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Key Points ACC’s top teams Virginia and Louisville suffer upset losses, intensifying conference playoff race Texas Tech thrashes undefeated BYU; BYU’s playoff hopes damaged, Big Ten/SEC spot opens Upcoming key games will shape College Football Playoff race; new rankings release tonight There were points on Saturday when it looked like the College Football Playoff picture was about to get turned on its head. Indiana was on the ropes at Penn State, and Iowa had successfully dragged Oregon down into the mud. Even Auburn had forced Vanderbilt into a surprise shootout. Ultimately, none of those upsets came to be. However, Virginia and Louisville — the ACC’s two highest-ranked teams in the initial CFP rankings — fell to Wake Forest and California, respectively, further muddying a messy race for a spot in the conference championship. The only other marquee change to come out of Week 11 was Texas Tech thrashing previously undefeated BYU. The Red Raiders look like even more of a playoff lock at this point, while the Cougars’ chances took a hit. Notably, no Group of 5 teams cracked the top 25 in the first round of rankings a week ago, though the committee revealed that Memphis was its highest-ranked team. Well, the Tigers turned around and lost to Tulane, making the American Conference race just as chaotic as the ACC. BYU’s loss likely creates room for one more team — at least for the time being — from the Big Ten or SEC. Texas and Oklahoma were on the bubble, and the Longhorns’ figure to join the projected field after an idle week. The week ahead is a big one in the CFP race with a handful of key games between potential playoff teams: Notre Dame at Pittsburgh Oklahoma at Alabama Texas at Georgia And keep an eye on Virginia vs. Duke — even though the Blue Devils have four losses, they’re still alive in the ACC race, and they could spoil the Cavaliers’ shot this weekend. But first, the second round of rankings will come out at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN to set the stage for Week 12. Athlon Sports predicted how the CFP committee will rank the top 25 teams: College Football Playoff Rankings Predictions (Nov. 4) (Rankings in remaining schedule are via latest AP Top 25 Poll.) College Football 2025 Bowl Projections after Week 11: Texas Tech Rising, ACC Chaos Shakes Up Playoff Field Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan projects all the matchups for bowl season and the College Football Playoff. Steven Lassan NFL 2026 NFL Draft Stock Report: 4 Sleepers Moving Up the Board UConn QB Joe Fagnano and USF DB Jarvis Lee are among the sleeper prospects who are improving their stock for the 2026 NFL Draft. Luke Easterling College Football College Football Playoff 12-Team Projections After Week 11 Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan projects the College Football Playoff after Week 11. Steven Lassan About the author Kyle Wood Senior Writer, Athlon Sports Kyle Wood is a senior writer for Athlon Sports, where he covers college football and writes The Arena newsletter.
