College football grades: Notre Dame earns 'A' mark for beatdown, Alabama gets 'C+' on Week 11 report card

A look at how national championship contenders fared in Week 11 action

Nov 15, 2026 at 8:42 am ET • 5 min read

How serious is Alabama's offense problem? The No. 5 Crimson Tide have won three straight SEC games by double digits after a 21-6 victory at Vanderbilt on Saturday, but don't let the final scores obscure a deeper truth. While the defense is coming up clutch, the offense is trending in a bad direction. 

It won't matter next week against Wofford, and it might not matter the next week against rival Auburn. But if Alabama shows up in the postseason with this rushing attack, it probably won't last long. Alabama has averaged fewer than 3 yards per rush in each of its past four games. That marks a notable downtick after the Tide averaged 3.9 yards per rush or better over their first six games.

Alabama escaped with a win over the Commodores, despite averaging just 4.5 yards per play. The only time Alabama averaged fewer yards per play was in a 26-10 loss at Tennessee. The version of Alabama's offense that totaled 200+ rushing yards against South Carolina and Georgia has gone MIA.

This is an issue for the Crimson Tide, and it's why they aren't receiving a better grade for a 15-point SEC road win.

We are handing out grades evaluating every team that started or ended the day with national championship odds of +3000 or better. 

2026 national championship odds listed below courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Teams listed in order of their AP Top 25 ranking. 

No. 1 Georgia

Grade: A
Result: 48-21 win vs. Missouri
Title odds: +210
It was clear what direction this was headed from the first play, when Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons threw an interception. Georgia proceeded to take a 31-0 lead in its second straight blowout of a ranked conference opponent. Coming out of Week 11, the Bulldogs are the preeminent force in college football and wholly deserving of their status as the national title favorite. 

No. 2 Utah

Grade: B+
Result: 40-39 win at Arizona
Title odds: +2500
Utah survived three turnovers inside a hostile venue to escape with its unbeaten record intact. The defense wasn't perfect, either, but the Utes produced four big sacks and didn't let Arizona move the football when the game hung in the balance late. After traveling to Tucson early Saturday, this was just one the Utes had to get through. Thanks to another huge game from star quarterback Devon Dampier, they accomplished the mission.

No. 3 Alabama

Grade: C+
Result: 21-6 win at Vanderbilt
Title odds: +500
Alabama entered with the SEC's No. 4 third-down defense and will only be going up after holding Vanderbilt to 3 of 19 on third- and fourth-down plays. This was another example of defensive coordinator Kane Wommack's unit carrying the day as the Crimson Tide racked up nine tackles for loss. With the offense too often looking rudderless, Bama needs its defense to continue delivering.

No. 4 UCLA

Grade: B
Result: 22-14 win vs. Illinois
Title odds: +3000
UCLA followed a familiar formula while improving to 10-0 against Illinois. The Bruins won the turnover battle, limited the opponent's run game and did just enough offensively in critical moments. On a night when star running back Wayne Knight rarely broke loose, quarterback Ty Dieffenbach gritted through injury and delivered some critical throws. 

No. 5 Notre Dame

Grade: A
Result: 41-7 win vs. Boston College
Title odds: +370
Notre Dame led 31-0 at halftime before calling off the dogs to rest up for next week's SMU game. The yardage difference through two quarters was 287-46, and Boston College had just two first downs. Coming off an emotional win over No. 1 Miami, this was a mature showing from the Fighting Irish as they dominated in all facets. The Eagles averaged a measly 2.6 yards per play.

No. 6 Texas

Grade: B
Result: 22-21 win at LSU
Title odds: +850
Arch Manning threw the game-winning touchdown pass, but only after another game full of sacks, interceptions and missed throws. The Longhorns went more than 55 minutes between touchdowns and needed their defense to do some heavy lifting down the stretch. Ultimately, a night win inside Death Valley can't be graded too harshly. But let's not pretend this team has turned the proverbial corner.

No. 7 Miami

Grade: B
Result: 36-25 win vs. Duke
Title odds: +1000
No Malachi Toney, no problem. After a jittery start, Miami's offense carried the day, as Darian Mensah kept his Heisman campaign on track with a 382-yard passing performance. Like most teams, the Hurricanes struggled to contain Duke star back Nate Sheppard, who amassed 224 yards as a runner and receiver. But it was encouraging to see the offense get in rhythm amid its second game without Toney.

No. 8 Tennessee

Grade: B
Result: 22-7 win at Texas A&M
Title odds: +3000
Tennessee isn't going to win a beauty contest, but its defense is vicious. A Texas A&M offense that was already struggling stood no chance against coordinator Jim Knowles' swarming unit. The Aggies totaled just 179 yards and eight first downs as the Volunteers possessed the ball for more than 42 minutes. A lackluster passing game puts a ceiling on Tennessee's potential, but the defense can make it competitive against anyone.

No. 9 Indiana

Grade: B+
Result: 27-13 win vs. USC
Title odds: +900
With quarterback Grant Wilson making his first start since 2024 and leading rusher Turbo Richard out, the Hoosiers hummed along with 7.3 yards per play. IU surrendered more yardage (409) than in any prior game under third-year coach Curt Cignetti. But the Hoosiers stepped up in critical situations by intercepting three passes and putting the clamps on USC in the red zone.

No. 21 LSU

Grade: B-
Result: 22-21 loss vs. Texas
Title odds: +125000 (+1400 entering day)
Lane Kiffin's first season at LSU will go down as a major disappointment because the Tigers could not figure out how to win close games against quality opposition. LSU's offense remains too reliant on Sam Leavitt, and his interception problems returned with a vengeance against Texas. The Tigers were also heavily penalized (13 for 108 yards). And while they played good defense, they couldn't get a stop with the game — and their CFP hopes — on the line.