College Football Power Rankings: Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia making a

Week 11 of the college football season provided plenty of statement games.

Michigan started the day without its coach after Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten on Friday over alleged off-campus sign-stealing. The Wolverines took on a tough Penn State defense and Happy Valley crowd and left with a 24-15 win to remain unbeaten.

Georgia made its own statement with a 52-17 rout of No. 9 Ole Miss. Ohio State came through loud and clear with a 38-3 win against Michigan State. Florida State edged Miami 27-20, and Washington outlasted No. 18 Utah to keep their unbeaten records intact.

Here’s how the power rankings play out after Week 11’s results:

Forgive Georgia coach Kirby Smart if he didn’t seem too excited about winning a third straight SEC East title after No. 13 Tennessee fell 36-7 at No. 14 Missouri on Saturday. The Bulldogs had wrapped up another trip to the SEC championship game in Atlanta before they even kicked off against No. 9 Ole Miss at Sanford Stadium. Georgia turned in one of its best performances of the season, 52-17 over the Rebels, just for good measure. “It’s the expectation, man,” Smart said of winning the SEC East. “That’s what we expect.” Georgia will face No. 8 Alabama in another showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 2, when a spot in the CFP might be on the line. First, the Bulldogs will close the regular season at Tennessee next week and then at rival Georgia Tech on Nov. 25. Georgia’s offense, which has battled injuries for much of the season, is getting closer to full strength with All-American tight end Brock Bowers (ankle), receiver Ladd McConkey (back) and tackle Amarius Mims (ankle) coming back. — Mark Schlabach

Up next: at Tennessee

The Wolverines’ defense stifled Penn State’s offense, holding quarterback Drew Allar to just 70 yards passing in the 24-15 win Saturday. Michigan is now outscoring its opponents 117-0 in the third quarter after holding Penn State to no points in that frame. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw just eight passes in the game, but the offense got a ton of production out of its run game. Running back Blake Corum had two scores and Donovan Edwards had a touchdown of his own in the win. The victory keeps Michigan undefeated and on track for a top-three matchup with Ohio State at the end of the season. — Tom VanHaaren

Up next: at Maryland

The Buckeyes had no problems against Michigan State in a dominating 38-3 win. Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had yet another big game, hauling in seven passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Kyle McCord finished the game with 335 yards passing and three touchdowns in the win. The offense put up 35 points in the first half, while the defense held Michigan State to just three points and 182 total yards. The Spartans were able to convert first downs on two of 14 third-down tries and couldn’t get much going against the Ohio State defense. The Buckeyes remain undefeated and will take on Minnesota before closing out the season on the road against Michigan. — Tom VanHaaren

Up next: vs. Minnesota

The Seminoles had to sweat out a 27-20 win over rival Miami, clinching the game when Jarrian Jones intercepted Tyler Van Dyke with 40 seconds remaining to win their 16th straight game and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Jordan Travis threw for 265 yards despite being constantly pressured — and his 6-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman proved to be the winner. With Coleman and Johnny Wilson back in the starting lineup, Florida State made sure to target them repeatedly. Wilson had five catches for 82 yards. Still, Miami gave Florida State fits up front on the offensive and defensive lines for portions of the game. Miami finished with three sacks and nine tackles for loss, and gave up 57 total rushing yards in the game. But after giving up 96 yards rushing in the first half, Florida State allowed Miami only 35 yards rushing in the second — one of the biggest keys to the game. — Andrea Adelson

Up next: vs. North Alabama

The Huskies moved to 10-0 for the second time in school history, with a 35-28 win against Utah — the most points the Utes have given up this season. QB Michael Penix Jr. threw for 332 yards with a pair of touchdown passes and another on the ground to continue barreling toward an invitation to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. While the Huskies haven’t been as dominant in recent weeks as they were early in the season, their last six games have included four teams that were either ranked when they played them or are ranked now, including a win against the nation’s top-ranked one-loss team in Oregon. After trailing 28-24 at halftime, UW shut out the Utes in the second half and would have likely won going away had it not been for a momentary lapse of concentration from Alphonzo Tuputala who fumbled short of the goal-line — a premature celebration — on a 76-yard interception return. — Kyle Bonagura

Up next: at Oregon State (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

It is a testament to the Ducks’ floor and talent across the board that they could display their B-level game against USC Saturday night, record 13 penalties for 120 yards, have a less-than-stellar performance on the ground and still emerge from the game with a 36-27 victory against an admittedly sloppy USC team. Bo Nix threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone — two of those coming off 77-yard and 84-yard receptions, and he finished with 412 passing yards. Oregon’s defense did their part, too — getting to USC quarterback Caleb Williams in the backfield over and over — sacking him three times while forcing two fumbles that were key to the result. Despite still carrying the last-second loss to Washington on their record, the Ducks feel like the most complete team in the conference and the favorite to not just win the Pac-12 title but get to the College Football Playoff as well.

