Finebaum: Miami always finds a way to lose in November (0:34)Paul Finebaum explains why he wasn’t surprised that Miami lost to SMU. (0:34)
Arch Manning kept the ball on a run-pass option, knowing a big hit was coming his way. The Texas quarterback waited until the last possible second before firing the ball to a leaping Emmett Mosley V in the end zone.
Manning’s third touchdown pass gave Texas a 24-point lead over Vanderbilt, and the Longhorns held on for a 34-31 win. The much-scrutinized Manning, who entered his first season as a starter with outsize expectations and struggled to meet them for seven games, had settled into a nice rhythm. Manning has 674 passing yards and six touchdowns in his past two starts, and he enters the stretch run brimming with confidence.
Quarterbacks improve and so do offenses overall, as Texas has shown in recent weeks. Offenses and quarterbacks also regress, as Carson Beck and Miami have with losses in two of the past three games.
But November provides the stage for offenses to make strides and ideally peak in the most important games. Weather and injuries will factor in for some teams, as will schedule strength. Our latest power rankings examine the top 25 and what each team can do to improve on offense during a pivotal month. — Adam Rittenberg
“I felt like our fans and defense showed up today,” Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said. “Our offense in the passing game didn’t. Inconsistency in the passing game started in the third quarter. They started to play a lot of man and stopping the run. Gotta beat them in the passing game when they do that, didn’t for a little bit there.” — Mark Schlabach
Like many aspects of coach Curt Cignetti’s team, the offense is difficult to nitpick. The Hoosiers entered Saturday’s game at Maryland ranked third nationally in scoring and fifth in yards per contest. Indiana continued its machinelike efficiency against the Terrapins, leaning on its running game with Kaelon Black and Maryland transfer Roman Hemby. Despite not having starting offensive lineman Drew Evans and losing standout wide receiver Elijah Sarratt to a hamstring injury in the first half, Indiana still finished with 55 points and 588 yards in its latest win. IU has displayed tremendous offensive balance throughout the season, and the run game has really come on strong across the past two weeks after a brief dip. The Hoosiers need to maintain that approach the rest of the way. — Rittenberg
The duo of Mario Craver and KC Concepcion changed everything for the Aggies’ offense this season by creating space with big-play threats, which was seriously lacking last season. The transfers have combined for 76 catches, 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns as compared with last season’s leading receivers Noah Thomas and Jabre Barber, who racked up 77 catches for 955 yards and 10 TDs over the entire campaign. Despite losing last season’s leading rusher, Le’Veon Moss, to an ankle injury, the Aggies have used the legs of quarterback Marcel Reed (349 yards, six TDs) to supplement running back Rueben Owens II. And as of late, ball carrier Jamarion Morrow, who scored twice against LSU, has given Texas A&M another wrinkle. The Aggies are humming along. But one area for improvement? They rank 123rd in penalties per game (7.9), and coach Mike Elko has challenged his team to be more disciplined. After a bye week, the Aggies will be headed to Missouri with ESPN Research’s best strength of record, which suggests the average playoff contender would have only a 5% chance to go 8-0 against A&M’s schedule to date. — Dave Wilson
The Crimson Tide have surged since losing to Florida State in the season opener thanks in large part to the development and poise of quarterback Ty Simpson. The biggest area that needs improvement is the run game, which has not been nearly as consistent or explosive as that of past Tide teams. Alabama is averaging just 118.9 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry, ranking among the bottom third in the country. Alabama has one 100-yard rusher in Power 4 games, and multiple times its leading rusher was not a running back. Some of that is because ball carrier Jam Miller has been banged up, but the offensive line has not been nearly as good at run blocking as projected. If Alabama is going to make it through the rest of its schedule and a possible CFP run, there is no question it will have to figure out a way to run the ball better and more consistently. — Andrea Adelson
BYU has found itself in a familiar position: 8-0 and the front-runner to win the Big 12. The Cougars were here a year ago (9-0, actually), only to drop a pair of late games and lose out on the tiebreaker to play for the conference title. BYU had a well-timed bye over the weekend ahead of this week’s trip to Texas Tech in what is the biggest game of the week in college football. The Cougars have appeared vulnerable at times, but this is a team that has won 19 of its past 21 contests. — Kyle Bonagura
