College Football Awards, Week 11 (2025) November 10, 2025

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.
Tags: Alabama, Auburn, Boise State, Boston College, BYU, Cal, California, Clark Lea, Clemson, Colorado, Cougars, Curt Cignetti, Deion Sanders, Florida, football, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Hoosiers, Indiana, Iowa, Jedd Fisch, Joey McGuire, Justin Wilcox, Kalani Sitake, Kentucky, Louisville, Marcus Freeman, Memphis, Michigan, Navy, NCAA, New Mexico State, Nittany Lions, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Pat Narduzzi, Penn State, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Red Raiders, San Diego State, SMU, South Florida, Steve Spurrier, Tennessee, Terry Smith, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulane, Tulsa, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington, Wisconsin
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COACHES
Wish I were him:  Joey McGuire, Texas Tech

Glad I’m not him: Kalani Sitake, BYU

Lucky guy: Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Poor guy: Terry Smith, Penn State

Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt

Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Justin Wilcox, Cal

Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jedd Fisch, Washington

Desperately seeking … anything:  Deion Sanders, Colorado

TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ole Miss (defeated The Citadel 49-0)

Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Indiana (defeated Penn State 27-24)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Boston College (lost to SMU 45-13)

Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Penn State (lost to Indiana 27-24)

Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Kentucky (defeated Florida 38-7)  

Dang, they’re good: Georgia
Dang, they’re bad:  Northern Illinois

Can’t Stand Prosperity: Virginia

Did the season start?  Washington
Can the season end?  Florida

Can the season never end? Texas A&M

GAMES
Play this again:  No. 2 Indiana 27, Penn State 24

Play this again, too: No. 9 Oregon 18, Iowa 16

Never play this again: No. 6 Ole Miss 49, The Citadel 0

What?  Tulane 38, No. 22 Memphis 32

Huh?  No. 8 Texas Tech 29, No. 7 BYU 7

Double-Huh?  Wisconsin 13, No. 23 Washington 10

Are you kidding me??:  Cal 29, No. 15 Louisville 26, OT

Oh – my – God:  Wake Forest 16, No. 14 Virginia 9

NEXT WEEK

rankings are current AP (week 12)
Ticket to die for:  No. 10 Texas @ No. 5 Georgia

Best non-Power Four vs. Power Four  matchup: none

Best non-Power Four matchup: Boise State @ San Diego State

Upset alert: Iowa @ No. 17 USC

Must win: No. 11 Oklahoma @ No. 4 Alabama

Offensive explosion: South Florida @ Navy

Defensive struggle: No. 18 Michigan @ Northwestern

Great game no one is talking about: Clemson @ No. 19 Louisville

Also:  Arizona @ Cincinnati

Intriguing coaching matchup:  Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame vs Pat Narduzzi of Pittsburgh

Who’s bringing the body bags, B1G edition?  Wisconsin @ No. 2 Indiana

Who’s bringing the body bags, ACC edition?  No. 14 Georgia Tech @ Boston College

Why are they playing? New Mexico State @ No. 21 Tennessee

Plenty of good seats remaining: Oregon State @ Tulsa

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  Tennessee Tech @ Kentucky

Week 12 [Random] Thoughts:

Indiana averted one of the biggest upsets of the season when they came back in the last minute of the game to score on Penn State, in Happy Valley.  For the first time all year, the Hoosiers had to play from behind, initially having to punt with only four minutes and change left in the game, and somehow forcing Penn State to punt at the two-minute warning.  Moreover, the game-winning drive only became such with a series of amazing catches, including two improbable ones, one of which was the touchdown itself, what with Omar Cooper, jr., barely keeping his feet in bounds at the back of the end zone.  Still, Penn State theoretically had time to kick a field goal with the ball back, with the drive stalled at the 50, forcing a Hail Mary play that went nowhere.

Once again, Penn State played up to their initially high-rank potential, as if they too were still a top-ten team.  In so doing, instead of getting their doors blown off, as my speculated they would, the Nittany Lions forced the Hoosiers into situations they had not faced all year.  Upon further review, perhaps Curt Cignetti should send a case of wine over to the Penn State coaching staff, as they forced IU into situations the Hoosiers will certainly have to deal with some playoff time.

In other news, Texas Tech boat raced BYU during the Noon ET timeslot in Lubbock.  Remember when that was supposed to be the game of the week (admittedly as part of a relatively weak slate of games for this weekend)?  As things manifested, however, it soon became clear that the Red Raiders had too many ponies for the Cougars to corral.  Just as war is a laboratory to find out what should have been known between countries’ powers before the first battle, lining up teams and having them play is the ultimate showing of who is actually better than whom, and the outcome of this game is “Exhibit A”.

They say that by November, you pretty much are who you are as a team.  For example, by November of 2014 (Steve Spurrier’s last full season coaching South Carolina), the Gamecocks were a team that blew 4^th quarter leads.  Today, and in a similar vein, Louisville is a team that blows it in overtime at home.

Who had the Auburn @ Vanderbilt game as the offensive explosion of the week on their bingo card?  Not this guy:  where had that offense for Auburn been all year?