Here are our best bets for Saturday’s slate of Week 11 College Football action. College football analysts Thor Nystrom and Scott Bogman provide their top odds, picks, and predictions for the weekend.
Navy vs. Notre Dame
In a letdown spot off a huge win over Clemson, Notre Dame is about to play a team it doesn't match up well with.
The Irish's defense is very good against the pass – a wasted strength in this matchup – but it struggles mightily against the run (No. 85 success rate, No. 93 opportunity rate). Navy's triple-option offense will be able to nick that generous run defense with paper cuts all afternoon.
On the other side of the ball, Navy's fatal flaw is its lack of athleticism in the secondary. Teams with dangerous outside receivers and competent quarterback play eat Navy alive. But Navy has a very good run defense.
Since turning the offense over to QB2 Drew Pyne, Notre Dame has turned extremely run-heavy. The Irish are one of the 15-most run-happy non-option teams in the nation. Notre Dame doesn't have much skill on the offensive perimeter.
Navy can pick on Notre Dame's defensive weakness, and the Midshipmen's good run defense should slow down Notre Dame's bully-ball routine. In a classic letdown spot against a team it doesn't match up well with, we think Notre Dame will get a legitimate scare in Baltimore on Saturday.
Navy +15.5
- Thor Nystrom
Tennessee vs. Missouri
So, Tennessee is human after all! It may have been a little unfair to ask them to beat Georgia, but it seemed that anything was possible after beating Alabama. Instead, we saw the Volunteers go down to Georgia and only put up 13 points. For a team averaging over 50 points per game, that was an embarrassing performance and the only time they have scored fewer than 34 points in a game.''
The silver lining from the loss to Alabama is that now Tennessee is on the outside looking in for the CFP, so they will want to put up impressive numbers to show their dominance and prove that the loss was a blip on the radar. Tennessee is still averaging 45 points per game and, while they may not get to that against a strong Missouri defense, I think they'll get to at least 34 again, as that was their previous low.
QB Hendon Hooker is still the leader of this team that is 2nd in total offense and passing while also averaging over 180 yards on the ground. Missouri is playing well defensively, allowing just over 21 points per game and they are top-15 in total yards allowed per game. I just feel like Georgia, specifically when DL Jalen Carter plays, is a step above everyone else in the Country. Tennessee put up 49 on Alabama which ranks better statistically and in PFF grade than Missouri.