Will the real Georgia please stand up? Entering a huge Week 11 showdown at No. 16 Ole Miss, the No. 2 Bulldogs have alternated between looking unbeatable at times to looking surprisingly vulnerable. But with SEC title and College Football Playoff positioning on the line, the Dawgs will need to be near their best as they head to face a Rebels team fighting for its CFP aspirations.
The early betting lines have Georgia as just a slight favorite against the Rebels, who rediscovered their elite offensive gear during a 63-31 win at Arkansas in Week 10. Georgia’s offense looked sketchy in a win over rival Florida as quarterback Carson Beck suffered through his fourth multi-interception showing in UGA’s past five games.
Speaking of multi-interception games by star SEC quarterbacks, the Alabama vs. LSU matchup features plenty of volatility at the position as well. Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has thrown multiple picks in three of LSU’s last four games, while Alabama’s Jalen Milroe has struggled through a similar funk as he was intercepted twice in two of the Crimson Tide’s last three contests.
The volatility of the SEC’s star quarterbacks makes picking a side on the spread challenging.
Here’s a look at the early lines for Week 11. Odds via FanDuel. Use FanDuel promo code to get in the game with all the latest college football spreads.
The big games
No. 4 Miami (-12.5) at Georgia Tech: Miami has an interesting habit of playing dramatic thrillers even when heavily favored. It was true even in a 53-31 win over Duke last week as the Hurricanes trailed 28-17 in the second half before turning on the afterburners. Now comes a road test against a Georgia Tech team coming off a bye. There is little evidence to suggest the Yellow Jackets are capable of pulling the upset, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest Miami will mess around enough to make it interesting.
No. 8 Indiana (-13.5) vs. Michigan: Indiana has beaten Michigan twice since 1967 and got waxed 52-7 by the Wolverines last season. What a difference one year can make. The Hoosiers are 9-0, vying for a Big Ten title and well-positioned to reach the College Football Playoff under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. Meanwhile, the Wolverines are 5-4 and struggling to play functional offense less than a year after winning the national championship with a perfect 15-0 record.
No. 2 Georgia (-2.5) at No. 16 Ole Miss: The stakes are massive as one of Nick Saban’s former defensive coordinators (Kirby Smart) takes Georgia on the road to face one of Saban’s former offensive coordinators (Lane Kiffin). Ole Miss needs a victory to keep its CFP aspirations alive. But if Georgia takes a second loss, its back will be against the wall entering a Week 12 showdown with Tennessee. Smart won his only previous battle with Kiffin 52-17 last season. Best believe that Kiffin has been circling this one.
No. 21 Colorado (-3.5) at Texas Tech: Colorado is ranked, in the Big 12 title hunt and has at least one Heisman Trophy contender in multi-faceted star Travis Hunter. Deion Sanders has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround and will be looking to keep it rolling against a pesky Texas Tech team that should have a rocking home-field advantage. The Red Raiders handed Iowa State its first loss on the road last week and will be angling for another head-turning victory.
No. 11 Alabama (-2.5) at No. 14 LSU: It’s never boring when these two SEC powers face off. Both teams carry two losses into the matchup and will be fighting for their lives as they seek to remain in contention for a CFP berth. Given the stakes, the atmosphere for a night game in Death Valley should be in peak form. NFL scouts will be closely watching the quarterback battle between Nussmeier and Milroe.
Best of the rest
- Florida at No. 5 Texas (-21.5)
- Purdue at No. 3 Ohio State (-38.5)
- No. 18 Army (-5.5) at North Texas
- No. 19 Clemson (-6.5) at Virginia Tech
- No. 17 Iowa State (-3.5) at Kansas
- Maryland at No. 1 Oregon (-24.5)
- Mississippi State at No. 7 Tennessee (-23.5)
- Florida State at No. 10 Notre Dame (-23.5)
- Nevada at No. 12 Boise State (-26.5)
- Virginia at No. 23 Pitt (-7.5)
- Washington at No. 6 Penn State (-13.5)
- No. 9 BYU (-4.5) at Utah
- Utah State at No. 20 Washington State (-20)
- South Carolina (-3.5) at No. 24 Vanderbilt
