results: UCLA Wins, Colorado Upsets Houston
Friday’s results set the stage for Saturday by giving UCLA a win and by producing an upset that affects the rankings picture for the teams involved. No. 4 UCLA beat Illinois 22-14 at the Rose Bowl, a win that improved UCLA to 9-0 and that confirmed the Bruins’ unbeaten record heading into the weekend. A 22-14 scoreline is a win by eight points, which is a solid margin but not a blowout, and it shows a game in which UCLA had to work to secure the result against Illinois at home in the Rose Bowl. The fact that the game was played at the Rose Bowl, UCLA’s home stadium, adds to the context, because it means the Bruins were able to protect their home field and to extend their unbeaten run in front of their own fans.
Colorado beat No. 16 Houston 42-32, a result that leaves Houston at 7-3 and that is described as an upset because Colorado beat a ranked team. A 42-32 scoreline is a high-scoring game, with 74 points in total, and it shows a contest in which Colorado was able to outscore a ranked opponent by 10 points. For Houston, the loss to Colorado is a setback that drops the Cougars to 7-3 and that will affect where they sit in the next rankings, while for Colorado, the win over a No. 16 team is a result that will be noted when the team’s season is assessed. The Friday results also matter for the wider playoff picture, because Iowa could rise in the next CFP rankings after Houston’s Friday loss, a connection that shows how a result involving one ranked team can affect the position of another team that was not involved in the game. The rankings are a relative exercise, in which a team’s position depends not only on its own results but also on the results of the teams around it, and Houston’s loss is an example of that dynamic in action.
The Friday games also included the detail that Utah’s Saturday game at Arizona, scheduled for 10:30 p.m. on Fox, is a delayed kickoff after Friday’s FAA ground stoppage, which means the timing of that game was affected by an event outside football. A delayed kickoff is a reminder that a college football schedule can be influenced by factors beyond the sport itself, and that the late-night game on Saturday will start later than originally planned because of a disruption on Friday. That detail is part of the story of Week 11, because it affects when the No. 2 team in the CFP rankings will play, and when the result of that game will be known.
College Football Rankings: Saturday Noon Games
Saturday’s slate begins at noon Eastern time with three games involving ranked teams, each on a different network and each with its own significance for the college football rankings. No. 6 Miami plays Duke at noon on ABC, with Miami at 8-1 and favoured by 14 points, a line that makes the Hurricanes a clear favourite in the game. A 14-point favourite is expected to win by two touchdowns, which means Miami will be expected to control the game against Duke, but the game still has to be played, and the result will matter for Miami’s position in the rankings whether it wins by the expected margin or by a closer one. Miami’s 8-1 record shows a team that has lost only once this season, and a win over Duke would keep the Hurricanes in a strong position heading into the final weeks.
Northwestern plays at No. 20 Ohio State at noon on Fox, a game in which Ohio State, ranked No. 20 in the AP poll, is at home against Northwestern. The Buckeyes’ ranking at No. 20 places them in the lower part of the Top 25, but they are still a ranked team playing at home, and the game is a chance for Ohio State to strengthen its position with a win. Northwestern, as the visiting team, will be looking to produce a result that changes the picture for both teams, and the noon kickoff on Fox means the game will be one of the first results of the day.
No. 13 Wake Forest plays at SMU at noon on ESPN, a game in which Wake Forest, ranked No. 13, is on the road against SMU. A ranked team playing on the road is always a test, because the visiting team has to deal with the environment as well as the opponent, and Wake Forest’s position at No. 13 means the Demon Deacons have a ranking to defend. The game at SMU, at noon on ESPN, is the third of the noon kickoffs involving a ranked team, and together the three noon games give the day an early set of results that will begin to shape how Week 11 is remembered.
AP Top 25 Poll: Alabama, Tennessee and the Early Afternoon
The early afternoon brings two more ranked games, with No. 7 Alabama playing at Vanderbilt at 12:45 p.m. on the SEC Network, and No. 8 Tennessee playing at Texas A&M at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN. Alabama, at 7-2, is a 14-point favourite against Vanderbilt, which means the Crimson Tide are expected to win by two touchdowns in a conference game on the road. Alabama’s ranking at No. 7 in the AP poll, compared with its No. 3 position in the CFP rankings, is an example of the difference between the two rankings, because the same team is placed four spots higher by the playoff committee than by the AP voters. That difference is a reminder that the CFP top five and the AP Top 25 Poll are not the same, and that Alabama’s position in the playoff race is stronger, in the committee’s view, than its position in the media poll suggests.
