Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian share a long-standing friendship dating back to their days at USC. On Saturday night, the close friends will face off as each tries to eliminate the other from the College Football Playoff race.
High-Stakes Matchups in Week 11
No. 21 LSU aims to avoid dropping consecutive home games for the first time since 1994 following its first home loss under Kiffin. Meanwhile, No. 6 Texas enters the matchup carrying a six-game winning streak against ranked opponents, which stands as the longest active streak in the FBS. Both teams face the threat of playoff elimination with a loss.
This encounter forms part of five ranked-on-ranked matchups during a chaotic week of college football. A top-two team has fallen in five straight weeks, matching 2007 for the longest such stretch in AP Top 25 history. No. 1 Georgia hosts No. 22 Missouri, a team that remains winless against AP No. 1 opponents across 18 previous attempts. Simultaneously, No. 2 Utah travels to face No. 23 Arizona as a narrow favorite.
On CBS, No. 9 Indiana welcomes No. 18 USC as the Hoosiers pursue a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game while the Trojans fight to preserve their playoff hopes. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover returns from the injury report, though leading rusher Turbo Richard remains unavailable. In another key contest, No. 12 Texas Tech visits No. 25 Oklahoma State for the Dust Bowl.
Expert Predictions and Spreads
For the matchup between No. 18 USC and No. 9 Indiana airing at 7:30 p.m. on CBS, CBS Sports App, and Paramount+ Premium, analyst David Cobb notes that five of Indiana’s six Big Ten games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Cobb picks USC +7.5, explaining that while the Hoosiers possess physical line play, veteran quarterback Jayden Maiava can keep the Trojans competitive.
In the game featuring No. 1 Georgia and No. 22 Missouri at 3:15 p.m. on ABC and Fubo, analyst Austin Nivison expects the Bulldogs to maintain momentum. Nivison selects Georgia -15.5, stating he needs to see Missouri prove it can defeat the Bulldogs before backing them.
For No. 6 Texas against No. 21 LSU at 7:30 p.m. on ABC and Fubo, analyst Shehan Jeyarajah picks Texas +4. Jeyarajah points out that LSU’s offense has struggled against elite competition, making the Longhorns’ top-tier defense the decisive factor.
In the late-night matchup between No. 2 Utah and No. 23 Arizona at 10:30 p.m. on Fox and Fubo, analyst Robby Kalland selects Utah -2.5. Kalland acknowledges Arizona’s strong squad and home atmosphere in Tucson but believes the Wildcats lag slightly behind the conference’s elite teams.
SportsLine’s computer model has simulated every Week 11 college football game 10,000 times to generate additional projections.
