2024 SID Sports Week 11 Rankings

Breaking down the Top 25 and players of the week after Week 11

Even with the relatively light big-time games scheduled last week, we got some of the most chaos in the Top 25 than we’d seen all season. It wasn’t a blood week, but conference and playoff races are in an upheaval as teams have new life moving forward.

So let’s get into it. Who’s the Top 25 teams in the nation right now?

SID Sports Week Top 25

1. Oregon 9-0 LW: 1
   I’m starting to wonder if Oregon is going to be able to coast to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship before they get tested again. A 21-point outburst before the half lifted the Ducks to a healthy 38-17 win over Michigan. Dillon Gabriel continues to play outstanding and the Ducks out-gained the Wolverines 470-270 yards. Another complete, dominating performance for the nation’s best team.

2. Miami 9-0 LW: 4
   With some chaos in front of them and a solid win over Duke, the Hurricanes are now my number two team. There was a second before the half where it looked like this game was going to be interesting and Miami was on the ropes, but Mario Cristobal’s squad came out a different team in the second half, outscoring the Blue Devils 36-10 in the final two quarters to spoil Manny Diaz’s homecoming to Coral Gables. If Cam Ward keeps up his torrid pace, this offense will be hard to stop.

3. Georgia 7-1 LW: 2
   The Dawgs drop a spot for somehow letting Florida - down to their third-string quarterback - stay in this game. Carson Beck’s turnover troubles persist, as he tossed three picks in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. If it wasn’t for an injury to D.J. Lagway, though, Florida may have been able to keep their hot second quarter going and handed Georgia another loss. If the Dawgs are for real this year, they need to figure out Beck’s turnover issues.

4. Ohio State 7-1 LW: 7
   Now that’s what I call an Ohio State running game. The Buckeyes brought back the physicality and turned on chew clock in the second half, running through the heart of Penn State’s defense and their hopes of the win. Despite some early turnovers by Will Howard - a pick six on his first possession and a fumble through the back of the endzone - the Ohio State offense settled in nicely down the stretch. I’d like to see more drives finish in the endzone, as Ohio State didn’t punch in a touchdown in the second half, but it was a great defensive day and a good showing against a very good Penn State defense.

5. Texas 7-1 LW: 5
   A week off leaves the Longhorns right where they were before. Vandy’s win makes last week’s nail biter easier to swallow and I think Texas is still very much in the national title conversation. They’re elite on both sides of the ball and rank second in SP+ and first in FPI.

6. Tennessee 7-1 LW: 6
   Another week, another Dylan Sampson masterclass. This week against Kentucky, the junior tailback took 27 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns - his seventh game over 100 yards. Nico Iamaleava took care of the ball and the Vols actually punched in a one-yard touchdown from Peyton Lewis to score in the first half. This is a solid win for Tennessee.

7. BYU 8-0 LW: 9
   With Iowa State’s loss, the Cougars sit alone atop the Big 12 conference right now. They’re putting together a dream of a season, but have some tough tests remaining in Utah, Arizona State and a suddenly competent Houston. Underlying metrics don’t love BYU - SP+ slots them 22nd, while FPI ranks them 28th - but it’s hard to look past a sterling record and solid wins over SMU and Kansas State.

8. Indiana 9-0 LW: 11
   The Hoosiers just keep on winning. Michigan State made it interesting in the first with a 10-0 lead, but Indiana poured it on after that with 47 unanswered points to blow past Sparty. Kurtis Rourke is healthy again and dealing, the defense held Michigan State under 200 total yards and forced two Aidan Chiles interceptions. Indiana is no longer a fluke - they’re a legitimate contender.

9. Notre Dame 7-1 LW: 13
   The win over Texas A&M lost some shine, but now the win over Louisville looks better so I call that a net positive for the Fighting Irish’s resume. There isn’t much outside of Army and a sneaky trip to USC to close the season left, so I think a playoff spot is Notre Dame’s to lose. Their defense is the calling card here, allowing only 12.1 points per game - fourth best mark in the nation - and with Riley Leonard getting the offense humming as of late, Notre Dame could be very dangerous down the stretch.

10. SMU 8-1 LW: 15

    Welcome to the Top 10, Ponies! That’s right folks, the Pony Express is here and competing big-time. They annihilated Pittsburgh 48-25 and with their only loss coming to undefeated and No. 7 ranked BYU, SMU is here to stay. The one-two punch of quarterback Kevin Jennings and tailback Brashard Smith are giving this SMU team a really good balanced attack that allows them to score almost at will. As long as their defense can hold firm - they’re allowing 21.8 points per game - the Mustangs are legitimate ACC and CFP threats.

