ACC & Big 12 Weekend Preview: Championship Races Heat Up in Week 11

In the eleventh week of the college football season, members of the Florida Citrus Sports Team Selection Committee are making visits throughout ACC and Big 12 country, meeting with fans across both conferences in advance of the Russell Athletic Bowl on December 28th.

Baylor at #11 Oklahoma – 12:00 p.m. on ABC/ESPN2

Oklahoma (7-2, 6-0 Big 12) hosts Baylor (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) looking to remain unbeaten in conference play. Meanwhile, the Bears are looking to right the ship after their second loss in as many weeks when they fell to TCU at home. Baylor has now suffered back-to-back losses to Texas and TCU in consecutive seasons. The Bears sport the Big 12’s top defense allowing 394.8 yards per game and 25 points per game, but they have yet to face three of the top four offenses in the conference. Oklahoma enters the contest off of a 34-24 road victory last Thursday night against Iowa State. The Sooners were able to win despite missing both of their top running backs for the game. The Sooners lead the all-time series with Baylor, 22-3, but the Bears have earned all three of their victories in the past five years. The Bears have only won once before in Norman, earning a 48-14 victory in 2014. In last year’s meeting, Oklahoma handed then-undefeated Baylor their first loss of the season, 44-34.

#16 West Virginia at Texas – 12:00 p.m. on FS1

West Virginia (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) travels to Austin to face Texas (5-4, 3-3 Big 12). The Mountaineers need a win to stay on Oklahoma’s heels at the top of the Big 12 standings. The Longhorns have yet to lose at home this season, outscoring opponents by 59 points in those four games. The Longhorns have relied on offense this season having produced six games of 500-plus yards of offense, tying a school record. Texas is led by running back, D’Onta Foreman, who is coming off of a 341-yard performance against Texas Tech last weekend that moved him past San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey as the nation’s leading rusher. Foreman is now averaging 180.8 yards on the ground per game. The Mountaineers got back on track following their loss to Oklahoma State and knocked off Kansas 48-21 at home last weekend. West Virginia holds a 3-2 lead in the series and have won two of three in Austin. The Mountaineers also took last season’s contest, 38-20.

Georgia Tech at #14 Virginia Tech– 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU

The Hokies (7-2, 5-1 ACC) host the Yellow Jackets (5-4, 2-4 ACC) in an ACC Coastal Division matchup. Virginia Tech sits atop the Division and currently holds the tiebreaker with North Carolina for the spot in the ACC Championship in Orlando. The Hokies enter the game on a three-game win streak in which they have not turned the ball over once, a feat they haven’t accomplished since they began tracking that stat in 1996. Georgia Tech has relied on its rushing attack which ranks first in the ACC and 10th nationally, averaging 261.7 yards per game. This is the 14th meeting between the programs, with Virginia Tech holding a 9-4 advantage including a 4-2 split in Blacksburg. The Hokies have won five of the last six meetings, but the games have been closely-fought with seven of the last eight decided by seven points or less.

Friday

Boston College (4-5, 1-5 ACC) at #18 Florida State (6-3, 3-3 ACC) – 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Saturday

Pittsburgh (5-4, 2-3 ACC) at #2 Clemson (9-0, 6-0 ACC) – 3:30 p.m. on ABC
Texas Tech (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) at #13 Oklahoma State (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) – 3:30 p.m. on FS1
Wake Forest (6-3, 3-2 ACC) at #6 Louisville (8-1, 6-1 ACC) – 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2