Up next: at Arizona State

The Longhorns jumped out to a 29-6 lead, then had to hold off a TCU rally to win 29-26. While coach Steve Sarkisian said Texas needs to hone in on its killer instinct, he was happy with the return of QB Quinn Ewers, who was 22 of 33 for 317 yards and a touchdown, including a clutch 35-yard throw to Adonai Mitchell on a third-and-12 play from his own 13 with just under two minutes remaining. Xavier Worthy caught 10 passes for 137 yards and Jonathon Brooks starred with 21 carries for 104 yards and two TDs while also catching a screen pass and taking it 73 yards. But he exited with an injury in the third quarter and Sarkisian said they’d know more about his status on Monday. — Dave Wilson

Up next: at Iowa State (8 p.m. ET, Fox)

Few people back in September would have predicted Alabama would be headed to the SEC championship game for the seventh time in the past 10 years, but the Crimson Tide — quarterback Jalen Milroe in particular — have continued to get better and cruised to a dominant 49-21 road win Saturday over Kentucky. Milroe accounted for six touchdowns and became the first Alabama quarterback in history to pass for three touchdowns and run for three touchdowns in the same game. He’s one of the most improved players in college football, and it’s obvious his teammates have rallied around him and have supreme confidence in him. The Crimson Tide (9-1, 7-0 in the SEC) have won eight in a row and have games remaining against Chattanooga and Auburn in the regular season, and as Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said Saturday, they look like a team that’s going to “make a strong push here late.” — Chris Low

Up next: vs. Chattanooga (Noon ET, ESPN+)

A pair of long fourth-quarter touchdowns — a 52-yard reception from Ahmari Huggins-Bruce and a 73-yard run from Isaac Guerendo — punctuated a late comeback for Louisville (9-1, 6-1 ACC) on the way to staving off pesky Virginia, 31-24, on Thursday. Quarterback Jack Plummer (19-of-28 passing for 243 yards with two touchdowns and one interception) spread the ball to 11 receivers and recovered from throwing a pick-six to find Huggins-Bruce with 6:20 left to play, tying the game at 24-24, after the Cardinals had seen the Cavaliers fight back from a 14-0 deficit. Jawhar Jordan (95 yards on 16 carries) and Guerendo (94 yards on six carries) led a running attack that churned out 180 yards for an offense that came into the game averaging 188.8 yards rushing (fourth in the ACC). Louisville is a win away from its first 10-win season since 2013 and hopeful of clinching a spot opposite Florida State in the ACC championship game on Dec. 2. — Blake Baumgartner

Up next: at Miami (Noon ET)

Tennessee came to Columbia having allowed just 320 yards per game (21st in FBS) and 4.7 yards per play (16th) in 2023. Missouri went for 530 and 7.1, respectively, in an easy 36-7 win. Most of that production came from Cody Schrader. The former D-II All-American rushed for 205 yards and caught five passes for 116 yards, becoming just the third player to go for 200 and 100, respectively, against a ranked opponent. Schrader scored on a 7-yard run to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, and Mizzou was never tested from there. Daylan Carnell’s 38-yard pick-six capped the scoring with 5:50 left. Missouri is now 8-2 and continues to position itself for a possible New Year’s Six bowl bid. — Connelly

Up next: vs. Florida (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Oregon State continues to lurk. Damien Martinez rushed for 146 yards and four touchdowns, DJ Uiagalelei threw for 240 yards and two more scores, and the Beavers moved to 8-2 with an easy 62-17 romp over Stanford on Saturday. Three of Martinez’s touchdowns came in the first 17 minutes of the game as OSU bolted to a 28-7 lead, and the lead was never smaller than 18 points from there. It was easy preparation for a very hard pair of games: Over the next two weeks, the Beavers will host Washington, then head to Eugene for a huge rivalry game against Oregon. OSU remains only a game back of Oregon in the Pac-12 standings and could make quite the statement with a couple more wins to finish the regular season. — Bill Connelly

Up next: vs. Washington (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The Rebels’ slim hopes of winning the SEC West were extinguished by Alabama’s 49-21 victory at Kentucky on Saturday. Then the Rebels laid an egg in another big game, falling at Georgia by 35 points. Ole Miss’ high-paced offense came out firing, scoring touchdowns on two of its first three possessions to tie the score at 14. The other drive ended at the Bulldogs’ 40-yard line after the Rebels failed to convert a fourth-and-2. From there, things went downhill fast. Georgia scored two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the first half, then added another one early in the third quarter. Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart left the game after a big hit with 3:31 left in the third. With games left against struggling UL-Monroe and Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, a 10-2 record is still in play. But Ole Miss might need help to get into a New Year’s Six bowl game. — Schlabach

