HOUSTON – The calendar now reads November, and for coaches on the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Watch List, every game carries added significance. Conference title races are tightening, College Football Playoff positioning is becoming clearer, and for several programs, one result could mean the difference between championship contention and playing out the string.
From marquee SEC showdowns in Baton Rouge and Athens to pivotal contests in the Big 12 and Group of Six races, this weekend features several games that could dramatically impact the national landscape.
Here’s what we’re watching this weekend:
Memphis (7-2, 4-1 American) at South Florida (6-3, 2-3 American) [ESPN2]
The Tigers continue to surge under Charles Huff and currently control their own path toward an AAC championship appearance. South Florida has been difficult to beat at home and possesses the offensive capability to create problems. For Memphis, avoiding a late-season stumble remains the primary objective, and Thursday nights in the American Conference tends to produce some odd results. In each of the American’s Thursday night matchups this season, the home team has won. Will USF continue that trend and snap Memphis’ five game win streak against the Bulls?
Illinois (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) at No. 4/4 UCLA (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) [FOX]
Under Friday night lights at the Rose Bowl, Bob Chesney brings undefeated UCLA into a matchup with a scrappy Illinois team that has won four straight. Illinois’ four-game streak is the fourth-longest win streak in P4, while UCLA’s nine-game win streak is the second-longest behind only Utah. While UCLA’s secondary has been dominant at times this year, it will face perhaps one of its biggest challenges this week in senior wideout Collin Dixon. With bowl positioning and conference standing at stake, this matchup carries more significance than it may initially appear.
No. 14/16 Houston (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) at Colorado (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) [ESPN]
Willie Fritz and the Cougars start their final road trip of the 2026 season with Friday’s prime-time tilt in Boulder. The Cougars’ defense has been one of the nation’s best at forcing turnovers this year, with eight interceptions and five fumbles recovered. The Buffaloes will need to avoid turnovers – Colorado QBs have thrown ten interceptions – as they try to keep pace with the Cougars’ explosive offense. Meanwhile, Houston will try to pull away from a five-team logjam sitting at 4-2 in Big 12 play and attempt to make up its one-game deficit to second-place Texas Tech in the race for the Big XII Championship.
RV/RV Duke (7-2, 4-2 ACC) at No. 5/6 Miami (8-1, 6-0 ACC) [ABC]
The Hurricanes suffered their first setback of the season last weekend, dropping a hard-fought contest to Notre Dame that knocked Mario Cristobal’s squad from the unbeaten ranks. Now comes the challenge of responding. With a perfect ACC mark, Miami remains firmly in control of its ACC destiny. The Hurricanes have been one of the nation’s most explosive offensive teams all season, and with conference championship aspirations intact, this becomes a critical bounce-back opportunity before entering the final weeks of the regular season.
No. 11/11 Wake Forest (8-1, 5-1 ACC) at No. 25/23 SMU (7-2, 5-2 ACC) [ESPN]
One of the more intriguing ACC matchups of the weekend features Jake Dickert and Wake Forest traveling to Dallas to face Rhett Lashlee and SMU. The Mustangs continue to establish themselves as serious contenders in their new conference home and remain unbeaten in league play. Wake Forest has exceeded virtually every preseason expectation and enters this game with a chance to earn its most significant victory of the season. With both teams chasing positioning in the ACC race, Saturday carries conference championship – and potentially playoff – implications. Wake Forest’s lone loss of the year came at the hands of first-place Miami back in September, and if the Demon Deacons can win their final three games – at SMU and Georgia Tech, and then at home against Duke – Wake Forest will have a strong case for playoff consideration regardless of the outcome of the ACC Championship.
NR/RV Northwestern (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) at No. 21/20 Ohio State (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) [FOX]
Ryan Day and Ohio State enter Saturday’s matchup with David Braun and Northwestern in an unfamiliar position for the Buckeyes – trying to snap a two-game skid. Indeed, Ohio State’s two straight losses were the first time the Buckeyes have dropped two straight since November 2011 – and the first time that the Buckeyes have lost back-to-back games to unranked opposition since 1992. Despite that, the Buckeyes still have a window – albeit a narrow one – to the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes have struggled to find an offensive footing since the injury to Julian Sayin, but Northwestern will also be playing without star quarterback Aidan Chiles for the second consecutive week. This game will come down to which team can get the running game working more effectively. Ohio State has averaged 2.5 or less yards per carry over the last two games against Indiana and Oregon, while its run defense has been spotty – and Northwestern is 4-0 when running for 175 or more.
