.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
A slew of upsets changed the complexion of the conference races in Week 11. Let’s evaluate who is still in the running to win each of the FBS leagues.
As the season winds down through the last weeks of November toward Thanksgiving rivalry games and December championship games, conference races are beginning to tighten up all across the country. Some teams have already completed their league schedules, while others still have a game or two left to play.
After this weekend, where five of the top ten teams in the AP Top 25 suffered defeat, it is more imperative than ever to look at who still remains in all of the conference races. With a fortnight’s worth of games left to catch before those leagues with 12 or more teams determine their division champs and set the pairings for the conference championship contests, let’s dive right in and see what things look like after a wild Week 11.
Division and conference titles, after all, can prove to be the difference between making and missing out on the College Football Playoff or a New Year’s Six bowl, the revamped postseason only increasing the importance of success within one’s league. Click through to see the state of all the conference races at this point of the 2016 college football season.
Sep 17, 2016; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; A Troy Trojans flag in the second half against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Troy won, 37-31. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Sun Belt Conference
After knocking off Appalachian State on Saturday, Troy cleared its first hurdle in its attempt to win the school’s first Sun Belt title since 2010. Next week the Trojans welcome Arkansas State, the only other unbeaten team in the league, to Troy for a showdown that opens the door for the winner to take an outright conference championship by running the table.
Idaho is still technically in the race, but it would require the following: the Vandals win out against South Alabama and Georgia State; Troy loses to Arkansas State, Texas State, and Georgia Southern; Arkansas State then turns around and loses to UL-Lafayette and Texas State; and Appalachian State loses to both UL-Monroe and New Mexico State. More likely is that the Vandals are mathematically eliminated after next week in their penultimate FBS season.
Sep 24, 2016; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers running back Anthony Wales (20) dives into the end zone to score on a 20-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against the Vanderbilt Commodores to give WKU a 21-14 lead during a NCAA football game at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Conference USA
Conference USA is a league with one of the most clear-cut conference races at this point. One half of the championship game equation is already locked in, while the other side won’t be settled completely until Thanksgiving weekend. Let’s quickly break down each of the two divisions.
C-USA East
As long as they win their November 26 showdown with Marshall on the road in Huntington, Western Kentucky will win the C-USA East title for the second straight year. If WKU loses that game, the door is still open for league neophyte Old Dominion to sweep in and steal away the division. Though they lost head-to-head against the Hilltoppers, the Monarchs would win the title if WKU was to take a second conference loss and ODU won out against FAU and FIU.
C-USA West
No matter what happens next weekend, Louisiana Tech will be playing in the C-USA championship game on December 3. If they take care of business against Southern Miss on Black Friday, the Bulldogs will host the title game in Ruston.
Oct 15, 2016; Akron, OH, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) tosses the ball after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Akron Zips at InfoCision Stadium. Western Michigan Broncos won 41-0. Mandatory Credit: Jason Mowry-USA TODAY Sports
Mid-American Conference
The two division races in the MAC are relatively clear at this point of the season. One of the divisions is set up for a winner-take-all showdown on Thanksgiving weekend, while the frontrunner on the other side of the equation merely needs one more result to clinch a spot in Detroit. Let’s quickly break down each of the two divisions.
MAC East
Given Ohio’s head-to-head win over the RedHawks on October 1, all they need to do is win one of their final two games against Central Michigan or Akron to reach the MAC championship game on December 2 in Detroit. The only way Miami can win the MAC East is if they win their regular-season finale at home against Ball State on November 22 and the Bobcats lose against both the Chippewas and Zips.
MAC West
Western Michigan obviously has its sights set not just on a MAC championship but also a trip to the Cotton Bowl. But to earn the automatic New Year’s Six bowl bid they must first win the MAC… and to do that they must first play what will be a winner-take-all season finale on Black Friday between the Broncos and Toledo in Kalamazoo. The only way that Western Michigan could seal the deal sooner would be with a win against Buffalo on November 19 coupled with a Toledo loss against Ball State three days earlier.
