College football is unpredictable and delightful, which is why we live for what happens on Saturdays. Week 11 certainly delivered, from a thriller in Happy Valley to even more chaos in ACC country. Each Sunday, I’ll publish my biggest takeaways from the college football weekend, highlighting the most interesting storylines, tracking College Football Playoff contenders, and specifically calling out individual and team performances that deserve the spotlight.
### 1. Fernando Mendoza Had His Heisman Moment
The final Indiana drive started with a sack, technically beginning from the Hoosiers’ own 13-yard line. Facing second and 17 with a perfect season on the line, Mendoza went to work. He methodically drove Indiana down the field, converting four first downs on four passes of 12 yards or more.
We all know what happened next—it’s the play of the year. On third and goal from the 7-yard line, under pressure, Mendoza found Omar Cooper Jr. in the end zone. Cooper somehow got his toe down to secure the score, a toe tap that saved an undefeated season.
It didn’t matter that Penn State had gone on a 17-0 run to take its first lead late in the fourth quarter, nor that seven of those points came after a terrible Mendoza interception. What mattered was Mendoza delivering the ball exactly where it needed to be when it mattered most—even without one of his favorite targets, Elijah Sarratt, who missed the game with a hamstring injury.
Indiana was short-handed and facing the biggest test of its season against a talented Penn State team (despite their lack of wins). And it passed with flying colors, led by its high-flying quarterback. Mendoza is now the Heisman Trophy favorite, and deservedly so.
### 2. The ACC Is Messier Than Ever
This league. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, another favorite loses. At this point, I might as well just write “ACC Champion” into my projected CFP bracket each week because I’m swapping teams in and out multiple times every Saturday.
This time it was No. 14 Virginia picking up a tough 16-9 loss to Wake Forest, a game that saw starting quarterback Chandler Morris leave due to injury. Not a half hour later, No. 15 Louisville fell to Cal in overtime.
So, we’re back to Georgia Tech being the highest-ranked ACC team. Miami is also back with a shot at both the ACC Championship Game and the CFP.
There are now five ACC teams with one conference loss. #CoastalChaos lives on! At this point, the ACC should thank its lucky stars for having an automatic College Football Playoff qualifier spot. It doesn’t seem likely its top team would land in the top 12 on its own as an at-large bid.
(Well, it’s essentially an AQ spot. There’s a slim scenario where the American champion and teams like JMU or San Diego State both rank ahead of the highest-ranked ACC team—but let’s not go down that road just yet. Maybe Pitt will save the day; who knows?)
### 3. The Big 12’s Chances to Get Two Teams into the CFP Took a Big Hit
It all comes down to the blowout. If BYU had been competitive, we might feel differently. But Texas Tech dominated the Cougars from the jump, finishing with a 29-7 win in what was billed as the weekend’s biggest game.
The Red Raiders didn’t even play their ‘A’ game yet still won comfortably, which also speaks poorly of BYU.
The Big 12’s best shot to get two teams into the CFP is if Texas Tech and BYU both win out, setting up a rematch in the Big 12 title game where BYU gets revenge. That scenario should get both teams into the Playoff.
The second-best shot is more complicated: a Texas Tech-BYU rematch in the Big 12 title game where Texas Tech wins, while Utah wins out and hopes for an at-large bid, as long as it doesn’t lose in the conference championship game and its head-to-head loss to BYU doesn’t knock them out.
The selection committee has already shown they like Utah, ranking them No. 13 in their initial Top 25, ahead of the top-ranked ACC team (Virginia).
### 4. The Big Ten Looks Like a Three-Bid League
It was a tough weekend for the Big Ten’s two-loss CFP contenders. Washington lost to Wisconsin, a team that had lost 11 consecutive games to Power 4 opponents, in one of the more shocking Big Ten results this season. Iowa lost to Oregon in heartbreaking fashion on a last-second field goal.
Both losses gave Washington and Iowa their third loss of the season, effectively eliminating them from Playoff contention.
Ohio State and Indiana are as close to CFP locks as teams can be. Oregon will definitely be in the field if it wins out, but their resume is a bit shakier than most realize. That’s why Oregon was ranked lower in the CFP rankings last week than in the AP poll.
I do believe Oregon would make the Playoff at 10-2, but if they lose to USC and beat Washington, their best win would be over Iowa—a team that might finish unranked. If I were Oregon, I’d just win out and not leave it to the selection committee.
A win over USC would hand the Trojans a third loss, knocking them out of contention. For now, let’s pencil Oregon in as the Big Ten’s third team.
The only way the Big Ten gets a fourth team into the 12-team field is if Michigan wins out and beats Ohio State in the regular-season finale. A 10-2 Michigan team with a win over Ohio State and two good losses would almost assuredly make the CFP. But that’s the only real path for more than three Big Ten teams.
### 5. Wisconsin Just Had the Best Three-Day Stretch of the Luke Fickell Era
Some Badger fans might disagree because not everyone wanted Fickell to return next season. But that decision has now been made.
Athletic Director Chris McIntosh announced Thursday that Fickell would return for Year 4, a decision he had telegraphed all season despite mounting losses.
Two days after Wisconsin opted to keep Fickell, the Badgers beat a top-25 team for the first time under his tenure. They snapped an 11-game losing streak to Power 4 teams, prompting fans to rush the field when the clock hit zero.
It was a joyous, cathartic moment for a program that hasn’t had much to celebrate lately.
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College football never fails to surprise, and Week 11 was no exception. From Heisman moments to conference chaos, the drama continues. Tune in next Sunday for another roundup of the biggest takeaways from the weekend’s action.
https://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/news/takeaways-from-week-11-of-college-football-fernando-mendoza-had-his-heisman-moment