The Bulldogs didn’t have their finest effort on offense in a 24-20 victory against rival Florida in Jacksonville on Saturday. But once again, Georgia’s offense made big plays when it needed it most in the fourth quarter. After running for 221 yards in a 43-35 win over Ole Miss on Oct. 18, the Bulldogs didn’t have as much success on the ground against the Gators. Georgia ran 39 times for 138 yards, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Florida’s defense did a good job of containing quarterback Gunner Stockton, who has hurt many opponents with designed keepers this season. Running the ball was a point of emphasis for coach Kirby Smart this past offseason, after his Bulldogs ranked next to last in the SEC with 124.4 yards per game, the lowest average in his tenure. Georgia has been better this season; it ranks sixth in the league with 184 yards per game. But Smart wants even more out of his ground game in the final month of the season. — Schlabach
If Texas Tech wants to reach the playoff, this week’s game against BYU feels like a must-win. The Red Raiders could lose and still reach the Big 12 title game for a chance to play its way back into the 12-team field, but with as many teams still in the mix in the conference, the tiebreaker game could get tricky. The Red Raiders are undefeated when quarterback Behren Morton is available, which is something the committee would take into account come selection time. When he’s healthy, Texas Tech usually looks like the best team in the Big 12. — Bonagura
The most productive scorer in the Sooners’ first road win over a ranked opponent since 2019? Kicker Tate Sandell. The big-legged redshirt junior knocked in four field goals, including three over 50 yards, in Oklahoma’s 33-27 win at Tennessee. As important, Oklahoma got its running game going at Neyland Stadium. Xavier Robinson’s 115 yards marked the most by a Sooners running back in 2025. And with another 80 yards on the ground from quarterback John Mateer, Oklahoma turned in its best rushing performance against a power conference defense this fall. The Sooners were still outgained 456-351 in Week 10. But even base-level production on the ground at Tennessee made a game-changing impact for an offense that struggled mightily across much of October. It was enough to help keep Oklahoma’s playoff hopes alive. The Sooners will need to keep that same rushing attack cranking when they visit Alabama on Nov. 15. — Eli Lederman
For the Cavaliers to make it to the ACC championship game, they will have to make sure their run game is the best it can be down the stretch. They were able to run the ball more effectively in a 31-21 win over Cal, gaining 194 yards on 44 attempts. That was a huge priority after struggling to run it last week in an overtime win over North Carolina. Virginia is at its best when it runs to set up the pass, and that is what the Cavs did so effectively at the start of the season while rushing for more than 200 yards in their first three Power 4 games. Running back J’Mari Taylor is having an All-ACC caliber season, and Harrison Waylee has proved to be a nice change of pace back. Quarterback Chandler Morris can help in the run game, as well. — Adelson
Late in the 28-16 win over Virginia Tech, Cardinals running back Isaac Brown came up limping near the sideline. Brown has been on fire as of late, and he had another 130 yards on the ground Saturday. But he also has been Louisville’s only consistent big-play threat, and if he is to miss any time, it’s easy to wonder what this Cardinals offense would look like without him. Quarterback Miller Moss has been mediocre for much of the season, and Saturday’s outing was a microcosm of larger concerns. Moss threw a pick and averaged just 4.9 yards per pass. Moss’ 66.1 Total QBR ranks 54th nationally, and he has had at least one turnover in six of eight games this season. Moss was never likely to be as prolific as Tyler Shough had been a year ago for the Cardinals, but Moss probably needs to be a tick or two better than he has been if Louisville wants to make a serious push for the playoff. — Hale
The Yellow Jackets’ struggles against the run finally caught up with them in Week 10 against NC State, which ran for 243 yards in a 48-36 win. Quarterback Haynes King was still exceptional, accounting for 511 of Georgia Tech’s 559 yards, but some of the cracks in the offensive facade showed through, as well. The rushing attack came up short multiple times in the red zone, forcing Georgia Tech to settle for too many field goals, and the receivers had several key drops. In all, Tech’s offense remains one of the better groups in the country. But the dependence on King to be the superhero was on display in the loss to NC State, and the struggles in stopping the Wolfpack on defense was a reminder that no matter how dynamic King is, someone still needs to stop the other team too. — Hale
The Utes’ offensive turnaround this season has been remarkable. When they’re clicking, they have one of the most fun offenses to watch in college football. The playcalling is creative, and there are huge gaps to run through. It’s pleasing to the eye. In the two games the Utes were stifled — by Texas Tech and BYU — the offensive line just wasn’t able to get the same push, and it threw off the timing of everything. At its finest, Utah might be the best team in the Big 12. But with two conference losses — to teams it trails in the standings — Utah will need a lot of help to reach the title game. — Bonagura