Tennessee, ranked No. 8, plays at Texas A&M at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN, a game that is a conference matchup with implications for both teams. The Volunteers’ ranking at No. 8 places them in the top 10, and a road game at Texas A&M is a test of whether they can maintain that position. The 3:00 p.m. kickoff means the game will be played in the middle of the afternoon, after the noon games have finished and before the 3:30 p.m. games begin, and it will be one of the results that fills the gap between the early and late afternoon slates.
The combination of Alabama at Vanderbilt and Tennessee at Texas A&M shows how the SEC is represented in the Saturday schedule, with two ranked SEC teams playing road conference games in the early afternoon. Both games matter for the conference standings as well as for the national rankings, because a conference loss can affect a team’s path to its conference championship as well as its path to the playoff, and a conference win on the road is a result that strengthens a team’s case in both contexts.
Georgia, Notre Dame and Indiana Headline the 3:30 p.m. Slate
The 3:30 p.m. Eastern time slot is the busiest of the day, with three ranked games kicking off at the same time, each on a different network and each involving a team in or near the top of the rankings. No. 1 Georgia plays Missouri at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, a game in which the top-ranked team in the CFP rankings is at home against a conference opponent. Georgia’s position at No. 1 means the Bulldogs will be watched closely in every game they play, and a home game against Missouri is a chance for Georgia to confirm its ranking with a win. The 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC places the game in a prominent television slot, which reflects Georgia’s status as the No. 1 team in the playoff rankings.
No. 3 Notre Dame plays Boston College at 3:30 p.m. on NBC, with Notre Dame at 8-1 and a 29.5-point favourite, a line that makes the Fighting Irish a very strong favourite in the game. A 29.5-point favourite is expected to win by more than four touchdowns, which means Notre Dame will be expected to win comfortably against Boston College, but the game still matters for the Irish because a win, even an expected one, keeps them at 8-1 and in contention for a move up in the rankings. Notre Dame’s position at No. 5 in the CFP rankings, compared with its No. 3 position in the AP poll, is another example of the difference between the two rankings, because the AP voters place Notre Dame two spots higher than the playoff committee does. That difference means Notre Dame’s path to the playoff, as seen by the committee, is slightly more difficult than its AP ranking alone would suggest.
No. 5 Indiana plays No. 14 USC at 3:30 p.m. on CBS, a ranked-on-ranked matchup in which Indiana, at 8-1, is a 9.5-point favourite over USC, at 7-2. Indiana’s ranking at No. 5 in the AP poll, compared with its position outside the CFP top five, is a further example of how the two rankings differ, because the AP voters place the Hoosiers in the top five while the playoff committee does not. The game against USC is a direct test of Indiana’s ranking, because USC is itself a ranked team at No. 14 with a 7-2 record, and a win over a ranked opponent is the kind of result that can strengthen a team’s case in both polls. The 9.5-point line makes Indiana the favourite, but not by a margin that suggests the game will be one-sided, and the fact that it is a ranked-on-ranked matchup means the result will be watched as one of the most significant of the day for the playoff race.
The 3:30 p.m. slate also includes Michigan at Oregon at 3:30 p.m. on FS1, a game that is listed among the other games of note for the day. Oregon’s 41-28 win at Ohio State, with Dylan Raiola throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns, is a recent form guide for the Ducks, and it shows a team that has already produced a significant road win this season. Michigan, by contrast, lost 15-6 to Michigan State, a result that provides a recent form guide for the Wolverines and that shows a team coming into the game after a low-scoring loss. The Michigan-Oregon game, at the same time as the three ranked games, adds another layer to the afternoon, because it involves two well-known programmes and because the recent results for both teams give the matchup a clear context.
Evening Games: Boise State, Texas at LSU, Iowa and Utah
The evening brings three more ranked games, starting with No. 18 Boise State playing Oregon State at 6 p.m. on USA Network, a game in which Boise State, ranked No. 18, is the ranked team in the matchup. The 6 p.m. kickoff places the game in the early evening, after the afternoon games have finished, and it gives Boise State a chance to add a win to its season in a game that will be watched by fans following the Top 25.
No. 8 Texas plays at No. 22 LSU at 7:30 p.m. on ABC, a ranked-on-ranked matchup in which Texas, ranked No. 8, is on the road against LSU, ranked No. 22. The game is a meeting of two ranked teams from the same conference, and the fact that it is played at 7:30 p.m. on ABC places it in a prominent evening slot. Texas at LSU is one of the games that will shape the evening’s results, because a win for either team will affect its ranking, and because a ranked-on-ranked game is always a direct test of where two teams stand relative to each other.