11. Penn State 7-1 LW: 3
    So, the loss here pretty much knocks Penn State out of Big Ten title contention, but they’re squarely in the playoff race. Not the worst way that could go, right? I think some of the conversations in Happy Valley are going a little worse today, though. It’s time for those tough talks as James Franklin’s squad, once again, didn’t show up for a Top Five matchup. Drew Allar looked overmatched with a 29.2 QBR, the running game wasn’t its usual lethal self, and the offense only managed six points on the day. The defense did enough to win this, but the offense needs to improve. I’m willing to spot one to new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, but they need to lock in down the stretch to quiet the noise surrounding Franklin.

12. Boise State 7-1 LW: 14
    Each and every week, Boise State looks better both on paper and on the field. Ashton Jeanty continues to do Ashton Jeanty things with 149 yards and two scores against San Diego State. Quarterback Maddux Madsen is settling in and had his best game of the season with 370 yards and four touchdowns passing with a 98.0 QBR. This is a team that took Oregon to the limits and has major wins over Washington State and UNLV. They may not have the most impressive record overall, but they belong in the playoff conversation.

13. Alabama 6-2 LW: 16
    Losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee aren’t the worst ones to have, especially with a win over Georgia on the resume, so the Tide are the best two-loss team in the nation. SP+ and FPI both peg the Crimson Tide as title contenders, but if they want to reach those aspirations, they need to settle down on offense. The defense has played well all season under Kane Wommack, but Kalen DeBoer’s offense has faltered at times. If the offense finds consistency down the stretch, the SEC title is in reach.

14. Ole Miss 7-2 LW: 18
    It was a had to have it game for the Rebels, and boy did they have it. An offensive explosion in a 63-31 win over Arkansas keeps Ole Miss alive in both the CFP and SEC races. Jaxson Dart tore apart the Hogs’ secondary, a balanced running attack kept Arkansas honest and the Rebels have the recipe for future success. The defense can’t let up 31 points in the future and I want to see more out of them, but all in all, Ole Miss isn’t sitting too bad.

15. Texas A&M 7-2 LW: 8
    In all honesty, a night game in November with playoff hopes on the line at Williams-Brice Stadium wasn’t going to end well for the Aggies. Freshman quarterback Marcel Reed had his worst game of the season with his first turnover and was ineffective most of the game. Mike Elko’s defense was one of the nation’s best, but had no answers for LaNorris Sellers or Beamer Ball under the lights. It’s a bad loss, sure, but doesn’t fully eliminate the Aggies quite yet.

16. LSU 6-2 LW: 20
    The Tigers get some chaos benefits to move up four spots in the poll. Their win over Ole Miss looks better by the week, but losses to USC and Texas A&M continue to take some dives. They have the talent to make a playoff run, but will need to win out. As a pass-heavy team, their hopes will rest on junior Garrett Nussmeier. They’ve weathered all kinds of games from Nussmeier, getting past multiple turnovers, multiple sacks and down yardage games. They’ll need his best the rest of the way.

17. Iowa State 7-1 LW: 11
    Welcome to Big 12 Chaos, everybody. The Cyclone offense faltered against one of the nation’s worst defenses and opened up a whole can of chaotic worms. Despite snagging two interceptions, Iowa State was only able to find the endzone twice all day. Rocco Becht was fine passing, but that’s not good enough with playoffs in sight. The running game was decent, but couldn’t get enough. Jayden Higgins was the only bright spot offensively. The Iowa State defense did enough to win. They’ve got a weak resume, so their only playoff shot is a conference title.

18. Army 8-0 LW: 21
    The Black Knights’ climb continues as they weather the loss of quarterback Bryson Daily to top Air Force 20-3. This was a classic service academy game full of triple option action and light on passes. The win without Daily - their biggest contributor on offense - shows that Army can overcome adversity against a bitter rival, which bodes well. They’ve got the American conference lead right now, but looming non-conference affairs against Notre Dame and Navy could decide their playoff fortunes.

19. Washington State 7-1 LW: 22
    Well, if it isn’t that win over Texas Tech looking better. As we talked about last week, the Cougars are relying on Texas Tech to make an at-large playoff case. On their own merits, Washington State posts one of the nation’s best offenses with the 25th-ranked passing attack and 15th ranked scoring offense. The defense is struggling mightily, but this is a team geared up for shootouts.

20. Louisville 6-3 LW: Next Five Out
    Welcome back to the party, Louisville! The Cardinals are all but out of the ACC race, but a great win over Clemson gets them right back into the hunt for an at-large birth. Even though Tyler Shough didn’t have his best day, but tailback Isaac Brown picked up the slack with a 151-yard and one touchdown performance. I was really surprised by the Louisville defense’s ability to make Clemson uncomfortable on offense. All in all, the Cardinals got a really good win to keep the season alive for now.

