The College Football Playoff Committee recently released its top 25 rankings ahead of the upcoming playoffs, which start in a little more than a month from now. Based on this weekend’s slate of games, however, those rankings are destined to change. Without further ado, here are Week 11’s greatest upsets, top performances and my pick for the Lato’s Lens Game of the Week in Week 12.
Biggest Upsets
Wisconsin 13, No. 23 Washington 10
It still blows my mind about how Wisconsin won this game.
In the 2-6 Badgers’ Week 11 matchup against the No. 23 Huskies, Wisconsin starting quarterback Danny O’Neil exited early with an apparent leg injury. He was replaced by true freshman Carter Smith, who completed three of his 12 passes for a whopping eight yards and zero passing touchdowns.
However, Smith’s lone rushing touchdown and two field goals made by kicker Nathaniel Vakos were all the Badgers needed, winning the game 13-10.
Wisconsin’s defense, consisting of young talent across the board, made all the difference. Freshman linebacker Cooper Catalano recorded a whopping 19 total tackles, including 12 solo and 1.5 tackles for loss. Also worth mentioning is freshman linebacker Mason Posa, who accounted for 2.5 sacks.
If head coach Luke Fickell can somehow keep this defense together over the offseason, the Big Ten will be in for a real treat in 2026.
UConn 37, Duke 34
Anytime UConn defeats a Power Four program, it’s always an upset in my book regardless of the record.
With both squads entering the game with three losses, the Huskies outlasted the Blue Devils in a 37-34 offensive shootout in front of a rowdy Rentschler Field crowd.
Trailing by five with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, UConn star quarterback Joe Fagnano led the Huskies’ offense down the field, throwing a spectacular back-shoulder touchdown pass to Skyler Bell. The Huskies opted for the two-point conversion, where Fagnano rolled out to his right and dove for the near pylon, but the referees ruled him out of bounds.
After review, the call was overturned, and the Huskies gained a 37-34 lead.
The Blue Devils’ offense drove right down the field following Bell’s touchdown but was stopped with 18 seconds left after linebacker Bryun Parham strip-sacked quarterback Darian Mensah.
Fagnano completed 27 of 39 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns. Most notably, he still hasn’t thrown a single interception this season — a remarkable feat for such an unknown college quarterback. Bell hauled in two of Fagnano’s touchdowns, while running back Cam Edwards rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown as well.
Wake Forest 16, No. 16 Virginia 9
Unranked Wake Forest has come close to several marquee upset victories over the past few weeks but finally came through after its 16-9 win over Virginia on Friday night.
Turnovers plagued the Cavaliers, who fumbled the ball three times throughout the game.
While the Demon Deacons struggled to get things going on offense, place-kicker Connor Calvert was the difference-maker, drilling three timely field goals. Their lone touchdown came in the second quarter when Wake Forest returned a Virginia punt 88 yards for a score.
With the loss, the Cavaliers’ chances of making the playoffs are now very slim. They must win out and receive a lot of help from others to even have a chance to be considered for contention.
Top Performers
Nate Frazier, RB (Georgia) rushed for 181 yards and a touchdown in No. 5 Georgia’s 41-21 victory over Mississippi State.
Trinidad Chambliss, QB (Ole Miss) completed 29 of 33 passes for 333 yards and three touchdown passes in the No. 6 Rebel’s crushing 49-0 win over The Citadel.
Fernando Mendoza, QB (Indiana) tossed a game-winning seven-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper in No. 2 Indiana’s 27-24 comeback victory over Penn State in Happy Valley.
Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt) accounted for 489 all-purpose yards – 377 passing and 112 rushing – in No. 16 Vanderbilt’s 45-38 overtime victory against Auburn.
Atticus Sappington, K (Oregon) kicked a game-winning 39-yard field goal with three seconds left in No. 6 Oregon’s 18-16 away victory over the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Lato’s Lens Game of the Week
No. 10 Texas (7-2) at No. 5 Georgia (8-1) — 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga.
What a game this should be.
For the No. 10 Longhorns, an away victory against No. 5 Georgia is a must-have. A victory will keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive as they head into their regular-season finale against No. 3 Texas A&M in two weeks, while a loss will inevitably knock them out.
Meanwhile, a loss for Georgia won’t do much but will require them to defeat archrival Georgia Tech to advance to the postseason. With only one blemish to now-No. 4 Alabama, the Bulldogs have come close to losing several games in the fourth quarter. Now, against a steaming-hot Texas team that has won four SEC contests in a row, things won’t get any easier for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.
The playoff implications of this game are huge, featuring two prolific head coaches and future NFL talent all over the field. Without a doubt, Texas versus Georgia has rightfully earned its spot as the Lato’s Lens Game of the Week!