9 games that will shape the remainder of the college football season
With two months of the regular season in the books, the race for the College Football Playoff now turns to November and a series of games that will determine which teams eventually play for the national championship.
Things are about to heat up in the Bowl Subdivision. That starts on Saturday with a series of games involving some of the top teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll, including a matchup between No. 13 LSU and No. 8 Alabama that should decide the SEC West.
And this continues through the month, culminating in what looks again to be the biggest pairing of the year in college football: No. 3 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan, with the winner likely advancing to the Big Ten championship game.
Sprinkled in between are make-or-break games featuring every Power Five league and the best teams in the Group of Five. Here are the November college football games set to have the biggest impact:
Kansas State at No. 6 Texas, Saturday (noon ET, Fox)
Quinn Ewers’ status remains up in the air, leaving Maalik Murphy in line to make his second start in a row after throwing for 170 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend’s win against Brigham Young. This is easily the Longhorns’ biggest test of the month: Kansas State has been rolling through the Big 12, taking its past two league games by a combined score of 82-3.
No. 5 Washington at No. 22 Southern California, Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
This is just the Huskies’ first big test of November, preceding games against No. 18 Utah, No. 19 Oregon State and rival Washington State. But despite some obvious and ongoing defensive flaws, the Trojans may be Washington’s biggest hurdle in the way of a 12-0 march to the conference title game. USC can run with UW and would be comfortable in a game that sees each team score 40 or more points.
No. 13 LSU at No. 8 Alabama, Saturday (7:45 p.m. ET, CBS)
LSU has the offensive firepower but a defense that ranks near the bottom of the Power Five. To win this matchup for a second year in a row, the Tigers will need a big game from quarterback Jayden Daniels, a heavy Heisman Trophy contender. Alabama has turned around its season after hitting a speed bump in September and would be nearly a lock to enter the SEC championship game at 11-1 with a win on Saturday. If that’s what happens, place this season alongside the best coaching jobs of Nick Saban’s career.
No. 2 Michigan at No. 9 Penn State, Nov. 11 (noon ET, Fox)
This is the lesser of Michigan’s two tests in November, and it’s one the Wolverines should ace given how they’ve played all season combined with Penn State’s continued struggles against the best teams in the Big Ten. While the Nittany Lions flopped against Ohio State and looked listless last weekend against Indiana, Michigan has bulldozed teams with an elite combination of offense (Big Ten-leading 6.9 yards per play) and defense (4.2 yards allowed per play). A loss would drop James Franklin’s record to 4-16 against the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
Miami at No. 4 Florida State, Nov. 11
With scuffling Pittsburgh up next, Florida State’s winning streak should be up to 15 games when meeting rival Miami. (Then again, this is when the Panthers are the most dangerous.) The Seminoles have regained some footing against the Hurricanes with two wins in a row, highlighted by last year’s 45-3 destruction, after dropping the previous four games in the series. While there’s also Florida (on the road) and the ACC championship game to manage, Miami looks like FSU’s biggest roadblock in the way of an undefeated regular season.
No. 1 Georgia at No. 16 Tennessee, Nov. 18
Georgia will play three ranked teams in a row to open the month: No. 14 Missouri, No. 10 Mississippi and the Volunteers. With the first two coming at home, Tennessee is the most likely to snap the Bulldogs’ 24-game (and counting) win streak in regular-season SEC play, the second-longest streak in league history. The passing game looked good in last week’s win against Florida (315 yards on 11.3 yards per attempt), the Bulldogs’ first game without star tight end Brock Bowers.
No. 17 Air Force at Boise State, Nov. 24 (4 p.m. ET, FS1)
Unbeaten Air Force gets rejuvenated UNLV a week earlier and will have to handle one of the top offenses in the Mountain West before a tough road trip to Boise. The Broncos are in a hit-or-miss funk under coach Andy Avalos but have done well against the Falcons, taking five of the past six games in the series after dropping three in a row from 2014-16. Air Force is having one of the best years in program history thanks to another potent running game (FBS-best 300.4 yards per game) and one of the top defenses in the country (4.2 yards allowed per play, best in the Group of Five).
No. 19 Oregon State at No. 7 Oregon, Nov. 24 (8:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
It’s possible that this is the last battle between the two in-state rivals, though both sides seem open to finding a way to continue the series with Oregon headed to the Big Ten and Oregon State still searching for a new home. While California, USC and Arizona State shouldn’t stop the Ducks, the Beavers just might: OSU can be punishing at the point of attack and is vey capable of standing up against one of the most physical teams in the FBS. The Beavers have won two of three in the rivalry but haven’t taken a game in Autzen Stadium since a memorable overtime win in 2007.
No. 3 Ohio State at No. 2 Michigan, Nov. 25 (noon ET, Fox)
It’s the game of the year and, once again, a game that should rank among the most hyped in the rivalry’s history. By the final Saturday of the month, it’s possible this game pits No. 1 against No. 2 for the second time in the series, joining Ohio State’s unforgettable 42-39 win in 2006. It’s hard to forget what Michigan has done the past two meetings: 42-27 in 2021 and 45-23 a year ago. But OSU has been a tougher team this season with a drastically improved defense, giving the Buckeyes a good shot at kick-starting a run to the playoff and the national championship.