Up next: vs. UL-Monroe (Noon ET, SEC Network)

The Sooners bounced back from a disappointing Bedlam loss with a historic day. Dillon Gabriel accounted for a school-record eight touchdowns, passing for 423 yards and five touchdowns and running for 50 yards and three more, breaking the record of seven scores shared by Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Drake Stoops had 10 catches for a career-high 164 yards with three TDs, and running back Gavin Sawchuk also had a career day with 135 yards rushing. — Wilson

Up next: at BYU

The absence of Jim Harbaugh — and, as it turned out, Michigan’s passing game — still couldn’t help coach James Franklin and Penn State earn a signature win at home. The Nittany Lions’ deficiencies at quarterback and wide receiver showed up yet again, as they couldn’t catch a Michigan team that didn’t complete a pass attempt in the second half. Quarterback Drew Allar completed only 10 of 22 pass attempts for 70 yards, and Penn State punted on three straight possessions with a chance to tie the game at 17-17 in the second half. The Lions’ typically excellent defense had too many breakdowns against Michigan RB Blake Corum, but the biggest issues with PSU are offense and coaching. Franklin dropped to 3-17 against AP top-10 opponents at Penn State (2-13 when his team is also in the AP top 10), and 4-16 against Michigan and Ohio State, as Penn State fell out of the Big Ten and CFP races. — Adam Rittenberg

Up next: vs. Rutgers

With three losses, LSU’s hopes of winning the SEC West and playing in a New Year’s Six bowl have come and gone. But that shouldn’t preclude Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels from winning the Heisman Trophy. He piled up 606 total yards and five touchdowns in a 52-35 victory over Florida at Death Valley on Saturday night, becoming the first quarterback in FBS history to have at least 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a game. He also became only the second player in FBS history to reach 10,000 career passing yards and 3,000 career rushing yards, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick was the other player. Daniels led the Tigers to touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half. He completed 17 of 26 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, while running for 234 yards and two more scores. Not bad for a player who suffered a concussion last week and wasn’t cleared to play against Florida until Thursday. — Schlabach

Up next: vs. Georgia State (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

The Dukes ran their record to 10-0 after a 44-6 victory over UConn, four days after the school sent a letter to the NCAA board of directors in a final effort to gain bowl eligibility for this season. Leading 16-6 midway through the third quarter, James Madison scored 28 unanswered points to close the game. Jordan McCloud finished with 457 yards passing and four touchdowns, while Reggie Brown had 202 yards receiving and two touchdowns, and Elijah Sarratt added 160 yards receiving. NCAA rules state a school transitioning from FCS to FBS is ineligible for the postseason in its first two seasons. For that reason, the Dukes are unable to compete for a conference title or in the CFP rankings. — Andrea Adelson

Up next: vs. Appalachian State (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

The Utes took a 28-24 lead into halftime but didn’t score the rest of the way in a 35-28 loss to Washington that eliminated the two-time defending champions from Pac-12 title contention. After Utah scored touchdowns on four straight possessions, it looked like Washington — and its explosive offense — was going to have a hard time keeping pace. Instead, the Utes fell apart in the second half when pressure got to QB Bryson Barnes as he got out of rhythm. Utah’s offensive deficiencies will be the story of its season. At times, Barnes has been good enough in conjunction with one of the best defenses in the country, but in the biggest games the Utes haven’t had the firepower to keep up. — Bonagura

Up next: at Arizona

Another week, another close call for Tulane, which is quickly gaining a reputation for being able to win ugly. The Green Wave pulled out a fourth straight one-possession victory, 24-22, after forcing a stop on Tulsa’s potential game-tying 2-point conversion with 3:03 left to play. A 100-yard kickoff return to begin the second half from Shedro Louis (195 all-purpose yards) jump-started things for Tulane, which won for the eighth straight time. Quarterback Michael Pratt was 16-of-29 passing for 194 yards with a touchdown and interception, while freshman Makhi Hughes (131 yards and a touchdown), the AAC’s leading rusher coming into Saturday’s play, topped the 100-yard mark for a sixth straight time. Hughes’ touchdown, a 1-yard run capping a 12-play drive midway through the first quarter, was set up by Jarius Monroe’s second interception of the season. — Baumgartner

Up next: at Florida Atlantic (Noon ET, ESPN+)

For the first time since 2017, the Wildcats will finish with a winning record after moving to 7-3 with a 34-31 win at Colorado. Arizona didn’t take a single snap all game with the lead, going in front only with a 24-yard field goal from Tyler Loop as time expired. The win keeps the Wildcats alive in the Pac-12 title race. Running back Jonah Coleman had a big day, rushing for 179 yards on 11 carries, while QB Noah Fifita completed 21 of 35 passes for 214 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Colorado had a chance to take the lead with 4:57 left in the fourth quarter, but a 44-yard field goal attempt missed wide right. Arizona hosts Utah next week before finishing the season at rival Arizona State. — Bonagura