James Madison (8-2) at UConn (4-5) [CBSSN]
Following a brief two-game slide, Billy Napier and James Madison have regained momentum. The Dukes continue to pursue a strong postseason destination, moving to 5-2 in Sun Belt play after last week’s 54-23 win over Southern Miss. This matchup may not generate national headlines, but James Madison has consistently been one of the most successful low-major FBS programs in the nation since its move from FCS.
No. 7/7 Alabama (7-2, 5-2 SEC) at Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-5 SEC) [SEC Network]
Since falling to Tennessee two weeks ago in Knoxville, Kalen DeBoer and Alabama have rebounded with characteristic Crimson Tide swagger – knocking off Texas A&M at home and then going into Death Valley and beating LSU 31-13. This week, the Crimson Tide square off against a Vanderbilt team that is coming off its first conference win – a 25-23 win over Mississippi State in Starkville last week. With just one conference matchup remaining for Alabama after this weekend – Nov. 28’s Iron Bowl against Auburn – the Crimson Tide are tied for second place in the SEC standings with Kentucky, and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Finishing ahead of Kentucky would not necessarily clinch a spot in the SEC title game for Alabama, however – those pesky Volunteers are 4-2 with three games to play, and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over the Crimson Tide. However, the Texas Longhorns – also 4-2 and with three games remaining – also potentially figures into the mix. Texas holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Alabama, but in a three-way tie, the Crimson Tide would finish second and would advance to the championship game.
No. 9/9 Tennessee (7-2, 4-2 SEC) at Texas A&M (4-5, 1-5 SEC) [ESPN]
Josh Heupel and Tennessee enter Saturday’s matchup at Texas A&M with momentum, and a very defined window into the SEC Championship game. Step one for the Vols – avoid looking past Texas A&M to next week’s showdown with LSU in Knoxville. Tennessee’s rushing attack averages 216 yards per game – an incredible five yards per carry – and that offensive attack has not sputtered since the injury to Faizon Brandon a few weeks ago. True freshman quarterback George MacIntyre has performed admirably, and the Vols’ offense has kept chugging along. Meanwhile, defensively, Tennessee continues to fire on all cylinders with a stifling pass rush. With 39 sacks, Tennessee leads the SEC; and that will put an Aggies offense that has struggled against ranked opposition at a disadvantage.
RV/RV Missouri (6-3, 3-3 SEC) at No. 1/1 Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) [ABC/Disney+]
The road through the SEC still runs through Athens, but Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri have the chance to be chaos agents on their trip to Athens this weekend. Mizzou has dropped two of three – sandwiching a win against Arkansas between losses to Ole Miss and Texas – and the Tigers will try to avoid dropping back-to-back matchups for the first time since the 2022 season. The task will not be easy, because standing across the field will be Kirby Smart and the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. After a narrow setback against Auburn three weeks ago, the Bulldogs have ratcheted up the defensive pressure allowing under ten points in wins over Florida and Ole Miss, and Georgia enters this weekend’s tilt with history on its side, having won ten straight over Mizzou.
Boston College (4-5) at No. 3/3 Notre Dame (8-1) [NBC]
Rivalry games have a way of ignoring records, and Marcus Freeman knows that well. Notre Dame remains firmly in the playoff conversation and cannot afford an upset as the regular season winds down. Boston College has shown flashes throughout the year and would love nothing more than to derail the Irish’s postseason aspirations. On paper, the advantage tilts heavily toward the Fighting Irish. But in South Bend, memories run long. It was 1993 when Notre Dame had just knocked off an undefeated, top-ranked team from the state of Florida, when Boston College rolled into Notre Dame and picked up a 41-39 overtime win – the one in an 11-1 season. But that Tom Coughlin-led Boston College squad posed a far different challenge than this year’s 4-5 squad that is still looking for a consistent offensive identity. Two weeks after a 47-2 setback against Duke (not a scorigami – the final score has happened at least six times in CFB history), BC will have to hope its offensive effort comes closer to its output in last week’s 31-24 loss to Florida State. Meanwhile, for Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish remain firmly in control of their own destiny with games against SMU and Syracuse on the horizon.
