Week 11 of the college football season is here — and it should present some College Football Playoff shakeups, given the three top-10 matchups on the schedule.
No. 1 Georgia takes on No. 10 Auburn at 3:30 p.m. before prime-time showdowns between No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 7 Miami and No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 6 TCU.
We also have ranked matchups between No. 2 Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State; No. 12 Michigan State and No. 13 Ohio State; No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 20 Iowa; and No. 15 Oklahoma State and No. 21 Iowa State.
WEEK 11 PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread
So, yeah, we have a loaded schedule just three weeks before conference championship weekend.
We're here to sort it out. Here's our Week 11 primer:
Heisman Watch
Baker Mayfield is the Heisman Trophy front runner this week, and he controls his destiny as far at that award goes. Is there anybody else who could make a late run?
Keep an eye on Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor. He's around fifth or sixth in most polls now. The freshman ranks third in the FBS with 1,368 rushing yards, behind only San Diego State's Rashaad Penny (1,602) and Stanford's Bryce Love (1,456). The difference here is Taylor has a chance to carry the Badgers to the College Football Playoff. He also could join the school's 2,000-yard club, which includes Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne and 2014 runner-up Melvin Gordon.
MORE: Why is unbeaten Wisconsin questioned?
Here's a look at how Taylor has fared compared to some other Wisconsin legends in their freshman season.
| PLAYER | TOTAL |
| Ron Dayne (1996) | 2,109 |
| Anthony Davis (2001) | 1,466 |
| P.J. Hill (2006) | 1,569 |
| Montee Ball (2009) | 391 |
| James White (2010) | 1,052 |
| Melvin Gordon (2011) | 98 |
| Jonathan Taylor (2017) | 1,368 |
With a four-game stretch that includes Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and potentially a date in the Big Ten championship game, Taylor is the guy to keep an eye on if his numbers continue to swell.
Coach on the Spot
Urban Meyer. Ohio State isn't out of the College Football Playoff mix, but this is the first time in his six-year tenure the Buckeyes have lost two regular-season games.
In fact, Meyer had lost just three regular-season games at Ohio State from 2012-16. That's amazing, but the response against the Spartans will set the tone for the rest of this season after the Buckeyes' shocking 55-24 loss at Iowa last week.
The Buckeyes have never lost consecutive regular-season games under Meyer, and they've beaten opponents following such losses by an average of 32.3 points per game. In 2014, the Buckeyes followed a loss to Virginia Tech with a 66-0 victory against Kent State. In 2015, the Buckeyes blew out Michigan 42-13 after a shocking loss to Michigan State. Last season, Ohio State followed the loss to Penn State with a 24-21 victory against Northwestern, and the team followed this year's loss to Oklahoma with a 38-7 win against Army.
It's safe to say this week's game against Michigan State, which should decide who represents the Big Ten East in Indianapolis, is Meyer's biggest response game yet.
Upset alert
Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State are rooting for as much chaos as possible heading into this week of top-10 showdowns. This is the second round to see which of the top six team blinks. Last week, it was the Buckeyes. Who will it be this week?
No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 7 Miami. This is an elimination game. The loser likely falls behind the Big Ten champion, unless we're talking about the Irish and Spartans. Remember, Notre Dame has the head-to-head there.
No. 6 TCU at No. 5 Oklahoma. This series has a history of close games, but it's tough to go against the Sooners at home. The loser is out.
No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Auburn. Georgia hasn't used its one-loss mulligan yet, and the Tigers are the two-loss team with the best shot to get back in.
What do you think? If you're the Big Ten teams, then you are rooting for Auburn, TCU and Miami.
Which teams LOSES their top 10 showdown this weekend?
— Bill Bender (@BillBender92) November 9, 2017
Over/under
What's the over/under on how many times “Catholics vs. Convicts” will be mentioned during the Notre Dame-Miami game? The '80s nostalgia is there, but coaches Brian Kelly and Mark Richt have brought the rivalry into the modern day.
Sporting News has you covered. Angry Bender ranted about Notre Dame's schedule this week. We ranked the 16 greatest matchups and lamented why we have to wait until 2024 to see the next matchup unless it's in the College Football Playoff (or the Irish join a conference).
MORE: Remembering "Catholics vs. Convicts"
We will enjoy the replays. We just wish we could enjoy it more often.
Think about it …
This tweet is amazing, and not just because of Spiderman:
Nick Saban when he found out he was the last coach to beat Alabama by 17+ points pic.twitter.com/fDqqiYu711
— Grievous Bagel (@GrievousBagel) November 8, 2017
Let's run down some notable coaches and the last time they lost by 17 points:
| COACH | DATE | TEAM | SCORE | MARGIN |
| Nick Saban (LSU) | Oct. 2, 2004 | Georgia | 45-16 | 29 |
| Dabo Swinney | Nov. 15, 2014 | Georgia Tech | 28-6 | 22 |
| Kirby Smart | Sept. 24, 2016 | Ole Miss | 45-14 | 31 |
| Mark Richt | Oct. 20, 2016 | Virginia Tech | 37-16 | 21 |
| Brian Kelly | Nov. 26, 2016 | USC | 45-27 | 18 |
| Gary Patterson | Dec. 3, 2016 | Kansas State | 30-6 | 24 |
| Mike Gundy | Dec. 3, 2016 | Oklahoma | 38-20 | 18 |
| Chris Petersen | Dec. 31, 2016 | Alabama | 24-7 | 17 |
| Mark Dantonio | Sept. 23, 2017 | Notre Dame | 38-18 | 20 |
| Jim Harbaugh | Oct. 21, 2017 | Penn State | 42-13 | 29 |
| Jimbo Fisher | Oct. 27, 2017 | Boston College | 35-3 | 32 |
| Urban Meyer | Nov. 4, 2017 | Iowa | 55-24 | 31 |
That's why Alabama-Clemson III is still very-much alive in our minds.
