Now that the Week 10 snoozefest is over, we can fully turn our attention to Week 11 and an unprecedented doubleheader on Saturday.
For the first time in the AP Poll era (started in 1936), two matchups pairing teams with records of 8-0 or better will kick off on the same day.
That Alabama-LSU is one shouldn't generate much shock, although the way Ed Orgeron's team rolls into Tuscaloosa -- ranked No. 1 and boasting Heisman Trophy front-runner Joe Burrow and an offense averaging 46.8 points per game -- certainly qualifies as a surprise.
LSU already has taken down three top-10 opponents and has played a more challenging schedule than Alabama. Burrow and Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa both have been brilliant, although Tagovailoa will be limited or possibly out after undergoing ankle surgery on Oct. 20. LSU hasn't beaten Alabama since the teams' regular-season meeting in 2011 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The matchup of 8-0 teams few anticipated before the season is in Minneapolis, as No. 13 Minnesota hosts No. 5 Penn State. The Golden Gophers are 8-0 for the first time since 1941, when they won the national title, and are 5-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since 1961. But they haven't faced a team nearly as talented as Penn State, which boasts one of the nation's stingiest defenses and a big-play offense featuring speedy wideout KJ Hamler.
It will be a historic weekend in college football, and I talked to coaches and analysts for a deep dive into LSU-Alabama, as well as a look at Penn State-Minnesota.
