The College Football Playoff race is becoming clearer as we enter the final weeks of the regular season, and it’s becoming increasingly likely that we could find ourselves in a situation with more undefeated or one-loss conference champions than there are playoff spots. That means that the remaining contenders have no margin of error from here on out. Every loss could be a knockout blow to a team’s playoff, hopes and that means high-pressure situations week in and week out.
To help you get a handle on which games will have the biggest impact on this dramatic playoff race, as well as which games are worth your time even if they have no impact on the playoffs, we’ve compiled our list of the top-5 most watchable games of Week 11, along with where you can watch them.
5
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech (Saturday, Noon ET on ABC)
Favorite: Clemson (-14.5)
The runaway train of Clemson’s 2023 season would appear to be back under control after the Tigers’ much-needed win over Notre Dame last week. But that sigh of relief could be short-lived. Georgia Tech heads into Clemson with an offense that has suddenly caught fire midseason, and the Yellowjackets suddenly find themselves with a chance to become bowl eligible with an upset over their longtime ACC bully.
4
No. 6 Oregon vs. USC (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET on Fox)
Favorite: Oregon (-15.5)
Life in the Pac-12 is strange and unpredictable, and Oregon has managed to navigate that dangerous road about as well as anyone this season. Even though the Ducks are clearly the superior team in this matchup, USC’s offense remains potent and their defense, which made an abrupt coordinator change this week, probably couldn’t get any worse! Can USC push Oregon into a shootout?
3
No. 5 Washington vs. No. 18 Utah (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX)
Favorite: Washington (-9.5)
Washington has been playing with fire ever since its huge win over Oregon, and there are plenty of fans (especially in Texas and Alabama) hoping to see them finally get burned. While Utah seemed to fall apart on both sides of the ball in its two losses, it’s mostly been a dependably dangerous team both on offense and defense. And that could spell trouble for a Washington squad that hasn’t been playing at its best for nearly a month now.
2
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 3 Michigan (Saturday, Noon ET on Fox)
Favorite: Michigan (-5)
This game may be the last real drama of any kind in the Big Ten before the imminent showdown between Ohio State and Michigan, a game looking more and more like a de facto College Football Playoff quarterfinal game. The key question heading into this game: What will Penn State do differently than it did against Ohio State? The Nittany Lions collapsed offensively against the Buckeyes. Have they come up with any new answers since then?
1
No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 9 Ole Miss (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Favorite: Georgia (-10.5)
Georgia has thus far cruised through its season en route to what it hopes will be a third consecutive national title, but the Bulldogs’ November is pretty loaded. Last week, they fended off a pesky Missouri team and this week, they’ll face by far their toughest competition so far in Lane Kiffin’s explosive Ole Miss offense. Ole Miss’ early season letdown against Alabama looms large, but will Georgia be ready for such a tough test after a season on cruise control?