Up next: vs. Utah

The Irish had the week off after losing 31-23 at Clemson on Nov. 4. In all three of its losses — the past two on the road — Notre Dame has been held to two or fewer touchdowns. Quarterback Sam Hartman was hard on himself after the Clemson loss and said anyone looking to place blame should place it on him. He completed just 13 of 30 passes for 146 yards and two interceptions, one of those returned 28 yards for a touchdown. In his past two games, Hartman has been intercepted four times and hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass. Hartman, a coveted transfer from Wake Forest, threw 14 touchdown passes and no interceptions in his first six games, but was then picked off three times in the loss to Louisville, and it’s been a struggle since. The Irish still have a chance to win nine regular-season games for the first time in Marcus Freeman’s tenure. They will be favorites in their next two games against Wake Forest and Stanford. — Low

Up next: vs. Wake Forest (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

North Carolina kept possession of the Victory Bell in a win over Duke, but it wasn’t easy. The Tar Heels won 47-45 in double overtime thanks in large part to some patented Drake Maye heroics. UNC’s defense had few answers for Duke QB Grayson Loftis, who threw three touchdown passes and led what seemed to be a potential game-winning drive, scoring with less than a minute to play. But Maye is a magician, and he led a late drive, completing his last four throws, to set up a tying field goal. He then engineered two TD drives in overtime and connected on a two-point try that proved to be the difference. Maye finished with 364 total yards and three touchdowns to go with Omarion Hampton’s 169 yards on the ground. — David Hale

Up next: at Clemson (3:30 p.m. ET)

With the near miss last week in Austin, Kansas State took out its frustration on Baylor with a season-high 59 points — the sixth time it has gone over the 40-point mark. As the program scored its most points in a Big 12 game since putting up 59 against Kansas in 2011, quarterback Will Howard broke Josh Freeman’s school career passing touchdown record (45). Howard, who accounted for four total touchdowns while throwing for 235 yards, connected with nine receivers — finding running back DJ Giddens (115 rushing yards) and tight ends Ben Sinnott and Christian Moore for touchdowns. Linebacker Desmond Purnell (fumble recovery for a TD) and cornerback Keenan Garber (interception return for a TD) came up with two of the three turnovers the Wildcats’ defense forced. — Baumgartner

Up next: at Kansas (7 p.m. ET, FS1)

Jamey Chadwell’s magic continues with a program that’s refusing to take the foot off the gas pedal. The Flames scored on their first two possessions of the game, and quarterback Kaidon Salter & Co. took it from there in a 38-10 win over Old Dominion. It was the eighth time this season Liberty scored at least 33 points. In guiding the program to its first 10-0 start, Salter accounted for all five Liberty touchdowns as the offense racked up 455 total yards. Salter completed 13 of his 22 passes for 225 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He tossed two touchdowns to CJ Daniels (seven receptions for 137 yards) and one to Noah Frith. The FBS’ second-best running attack (283.3 YPG) wasn’t going to be ignored either, churning out 230 yards as Quinton Cooley (85 yards) and Aaron Bedgood (77 yards) led the way. — Baumgartner

Up next: vs. UMass (1 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Even the historically low over-under of 28 was no match for Iowa, which continued its incredible defensive play by blanking Rutgers 22-0, the team’s first shutout in Big Ten play since 2019. Iowa clinched a share of the Big Ten West Division title, preventing Rutgers from crossing midfield and holding the Scarlet Knights to 34 net rushing yards, 150 below their season average (184.7 YPG). The Hawkeyes offense had just two field goals through three quarters before breaking through for two fourth-quarter touchdowns behind quarterback Deacon Hill, who recorded a career-high 223 passing yards. Hill and the much-maligned offense eclipsed 400 yards for the first time in 32 games. Iowa has now allowed one touchdown or less in eight of its first 10 games and 17 of its last 23. A trip to the Big Ten championship game is within sight for coach Kirk Ferentz’s team. — Adam Rittenberg

Up next: vs. Illinois

Tennessee had won five of its past six games this season and four in a row over Missouri heading to Columbia on Saturday. The Volunteers saw both runs end, however, running into a Tigers buzz saw and losing 36-7. Joe Milton III threw for 267 yards, and Tennessee finished seven drives in Mizzou territory, but three turnovers and a number of stalled drives conspired to doom the Vols. The loss severely wounded Tennessee’s chances of a second straight New Year’s Six bowl bid. But the Vols do get a shot at a quick rebound: Georgia comes to town next weekend, and Tennessee still has a chance to potentially wreck a rival’s season. — Connelly

Up next: vs. Georgia