21. Clemson 6-2 LW: 12
    Speaking of Clemson, what happened? The fourth quarter was a series of confusing choices after confusing choices. Why not go for two after a Phil Mafah touchdown to cut the deficit to one score instead of two with two minutes to play? Why did they waste so much time on that second-to-last drive? When will Garrett Riley move past the bubble screens? There are no answers for these questions, and the Tigers’ promising season went up in flames because of that.

22. Colorado 6-2 LW: 24
    Colorado had their bye week, but Texas Tech’s win over Iowa State was a win for the Buffaloes too, opening up a clear path to the Big 12 Championship and the playoff. As we’ve already discussed, the Buffs will have to rely on the duo of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter to lead them to the promised land. Sanders has played really well and Hunter is one of two Heisman favorites. As long as those two stay healthy and upright, you can’t count out Coach Prime’s Colorado.

23. Vanderbilt 6-3 LW: Next Five Out
    Diego Pavia continues to ravage the state of Alabama, this time in a 17-7 win over Auburn. Granted, Pavia had one of his worst games for the Commodores and the running game was relatively ineffective. Hey, how did Vandy win this thing anyway? Well, Auburn going 2-of-13 on third downs will do that. Toss in some timely penalties and Vandy comes out on top. Oh, by the way, it’s November and Vanderbilt is ranked and in the heat of the SEC race.

24. Kansas State 7-2 LW: 17
    The Wildcats now have to pray for chaos after a shocking loss to Houston. It gets worse when you consider that Houston scored 14 unanswered in the fourth quarter to get the win. The offense, as Avery Johnson said after the game, looked flat. The defense couldn’t stop Houston in the red zone. Sure, a 55-minute lightning delay can impact some of a game, but that’s not an excuse here for Kansas State. Now, the Wildcats are sitting back and hoping for someone to lose to salvage this season.

25. Tulane 7-2 LW: 25

    With Memphis’s loss, the Green Wave now sit as the second-best team in the American and they showed that in a dominating 34-3 win over Charlotte. Tulane kept the pedal to the metal all game as Makhi Hughes crossed the century mark again with 117 yards and two touchdowns and Darian Mensah completed 21 of 29 attempts for 214 yards. The defense held Charlotte to only 69 passing yards, but surrendering 5.5 yards per carry is a bit concerning. Jon Sumrall’s got a solid program here and they could be a G5 playoff threat.

Next Five Out: Navy, Louisiana, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Texas Tech

Navy is sitting in the wings, but needs a loss from Tulane or two from Army to sneak into the American championship. The Army-Navy game is a nonconference one, so has no bearing on this race although it will have playoff and ranking impacts. Louisiana continues to roll after a 23-17 win over Texas State. Ben Wooldridge had a solid day, Drelyn Washington torched the Bobcat defense and the 7-1 Ragin’ Cajuns are also waiting in the wings for some chaos. Pittsburgh’s luck finally caught up with them as they got boatraced by SMU. Once again, Eli Holstein was good, but not great, and the Pat Narduzzi defense got exposed. There goes Pitt’s playoff hopes. South Carolina may push Vandy as the best three-loss team in the nation, with narrow losses to LSU and Alabama on the resume. If the ball bounces the other way, the Gamecocks may be 7-1 right now. Don’t discount LaNorris Sellers and this Beamer Ball squad. Texas Tech has ressurrected their season with a clutch win over Iowa State and now have a path to the playoff through the Big 12 championship. It’ll take some hoping and praying, but it’s not out of reach for this all gas, no brakes Red Raider program.

Players of the Week

Finally, let’s get into some of the best individual performances of this week.

1. Jordan Watkins, WR, Ole Miss
   Jaxson Dart will get the headlines, but Watkins is the one who really showed up. The senior dominated the Arkansas secordary for eight catches, 254 yards and five touchdowns. That’s almost half of his season receiving yards and all but two of his touchdowns. Have yourself a day, kid, and be sure to hold onto that game’s highlight tape as long as you can.

2. Tre Stewart, RB, Jacksonville State

   The CUSA race is up for grabs, especially after Stewart’s show against Liberty. The senior is flourishing in the Rich Rod offense with 232 yards and four scores on 27 carries - an 8.6 yard per carry average. It’s Stewart’s second straight game over 200 yards, so keep an eye on that going forward.

3. Jalen Kitna, QB, UAB
   Listen, this doesn’t change how I or UAB brass should feel about Trent Dilfer (see last week’s coaching carousel article), but Kitna balled out. Tulsa’s defense had no hope against the junior signal caller, who threw the ball aroudn the yard for 404 yards and six touchdown while completing 78 percent of his passes and only taking two sacks.

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