Reviewing the Biggest Week 11 Games in College Football

November 9, 2025·2 hr 7 min·5 clips

Fernando Mendoza's last-minute touchdown drive gives Indiana a historic win at Penn State.

Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman analyze the pivotal Week 11 games of the 2025 college football season, where three top-15 teams lost and conference chaos ensued. They focus on the ten biggest games, releasing PFF grades and key stats for each matchup. The weekend featured wild results in the Big Ten and significant upsets in the ACC, with Louisville and Virginia both losing. Oregon secured an 18-16 road win over Iowa in a defensive battle played in pouring rain. The Ducks' defense allowed only four missed tackles and one explosive run against Iowa's elite offensive line. Oregon's offense averaged 7.3 yards per carry, overpowering an Iowa defense that entered the week allowing just 3.3 yards per carry. True freshman cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. was Oregon's highest-graded player, forcing a critical fumble. Texas Tech delivered a commanding 29-7 victory over previously undefeated BYU, establishing themselves as the Big 12 favorite. The Red Raiders' defense, featuring standouts David Bailey and Jacob Rodriguez, held BYU to just nine plays in Texas Tech territory. BYU managed only one explosive run and recorded a 0.6 yards before contact per carry average against Tech's dominant front. Texas A&M handled Missouri 38-17, capitalizing on the Tigers' inability to pass with freshman quarterback Matt Zollers making his first start. Zollers completed only three passes beyond the line of scrimmage, and Missouri posted a negative .864 EPA per pass. A surprising insight is that Oregon's defense, not its flashy offense, was the key to its gritty win at Iowa, showcasing its physicality in the Big Ten. The show reveals that three of the top four highest-graded defensive players in the country—David Bailey, Jacob Rodriguez, and Romello Height—all play for Texas Tech. Jacob Rodriguez, a former walk-on who transferred from Virginia as a quarterback, is now a leading candidate for the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker. The hosts argue that Texas Tech's defense is so elite it could compete with powerhouses like Ohio State or Alabama. They note that despite Iowa's offensive line being the best in the country, Oregon's defensive front limited them to just 0.8 yards before contact per carry. The tone is energetic and analytical, blending deep statistical breakdowns with conversational banter between two knowledgeable hosts. This episode is perfect for hardcore college football fans who crave detailed film analysis and advanced metrics to understand why games unfolded as they did. Casual listeners who prefer narrative storytelling or are not familiar with PFF's grading system might find the level of detail overwhelming.

As heard by us

A sharp, stats-backed take on Week 11 chaos and the playoff picture it tightened.

The PFF College Football Show covers Week 11 of the 2025 season with a fast, opinionated read on rankings, playoff pressure, and the games that moved everything around.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Need Week 11 sorted before the playoff picture gets any messier?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The PFF College Football Show