ACC & Big 12 Week 11 Preview: Two Top-10 Matchups, Plus Oklahoma State Visits Ames
In the 11th week of the college football season, members of the Florida Citrus Sports Team Selection Committee are making visits throughout ACC and Big 12 country, meeting with fans across both conferences in advance of the Camping World Bowl on December 28.
Here are a few of the games our representatives will be taking in this week.
No. 3 Notre Dame (8-1) at No. 7 Miami (8-0, 6-0 ACC) – 8:00 p.m. on ABC
Welcome to Notre Dame-Miami Week. pic.twitter.com/0V0wqxM4aj
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 6, 2017
In a game that could have major Citrus Bowl implications, the undefeated Hurricanes will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for this first time since 1989 this weekend. Notre Dame enters the matchup with an 8-1 record, with their lone loss coming in Week 2 against Georgia. The Irish are led by running back Josh Adams, who ranks third nationally with 8.69 yards per carry and has 1,191 yards on the ground this season, good for ninth in FBS. Overall, Notre Dame’s offense is fifth in the nation in rushing (324.8 yards per game) and seventh in scoring (41.3).
Miami extended its winning streak to 13 straight games with a 28-10 win over No. 17 Virginia Tech last week. The Hurricanes defense ranks first nationally in tackles for loss (8.8 per game), fifth in team sacks (3.5) and third in passing efficiency defense (98.33). Defensive back Michael Jackson has four interceptions so far this season and is tied for seventh nationally. The Hurricanes offense is led by quarterback Malik Rosier, who ranks 12th in the nation in total offense at 321.0 yards per game.
Notre Dame leads the all-time series between the teams 18-7-1, but the Hurricanes have not lost to the Fighting Irish in Miami since 1977. Notre Dame currently has a four game win streak against Miami, and the Hurricanes have not beaten the Irish since their last meeting in Miami, in 1989 (following the 1990 game, the teams did not meet again until 2010). Their most recent meeting was last season, when Notre Dame edged the Hurricanes 30-27 in South Bend, which also happens to be Miami’s most recent loss.
No. 6 TCU (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) at No. 5 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) – 8:00 p.m. on FOX
5️⃣ vs. 6️⃣ Saturday in Norman.#ChampionshipNovember #BeatTCU pic.twitter.com/Qcl2gZtQyi
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 8, 2017
The Horned Frogs and the Sooners will battle it out for first place in the Big 12 conference on Saturday as one of the nation’s best defenses faces one of the nation’s most productive offenses.
TCU enters the game boasting the best rushing defense in the country, allowing only 69.7 yards on the ground per game. They’re also sixth in both scoring defense, limiting opponents to 13.9 points per game, and total defense, with an average of 284.1 yards allowed. The defense includes defensive end Ben Banogu and linebacker Mat Boesen, who rank second and fourth in the league in sacks, with 6.5 and 5.0, respectively.
After defeating Oklahoma State 62-52 in the highest-scoring Bedlam game ever, the Sooners are now the FBS leaders in total offense (608.2), passing offense (395.0) and team passing efficiency (204.99). Quarterback Baker Mayfield has completed 71.1 percent of his passes this season and also ranks among the top quarterbacks in the nation in passing efficiency (201.6, 1st), passing yards (3,226, 2nd), passing yards per game (358.4, 2nd) and total offense (378.6, 2nd).
Saturday will mark the highest-ranked matchup ever between Oklahoma and TCU. The Sooners own the all-time record 11-5 and have been victorious in their last two meetings with the Horned Frogs. Since TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012, each game has been decided by an average of 4.2 points, with 21 points separating the teams over the last five games. Oklahoma won four of those five matchups, including a 52-46 thriller last season.
No. 15 Oklahoma State (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) at No. 21 Iowa State (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) – 12:00 p.m. on ABC or ESPN2
ABC/ESPN2 coverage map for Iowa State-Oklahoma State on Saturday. Kickoff at 11 a.m. CT. #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/0nCbG8aMfQ
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) November 8, 2017
The Cowboys head Ames this weekend to take on the Cyclones for the seventh consecutive year and the 52nd time in school history in a game that could potentially Camping World Bowl implications.
OSU is coming off a 62-52 loss to Oklahoma in Stillwater, but the Cowboys remain one of two teams in the nation – and the only Power 5 team – with a 5-0 record on the road this season. The ‘Pokes rank second in the nation for both total offense (579.4 yards) and points per game (45.3) as well as No. 3 in passing (379.2). Quarterback Mason Rudolph is leading the nation in passing yards (3,314) and passing yards per game (368.2).
Iowa State enters Saturday’s game on the heels of a 20-16 loss at West Virginia last weekend, however it still owns victories over two opponents ranked in the top four of the AP poll (No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 TCU). Much of Iowa State’s success this season comes from winning the turnover battle as they rank in the top 10 in the nation with a turnover margin of 1.11. The Cyclones are also one of the least penalty-prone teams in the nation with just 3.78 penalties per game.
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 30-18-3 and also has a 13-12-1 advantage in Ames. The Cowboys have a five game win streak over the Cyclones, who haven’t beaten the Cowboys since 2011. Last season, OSU rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Iowa State 38-31.
Here are the rest of the ACC and Big 12 games our selection committee members will attend:
No. 23 NC State (6-3, 4-1 ACC) at Boston College (5-4, 3-3 ACC) – 12:00 p.m. on ABC or ESPN2
No. 17 Virginia Tech (7-2, 3-2 ACC) at Georgia Tech (4-4, 3-3 ACC) – 12:20 p.m. on ACC Network
Florida State (3-5, 3-4 ACC) at No. 4 Clemson (8-1, 6-1 ACC) – 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
Kansas (1-8, 0-6 Big 12) at Texas (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) – 6:00 p.m. on Longhorn Network
Other ACC and Big 12 games being played this week:
Texas Tech (4-5, 1-5 Big 12) at Baylor (1-8, 1-5 Big 12) – 12:00 p.m. on FSN
Duke (4-5, 1-5 ACC) at Army (7-2) – 12:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
Wake Forest (5-4, 2-3 ACC) at Syracuse (4-5, 2-3 ACC) – 3:00 p.m. on ACC Network
Virginia (6-3, 3-2 ACC) at Louisville (5-4, 2-4 ACC) – 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU
West Virginia (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) at Kansas State (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) – 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2
North Carolina (2-9, 1-6 ACC) 34 – Pittsburgh (4-6, 2-4 ACC) 31 (Thursday)