No. 2 Alabama won a low-key nonconference game against New Mexico State 59-3 on Saturday, but the Crimson Tide nevertheless advanced closer to an SEC West title as a result of the action in Week 11. That's because No. 15 Ole Miss knocked off Texas A&M 29-19 to hand the Aggies their third league loss of the season. Because of that result, the only way the Crimson Tide won't play SEC East champion Georgia in the Dec. 4 SEC Championship Game on CBS will be if they lose their final two games of the regular season to Arkansas and Auburn.
Another highly ranked team also crept closer to a division title late Saturday night, when No. 3 Oregon held off Washington State 38-24 to improve to 9-1 (6-1 Pac-12). Oregon ran for 306 yards in the game as it made its case to remain ahead of No. 4 Ohio State in the polls after the Buckeyes thrashed No. 19 Purdue 59-31 on Saturday. The Ducks can clinch the Pac-12 North with a win at Utah next week or with a victory against Oregon State in the regular season finale on Nov. 27.
Overall, it was another action-packed day of college football that featured some impressive showings from highly ranked teams, aside from No. 8 Oklahoma which lost 27-14 at No. 13 Baylor. Among those who are positioned to improve in the next batch of CFP rankings released on Tuesday will be No. 9 Notre Dame, which notched a 28-3 road victory over a Virginia team playing without injured star quarterback Brennan Armstrong.
CBS Sports covered all the action, and you can find stories, highlights and analysis from Week 11 below.
No. 2 Alabama 59, New Mexico State 3 -- Recap
No. 6 Michigan 21, Penn State 17 -- Takeaways, recap
Mississippi State 43, No. 17 Auburn 34 -- Recap
No. 13 Baylor 27, No. 8 Oklahoma 14 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 4 Ohio State 59, No. 19 Purdue 31 -- Recap
No. 1 Georgia 42, Tennessee 17 -- Takeaways, recap
Florida State 31, Miami 28 -- Recap
No. 7 Michigan State 40, Maryland 21 -- Recap
No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19 -- Recap
No. 9 Notre Dame 28, Virginia 3 -- Recap
No. 10 Oklahoma State 63, TCU 17 -- Recap
No. 3 Oregon 38, Washington State 24 -- Recap
Check out the entire Week 11 scoreboard
Oregon is now within a game of securing its spot in the Pac-12 title game. The Ducks win it 38-24 over Washington State and squeak out a cover in the process. Impressive second half from this team after Washington State tied the game at 14.
The No. 22 Aztecs fall 0.5 points short of covering, but that's of little consequence. San Diego State wins it 23-21 over Nevada in a critical Mountain West showdown. Matt Araiza is the hero for his 35-yard go-ahead field goal with 1:21 remaining. SDSU is 9-1 and has five wins of seven points or less this season. Looks like ol' Brady Hoke still has the magic.
Oregon has taken a 31-17 lead on Washington State with 5:52 remaining, courtesy of a 27-yard TD run from Byron Cardwell. He and Anthony Brown have helped out Travis Dye in the run game tonight as Dye continues to shoulder a heavy load with C.J. Verdell out. Looks like the Ducks are going to survive, but you can never count out this Washington State team.
Both Oregon and San Diego State are leading late in the third quarter, but Nevada just cut the Aztecs' advantage to 17-14 with Carson Strong finding Romeo Doubs for a 5-yard TD. Strong is having an efficient night, but the Wolfpack are struggling to run it. Oregon just settled for a 22-yard field goal t the end of a 91-yard drive. Big stand for the Washington State defense.
Washington State is nothing if not resilient. That's theme going back to the offseason with de Laura, now in recent weeks with the Rolovich saga. Now, tonight, they fall behind 14-0 on the road against the No. 3 team and claw back to tie it at 14 at halftime. Cougs outgain the Ducks 233-157 in total yards at the half. In Mountain West action, No. 22 SDSU leads Nevada 10-7 at the break in a battle of defense vs. offense. So far, it's the Aztecs winning that duel.
Washington State takes advantage of the Oregon fumble and scores to cut the deficit to 14-7 late in the first half. Big swing for the Cougars, who went fumble, punt, interception, punt, punt to start things offensively. Ducks having a lot of success on the ground early. In big-time Mountain West action, No. 22 San Diego State leads Nevada 10-7 late in the first half. The night is young!
Final: No. 12 Wake Forest 45, No. 16 NC State 42
The Demon Deacons retain control of the ACC Atlantic with a thrilling 45-42 win over NC State to set up a showdown with Clemson next week that will have major implications. Remember, Wake's loss against UNC last week doesn't count in the league standings, so they essentially have a two-game lead at this point and would clinch the division with a win over the Tigers or against BC in the regular season finale. Incredible bounce-back performance for Dave Clawson's squad on a night when the Wolfpack defense gave Sam Hartman fits.
