Scully's Week 11 College Football picks: CFP contender Oregon will stay hot

Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5). (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire)

November 10th, 2021

The wheels have fallen off for the Florida Gators, which have lost four of their last five games, and it’s been a wild and wacky season for college football.

Michigan State became the latest highly ranked team to sustain an upset, as the Spartans took their first loss of the season at Purdue in Week 10. The Boilermakers have won straight up in three of their last four games as underdogs.

Let’s examine our Week 11 picks!

Purdue vs. Ohio State

Grab the points with Purdue, who dropped 40 on Michigan State when recording a double-digit victory last week. Jeff Brohm can coach, and the 6-3 Boilermakers have their offense on track.

Ohio State crushed teams with a losing record (Akron, Indiana, Maryland, and Rutgers), but the Buckeyes' defense is way down in 2021.

In this rebuilding year, Nebraska, Oregon, and Penn State have combined to average more than 25 points and 430 total yards per game on the Buckeye defense.

It will be more of the same in Week 11. Purdue may not win straight up, but it will pile up yards and points behind quarterback Aidan O’Connell (536 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in Week 10). Wide receiver David Bell is poised for a big day against the soft Ohio State secondary.

The overvalued Buckeyes will fail to cover their third straight as a double-digit favorite.

NCAAF Pick: Purdue +20

Florida State vs. Miami

Miami enters on the upswing, averaging 36 points per game the last four weeks, and will prove too much for Florida State’s inept offense.

The Hurricanes were a mess offensively the first five weeks of the season, but they have turned things around behind Tyler Van Dyke, who took over when D’Eriq King went down with a season-ending injury.

The freshman has thrown for 1,140 yards and 10 touchdowns the last three weeks, and became the first Miami quarterback to throw for at least 325 yards in three straight games since Bernie Kosar in 1984.

Miami’s defense gained confidence in recent wins over North Carolina State and Pittsburgh.

After opening 0-4, Florida State reeled off three straight wins, but has gone off form the last two games with dismal offensive performances.

The Seminoles won’t match points with resurgent Miami, and the Canes will keep rolling!

NCAAF Pick: Miami -2.5

Washington State vs. Oregon

Oregon's defense has risen to another level in recent weeks, proving dominant in a double-digit win over Washington last week. Slow starts have been an issue, but Oregon will control the clock in this matchup.

The Ducks have their ground game going. An improved offensive line paved the way for 329 rushing yards against a respected Washington defense, and Travis Dye has emerged as a dynamic presence, averaging 7.5 yards per carry in Week 10.

After their coach was terminated for non-football reasons, the Washington State Cougars responded with a pair of inspired efforts against BYU and Arizona State, winning the latter straight up as a 16.5-point underdog.

But Washington State won’t bring the same emotion following a bye week, and it has one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the Pac-12.

Oregon enters in top form, and this sets up as a statement game for its College Football Playoff worthiness. We expect a lopsided win!

NCAAF Pick: Oregon -13.5

College Football