Nov 4, 2016; Boise, ID, USA; Boise State Broncos wide receiver Cedrick Wilson (1) dives into the end zone as San Jose State Spartans safety Chad Miller (15) tries to defend during second half action at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Mountain West Conference
Like Conference USA, one half of the championship game equation is already locked in for the Mountain West while the other side won’t be settled completely until Thanksgiving weekend. Let’s quickly break down each of the two divisions.
MWC Mountain
Entering Week 11, Wyoming was locked in as the frontrunner in the MWC Mountain after their head-to-head win over Boise State on October 29. And though they fell 69-66 in triple overtime against UNLV in Las Vegas, though, the Cowboys are still in control of their own fate. If they win out, against San Diego State and New Mexico over the next two weeks, they will play a rematch against the Aztecs for the MWC championship.
If they lose either game, though, Boise State would play for the league thanks to their own head-to-head win over New Mexico on October 8. New Mexico also still has a path to the championship game. If Boise State loses to either UNLV or Air Force in its final two regular-season contests, the Lobos would win the division by winning out.
MWC West
The MWC West race is simple — there is no more race. With only two games left to play, San Diego State could lose both and still not be caught by UNLV for the division title.
Nov 12, 2016; Annapolis, MD, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Will Worth (15) runs for a touchdown against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the second half at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference features one of the conference races that has only gotten more chaotic over the course of the season. Finally things are beginning to settle, so let’s quickly break down each of the two divisions.
AAC East
South Florida has a better overall record, but Temple holds the tiebreaker in the AAC East race thanks to their the head-to-head win over the Bulls on October 21. USF needs to sweep its final two games of the regular season against SMU and UCF and for the Owls to lose to either Tulane or East Carolina to reach the AAC championship game.
AAC West
Given their head-to-head wins over both Houston and Tulsa, the Midshipmen would have to lose both of their final two conference games against East Carolina and SMU in order to lose the conference. In the unlikely event that Navy completely collapsed at this point, Houston would win the AAC West by virtue of its head-to-head win over Tulsa. After looking completely out of the race, Houston is back in the running for a New Year’s Six spot if they can run out the schedule and get another loss by Ken Niumatalolo’s team.
Nov 12, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Will Johnson (12) and linebacker Emmanuel Beal (14) tackle Baylor Bears wide receiver Blake Lynch (2) during the second quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 is easy enough to decipher. The Sooners play at West Virginia next weekend, then have a break over Thanksgiving before playing the Bedlam game against rival Oklahoma State. It just so happens that those are also the two teams chasing them in the Big 12 table. If Bob Stoops’ team wins out, they will be the Big 12 champs.
Things get more interesting if the Sooners lose to West Virginia. In that scenario Oklahoma State would have the inside track to the title, needing to win out against TCU and Oklahoma. If the Cowboys lost to to lose to either the Horned Frogs or Sooners, Oklahoma State’s head-to-head advantage over WVU would be null, and Dana Holgorsen’s team would win the conference as long as it won out against Iowa State and Baylor.
Nov 12, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies running back Myles Gaskin (9) rushes against the USC Trojans during the first quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Pac-12 Conference
After succumbing to one of the biggest upsets of Week 11, nearly half of teams in the Pac-12 are still in the running to play in the league’s championship game on December 2. With two weeks before the conference is settled, let’s quickly break down each of the two divisions.
Pac-12 North
After Washington fell to USC and Washington State routed California on Saturday night, the Cougars actually took over the lead in the Pac-12 North as the only team in the conference still undefeated in league play. The Huskies should have no problem getting past Arizona State next week, but even if Mike Leach’s team loses at Colorado next weekend the Apple Cup will still serve as a division championship game of sorts.