Final: Kansas 57, Texas 56 (OT)
Kansas stuns Texas in Austin. That's five straight losses for the Longhorns — first time that's happened since 1956. Texas will have to beat WVU and K-State to reach bowl eligibility. What a nightmare for first-year coach Steve Sarkisian. What an accomplishment for KU's first-year man Lance Leipold. Give that man a raise! The Jayhawks do it by going for two in the first OT. Just an unreal victory for a 30.5 point underdog. Jalon Daniels found Jared Casey for the conversion after getting flushed from the pocket. It looked bleak, but he found a way.
What a wild finish, as it appeared Kansas had it locked up. But the Longhorns get it back in the final minute after keeping KU from getting a game-clinching first down. So we go to OT with the Longhorns trying to avoid losing five straight for the first time since 1956.
Final: No. 25 Arkansas 16, LSU 13
Cam Little hit a 37-yard field goal in the bottom half of the first overtime to give Sam Pittman's Razorbacks the win in Death Valley. Little got the chance for the game-winner thanks to LSU quarterback Montaric Brown's interception of Garrett Nussmeier on the goal line in the top of the first frame.
Final: No. 16 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19
Ole Miss kept its faint SEC West title hopes alive at home in a big win over an Aggies squad that couldn't get things rolling on offense. The Aggies managed just 378 yards and the defense allowed the Rebels to run 93 plays in a game that will have a big say on the race for a New Year's Six bowl. The dagger came late in the fourth quarter when A.J. Finley picked off Zach Calzada with the Rebles up 22-13, and took it to the house. If Ole Miss wins out and Alabama loses to Arkansas and Auburn, the Rebels will take home the SEC West crown for the first time ever.
Early 4Q: No. 12 Wake Forest 31, No. 16 NC State 27
This game has been a nightmare for Sam Hartman, but the Demon Deacons are clinging to the lead. He's thrown three picks and is just 15 of 40, showcasing how fierce this NC State defense remains in spite of some big injuries.
Final: No. 9 Notre Dame 28, Virginia 3
This was a nice win for the Fighting Irish, but don't take it at face value. The 5.5 point spread probably should have been like 15.5 in hindsight, due to the absence of Brennan Armstrong. Still, the Irish are in position to move up in the CFP rankings due to the loss of Oklahoma. They won this game easily, but it wasn't the challenge it would have been with Armstrong playing. The Irish are wins vs. Georgia Tech and Stanford away from finishing 11-1 with the lone loss against a top-10 Cincinnati team. Wonder if this season will prompt the Irish to throw their weight around in the CFP expansion conversation, because there's no way their middling SOS should get them into a four-team field this year.
End 3Q: No. 10 Oklahoma 42, TCU 3
We'll go ahead and close the book on the Pokes and TCU for the night unless something wild happens, because Oklahoma State is dominating. 517-167 edge in total yards. We could be headed for an OU-OK State game two weeks in a row, depending on how things shake out. But as of now, the Cowboys look like the league's strongest team with a game at Texas Tech up next week before Bedlam (part 1).
End 3Q: Kansas 42, Texas 35
Kansas was in a similar position against Oklahoma and couldn't come through. Now, it gets another chance at shocking the CFB universe by taking down one of the Big 12's and future SEC powers. Should be an interesting fourth quarter in Austin as the Longhorns look to avoid losing their fifth straight game for the first time since 1956. They have the momentum with 14 unanswered. Of note: Bijan Robinson walked off clutching his arm and went straight to the locker room during Texas' scoring drive there at the end of the third quarter.
After starting out the third quarter with an interception and a three-and-out, the Fighting Irish get their act together and go 61 yards on five plays to score on a 15-yard connection between Jack Coan and Kevin Austin. They've got a real chance to pitch a shutout here as the Cavaliers navigate the harsh realities of life without Brennan Armstrong.
Q4: No. 15 Ole Miss 15, No. 11 Texas A&M 10
The Rebels are hanging on after jumping out to a 15-0 halftime lead on an Aggies squad that still has SEC West title aspirations. Devon Achane scampered in the end zone from 24 yards out for the only touchdown of the third quarter. If the Aggies win out and Auburn beats Alabama in the Iron Bowl, the Aggies will win the SEC West for the first time in program history. Needless to say, this is going to be a very big quarter in the history of Texas A&M football.
Oklahoma State is putting together one of its most complete performances of the season against a struggling TCU squad. QB Spencer Sanders has thrown for 207 yards and RB Jaylen Warren has 103 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half. TCU has just 149 yards, 86 of which have come through the arm of Chandler Morris. A win would tie Oklahoma State for the Big 12 lead with Oklahoma.
