2021 College Football Insider | Week 11

2021 · Week 1 1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 11

Quote of the week “We gave up seven points. We’re not supposed to give up that many points.”

- Georgia LB Nakobe Dean on the Bulldogs 34-7 win over arch-rival Florida

TEAM TO WATCH:

Purdue

Call them the “Spoiler-makers.” Purdue took down its second Top 5 team this season, defeating thenNo. 3 and undefeated Michigan State, 40-29. Purdue defeated Iowa, 24-7, in week seven when the Hawkeyes were ranked No. 2 in the AP polls.

Boilermakers QB Aidan O’Connell had a career night.

He threw for three touchdowns and 536 yards, the third-highest single-game passing yardage in program history. O’Connell also set a career high with 40 completions on 54 attempts. Junior WR David Bell posted more than 100 yards for the 15th time in his college career, which has never been done at Purdue.

Bell finished the game with 11 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown.

Next up, the Boilermakers will face No. 4 Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 1:30 p.m. (AZ Time) on ABC. Will the “Spoiler-makers” pull off another Top 5 upset?

TEAM OF THE WEEK:

Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s low-scoring victory over then-No. 13 Auburn culminated in a single defensive effort in the final quarter. Aggies DL Jayden Peevy forced a fumble

by Auburn QB Bo Nix with 13 minutes left to play.

The fumble was recovered by Texas A&M DL Micheal Clemons, who sprinted 24 yards to the end zone to record the game’s only touchdown.

The Aggies defeated Auburn, 20-3, by holding the Tigers to just 226 total yards and a field goal.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M churned out 409 yards with four field goals and the fumble return. Kicker Seth Small put Texas A&M’s other 12 points on the board, going 4-for-5 with a long kick of 47 yards.

Ranked No. 11 in the CFP rankings with a 7-2 record, Texas A&M has sole control of second place in the SEC West behind Alabama. The Aggies travel to Oxford, along with ESPN’s College GameDay, to take on Ole Miss on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (AZ Time) on ESPN.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 11

games of the week #5 CINCINNATI AT SOUTH FLORIDA 11.12 | 4:00 PM | ESPN2

#6 MICHIGAN AT PENN STATE

1. GEORGIA

6. MICHIGAN

2. ALABAMA

7. MICHIGAN STATE

3. OREGON

8. OKLAHOMA

4. OHIO STATE

9. NOTRE DAME

5. CINCINNATI

10. OKLAHOMA STATE

For full rankings, click here.

11.13 | 10:00 AM | ABC

MISSISSIPPI STATE #17 AUBURN

CFP Week 11 Rankings

AT

11.13 | 10:00 AM | ESPN

MINNESOTA AT #20 IOWA 11.13 | 1:30 PM | BTN

#16 NC STATE AT #12 WAKE FOREST 11.13 | 5:30 PM | ACCN For a full schedule of Week 11 games, click here. (All times in AZ time)

game of the week #8 OKLAHOMA AT #13 BAYLOR Oklahoma is one of just four undefeated teams remaining in the FBS and it will be looking to continue that streak this week in Waco for a matchup with Baylor. The Sooners are favored to win by 5.5 points but, Baylor has earned two big upsets this season – defeating then-No. 14 Iowa State and then-No. 19 BYU in weeks four and seven respectively – and cannot be easily discounted. The over/under opened at 62.5.

Oklahoma and Baylor were both ranked highly in the first round of CFP rankings, with the Sooners ranked No. 8 and Baylor ranked No. 12. However, the Bears’ position dropped to No. 13 after their 30-28 defeat at TCU. These teams boast two of the nation’s top offenses – Oklahoma is ranked fifth in scoring offense (43.0 ppg) and Baylor is ranked 18th (36.3 ppg) - which will make for an exciting matchup on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. (AZ Time) on FOX.