No. 15/14 USC (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) at No. 6/5 Indiana (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) [CBS]
With mid-November here, the Big Ten features eight teams with a path into the Big 10 title game. While UCLA sits undefeated at 6-0 in league play and Curt Cignetti’s Indiana squad is in second place at 5-1, a logjam of six teams – including Lincoln Riley’s USC squad – enter this weekend with identical 4-2 records. Riley was named Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Week two weeks ago after knocking off then-No. 2 Ohio State, and after last week’s off week, will be hoping to take down its second consecutive top-10 opponent. Indiana’s 8-1 record has not been without its own tension – after a 19-15 loss to Ohio State, the Hoosiers have come back with back-to-back overtime wins over Michigan and Minnesota, with Saturday’s matchup against USC stacking up as perhaps the Hoosiers’ greatest challenge remaining in the regular season.
Baylor (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) at No. 12/12 BYU (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) [FOX]
This matchup of two of the five 4-2 teams in Big 12 conference play features Baylor – 2-0 under interim head coach Joe Klanderman – against Kalani Sitake and BYU. After six straight wins to open the season, BYU has dropped two of three, sandwiching a win over Arizona State between losses at UCF and Utah. The obvious advantage for the Cougars is the home field one – BYU is 5-0 within the friendly confines of LaVell Edwards Stadium this season, and with two of three remaining regular-season games at home, the schedule favors the Cougars. However, BYU will be tasked with slowing an ascendant Baylor offense that has won its last two games by a combined 43 points.
No. 19/17 Ole Miss (6-3, 4-3 SEC) at Oklahoma (5-4, 3-3 SEC) [SEC Network]
After last week’s 42-7 loss at the hands of top-ranked Georgia, Pete Golding and Ole Miss can ill afford another setback with the narrow window into the postseason closing rapidly. On paper, Ole Miss should be a slight favorite entering Saturday’s road tilt, however, with four starters out due to injury – including starting running back Kewan Lacy and defensive leader Keaton Thomas – the Rebels’ margin for error has continued to shrink. The Sooners have been inconsistent this year, with the Sooners taking a 42-25 setback to South Carolina at home two weeks ago before turning in an impressive 23-7 win at Florida last weekend. Which Sooners defense will show up, and how will the injury report affect the Rebels’ game plan?
Oregon State (5-4, 3-2 Pac-12) at No. 17/18 Boise State (8-1, 5-0 Pac-12) [USA]
Boise State continues to roll under coach Spencer Danielson and will face one of its toughest challenges in Pac-12 play this year, hosting an Oregon State team that has defied expectations this year. Once again, Boise State’s fortunes mirror that of its Heisman-contending running back – Dylan Riley currently leads the nation in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, all-purpose yards, and all-purpose yards per game, and are coming off a 352-yard team rushing effort in last week’s 64-38 win over Colorado State. Riding an eight-game winning streak into Saturday’s game, Boise State has scored 30 or more in each of those wins and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Florida (5-4, 3-4 SEC) at No. 20/19 Kentucky (7-2, 5-2 SEC) [ESPN]
One of the season’s biggest surprises continues to be the success of Will Stein and Kentucky. The Wildcats remain firmly in the SEC race and have positioned themselves for one of the program’s finest seasons in decades. And a rarity in this all-time series – the Wildcats enter Saturday’s games as a favorite against Florida. Kentucky has shifted the momentum in the all-time series, however – after Florida won 31 straight from 1987 to 2017, Kentucky has picked up three straight wins in Lexington against Florida. Entering this weekend’s game tied with Alabama for second in the SEC standings but with the Crimson Tide holding the tiebreaker, Kentucky will need to win Saturday and then next week at Missouri – and hope for outside help – to keep its championship hopes alive.
San Jose State (5-3, 3-3 Mountain West) at Air Force (7-2, 3-2 Mountain West) [CBSSN]
The Falcons continue to rely on their trademark rushing attack under Troy Calhoun, and Air Force remains very much alive in the Mountain West race, but with a narrowing window. With upcoming games against UTEP and at first-place New Mexico, the Falcons can certainly help their own case, but will need some help along the way with Wyoming – a team with a one-game advantage and the tiebreaker – standing in front of them. While San Jose State presents unique challenges, wins Saturday and next week against UTEP would make the Falcons undefeated at home for the fifth time under Calhoun and the sixth overall in school history.
No. 2/2 Utah (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) at Arizona (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) [FOX]
The Utes continue to find ways to win and remain one of the nation’s unbeaten teams. Morgan Scalley has Utah positioned for a conference championship and potential playoff berth, but road games in November can become dangerous. At 7-2 and with losses coming at BYU and Texas Tech, it’s clear that Arizona has enough talent to make things uncomfortable if the Utes aren’t at their best. Perhaps more importantly for the Wildcats – Arizona is undefeated at Casino Del Sol Stadium this year, and could present the toughest challenge that Utah has had to face on the road this season.