NC State gets a couple of TDs in the second quarter after falling behind 21-6, as Devin Leary starts heating up. The NC State quarterback is 19 of 30 for 211 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. The Wolfpack have done a nice job frustrating Sam Hartman, who is just 8 of 23. Wake closed the first half punt, INT, punt, missed FG, TD, punt, made FG. The Deacs did well to sneak in a 45-yarder at horn. Game between top-20 foes not disappointing so far.
Half: No. 9 Notre Dame 21, Virginia 0
The Fighting Irish are going to impress some folks who don't realize that UVA quarterback Brennan Armstrong is out with a rib injury. They lead it big at half behind an 11 of 14 effort from Jack Coan and 65 yards on the ground from Kyren Williams. UVA mustered just 92 yards in the first half and only five first downs. Irish are 10 quarters vs. overmatched foes away from finishing 11-1. Georgia Tech and Stanford are up next.
HALF: LSU 10, No. 25 Arkansas 7
The Tigers haven't stopped playing for lame duck coach Ed Orgeron. Freshman Garrett Nussmeier, who is getting his first sustained look under center, has a touchdown pass to Jack Bech and thrown for 72 yards to lead the Tigers to the halftime lead. This wasn't a surprise. Nussmeier was scheduled to get plenty of snaps in favor of Max Johnson going into the game, and he is making a pretty strong case to be the starter for whoever takes over the program after the season.
HALF: Kansas 35, Texas 14
Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for Texas in Austin as Kansas has taken an astonishing 21-point lead over the Longhorns in the first half. Texas allowed 21 unanswered points in 1:25 of game time thanks to a Hudson Card fumble followed by a Card pick-six. Kansas QB Jadon Daniels has 146 yards and 2 touchdowns at the half. The last time Texas lost to Kansas in football (2016), the Longhorns fired their head coach two weeks later. Steve Sarkisian is still in his first season, but the program is reaching new lows in virtually every metric. Losing to Kansas would be an all-time low. Texas has not lost five straight games since 1956.
HALF: Ole Miss 15, Texas A&M 0
Texas A&M has not scored an offensive touchdown since playing South Carolina on Oct. 23, and the Aggies look more lost than ever against an average Ole Miss unit. The Aggies have just 78 yards on 25 plays and just allowed a safety on an Isaiah Spiller rush play. Texas A&M has just four first downs to Ole Miss' 23 first downs in the first half. Ole Miss QB Matt Corral has 216 yards and a touchdown in the first half, while RB Jerrion Ealy has 122 yards on 13 carries.
UVA finally got something going on its third possession and crossed over into ND territory. But the Cavaliers turn it over on downs and Notre Dame gets it back with a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Virginia is simply overmatched in this game without superstar QB Brennan Armstrong. Irish could turn this into an eye-catcher if they are able to pile it on after entering as just 5.5 point favorites.
The Demon Deacons' offense is doing its thing after two early punts. Sam Hartman is just 4 of 10 through the air, but his completions have been for big yardage. Wake leads it 14-6 early in the second quarter. More importantly, its defense has held the Wolfpack to a couple of field goals. We'll see how long that stinginess persists, but a good start for the Deacs in a top-20 ACC battle.
With Brennan Armstrong out tonight, the Fighting Irish should control this game. That's a brutal loss for the Cavaliers — he's basically their offense. It's 7-0 Irish late in the first quarter and the Cavaliers have gone 3-and-out on both their possessions. Jack Coan is off to a nice start for ND. This is pretty much the Irish's toughest remaining test, and it shouldn't really be that difficult with Armstrong out.
Down 14-0 to Kansas after one quarter. Oklahoma apparently made struggling with Kansas a cool thing to do. But in the interest of retaining his job for longer than one season, Steve Sarkisian should really kick the Longhorns into gear. They were 30.5 point favorites but gave up 140 yards to the Jayhawks in the first quarter and now face quite a hole at home.
10-0 Ole Miss early in the second quarter. A picture perfect first quarter for the Ole Miss offense, which has leading receiver Dontario Drummond back after he missed the Liberty game. Corral is 11 of 15 for 140 yards and a TD. Surprising to see the Aggies struggle defensively after they were downright dominant against Auburn last week.
Jonathan Garibay connects from 62 yards to lift Texas Tech to a 41-38 victory over Iowa State at the buzzer. Both teams now 6-4. Disappointing for Iowa State, which travels to Oklahoma next week. When the season began, ISU-Oklahoma was projected to be a game with Big 12 title and potential CFP implications. Those are gone for the Cyclones and diminished for the Sooners.
Maryland hung around after falling behind 27-7, but the Spartans lead 40-21 late are going to win this game behind a prolific passing attack in the first half and a heavy dose of Kenneth Walker III in the second half. Walker's got 143 yards and two TDs rushing along with two catches for 29 more yards. His Heisman candidacy remains in tact, as will Michigan State's CFP aspirations. Spartans vs. Ohio State will be a blast next week.
