College football Week 11: What we learned
There were no earth-shattering results last week. The only thing that came close was the Ducks losing at home to Washington.
That opens things up a little in the Pac-12 — see below — where Oregon was looking pretty solid even though Georgia thrashed them in the opener.
Speaking of Georgia, I am not sure what is going on in the SEC right now. For Tennessee to have a chance they need Alabama to stay strong but the the Crimson Tide have been anything but their reliable selves this season. More on that group below.
This week is light with Thanksgiving rivalries on the horizon.
What We Learned in Week 11
USC to Playoffs in Year 1?
With Oregon's loss, USC is now looking like the top team in the Pac-12 in terms of playoff opportunity. The rest of their schedule is full of games that will help them too — @UCLA, and vs. a Notre Dame team that has improved over the course of the season. Injuries have hurt them but they have depth on offense to overcome. At this point they probably do not need style points, just wins.
Betting Takeaway: They lost their top RB so might be throwing it more. They are already 7-3 O/U on the season. Lean that way down the stretch for sure.
FSU is for real
I have been reserving praise for Florida State this season. I think they are due some now though after winning at Syracuse, especially with how impressive they were. Since losing to Clemson they have won and covered three straight while giving up just 22 points combined. Those notions of Coach Prime arriving in Tallahassee seem pretty silly right now. The fact that the defense is back is a very encouraging sign.
Betting Takeaway: They are much further in their development than Miami or Florida who they play this week.
SEC predictability, or lack thereof
Vanderbilt won on the road last week and Auburn won too. When was the last time that happened? The "best conference in America" may have some level of certainty at the top with Georgia, but the rest of the league has become very difficult to predict. Texas A&M has as many league wins as Vandy. That is how weird things have gotten.
Betting Takeaway: This is a great year to expand your betting horizons and bet on some of the other league with less exposure.
Ditto for ACC
Duke and Boston College were both winners this past week. Even Miami, which was left for dead, won last week as an underdog. Suddenly, North Carolina is the ACC team with a possible playoff future after an upset at Wake Forest. With Clemson falling to Notre Dame it is really hard to tell who is good in this league from week to week.
Betting Takeaway: The ACC is even wilder because the top teams are a little less predictable.
Will market still doubt TCU?
TCU is one of the last undefeated teams in the nation. Last week they won at Texas, even though they were underdogs by more than a TD. Playing at Baylor this week is going to be a challenge but it is time to start giving this program the respect it deserves. Last week they showed they could win a game where neither team scored in the 30s. That might happen again this week.
Betting Takeaway: Fade TCU at your own risk. They have just one ATS loss this season.
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