Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian go way back; their friendship dates back to their time at USC. Their relationship, forged through triumphs and failures, grew stronger in recent years as Sarkisian helped Kiffin get sober and improve his personal life off the field.
Saturday night, old friends reunite, each trying to knock the other out of the College Football Playoff race.
No. 21 LSU, fresh off its first home loss under Kiffin, is trying to avoid losing home games in consecutive weeks for the first time since 1994. No. 6 Texas has won six straight games against ranked opponents, the longest active streak in the FBS. The loser could very well be eliminated from the playoffs.
This is one of five ranked matchups in a week designed for more chaos. A top-two team has lost five straight weeks, tying 2007 for the longest streak in AP Top 25 history.
No. 1 Georgia hosts No. 22 Missouri, which has never beaten a No. 1 AP team in 18 tries. No. 2 Utah, one of two remaining undefeated FBS teams, travels to No. 23 Arizona as a slight favorite against the Wildcats. Both of Arizona’s wins against top 10 teams since 2015 have come against the Utes, and starting quarterback Noah Fifita is 2-0 against them.
On CBS, No. 9 Indiana hosts No. 18 USC, with the Hoosiers fighting for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Trojans trying to stay alive in the playoff race. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover is no longer listed on the injury report, but leader Turbo Richard is out. A loss would end USC’s playoff hopes.
Meanwhile, No. 12 Texas Tech visits No. 25 Oklahoma State in the Dust Bowl.
The conference races are still in flux, but Georgia can clinch a spot in the final SEC championship game on Saturday with a win and a little help.
Let’s move on to our experts’ picks for Week 11.
No. 18 USC vs. No. 9 Indiana
7:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app Paramount+ Premium: Five of Indiana’s six Big Ten games have been decided by a touchdown or less. The lone exception was a 47-15 win over an overmatched Rutgers team. The Hoosiers have not shown the ability to stand out and dominate quality opposition. As long as IU limits catastrophic turnovers, he will win the game based on his physicality on both lines of scrimmage. But it’s hard to imagine the Hoosiers suddenly breaking away from a team of USC’s caliber. The Trojans have a veteran quarterback in Jayden Maiava who can keep his team in the game. Pick: USC +7.5 – David Cobb
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 22 Missouri
3:15 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try for free): Missouri is capable of making things interesting if Georgia takes its foot off the gas pedal after a big win against Ole Miss. The Bulldogs have already made this mistake once against Auburn. Will Kirby Smart let them do another one in this spot? I find it hard to believe it. The Show-Me State’s flagship university is going to have to show me they can beat the Bulldogs before I feel comfortable betting on them. Georgia rolls for the third straight week. Pick: Georgia -15.5 – Austin Nivison
No. 2 Utah vs. No. 23 Arizona
7:30 p.m. on Fox, Fubo (try for free): The Wildcats are a good football team and should be a big test for the Utes after their win last week. That said, so far this season when Arizona has faced the top teams in the Big 12, it has come up a bit short. On 60 Minutes, I expect that to be the case again Saturday, even in a noisy environment in Tucson for their biggest home game in years. Utah won’t have it easy, but when the clock hits three zeros, I expect the Utes to go 10-0 and cover the small number. Pick: Utah -2.5 – Robby Kalland
No. 6 Texas vs. No. 21 LSU
7:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try for free): LSU desperately needs this game after falling to 0-3 against ranked opponents and facing a Texas offense with issues of its own. But against elite teams, the Tigers’ offense ran into speed bumps. The Longhorns are the best defense LSU will play this season, and this unit will help Texas make a decisive playoff run. Pick: Texas +4 – Shehan Jeyarajah
SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 11 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks!
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