Week 11 brought a little bit of everything, from a nationwide FAA ground stop to a loaded Saturday slate, and ESPN College GameDay still got its picks in for a day packed with high-stakes matchups. The ground stop was lifted around 8:30 ET on Friday night, and while eight college football games had their kickoff times affected, most of Saturday’s schedule remains intact.
One of the notable changes: Ole Miss at Oklahoma was pushed to Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET, much to the Sooners’ displeasure.
Even with the travel chaos, the board is stacked. Saturday features five games between teams ranked inside the top 25 of the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and with conference championship races tightening up before those opportunities disappear next year, there’s plenty on the line. ESPN College GameDay, joined by celebrity guest picker Ian Johnson, made its calls across the day’s biggest games.
The crew was split right away on one of the day’s most important ACC matchups. Howard and Saban backed the Demon Deacons, while McAfee, Johnson and Herbstreit went with the Mustangs in a game with title implications.
Another split followed in the Big 12, where Texas Tech is still hanging onto CFP hopes and Oklahoma State is trying to close strong. Everyone except McAfee picked Oklahoma State, while he stuck with Texas Tech.
Utah at Arizona also produced a divided desk. Howard, Saban and McAfee all took Utah, but Johnson and Herbstreit leaned the other way and picked Arizona to spring the upset.
Michigan at Oregon drew a little more consensus, though not total agreement. Howard, Saban, McAfee and Herbstreit all picked Oregon, while Johnson went with Michigan to pull off the upset.
The Big Ten showdown between Indiana and USC split the group as well. Howard and McAfee picked Indiana, while Saban, Johnson and Herbstreit chose USC to stay alive.
Florida at Kentucky leaned heavily one direction. Howard, Saban, Johnson and Herbstreit all picked Kentucky, with McAfee the lone voice on Florida, expecting the Gators to get back on track.
The final pick came on Texas at LSU, and Herbstreit did not make a selection since he’s on the call later. Howard and Saban went with LSU, while McAfee and Johnson backed Texas in the night’s other marquee matchup.
In Other News...
Mark Popes Postgame Message Added To Kentucky Fans Frustration
Kentucky escaped Northern Arizona 78-77 at Rupp Arena in a game that did little to calm the nerves around the program after the recent loss to Kansas. The Wildcats got the result they needed, but the way they got there left plenty of room for concern, with the contest tight from start to finish and the execution never quite matching the setting.
Mark Pope tried to frame the night as the kind of game people enjoy watching, even while acknowledging the issues on the floor. For Kentucky fans, though, the entertainment value was hard to separate from the frustration, and the mixed reaction around the win only underscored how much cleaner this group still needs to look before the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Escaped Disaster At Rupp But Bigger Questions Just Started
Kentucky avoided a stunning home loss at Rupp Arena on Saturday night, but only just. No. 24 the Wildcats needed a late 3-pointer from transfer guard Alex Wilkins to slip past Northern Arizona 78-77 after the visitors had controlled the closing stretch and put the home team in real danger before missing key free throws.
Mark Pope will take the win, especially early in the season, but the way Kentucky had to survive it is bound to linger. The finish masked a shaky stretch in which the Wildcats were forced to lean on a single shot to erase a game that had slipped away, and Pope pointed to the teams defensive execution as an area that still needs to sharpen up. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Legend Just Put Mark Popes Start Under A Harsh Spotlight
Kentuckys narrow win over Northern Arizona did little to quiet the unease around the program, especially after another uneven showing that left fans and commentators focused less on the final score and more on the way the Wildcats got there. The ball movement has had its bright spots, but the larger picture has been hard to ignore, with defensive lapses and inconsistent play continuing to define the early stretch of the season.
Jamal Mashburn added to that pressure by taking aim at the defense and questioning where things stand under Mark Pope, a sharp critique that landed because it tapped into the frustration already building around the team. In a season where expectations were higher than what Kentucky has shown so far, the conversation has shifted from isolated mistakes to a broader concern about whether the program is headed in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]