Kirk Herbstreit names top teams from week 11

Despite only one top-10 team falling on Saturday, there were plenty of solid and surprising performances in Week 11 of college football. This weekend saw a team’s first conference road in over a decade, a 25-point comeback and one of the more unusual game endings of the season. 

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit gave a shout out to eight teams that had standout performances on Saturday.

1. Kansas Jayhawks: Kansas notched their first conference road win since 2008 in dramatic fashion. A 57-56 victory, sealed by an overtime 2-point conversion, gave the Jayhawks their first ever win in Austin. Kansas went into Austin as a 31-point underdog and took a 35-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. Jalon Daniels did a superb job filling in for starter Jason Bean, going 21-for-30 with 202 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman Devin Neal averaged six yards per carry and found the end zone three times as well. The rookie found his way onto On3’s Charles Power’s list of top freshman performers of the week. 
2. Michigan Wolverines: According to Herbstreit, Michigan was the best ranked performer of the weekend. They went to Happy Valley and beat Penn State 21-17. After early inconsistencies, quarterback Cade McNamara is starting to look more comfortable in the pocket, and the run game continues to excel despite losing Blake Corum to a sprained ankle. McNamara was 19-for-29 with 217 yards and three touchdowns, while Hassan Haskins had 156 yards on the ground. Michigan heads to Maryland this weekend as a 15-point favorite before hosting the Buckeyes to close out the regular season. 
3. Baylor Bears: Baylor is likely eliminated from the College Football Playoff, but they still had the opportunity to play spoiler against an Oklahoma team headed to the SEC. They rose to the challenge on Saturday, beating the Sooners 27-14 in Waco. Defensive-minded head coach Dave Aranda’s team put on a masterful defensive performance, holding the Sooners to just 260 total yards, a low of the Lincoln Riley tenure. Baylor needs some chaos to happen in their conference to reach the conference championship game in Arlington, but they are still in the race.
4. Ole Miss Rebels: Ole Miss slid back into the AP Top 25 this weekend after a 29-19 upset win over Texas A&M. The Aggies defense entered the game as the second-best scoring defense in the nation, but it was Ole Miss that put on a defensive clinic. Texas A&M did not score until midway through the third quarter, and their final touchdown came in garbage time. The Rebels moved to 2-0 all-time when ESPN’s College GameDay is on-site in Oxford. Ole Miss is a heavy favorite over Vanderbilt this weekend before an exciting Egg Bowl matchup with Mississippi State on Thanksgiving. 
5. Florida State Seminoles: Florida State topped in-state rival Miami on Saturday in a thrilling 31-28 victory that ended as a result of an unusual rule involving spiking the football. The Seminoles took a 17-point lead early in the second quarter, but Miami came back to make it 28-20 in their favor early in the fourth quarter. Florida State posted two consecutive scoring drives to end the game, including a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Jordan Travis for the final lead change of the game. Florida State is 4-6 on the year, but they have won four of their last six games, clearly showing the team has some fight left in them. With remaining opponents Boston College and Florida sputtering, the Seminoles have a reasonable shot to reach six wins and a bowl game. 
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs: After falling behind 28-3, Mississippi State rallied and mounted the largest comeback in school history in a 43-34 victory over Auburn. Quarterback Will Rogers completed 44 of his 55 passes for 415 yards and six touchdowns against a defense that had previously not allowed an offensive touchdown for six quarters. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Additionally, Rogers was the first SEC quarterback since 2000 to throw for 400 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions while completing at least 80 percent of his passes. The Bulldogs are now bowl eligible. 
7. Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Wake Forest bounced back after their first loss of the season, topping a previously 7-2 NC State team 45-42. A relatively close game that saw four lead changes (and six total turnovers), the Demon Deacons took the lead in the third quarter and did not look back. Wake Forest heads to Clemson this weekend looking to secure their second season of double-digit wins in school history. They have to win just one of their two remaining games to win the Atlantic division and secure a trip to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game. 
8. Georgia State Panthers: The Panthers got their first win over a ranked opponent in school history on Saturday, upsetting Coastal Carolina 42-40. Georgia State quarterback Darren Grainger grew up just five miles from the Chanticleers campus, and went 18-for-24 with 198 yards and two touchdowns in his homecoming. The Panthers defense forced quarterback Bryce Carpenter into both an interception and a fumble, the latter turnover coming late in the fourth quarter and deep in Chanticleers territory, leading to a game-sealing touchdown.