Big Ten & SEC Week 11 Recap: Shakeup at Top as Auburn Upsets No. 1 Georgia
Standings and Results
Big Ten
SEC
AP Top 10
1. Alabama
2. Miami
3. Oklahoma
4. Clemson
5. Wisconsin
6. Auburn
7. Georgia
8. Ohio State
9. Notre Dame
10. Oklahoma State
No. 1 Georgia Falls at Auburn
Auburn outgained No. 1 Georgia 488-230 and held the Bulldogs’ rushing attack to just 46 yards in an impressive 40-17 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kerryon Johnson rushed for 167 yards yards in the win — his sixth 100-yard effort of the season — while Jarrett Stidham completed 16 of his 23 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns and also added another score on the ground. Auburn hosts Louisiana-Monroe this week before its annual Iron Bowl tilt with Alabama, while Georgia welcomes Kentucky between the hedges at Sanford Stadium on Saturday.
#ArmyBowl alum Devonta Smith silences Stark Vegas with this game winner. #RollTide 🐘 pic.twitter.com/6yBrs9o5QL
— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) November 12, 2017
‘Bama Stays Perfect
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith on a 26-yard go-ahead touchdown pass with 25 seconds remaining Saturday night, as the Crimson Tide escaped Starkville with a 31-24 victory. While Smith’s catch preserved the victory, it was Calvin Ridley who had the game of the night, hauling in five catches for 171 yards in the win — his seventh 100-yard receiving game of the season. The win, combined with Georgia’s loss at Auburn, makes the Tide a strong contender for the No. 1 ranking when the latest CFP poll is released Tuesday night.
Ohio State Knocks Off Sparty
Ohio State bounced back from its Week 10 loss at Iowa with a resounding 48-3 win over Michigan State in Columbus on Saturday. Led by Mike Weber (nine carries, 162 yards) and J.K. Dobbins (18 carries, 124 yards), the Buckeyes ran for a season-high 335 yards in the victory, including 102 in the first quarter — more than any other Big Ten foe has totaled in a game against Michigan State this season. Defensively, Ohio State limited the Spartans to just 195 yards of total offense. The Buckeyes sit atop the Big Ten East at 6-1 in conference play heading into this weekend’s home tilt against Illinois (2-8, 0-7 Big Ten).
Wildcats Keep Rolling
Northwestern won its fifth straight game Saturday — and it only took four quarters, after three straight overtime victories — as it outlasted Purdue in Evanston. The Wildcats were led by quarterback Clayton Thorson, who completed 26 of 46 passes for 296 yards, and Northwestern improved to 9-2 since 2013 when it throws for at least 295 yards in a game. Defensively, Northwestern held Purdue to a season-low 40 yards rushing and is 6-0 on the season when it wins the run-game battle. If the Wildcats win at home against Minnesota this week, it’ll mark the first six-game winning streak for the program since 1996, when the team won seven consecutive games.
Gamecocks Top Gators
South Carolina overcame four turnovers to hold off Florida in a 28-20 win at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday. With the victory, the Gamecocks move to 5-3 in league play, guaranteeing a winning record in SEC play for the eighth time in program history. The win also marked South Carolina coach Will Muschamp’s first victory over the Gators, whom he coached from 2011-14. This week, South Carolina hosts Wofford in a final tune-up before its season finale against Clemson, while Florida returns home to face UAB ahead of its annual rivalry game with Florida State.
Vote for the Play of the Week!
Week 11 was filled with memorable plays in the Big Ten and SEC. Here were two of our favorites. Make sure you vote for the best in the poll below!
1) Any time you put a guy on skates like A.J. Brown did in Ole Miss’ win over Louisiana, you deserve to be in the “Play of the Week” discussion:
A.J. Brown is 99 overall pic.twitter.com/mpZb090YWi
— Zach Berry (@Zach_Berry) November 11, 2017
2) Same goes for literally jumping over another human being, as Michigan’s Chris Evans did against Maryland:
Everyday I'm hurdlin'. 🎵
It's a #BTNStandout for Chris Evans, and the next play is another @UMichFootball TD: pic.twitter.com/44JK6rg40K
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) November 11, 2017