The second College Football Playoff rankings may have a short shelf life if Week 11 produces a string of unexpected results. Reigning national champion Indiana hosts USC in a game loaded with Big Ten title and playoff implications, while unbeaten UCLA gets the slate started Friday night against an Illinois team that knocked off Oregon a few weeks ago.
No. 9 Indiana is a 7.5-point favorite against No. 18 USC in Bloomington, but the Hoosiers have been playing with fire. They have won back-to-back overtime games since losing to Ohio State, and continued inconsistency at quarterback could open the door for a feisty Trojans team. USC is coming off a win over Ohio State and is playing its best football of the season, with quarterback Jayden Maiava leading a young core that is coming into its own. A victory would give the Trojans a chance to control their own destiny in the playoff race.
No. 4 UCLA, a 10.5-point favorite, puts its perfect record on the line Friday at the Rose Bowl against Illinois. The Bruins are chasing a 10th straight win under first-year coach Bob Chesney and are coming off a blowout win at Minnesota that turned into a second-half rout. Still, few nationally are giving UCLA its due among the cluster of title contenders. The Fighting Illini have won four straight, including an upset of Oregon on Oct. 24, and would likely be ranked next week with another victory.
In the SEC, No. 8 Tennessee is only a 2.5-point favorite at Texas A&M, and the Volunteers' road woes under coach Josh Heupel are well documented. Many of the impact losses of his tenure have come away from Neyland Stadium. The Aggies, who opened the season inside the top 10, are on the verge of missing bowl eligibility after last week's 17-9 loss at South Carolina and are trying to find their rhythm offensively. Beating Tennessee would be their best win of the season and would leave the Volunteers on life support in the at-large picture ahead of next week's showdown with LSU, raising the question of whether Tennessee could get caught looking ahead.
No. 11 Kentucky is a 3.5-point favorite at home against Florida, but analytics and playoff projections suggest the Wildcats' chances are fading following a 28-point no-show at Tennessee. Coach Will Stein should have his team's attention as it pursues the program's first CFP appearance. Florida arrives hurting from a home loss to Oklahoma and in quarterback disarray, unsure how to move forward with Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. trading mistakes. The Gators dominate the all-time series, though Kentucky has won four of the last five meetings.
No. 17 South Carolina is a 7.5-point favorite at Arkansas in a spot that looks dangerous for three reasons: top-ranked Georgia looms next week, quarterback LaNorris Sellers is dealing with an ankle injury, and the Razorbacks have improved down the stretch. Sellers hurt his ankle in last week's win over Texas A&M and was noticeably limping in the final moments. His availability may depend on how badly the offensive staff feels he is needed before what could be a season-defining home matchup with Georgia.
The Gamecocks have won four straight to enter the playoff conversation, just as coach Shane Beamer said they would at this point last fall amid a 4-8 finish. But with only a few weekends left to repair a resume, another setback for any of these favorites, particularly those already carrying two losses, could prove fatal.
