B/R's College Football Weekly Awards: Week 11
Week 11 brought few changes to the College Football Playoff discussion, but conference races and hunts for bowl eligibility took center stage during an entertaining Saturday.
Yes, most notably, the five power-conference unbeatens kept on winning. Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Florida State and Washington will remain the top five teams in the next edition of the CFP rankings.
But as the Big 12 title race is suddenly open again, the proverbial doors in Conference USA and the SEC have slammed shut.
Weekly Awards will highlight those results, along with a couple of surprising upsets and other marquee news coming out of Week 11.
Also, please stop dropping the football at the goal line.
If you're new here, hi! B/R's Weekly Awards is an often-lighthearted review of what happened in college football over the weekend.
Team of the Week: Georgia Bulldogs
Now that was a convincing win.
Ole Miss competed well early, scoring the first touchdown and evening the score at 14 early in the second quarter. From there, however, the ninth-ranked visitors had a miserable night.
Georgia took control with 31 straight points, racking up 611 yards and steamrolling Ole Miss 52-17. Carson Beck threw for 306 yards, while Kendall Milton rushed for 127 and Daijun Edwards tallied 59. They each scored twice on the ground, and Andrew Paul added one more.
Once again, UGA has clinched a place in the SEC Championship Game. It'll be the Dawgs' third straight trip to Atlanta and sixth appearance in the past seven seasons.
They know the opponent, too. Spoiler alert: It's a familiar one.
Statement of the Week: Michigan's Big Win
The simplest measurement of Michigan's dominance is that, officially, the offense threw zero passes in the second half.
Instead, the No. 3 Wolverines did little else but hand the ball to Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Corum rushed for 145 yards and two scores, while Edwards chipped in 52 yards with a touchdown in a 24-15 triumph on the road against 10th-ranked Penn State.
Why? Simple. Penn State's offense couldn't do a thing.
Michigan held Drew Allar to just 70 yards on 22 passes, and the Nittany Lions failed to cross midfield until a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive when the Wolverines already held a 24-9 lead anyway.
You could hardly draw up a more impressive start to Michigan's three-game run without head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Upset of the Week: UCF Smokes Oklahoma State
Think you finally had a read on the Big 12? Nope!
Oklahoma State toppled rival Oklahoma last weekend and became the front-runner to play Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game. That newfound status disappeared in, oh, seven days.
UCF's John Rhys Plumlee amassed 373 yards and three touchdowns in a stunning 45-3 rout of Oklahoma State. Alan Bowman tossed three interceptions, and UCF—which entered holding a 4-5 record—doubled up the Pokes with 592 offensive yards compared to just 277.
As a result, Texas stands atop the Big 12 with OSU, Kansas State, Oklahoma and more teams really fighting for second place.
And, hey, UCF is within one victory of making a bowl during its debut season as a member of the Big 12. That's a big deal, too.
Box Score of the Week: Jalen Milroe's 6-TD Day
On the heels of a four-touchdown day against LSU, Jalen Milroe put together an even better performance in Week 11.
Milroe totaled six total scores in a 49-21 win at Kentucky, propelling Alabama to an SEC West title. He became the first Alabama quarterback ever to toss three touchdowns and run for three more.
"He does a phenomenal job of buying time in the pocket and hurting you," Kentucky coach Mark Stoops told reporters.
Alabama, which is 9-1 and hosts Chattanooga next weekend, is headed to the SEC Championship Game for the 10th time in Nick Saban's 17-year tenure. Saban is 8-1 in the SECCG with the Crimson Tide.
And if Milroe plays anywhere close to that level in Atlanta, the Tide will have a serious shot a making the College Football Playoff.
Under-the-Radar Win of the Week: New Mexico State
Eight seasons ago, health concerns led Jerry Kill to resign his position at Minnesota. Everywhere he's been for two decades, though, Kill has elevated the program.
The trend has continued at New Mexico State.
Prior to his arrival in 2022, the Aggies had rarely been competitive. During the previous decade, they'd mustered a single seven-win season and otherwise never cracked three wins.
Last year, NMSU finished 7-6. This season, the Aggies are 7-3 and bound for the Conference USA Championship Game. They clinched that spot on Saturday with a 38-29 victory at Western Kentucky, setting up a clash at now-undefeated Liberty on Friday, Dec. 1.
Not a bad start to the C-USA tenure, New Mexico State.
Best of the Rest: Week 11
Rude Welcome of the Week: Oregon's Big-Play Start
Thanks for making the trip, USC. Now hold these touchdowns. Oregon quickly forced a punt on the Trojans' opening drive, then Bo Nix found Tez Johnson for a 77-yard score. USC answered with a touchdown, so Nix promptly hit Troy Franklin for an 84-yard score. Doesn't get much more explosive than that. Nix threw for 412 yards and four touchdowns in the essential 36-27 victory for the Ducks.
#MACtion of the Week: Toledo Seals West Division
Look, there's a lot of football happening in November. If you miss MAC games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I understand. This week, however, Toledo cruised past Eastern Michigan 49-23 to clinch the West Division for the second successive year. In a few weeks, Toledo will have a chance to claim its fifth MAC championship.
Golf Clap of the Week: Jayden Daniels Does It Himself
Historically speaking, three team losses can crush a player in the Heisman Trophy race. Jayden Daniels simply must be a part of the conversation, though. He's been the nation's most productive player all season, and he just became the first player in FBS history to throw for 350 yards and rush for 200 in a game. He registered 372 and 234, respectively, totaling five touchdowns in a 52-35 win over Florida.