There are only two more Saturdays of regular season football remaining before we reach the conference championship games. Matchups in the SEC and ACC are already locked in, with #1 Georgia set to take on #6 LSU in Atlanta, while #9 Clemson faces #13 North Carolina in Charlotte for the ACC crown.
In the Big 12, it looks like undefeated #4 TCU will take on #15 Kansas State, but there are tough games remaining for both of them before those spots are locked up. If things hold and TCU wins out, their ticket to the College Football Playoffs will be punched. They'll have to go through Baylor, Iowa State, and their championship game opponent to get there.
The Ohio State-Michigan game will be the de facto Big 10 championship game. They - along with Penn State - are all in the Big 10 East. The representative from the West is yet to be determined, but there is a 4-way tie at the top with Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, and Minnesota all sitting at 4-3 in conference play.
The Pac-12 seems to be the least clear at the moment. There are as many as five teams that could make it to the conference championship, but four of those teams will square off against another this weekend in what make up the only two games featuring ranked opponents this weekend. All eyes will be on the West Coast as USC takes on UCLA and Utah travels to Oregon. We should start to get some clarity on how this conference will shape up.
Top Week 11 Performances
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina, Redshirt Freshman - 31/49 for 448 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, 71 rushing yards and 1 touchdown
Another week, another dominant performance from Mr. Maye. Ho-hum. He probably doesn't get enough love in the Heisman race for the kind of numbers he's been putting up, but hopefully, he cleans up on some other big-time awards. He's averaging just under 400 total yards and 4 touchdowns per game. He's also received invaluable game experience in six games they've won by one score or less. Maye and USC quarterback Caleb Williams should be the early favorites for the 2023 Heisman Trophy and will likely battle it out to be the #1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Caleb Williams, QB, USC, Sophomore - 14/26 for 268 passing yards and 5 touchdowns (2 rushing)
Speaking of Williams, he's led the Trojans to a 9-1 record and an outside shot at the College Football Playoffs. They'll need a strong finish with wins over #16 UCLA and #18 Notre Dame, but he's shown he's more than capable of leading this offense. They've scored at least 41 points in 8 of 10 games this season while he is sporting a very impressive 31-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss, Freshman - 25 carries for 135 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns
Judkins utilized his punishing running style against an Alabama defense full of future NFL talent and came out with 5.4 yards per carry and a pair of scores. He's been overwhelmingly impressive for an underrated recruit whose talent was seemingly recognized by only Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. If you're in a devy league, don't let next year's draft go by without snagging Judkins when you're on the clock.
Other Standouts:
- E.J. Warner, QB, Temple, Freshman - 42/59 for 486 passing yards and 3 touchdowns
- Bert Emanuel Jr., QB, Central Michigan, Freshman - 24 carries for 293 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns
- Devin Neal, RB, Kansas, Sophomore - 24 carries for 190 rushing yards
Who to Watch in Week 12
How Caleb Williams performs against UCLA on Saturday is the most meaningful when it comes to postseason implications, but I wanted to offer up a name to know for the next couple of years. Tennessee freshman running back Dylan Sampson wasn't even the Volunteers' highest-rated signee at the position, but he's been the most ready to contribute during Tennessee's surprisingly successful 2022 campaign. He gives their offense a different gear out of the backfield that his teammates don't offer. He's battled some injuries this season, but he had his best outing last week against Missouri when he ran for 98 yards on only eight carries. Tennessee's fast-paced offense is known for its passing, but the running game is the straw that stirs the drink. When the defense is spread sideline-to-sideline, it's not hard to gash them for 6-8 yards at a time. Sampson has the speed and open-field ability to turn those into house calls. He should continue to get carries as the Vols take on South Carolina this week.
You can find me on Twitter @craiglakins or by email at lakins@footballguys.com.