No. 8/8 Texas (7-2, 4-2 SEC) at No. 24/22 LSU (6-3, 3-3 SEC) [ABC]
Few venues are more intimidating than Tiger Stadium for a night game. For Steve Sarkisian and Texas, the stakes could not be higher. The winner will emerge with a significant boost in both SEC positioning and CFP standing. The loser may find itself on the outside looking in moving forward. With games against Arkansas and Texas A&M to finish the regular season, the Longhorns know that a win in this game gives them their only shot at the SEC title game and a potential playoff berth. After back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida, Texas has found its mojo again with wins over Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Missouri. Saturday’s marquee matchup may be the toughest Texas has faced thus far this season and could provide the Longhorns with the boost they need as the postseason approaches.
Purdue (3-6, 2-4 Big Ten) at No. 16/15 Iowa (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) [NBC]
The formula rarely changes for Kirk Ferentz‘s Hawkeyes. Play strong defense, control field position, run the football, and find a way to win. Iowa remains mathematically alive in the Big Ten race and cannot overlook a Purdue squad searching for a late-season spark. The Hawkeyes have won three of their last four and have won eight straight under the lights at Kinnick Stadium. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2023.
UNLV (5-4, 3-2 Mountain West) at No. 23/25 New Mexico (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West) [CW]
Perhaps the biggest Group of Six showdown of the weekend takes place in Albuquerque. Jason Eck has engineered one of the nation’s best rebuilding jobs, guiding New Mexico into the rankings and atop the Mountain West standings. The Lobos are tied for the longest conference winning streak in FBS at 11 games, and that success has played a big part in New Mexico’s on-field success this year. One factor creating an interesting challenge in this game – the visiting team has won seven of the last eight in the UNLV/UNM series.
No. 10/10 Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) at RV/RV Oklahoma State (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) [ESPN]
Few coaches have engineered a more impressive turnaround than Eric Morris, whose Cowboys remain very much alive in the conference race after last season’s struggles. Standing in their way is Joey McGuire and a Texas Tech squad that continues to stack quality wins. Tech needs to win its final three games to make it back to the Big 12 Championship in Arlington, and the Cowboys are the first hurdle in that stretch as Tech looks to repeat as Big 12 champions. Expect offensive fireworks and a basketball score.
North Dakota State (7-2, 4-2 Mountain West) at Hawaii (3-6, 2-4 Mountain West) [CW] One of the most unique road trips in college football belongs to Tim Polasek and North Dakota State this week. Indeed, you won’t find two more different climates than what you’ll find between Honolulu and Fargo, but the critical challenge for the Bison is the logistical challenges of moving a football team’s operations from North Dakota to Hawaii. Those logistics are a first for NDSU – the Bison are making their first visit to Hawaii, in a game that is a must-win for the Rainbow Warriors. NDSU has already secured its bowl eligibility, and Hawaii must win its last three to reach the six-win mark.
Note: No watch list teams are idle this week
OTHER THINGS WE’RE WATCHING…
- TOP DOG? – Tarleton State stands alone as the last undefeated FCS team and is ranked No. 1 in the coaches’ and Stats Perform Top 25 polls, but 9-1 Montana State sits atop the FCS Top 10 committee rankings poll. The schedule over the next two weeks will determine who enters the playoffs as the No. 1 overall – can Tarleton go on the road and pick up wins over West Florida and North Alabama to clinch a perfect regular season, or would a win on the road at Northern Colorado and at home against Montana keep Montana State atop the playoff field?
- BATTLE OF THE RAVINE – In the town of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, only U.S. Highway 67 divides Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. Saturday, these two teams will play one another in the 99th Battle of the Ravine, a series led by OBU 47-45-6. The two teams enter Saturday’s tilt with identical 8-2 marks, and desperately needing a win Saturday to have any hope of qualifying for the Division II playoff field from Super Region 4.
- A HARDIN ONE TO PICK – From the American Southwest Conference, undefeated Hardin-Simmons College hits the road to face off against 8-1 Mary Hardin-Baylor. Both teams put perfect conference marks on the line in a game that will determine which team reigns supreme in the ASC.
- FROM THE NAIA – With one more week remaining until playoff selections, the NAIA schedule features several games that will factor into postseason selections. One that is drawing our attention is the matchup between Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) and Louisiana Christian. Two of the Sooner Athletic Conference’s toughest teams will square off in a matchup that features LSU’s high-octane rushing offense and OUAZ’s stifling rush defense.
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