Week 11 brought us a Heisman Trophy-worthy moment, big wins against conference opponents and three AP Top 25 teams falling to unranked opponents. It was another exciting week of college football.
No. 2 Indiana handed Penn State a loss at Beaver Stadium after keeping fans watching on the edge of their seats as time winded down in the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers took a late lead on a touchdown grab that will be remembered for years to come as IU looks to make a run at an undefeated season.
Despite key injuries, Oregon's corps of freshmen stepped up to pull off a win against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. And in the Big 12, Texas Tech showed it is the team to beat in the conference after handing BYU its first loss of the season.
Where does Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza look to land in Heisman Trophy voters' lists? Can Oregon continue to play the way it did against Iowa with its young players? Can BYU bounce back?
Our college football experts break down key storylines and takeaways from Week 11.
Jump to:
Heisman race | Texas Tech's statement win
James Madison's push | Young Ducks
A Heisman moment
As a college football society, we have come to understand the definition of a "Heisman moment." Anyone who pays attention to the sport -- even casually -- should have recognized it Saturday when they saw it. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw a jaw-dropping go-ahead touchdown to Omar Cooper Jr. with 36 seconds left in the game. It was easily the most spectacular catch of the season, and preserved another historic season for the Hoosiers, who have the chance to lock up a top-four finish and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
Mendoza hasn't won the Heisman Trophy yet, but his composure in the clutch Saturday should catapult him to the top of voters' lists. He started at his own 20-yard line and was sacked on first down, but rallied to throw completions of 22, 12, 29 and 17 yards. Mendoza is in good company with Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Alabama's Ty Simpson and Texas A&M's Marcel Reed as Heisman contenders. The field has been narrowed -- and now there's separation at the top. -- Heather Dinich
Tech makes a statement
The Red Raiders left no doubt as to who the best team in the Big 12 is with a comprehensive victory over BYU, in which the Cougars had no answers for Texas Tech's physical defensive front. Tech is undefeated in games with starting quarterback Behren Morton (he was out in the loss to Arizona State) and might be the only team in the country capable of a College Football Playoff run from outside the Big Ten or SEC.
With UCF and West Virginia remaining in the regular season, the Red Raiders will be heavy favorites to reach the Big 12 title game at 11-1. Assuming those games go as expected, Tech should be ranked high enough that even with a loss in the conference championship, it should have enough of a buffer to still qualify for the playoff. BYU is in a similar spot -- the Cougars also have just one loss -- but assuming they also win out, they won't have the same buffer to still get picked with a loss in the title game (although it's possible).
The wild card from the Big 12 is Utah. The Utes debuted at No. 13 in the playoff rankings, which given the history of how these rankings fluctuate over the last few weeks, also puts the Utes in contention to represent the conference as an at-large team. -- Kyle Bonagura
Dukes surge into playoff picture
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti's former team is making its own push for a spot in the playoff.
James Madison remains undefeated in the Sun Belt after a 35-23 win at Marshall. As the American Conference playoff contenders continued to beat up on one another, with Tulane toppling Memphis on Friday, keep an eye on the Dukes, who have won seven in a row after their lone loss of the season (Week 2 at Louisville).
Fourth-year junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III is having a terrific season with 16 touchdown passes and 10 touchdown runs, as the Dukes have put up 35 or more points in three straight games.
If JMU keeps winning -- and the top American contenders (South Florida, Tulane, North Texas, Memphis, Navy) keep taking turns stumbling -- the Dukes could be in the playoff in just their fourth FBS season. -- Jake Trotter
Young Ducks undeterred on the road
Oregon accomplished several impressive things in its first season as a Big Ten member: taking down Ohio State in Eugene, going 9-0 in league games and beating Penn State for a conference title. But the Ducks did all that with a veteran team that would produce 10 NFL draft picks in April, fourth most behind Ohio State, Georgia and Texas.
The outlook for Oregon in 2025 was cloudier, after it lost so many stars and had a depth chart packed with first-, second- and third-year players. Even quarterback Dante Moore, who essentially took a gap year in 2024 after transferring in from UCLA, had experience questions.
But Oregon has navigated its schedule, especially away from Eugene, like a veteran team. The Ducks took down Penn State in overtime on a tension-filled September night. Then they beat Iowa at the Hawkeyes' own game Saturday, overcoming several key injuries and a late deficit to prevail, 18-16.
"We're not rookies anymore, right?" coach Dan Lanning said. "We have some young players that have been playing a lot of football this season, so the time of being freshmen and young guys, that's over with now."
Oregon's young players shined in the rain at Iowa, as freshman cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. had two forced fumbles, including one inside the Ducks' red zone in the third quarter to preserve a 9-7 lead. True freshman running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. combined for 97 rushing yards on 15 carries, and freshman wide receivers Jeremiah McClellan and Cooper Perry had their first receptions of the game on Oregon's winning field goal drive.
"You set that expectation that if you're young, you know that you're going to play or you've got to contribute to the team," Finney said. "When we go into another stadium, the expectation doesn't change."
The young Ducks are still very much in the CFP hunt. -- Adam Rittenberg