There’s been no shortage of chaos in college football this season, and last week was another reminder that the upset board is alive and well. This column went 3-2 on upset picks, landing Alabama over LSU, Vanderbilt over Mississippi State and Oregon over Ohio State.
Now the calendar has turned deeper into November, where pressure starts piling up and surprises tend to show up with a little more regularity. With that in mind, here are five more upset calls for Week 11.
No. 18 USC looks like a live dog at No.
9 Indiana. If you’re hunting for an upset, the first thing you want is a team that can keep things tight into the fourth quarter, and USC fits that mold.
The Trojans are coming off a bye, just like the Hoosiers, and their last outing was a dominant showing against Ohio State. Indiana, meanwhile, needed overtime to get past Minnesota.
The Hoosiers have also had five of their six Big Ten games decided by one score, so this has the feel of a game that stays close deep into the night. If a couple of breaks go USC’s way, the upset is there.
Texas is another team worth backing, even with No. 6 Texas listed as the underdog at No.
21 LSU. Seeing LSU favored at home was enough to push me toward the Longhorns right away.
Texas is finding its rhythm at the right time, while LSU is coming off a rough loss to a rival. This should be a physical, tightly contested game, and Texas sitting at 39% on Kalshi feels a little too low.
Arch Manning and the Longhorns look capable of keeping their Playoff push moving.
No. 12 Texas Tech is also getting my nod over No.
25 Oklahoma State. Drew Mestemaker has been excellent at quarterback for the Cowboys, but I still don’t see a good reason Texas Tech should be the underdog in Stillwater.
The Red Raiders have the better roster top to bottom. Oklahoma State is unbeaten at home, but it also dropped a road game to Iowa State a couple of weeks ago.
That makes Texas Tech the side I want in what I’m calling the road “upset.” Pick: Texas Tech to win (41% on Kalshi)
San Diego State is another team I like to win outright, this time against Utah State. The Aggies have not won a road game this season, and while their road schedule has been tougher than its road schedule, that doesn’t erase the fact they opened the year with a loss to Idaho State.
San Diego State has been solid at home, going 4-1, with the lone defeat coming by two scores to a strong James Madison team. The market looks a touch off here.
Pick: San Diego State to win (44% on Kalshi)
Finally, there’s Northwestern over No. 20 Ohio State.
Northwestern OC Chip Kelly knows Ryan Day well, having won a national title with the Buckeyes back in 2024. Ohio State is at home, but it still won’t have QB Julian Sayin.
Northwestern may also be without its own star quarterback, Aidan Chiles, who is dealing with an upper-body injury after missing last week’s loss to Iowa. Still, Kelly now has a week to sort out what Nicco Marchiol can and can’t do, which should help the game plan.
The Wildcats are desperate, and the Buckeyes could be carrying the weight of what increasingly looks like a lost season. That’s enough for me to take a small flyer on Northwestern.
In Other News...
Kim Mulkey Just Landed Another Frontcourt Talent LSU Fans Will Love
LSUs frontcourt plans for the future got a boost in February when Caroline Bradley, one of the nations top recruits out of Oak Grove, Louisiana, chose the Tigers. The highly regarded prospect is set to make it official during the NCAA early signing period, adding another in-state name to Kim Mulkeys growing pipeline of talent.
Bradleys commitment matters not just because of her ranking, but because of the connection she already has with Mulkey and the fit she appears to offer for LSUs womens basketball program. She is expected to arrive with the chance to make an immediate impact starting next season, giving the Tigers another promising piece to build around up front. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Gets A Whit Weeks Boost As Texas Prep Brings New Concern
LSUs first injury report of the week brought a little relief and a little unease as the Tigers turn their attention to Texas. Linebacker Whit Weeks is listed as questionable after sitting out the previous game with a fractured fibula, giving LSU at least the possibility of getting one of its key defenders back in time for a major matchup.
The report also added fresh concern, with offensive tackle Weston Davis and defensive end Gabriel Reliford showing up among the seven players listed. LSU is already working without Phillip Wright III, Dashawn Spears and Charles Ross II, all of whom are out for the season with leg injuries, so the Tigers are managing both the hope of a boost and the reality of a growing health list as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Playoff Push Just Took A Hit Fans Cant Ignore
A trip to Alabama was always going to be a measuring stick for LSU, but the Tigers came away with a 31-13 loss that leaves them 6-3 and with plenty to sort through. Even in defeat, there were a few bright spots, with Jackson Harris and TreyDez Green turning in notable performances, but the overall picture was hard to ignore as LSU spent much of the night chasing the game.
Braelin Moore had a rough outing, and the bigger concern was how often the offense seemed to fight itself in key moments. The play calling and coaching decisions drew criticism as LSU struggled to find rhythm, leaving the Tigers with more questions than answers as the playoff push gets tighter. [Read more 🡒]