2021-22 Bowl PREDICTIONS: PLAYSTATION ® FIESTA BOWL

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ESPN Schlabach – Cincinnati vs. Texas A&M

ESPN Bonagura – Texas vs. Maryland

Bowl Season – Cincinnati vs. Michigan State

Bowl Season – Texas Tech vs. Maryland

CBS – Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh

CBS – Washington State vs. Maryland

USA Today – BYU vs. North Carolina State

USA Today – Fresno State vs. Minnesota

Action Network – Texas A&M vs. Cincinnati

Action Network – Air Force vs. Minnesota

The Athletic – Michigan vs. Cincinnati

The Athletic – West Virginia vs. Minnesota

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 11

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT:

Mike Gesicki

Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki got great footage for his highlight reel during Miami’s 17-9 win over Houston on Sunday. In the first half, Gesicki had not one, but two one-handed catches and, in tandem, two shoutouts from the NFL. Gesicki’s first highlightworthy catch included a mid-air twist and backshoulder grab. His second one-handed catch was a leaping stretch over the head of his Texans defender.

Gesicki ended the game with four receptions and 54 receiving yards.

In 2017, Gesicki was a difference maker for Penn State in the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl. He grabbed six receptions, three of them for first downs, and earned 62 yards in the Nittany Lions’ 35-28 win over Washington. His offensive effort at tight end earned him a spot on the Fiesta Bowl’s All-Decade team for games played between 2012-19.

YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED As part of its mission to benefit Arizonans through youth, sports and education, the Fiesta Bowl granted a combined $1 million to 400 K-12 public and charter school teachers during the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charites Wishes for Teacher Draft Day presented by SRP. Each teacher was awarded a $2,500 grant to be put toward a classroom wish. A full list of teachers who received a Wishes for Teachers grant may be found here. Watch a recap of Draft Day here.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 11

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT:

FIGHTER COUNTRY FOUNDATION Ron Sites started at Fighter Country Foundation in 2010 and, ever since, has been fully committed to its mission to enhance the morale and well-being of the men, women and families of Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

To achieve its mission, the nonprofit plans yearly events such as family and marriage retreats, finance expos, deployed family dinners and sends care packages to deployed service members, among many other things.

During his 11 years, Sites has witnessed the growth of Fiesta Bowl Charities’ involvement in the organization.

Fighter Country Foundation began its relationship with the Fiesta Bowl by participating in the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner and Rowe and has since developed a strong partnership with the organization. Read More

BIG NEWS The Guaranteed Rate Bowl features Bowl Season’s only Big 12 vs. Big Ten matchup. As we eagerly await the Dec. 28 kickoff, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news from week ten:

BIG 12 • Two Big 12 teams are ranked among the top 10 in the second CFP Poll – No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 10 Oklahoma State. They are joined in the top 25 by No. 13 Baylor • Fifty percent of Big 12 teams have reached bowl eligibility, the second-highest percentage among FBS conferences • In his first career start, TCU freshman QB Chandler Morris recorded 531 offensive yards (461 passing, 70 rushing), the second-best total in Horned Frogs history. For his performance, Morris was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week • Iowa State kicker Andrew Mavis has made 11 field goals in a row, the second-longest streak in Cyclones history. He has made nine kicks from 40-plus yards this season, including a 51-yard field goal against Texas on Saturday. He was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week

BIG 10 • The Big Ten have five teams included in the CFP rankings – No. 4 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 18 Wisconsin and No. 20 Iowa • Ohio State has won 24 consecutive conference games and is the only team in the Big Ten that is undefeated in conference play. The Buckeyes rank second in the nation in scoring offense (44.9 ppg) and total offense (542.2 ppg) • Four Big Ten teams are among the top 10 in the nation in total defense. Wisconsin ranks first in the nation with 213.8 ypg, Michigan is sixth with 298.1 ypg, Minnesota is eighth with 298.9 and Iowa is 10th with 304.4 ypg.

• Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell and Penn State’s Jahan Dotson earned Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. Dotson set career highs with 11 receptions and 242 receiving yards while catching three touchdowns.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 11

JA NUA RY 1 , 2022

DE CE M B E R 28, 2021

F I E S TA B O W L . O R G /FIESTABOWL

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2021 | WEEK 11