Pac-12 South
Colorado is at the top of the Pac-12 South, a game ahead of hard-charging USC. The Trojans own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Buffaloes, so if Colorado loses again we could see USC playing for the conference title. Or, conversely, if Mike McIntyre’s team beats Washington State but loses to Utah, we would then have a three-way tie at the top of the division. In that case, the South would be won by Utah thanks to a 2-0 record over the Trojans and Buffs.
Oct 1, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) is brought down by Clemson Tigers defensive end Clelin Ferrell (99) and defensive tackle Scott Pagano (56) during the first quarter at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Atlantic Coast Conference
No conference suffered more upsets in Week 11 than the ACC, as frontrunners in both divisions were knocked down a peg. The conference now looks a bit weaker across the board, so let’s dive in and break down each of the two divisions.
ACC Atlantic
Louisville survived an upset scare against Wake Forest on Saturday night to finish its ACC schedule with a 7-1 record. Though Clemson lost to Pittsburgh in prime time, the Tigers still control their own fate thanks to the 42-36 result they got over the Cardinals earlier this season. Should Dabo Swinney’s team lose at Wake Forest next weekend, Louisville would take the Atlantic division’s spot in Orlando.
ACC Coastal
North Carolina lost to Duke 28-27 on Thursday night, opening the door for Virginia Tech to clinch the ACC Coastal on Saturday. Instead the Hokies were upset at home 30-20 by Georgia Tech, though they maintained their lead over UNC thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker victory in Chapel Hill in a game marred by the inclement weather of Hurricane Matthew. Larry Fedora’s crew needs to beat NC State on Black Friday and then have Virginia Tech to lose to Virginia on Thanksgiving Saturday to earn a trip to Orlando.
Oct 29, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Robert Wheelwright (15) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Big Ten Conference
No conference is likely to have more teams in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings than the Big Ten, even though its lone undefeated team is undefeated no more. With a slew of teams in the national picture, let’s look at each of the two division races.
Big Ten East
Though Michigan fell at Iowa on Saturday night, the Wolverines still control their own fate in the Big Ten East. If they win against Indiana and Ohio State, Jim Harbaugh’s crew is going to play in Indianapolis for the conference title. If they lose one of those games, that’s where it gets more interesting. Penn State holds the tiebreaker over the Buckeyes, which means that Urban Meyer’s team would need to beat Michigan and have either Rutgers or Michigan State upset the Nittany Lions to play for the Big Ten crown.
Big Ten West
The simplest scenario in the Big Ten West is with Wisconsin. If the Badgers win out against Purdue and Minnesota, they will claim the spot opposite the East in the title game in Indianapolis. A loss to Purdue is highly unlikely, but if Wisconsin loses to the Golden Gophers it paves a path for Nebraska to play for the conference crown.
A four-way tie is still technically possible, if Iowa beats Nebraska and Minnesota wins in Madison over Thanksgiving weekend. In that instance, the Badgers would go through after division records were assessed and then the head-to-head win over Iowa was applied after Nebraska and Minnesota were eliminated by their two division losses.
Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) runs the ball against Florida Gators defensive back Marcus Maye (20) during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38-28. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Southeastern Conference
One half of the SEC is completely locked in after an upset eliminated the last team with a chance of taking down the defending champs. In the other division, only two teams still have a shot at playing in Atlanta on December 3. So let’s dive in and sort out the scenarios in the last of the 10 FBS conferences.
SEC East
Though Tennessee broke its streak of futility against Florida earlier this season, the Gators still control their destiny in the SEC East. If Florida wins at LSU next weekend in the game that was rescheduled and relocated in order to ensure it was played following its postponement by Hurricane Matthew, Jim McElwain’s team wins the division. Should they lose, Tennessee would have to win its last two against Missouri and Vanderbilt to steal back the division from the Gators.
SEC West
After Auburn was upset by Georgia between the hedges, there is no way for any team in the SEC West to catch Alabama this season. As a result, Nick Saban’s crew can simply focus on The Process and getting into a third straight College Football Playoff bracket.
More from Saturday Blitz
This article originally appeared on 