No. 15 Iowa plays Purdue at 7:30 p.m. on NBC, with Iowa at 7-2 and a 17.5-point favourite, a line that makes the Hawkeyes a strong favourite at home against Purdue. Iowa’s position at No. 15, with a 7-2 record, places the Hawkeyes in the middle of the Top 25, and the note that Iowa could rise in the next CFP rankings after Houston’s Friday loss shows how the rankings picture is connected across games and across days. A win over Purdue, combined with Houston’s loss, could be enough to move Iowa up in the next CFP ranking, which means the game against Purdue is not only about the result itself, but also about the opportunity it presents in the context of other results.
Minnesota plays at Penn State at 7 p.m. on FS1, another game of note in the evening, in which Penn State won its second straight conference game 28-25 at Washington, a recent result that provides a form guide for the Nittany Lions. A 28-25 win at Washington, by three points, is a close road win, and the fact that it was Penn State’s second straight conference win shows a team that has found a run of form in conference play. Minnesota’s trip to Penn State at 7 p.m. on FS1 is therefore a game in which the home team will be looking to extend that run, and in which the visiting team will be looking to end it.
Late Night and Sunday: Utah at Arizona, Ole Miss at Oklahoma
The day ends with No. 2 Utah playing at No. 21 Arizona at 10:30 p.m. on Fox, a late-night kickoff that is the last ranked game of Saturday and that involves the No. 2 team in the CFP rankings. Utah’s position at No. 2 means the Utes are the second-highest ranked team in the playoff picture, and a road game at Arizona, ranked No. 21, is a test of whether they can maintain that position. The delayed kickoff after Friday’s FAA ground stoppage means the game will start later than originally planned, and the result will be one of the last to be known on Saturday, which means the full picture of Week 11 will not be complete until the early hours of Sunday on the East Coast. Arizona, at No. 21, is a ranked opponent, which means Utah is not playing an unranked team in its late-night game, but a team that is itself in the Top 25 and that will be looking to produce a result that changes the rankings.
Sunday brings one more ranked game, with No. 17 Ole Miss playing at Oklahoma at 1 p.m., a game that extends Week 11 beyond Saturday and into Sunday. Ole Miss, ranked No. 17, is on the road against Oklahoma, and the 1 p.m. kickoff on Sunday means the game will be played after the Saturday slate has finished, giving Week 11 a final ranked matchup to close the weekend. The Sunday game is a reminder that college football in Week 11 is not confined to Saturday, and that the results that shape the next CFP rankings will include a game played on Sunday as well as the games played on Friday and Saturday.
College Football Playoff Stakes in Week 11
The CFP stakes in Week 11 are clear from the number of ranked-on-ranked matchups and from the positions of the teams involved. Several ranked-on-ranked matchups shape the playoff race, because a win over a ranked opponent is a direct way for a team to improve its case, and a loss to a ranked opponent is a result that can be explained by the strength of the opposition but that still counts as a loss. The games that fall into that category include Indiana against USC, Texas at LSU, and Utah at Arizona, each of which involves two ranked teams and each of which will produce a result that affects both teams’ positions. The other ranked games, in which a ranked team plays an unranked opponent, also matter, because a loss in that situation would be a more damaging result for the ranked team, while a win is the expected outcome that keeps the team in its current position.
Iowa’s situation is a specific example of how the stakes work, because the Hawkeyes could rise in the next CFP rankings after Houston’s Friday loss, even though Iowa’s game against Purdue is not against Houston. The connection between Houston’s loss and Iowa’s possible rise shows that the rankings are not decided in isolation, and that a team’s movement can be influenced by results elsewhere. The same logic applies to other teams in the Top 25, whose positions will be affected not only by their own games on Saturday, but also by the games played by the teams around them. The second CFP rankings brought shake-ups, and the third set of rankings, which will follow Week 11, will reflect the results of the Saturday slate, the Friday results, and the Sunday game, in a new order that will show which teams have strengthened their playoff case and which have weakened it.
What happens next after Week 11 will be the release of the next College Football Playoff rankings, in which the results from Saturday will be taken into account alongside the Friday and Sunday results. Georgia, Utah, Alabama, UCLA, and Notre Dame will be judged on whether they won their games and on how they won them, while the teams ranked just behind them, including Miami, Tennessee, Texas, and Indiana, will be judged on whether they were able to produce wins that move them closer to the top five. The ranked-on-ranked games will be the most important evidence in that judgment, because they provide a direct comparison between two ranked teams, and the results of those games will be the clearest guide to how the next ranking should look. Week 11 is therefore a week in which the college football playoff race is not decided, but in which it is shaped, and in which the teams that win their games, especially against ranked opponents, will be in the strongest position when the next rankings are released.
Source: USA Today